Devo 21 – Always Reforming

Approaching God
As you prepare to enter the presence of God in prayer and meditation, accept this invitation to join every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea in singing this praise to God: (Repeat it multiple times and sing with your whole being)

“To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and ever!” (Revelation 5:13)

Listening to God
As we walk the road of discipleship, it is important that we strive to walk where and how Jesus walked. The verse below gives us instruction on the manner in which we are to walk.

“But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.” (1 John 1:7)

Spend time contemplating what that looks like for you in the context of your daily life. How can you be the light that pierces the darkness that is so pervasive in our culture today? At the recent Inspire 2017 gathering, Rev. Carey of Detroit challenged us to consider that perhaps the reason the darkness is so prevalent is because we, as the church, are not being the light. Darkness must flee when the light comes.

Talking to God
Ask the Holy Spirit to bless you with creative thought about how you can walk in the light in your daily life. Confess times when you missed a chance to be light in a dark place. Ask God to show you people who need you to walk beside them and help them walk in the light. Thank Him for sending Jesus into the world as the light of the world.

Responding to God
If we are going to walk in the light as He is in the light, we need to spend more time with Him. No matter how much time you spend in the word and in prayer, commit to increasing that time. As we do so, His light grows brighter within us for all to see.

Surrendering to God
“Dear Father, thank you for sending Jesus to be the light of the world. Thank you for placing that light within us through the Holy Spirit. Thank you for opportunities to be the light. I offer myself to you daily as an agent of light in a dark, pain-filled world.”

By Jolene DeHeer

A HISTORICAL SIDEBAR

Martin Luther saw the Christian life of discipleship as a paradox. In 1520 he wrote: “A Christian is an utterly free man, lord of all, subject to none. A Christian is an utterly dutiful man, servant of all, subject to all.” This was Luther’s summary of Christian freedom and he believed it was based on the life of Jesus Christ, our true Lord and humble Servant. Our faith in Jesus sets us free in Christ, yet our love for God and others binds us to each as servants. Faith and love, freedom and servanthood, should characterize the life of each disciple who surrenders all to follow Jesus.