Thoughts in Worship

Message Magazine's Online Devotional for Sunday, January 14, 2018

Audio Link: https://www.spreaker.com/user/reachmanyradio/thoughts-in-worship-01-14-2018

This is devotional thought number 49 in our devotional series, God’s Promises are Sure!

“Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.” (John 8:12).

One of my pastor friends often has his congregations repeat the following after him: “Those who follow Jesus will never get lost.” You should find courage in this little ditty. So many are groping around in darkness these days, being taken captive by the devil at his will that to know we have a Savior who is willing to guide us every step of the way on the path of life is a blessing.

I appreciate Jesus so much, and you should too. He is beyond qualified to lead us wherever we need to go, because He created us and the Creator must have a plan for us. This almost goes without saying. Unfortunately, humankind followed in the footsteps of our father Adam and continued to think we could choose paths that seem right in our own eyes. God has been drawing people to Himself ever since. His intended will has ever been that we live in harmony with the divine law of liberty; to be free from the need and desire to rely on our own wisdom in relationships, amusement, employment, education, emotional well being, etc. He always intended that we live for His honor and be insulated from the devil’s sinful path. Just imagine if Adam had chosen not to yield his will to sin. Imagine if Eve had not placed herself in the path of temptation. The devil and his angels would have failed to reproduce their image on the earth, and would have been destroyed at the appointed time. Unfortunately, we now must wander through this wilderness of sin as God refines the characters of those willing to do His will.

The transformation needed to produce God’s image in our lives cannot be done from afar. As intelligent as we are, and as advanced as we think we are in technology, philosophy, and our abilities, we cannot surrender to God without His indwelling Spirit. We cannot even begin to walk the right path unless God marks out every principled step before our feet. The Bible says: “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, And a light unto my path.” (Psalm 119:105). So, we have the Bible, complete in its instruction for reproof, doctrine, righteous living, and relationship with God, shines as a light in darkness for anyone willing to follow its precepts. This light of the Word of God reveals the true Light and living Word, which is Christ. Jesus is the manifestation of God who lived the right path on earth so we could follow in His footsteps. So, not only did God give us the written Word through the Spirit, but the living Word now marks out the path in living color. The Bible says in the context of those who are submitted to Jesus: “For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps: Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously:” (1 Peter 2:21–23). Further, the Bible says: “Make your own attitude that of Christ Jesus, who, existing in the form of God, did not consider equality with God as something to be used for His own advantage. Instead He emptied Himself by assuming the form of a slave, taking on the likeness of men. And when He had come as a man in His external form, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death— even to death on a cross. For this reason God highly exalted Him and gave Him the name that is above every name, so...