I Am the Way and the Truth and The
February 25 The Destitution of Service “… though the more abundantly I love you, the less I am loved” (2 Corinthians 12:15). Natural human love expects something in return. But Paul is saying, “It doesn’t really matter to me whether you love me or not. I am willing to be completely destitute anyway; willing to […]
Read MoreFebruary 24 The Delight of Sacrifice “I will very gladly spend and be spent for your souls …” (2 Corinthians 12:15). Once “the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit,” we deliberately begin to identify ourselves with Jesus Christ’s interests and purposes in others’ lives (Romans […]
Read MoreFebruary 23 The Determination to Serve “The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve …” (Matthew 20:28). Jesus also said, “Yet I am among you as the One who serves” (Luke 22:27). Paul’s idea of service was the same as our Lord’s—“… ourselves your bondservants for Jesus’ sake” (2 Corinthians […]
Read MoreFebruary 22 The Discipline of Spiritual Perseverance “Be still, and know that I am God …” (Psalm 46:10). Perseverance is more than endurance. It is endurance combined with absolute assurance and certainty that what we are looking for is going to happen. Perseverance means more than just hanging on, which may be only exposing our […]
Read MoreFebruary 21 Do You Really Love Him? “She has done a good work for Me” (Mark 14:6). If what we call love doesn’t take us beyond ourselves, it is not really love. If we have the idea that love is characterized as cautious, wise, sensible, shrewd, and never taken to extremes, we have missed the […]
Read MoreFebruary 20 Taking the Initiative Against Daydreaming “Arise, let us go from here” (John 14:31). Daydreaming about something in order to do it properly is right, but daydreaming about it when we should be doing it is wrong. In this passage, after having said these wonderful things to His disciples, we might have expected our […]
Read MoreFebruary 19 Taking the Initiative Against Drudgery “Arise, shine …” (Isaiah 60:1). When it comes to taking the initiative against drudgery, we have to take the first step as though there were no God. There is no point in waiting for God to help us—He will not. But once we arise, immediately we find He […]
Read MoreFebruary 18 Taking the Initiative Against Despair “Rise, let us be going” (Matthew 26:46). In the Garden of Gethsemane, the disciples went to sleep when they should have stayed awake, and once they realized what they had done it produced despair. The sense of having done something irreversible tends to make us despair. […]
Read MoreFebruary 17 Taking the Initiative Against Depression “Arise and eat” (1 Kings 19:5). The angel in this passage did not give Elijah a vision, or explain the Scriptures to him, or do anything remarkable. He simply told Elijah to do a very ordinary thing, that is, to get up and eat. If we were […]
Read MoreFebruary 16 The Inspiration of Spiritual Initiative “Arise from the dead …” (Ephesians 5:14). Not all initiative, the willingness to take the first step, is inspired by God. Someone may say to you, “Get up and get going! Take your reluctance by the throat and throw it overboard—just do what needs to be done!” […]
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