CBN - Devotional

When approaching Bible study, my first step is to pray for understanding of narratives set in Old Testament times. In our present-day world, it can be hard to relate to some values of a culture thousands of years before us, such as the significance of the rights of the firstborn. First Chronicles records the descendants of the tribes of Israel—the sons of Jacob, where they settled, who they married, who they begat. The long lists of unpronounceable names are occasionally broken up by some passages that seem anecdotal: Jokim, Joash, and Saraph were potters. Jabez was more honorable than his brothers. The descendants of Simeon “attacked the Hamites in their dwellings.” And in 1 Chronicles 5:1-2 (NIV): The sons of Reuben the firstborn of Israel (he was the firstborn, but when he defiled his father’s marriage bed, his rights as firstborn were given to the sons of Joseph son of Israel; so he could not be listed in the genealogical record in accordance with his birthright, and though Judah was the strongest of his brothers and a ruler came from him, the rights of the firstborn belonged to Joseph). When Jacob (renamed Israel) was near death, he blessed his 12 sons. The firstborn was Reuben, who forfeited his birthright due to his sinful conduct. Joseph, the eleventh son, was sold into slavery by his brothers but ended up saving all their lives during a severe famine. The above passage establishes that, though Judah was “the strongest,” the rights of the firstborn were transferred to Joseph. Judah was the fourth son. His blessing was this: “Judah, your brothers will praise you. … You are a lion’s cub, Judah. … The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, until he to whom it belongs shall come and the obedience of the nations shall be his.” (Genesis 49: 8, 9, 10) Judah’s blessing didn’t come to fruition until the era of kingship in Israel. David, anointed king by Samuel, was descended from the tribe of Judah. When the kingdom split into two parts, the southern part became known as the kingdom of Judah. It was here, in Jerusalem, that the Temple was located, the center of worship for God’s people. It was here that the Israelites came to celebrate the great feasts of Passover and Tabernacles. When the king of Babylon conquered Judah, its people were taken captive to live in exile. During this time, they preserved their identity by keeping their faith and the laws God had given them. They also remained true to His Word and to one another by remaining a faithful community in a godless culture. Hundreds of years later in the land of Judah, a descendant of King David gave birth to the King of Kings—the promised Messiah, the Lion of Judah (see Revelation 5:5). We have much in common with the people listed in Chronicles: We have a lineage; we live in a culture. Where we came from and what our ancestors did helped form our place in the culture. Jesus, the Lion of Judah—our Redeemer—has reconciled us to His own Father that we might share in His promised blessings, and the Father’s promises always come to fruition. We have the freedom to live as children of God—to worship Him, to keep His ways, to hold fast to His Word, to remain in the Body of Christ. This redeemed life of faith—a blessing in itself—is the Father’s way of preserving our identity as His own people. He will ultimately position us to receive the fulfillment of His promises. ~ Scripture is quoted from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. 

One night at my church, a lady approached me and said that she had a word from God for me. I quickly heard the voice of the Holy Spirit warning me in my spirit, “Pray before she speaks!” and I prayed. Her words declared things about me that were far from true. At that moment, I felt very confused—because nothing she said made sense to me or to those who knew me best. Jesus said: “If I were to testify on my own behalf, my testimony would not be valid. But someone else is also testifying about me, and I assure you that everything he says about me is true.” (John 5:31-32) The Holy Spirit had indeed warned me about this person who was speaking falsely. He knew that my identity in Himself would be confronted by the enemy, but I know that God knows me and confirms my acts done in faith. When we do things according to God’s will, our fruit speaks for itself (see Matthew 7:20). At that moment, I remembered these words of Jesus, “And the Father who sent me has testified about me himself. You have never heard his voice or seen him face to face.” (John 5:37)  An intimate and genuine relationship with the Father will bear consistent spiritual fruit evident to others. We don’t have to accept someone who wants to speak—on God’s behalf or their own—into our lives just because they do it in a church setting. Someone who genuinely knows our character and maturity will not go where they are not invited. Perhaps many people have tried to label you according to your past: lazy, a thief, good-for-nothing, liar, crazy, or even unfaithful. Your heavenly Father does not identify you according to what you’ve done. He is always waiting for you to turn back to Him and receive a new identity in Christ. It is important to know and discern what God says about you and hold steadfast to the truth of your genuine relationship with the Father. When needed, God can and does bring loving, humble correction through another; this will always be consistent with biblical truth. In my daily work at CBN Guatemala, I have the privilege of praying for many people who are going through difficult situations. Others have gone through terrible things and have overcome them. Having a genuine relationship with the Father, and my identity grounded in Him, is my greatest strength to help and guide others. The good news today and forever is that God loves you so much that He sent His only Son, Jesus, to die for you on a cross. God has faith in you and has plans for your life. Give your life to the Father today and you will see how false and degrading words toward you will come to nothing. You will see how the roads in the middle of the desert open up and you will see His hand move in your favor. God loves you simply because it pleases Him! And that is more than enough reason to love Him in return. Remember: “For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.” (Jeremiah 29:11) ~ Scripture is quoted from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

If you were looking for a get-well card for a sick friend, would you buy one that said, Do you want to get well? Consider this story from the Gospel of John:  Now there is in Jerusalem near the Sheep Gate a pool, which in Aramaic is called Bethesda and which is surrounded by five covered colonnades. Here a great number of disabled people used to lie—the blind, the lame, the paralyzed. One who was there had been an invalid for thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him lying there and learned that he had been in this condition for a long time, he asked him, “Do you want to get well?” (John 5:2-6) Well, did he? Thirty-eight years is a long time to endure any affliction; it might have become all he knew. It could have been scary to find out what “well” meant.  If the man hesitated, it wasn’t for long. Jesus told him to pick up his mat and walk, and he did.  The religious “leaders” (see John 5:10) saw the man who was now walking after helplessly lying beside the Bethesda pool for years, and what they had to say to him was that he was breaking the Sabbath law by carrying his mat. They wanted to know, “Who told you to pick up your mat and walk?” These men “began to persecute” Jesus because they found Him guilty of breaking the Sabbath. They didn’t ask Him, “Will You also heal us?” (Although they were very much in need of healing and restoration, they didn’t seem aware of it.) They weren’t talking to Jesus about the miracle of healing that happened at Bethesda. They were trying to kill Him—for breaking the Sabbath and for calling God His own Father.  Jesus knew who was persecuting Him. They wanted a way to accuse Jesus, to put Him on the defensive. But instead of defending His actions, He gave them more ammunition.  “For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son gives life to whom he is pleased to give it. Moreover, the Father judges no one, but has entrusted all judgment to the Son, that all may honor the Son just as they honor the Father. Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father, who sent him.” (John 5:21-23) Getting well is for everyone who hears Jesus and believes in Him. As the Father gives life, so the Son gives life. Moreover, the Father has entrusted all judgement to Jesus. Do we want Jesus as our Healer—or as our Judge? For those who receive Him as Lord, He is both. In Him, we’re going to get well, whether in this life or the next, and we have nothing to fear from His coming judgement.  A get-well card from Jesus:  “Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life.” (John 5:24) ~ Scripture is quoted from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.