Morning Devotion

Readings: Jeremiah 7:1- 8:22, Psalm 118:1-4, Proverbs 27:5-6, Colossians 2:1-23

Today's reading in Jeremiah is where Jeremiah gives his first sermon to a backslidden Israel. The Lord's rebuke is strong because the people have forsaken Him and are worshiping idols. God's wrath is manifest as well as His grieving heart. I cannot fathom how God grieves over His people, but I can fathom the grief I feel when people I love turn their backs on God. Especially with my own adult children. As a parent you spend years trying your best to raise them up to love the Lord and to be examples to them of Christ. Some turn their backs on God and live in rebellion against Him. Such is the case of my own adult children. I pray for them continually and they keep getting further and further away from God. I use to blame myself. I use to question where did I go wrong? Where did my husband and I go wrong? Could we have been better examples? Of course we could have! But this does not justify the heart of why our children have chosen to live a life apart from Christ. John 6:44 says, 'No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him...' All this time focusing on what I did wrong was me trying to be the Holy Spirit in their lives. Father God has to draw them to Himself. It is not any effort or mistake on my part. If the Father draws them, they will seek Him and receive salvation. They cannot run from God Almighty when He draws them to Himself. When He draws them they receive salvation. Did they make a "so-called" decision at some point in their lives? Maybe they did. Was it genuine? Only God knows. But I firmly believe that when one is truly drawn by God and receives salvation it is forever. There is no turning back to the world or walking away from God. If the Spirit is leading, one cannot walk away from God. Yes, we have flesh. We make mistakes. And we may taste the world and not walk as we should in Christ. But never do we forsake Him if we are truly born-again. And a truly born-again Christian cannot love his sin and not repent and turn from them. Not if they are drawn by God. So many people walk around living life apart from God and are deceived into thinking just because they "made a decision" as a kid, they are forever saved. Salvation is not about making a decision. The Bible says Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved. The word believe does not mean make a lip-sync decision and then live your life like you please. A truly born-again believer makes a life-time commitment to Christ. No turning back. No living like you please. All throughout life one may fall short along their spiritual journey, but never ever is there a forsaking. One cannot be unborn again. My New Testament reading today has a verse that sums this all up.

Colossians 2:6-7

As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving.

I love how this begins. 

As we have received Christ Jesus the Lord.
So walk in Him.
Rooted and built up in Him.
Established in the faith.
As you have been taught.
Abounding in it with thanksgiving.

Looking back on the night God drew me to Him and I embraced His love and grace and was saved, I remember how I received Him. I hadn't had any concept whatsoever of God and a relationship with Him. But one night at a Baptist revival "I was taught" what the gospel was all about. In one night only, my life was changed. When I received Him I was full of joy and peace and love for Him I had never experienced. This verse tells us to continue to walk in Christ just as we first received Him. We are to be rooted and built up in Christ as our journey continues and we grow. We are to become ESTABLISHED in our faith. NO TURNING BACK. And we are to always abound with thanksgiving that God drew us. He chose us. He doesn't stop drawing us because once we are saved we have the Holy Spirit. If the Holy Spirit is truly in us we simply cannot forsake the Lord.

Almighty Father God,
Thank you for your Word and for reminding me today of Your great love for me. I am beyond thankful that You chose me and saved me from the pit of destruction. I am thankful that I have been truly born-again. Thank you for reminding me of the day you called me to salvation. Help me O God, to walk in that joy I felt that day. Thank you for helping me to grow day by day in this journey called life. May I always have a thankful heart and be mindful of who You are in my life. Amen.