Focus
Prepare yourself to discern what is and what is not of God today. Still yourself so you can hear how God is calling you.
Read
Faith Conquers the World
5 Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the parent loves the child. 2 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments. 3 For the love of God is this, that we obey his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome, 4 for whatever is born of God conquers the world. And this is the victory that conquers the world, our faith. 5 Who is it who conquers the world but the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?
13 I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life.
14 And this is the boldness we have in him, that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. 15 And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have obtained the requests made of him. 16 If you see your brother or sister committing what is not a deadly sin, you will ask, and God will give life to such a one—to those whose sin is not deadly. There is sin that is deadly; I do not say that you should pray about that. 17 All wrongdoing is sin, but there is sin that is not deadly.
18 We know that those who are born of God do not sin, but the one who was born of God protects them, and the evil one does not touch them. 19 We know that we are God’s children and that the whole world lies under the power of the evil one. 20 And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding so that we may know him who is true; and we are in him who is true, in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life.
21 Little children, keep yourselves from idols.
Reflect
This passage has been one of my favorites throughout my life as it gives clarity about working on the Sabbath. Many people, including myself, have had to work at times on Sundays which is the Sabbath for most.
What the Jews of the time did not understand about Jesus was he was not being blasphemous and working for God is something totally different than working for oneself. Jesus explained that His father was God but, that did not make him as “equal” as they thought of it and therefore it was not blasphemy. Working for God is a form of worship and is what we are supposed to do on the Sabbath. One must not forget the purpose in the work. Now everyone needs to rest from one’s weekly duties; even God needed that! One may just need to adjust one’s resting Sabbath schedule as if one is tired, how are you supposed to do God’s work or any work effectively? We are put on this Earth to glorify God and to do His work. Just as this man that Jesus healed that Sabbath morning.
Pray
Dear Heavenly Father, You provide us a day to rest, but we are to always worship you. Bring those two concepts into clearity for all to see your will. In your Son’s name, Amen.
Go with God!
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