Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. 1 John 4:15, NKJV
Note before sharing the devotional: at the end of the day,
it boils – and should boil – down to this: acknowledging God and acknowledging
Jesus as Lord. “Remember the Lord,” it says repeatedly in the Old Testament. “We
praise Thee, O God; we acknowledge Thee to be the Lord…” states a 4th
century hymn commonly known as the Te Deum (disclosure: it’s one
of the few liturgical texts that I really love to this day – a powerful,
powerful prayer and hymn of praise!). When all else fails, acknowledge Jesus as
Lord and worship Him. After all, for those like me praying for a simple faith, this
verse works very well:
that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. Romans 10:9, NKJV
Acknowledge Jesus
The average person makes over 35,000 decisions a day. That’s an average of 1,500 decisions an hour (if you were awake for 24 hours). From opening your eyes and getting out of bed to choosing to read this sentence, your life is composed of thousands of seemingly small decisions that shape the course of your day.
Every decision we make matters, but the most important decision we will ever make is whether we choose to follow Jesus Christ. Believing in Jesus not only changes our life on earth but also determines our life for eternity. Those who believe and follow Jesus will join Him in heaven one day.
In a letter to the churches in ancient Rome, Paul says…
“If you declare with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord,' and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” Romans 10:9 NIV
Choosing to believe and follow Jesus changes everything. We are not only saved for eternity, but we also get to have a relationship with God today. We have this assurance because God lives in us, and we live in Him. God’s Word says that when we believe in Him, the Spirit of God lives within us, empowering us to live according to God’s will.
Wherever we go and whatever we do in life, God will always be with us. Since we have a relationship with Him, we can talk with Him anytime. His Spirit will grant us peace when we’re fearful and grace when we mess up.
The first step is to begin a relationship with Jesus. As we
grow in our relationship with Him, we will have the opportunity to share the
hope we have in Jesus with others. So be bold when you have those opportunities
to acknowledge Jesus publicly. God lives in you and goes with you
everywhere—you have nothing to fear. Thank Him for His presence and His grace
today.
Prayer: Jesus, I believe You are the Son of God. Thank You for allowing me to serve You and have a close relationship with You. I am constantly in awe of Your goodness and love for Your people. Help me each day to live a life that honors You and draws others closer to You. Amen.
