ESOCS Devotional 11 July 2022
TEXT: JOHN 11:38-45
MEMORY VERSE: “Jesus saith unto her, said I not into thee, that, if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God?” John 11:40 KJV
0 And the apostles, when they had returned, told Him all that they had done. Then He took them and went aside privately into a deserted place belonging to the city called Bethsaida. 11 But when the multitudes knew it, they followed Him; and He received them and spoke to them about the kingdom of God, and healed those who had need of healing. 12 When the day began to wear away, the twelve came and said to Him, “Send the multitude away, that they may go into the surrounding towns and country, and lodge and get provisions; for we are in a deserted lace ”
In our busy lives with all their problems and distractions, we have to continually remind ourselves that we are citizens of heaven. We live, first and foremost, in the kingdom of God where things do not work according to natural laws or expectations. To do this, we are required to live by faith. Kingdom faith requires that we look beyond circumstances to the absolute glory and power of God.
In John 11:39, Jesus asked some people to roll away the stone that sealed the tomb of dead Lazarus. “…But Martha, the dead man’s sister, protested, “Lord he has been dead for four days. The smell will be terrible.” (NLT) And interestingly, “Jesus responded, “Didn’t I tell you that you would see God’s glory if you believe?” (John 11:40 NLT). Faith or believing God has always been and will always be critical if we must receive anything from God (James 1:6-8).
As it was in this situation, the glory of God is always at the heart of faith. Jesus did not say that if they believed they would see Lazarus return to life. He didn’t say that if they believed they would be comforted, or would understand the situation. What He said was that if they believed, they would see the glory of God. This is the greater purpose behind every single act of faith. We do not believe only for ourselves and the resolution of our own problems. We believe so that the glory of God can be revealed in and through our situation. This doesn’t mean that He doesn’t have compassion on us or love us and want to help us. He does, and nothing will change that. But we are created to bring Him glory. To believe and see is to look for the glory of God revealed.
The lesson Jesus is teaching us all is that His glory must always be our first desire. As citizens of the kingdom, we are servants of the kingdom. Our lives and everything in them belong wholly to Him. Our commitment to Christ is to no longer live for ourselves but for His glory – our original purpose lost in the fall. Kingdom faith is putting the glory of God first in any and every situation. This is believing. It’s having the faith that His glory and power are greater than the problem and will work all things to our good, no matter how terrible they might be. When we believe, we commit ourselves to this higher purpose. His promise is that we will see His glory revealed. He will bring all His power to bear on the situation and resolve it in a way that glorifies Him and establishes His kingdom.
- Let us dare to believe in Jesus and we will see the God’s Glory,
- Lord, help me to see beyond my challenges and reveal yourself through my situation.
Read Other ESOCS Devotional here
FURTHER READING: Exodus 24:9–18; 2 Kings 23:22–30; Philippians 4:2–9
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ESOCS Devotional 11 July 2022
