Daily Devotional

Word of the Day

Put into Jesus' Hands

We're watching for the coming of the Lord, for our redemption is drawing nigh. We're watching because He is going to appear to those that are looking for Him. Are you looking? Are you watching? Are the confusion and the seduction of this hour affecting you? Are you able to spend time musing-- getting quiet, looking for and hastening the coming of the Lord Jesus--instead of amusing? This world isn't our home; we're just pilgrims; we're just sojourning. Are you spending time looking into the heavenlies where your treasures have been laid up? Your treasure is where your heart is.

As we're looking for the Lord's coming, if we have that hope, we will continue to purify ourselves even as He is pure, the first epistle of John says. What standard? "...Even as He is pure." How much is "good enough"? Perfection is the only standard. Are you watching your work? We're living in a world now where quality control is a thing of the past. The pride of workmanship, doing a job right, is foreign to many people. We as believers can't settle for anything less than the standard of perfection. Whatever you do, do it for Jesus. Whatever you do on a daily basis, see it as something you're going to put in the hands of Jesus. As believers, we don't understand what we're doing. Students, that assignment is not being turned into the teacher so you can get an 80 or a 90 in the grade book. What you're presenting, what you do with your hands, is being placed into the hands of Jesus. If it is being done for Him, then it should be done by Him and His grace. Is that how we do our schoolwork or conduct ourselves in our vocation? Is that how we clean our homes? Is that how we get our children ready for school? Once excellence becomes the normal way of life, then we're walking in the spirit.

We're watching so we won't be seduced by the standard of the world that says this is "good enough" or "close enough." We won't judge ourselves and say, "That's close enough to being a Christian. This is as good as what they're putting out down the street." Some of what Christians believe is normative Christian behavior is unacceptable in the kingdom. It is nowhere recognized in the Book as Christian behavior, yet they want to profess a relationship with God, profess faith in the redemptive work of Jesus Christ, and somehow declare that they are a new creation. Where is the change? Where is the new man that is to be put on as Colossians says? What standard are you observing? What fruit are you producing? What's the quality? What's the quantity? Is it the fruit of being grafted into the Vine? This is so vital. We're being lied to and seduced by the world. Just "getting by" is a way of life for the majority, but not in the kingdom of God where it is excellence and perfection.

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