ESOCS Devotional 6 February 2022
TEXT: LUKE 3:15-22
MEMORY VERSE: “And as the people were in expectation, and all men mused in their hearts of John, whether he were Christ or not.” Luke 4:15 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 place ”
15 Now as the people were in expectation, and all reasoned in their hearts about John, whether he was the Christ or not, 16 John answered, saying to all, “I indeed baptize you with water; but One mightier than I is coming, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 17 His winnowing fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clean out His threshing floor, and gather the wheat into His barn; but the chaff He will burn with unquenchable fire.”
18 And with many other exhortations he preached to the people. 19 But Herod the tetrarch, being rebuked by him concerning Herodias, his [a]brother Philip’s wife, and for all the evils which Herod had done, 20 also added this, above all, that he shut John up in prison.
21 When all the people were baptized, it came to pass that Jesus also was baptized; and while He prayed, the heaven was opened. 22 And the Holy Spirit descended in bodily form like a dove upon Him, and a voice came from heaven which said, “You are My beloved Son; in You I am well pleased.”
The word temptation is heard very often from the mouths of many but its overwhelming influence when given a thought cannot be overemphasized. It could be enticing but endangering, inviting but entrapping, exciting but exploiting. One baffling thing is that it is usually coated with high level of innocence, but filled with a destructive undertone. It should therefore be a concern to all believers to be extremely careful lest we fall.
John the Baptist with a miraculous origin and anointed from birth as the forerunner of Jesus’ ministry grew and made a full proof of his calling. His ministerial impact became a concern to all the people as to whether he was the Christ or not. At some point, the Jews sent high powered delegation to confirm his status (John 1:19-27). With the expectation and heart musing of the people, John the Baptist was standing two temptations:
First, was the temptation of accepting who he was not. Coming from a priestly background, the circumstances around his birth and the widespread of his ministerial influence were enough for him to summarize and step into the shoes of who was not. But he avoided it.
Second, was the temptation of taking glory that was not his. Without a doubt, the weight of his sermon pulled men from the city to the wilderness. It convicted their heart, converted and got them baptized into faith. This would have as well made him ascribe the glory to himself; but again, he avoided it.
Beloved, we must be mindful of the praise and glory singers within the family and congregation. People who want to sing you into becoming who you are not. Those who want to clap you into ministry and calling that you never received from God. Those who want to talk you into assuming the place of God and taking His glory. Such people are sycophants. We passionately appeal that you avoid such temptations, and such people, as it is very destructive. Be who you are and be your best.
- Identify and walk in God’s purpose for your life.
- Carefully avoid those who want to talk you out of God’s purpose.
- Father, thank you for whom you have made me to be. Give me the grace to maintain my calling and never to drift away from purpose in Jesus’ Name. Amen.
Read Other ESOCS Devotional here
FURTHER READING: Isaiah 49:1-13;Isaiah 60:9-22; John 2:1-11
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ESOCS Devotional 6 February 2022
