Thursday Devotional

THURSDAY, December 10 – SUBMISSION

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE: “Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.” (James 4:7-8)

Do you have trouble resisting the devil when he catches you off guard? You can’t resist him by your own power; but when you submit yourself to God, He gives you the power to resist and to stand firm in your faith. Remember that Satan already has the unbeliever in his power; it is the believer he works hard on to trip up at an unguarded moment. Paul writes in Ephesians 4:27 (NIV): “And do not give the devil a foothold.”  If you give Satan the slightest opportunity, Christian friend, he will grab it. So then, we must keep ourselves in an attitude of submission to God, always being alert in prayer and the study of the Scriptures, remembering that the Bible is God’s ‘love letter’ to us; in it He has given us all wisdom and knowledge to combat our foe. Several years ago the Chaplain of the United States Senate, Richard Halverson, wrote that the awareness and awesomeness of divine sovereignty seems to be missing in daily life and practice. The things written in the Bible are intended as examples and warnings for us, so that we can keep from being ensnared by our adversary. Christ’s triumphal death and resurrection dealt Satan and his demons a fatal blow (Colossians 2:15); but Christ has work for us to do while we are here on earth. Our mission – and commission - is to bless the entire world with the message of Jesus Christ and His love for mankind. This is the charge He has given to every believer. We were not put on this earth just to live a life of comfort and ease. Jesus commands us to Go and Tell. “And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.”” (Mark 16:15) Before Jesus ascended into Heaven, He gave this command to all who follow Him. So get yourself in readiness: first, put your will and your life under the preeminence of Christ; then, pray and study to show His approval of you - the man of God becomes adequate by studying and meditating on Scripture; finally, by staying in the shadow of His wing God will empower you to ward off any attacks of Satan, and he will flee from you! After going 40 days in the wilderness without food, Jesus quoted Scripture each time Satan tried to assault Him. That is a perfect example for us to follow. If we draw near to God, He promises to draw near to us. The Bible reveals God’s character; it shows the majesty of God against our sinfulness. It molds us into becoming the people God wants us to be.

Today’s Prayer: Thank you, Father, Lord of Heaven and earth, for your grace and mercy to all who believe in You. Keep me from using that grace as a guise for laziness on my part, but in gratitude, to follow You with my whole heart. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Read the book of James this week and see in it the practicality for everyday living.

Pray for those who are sick; who are undergoing or recuperating from operations.

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“Each of us may be sure that if God sends us on stony paths He will provide us with strong shoes, and He will not send us out on any journey for which He does not equip us well.” - Alexander Maclaren (1826-1910)