Dear Lord God, we come before You in worship and praise, for You are the orchestrator of Your creation. Be with us as we spend time with You, and guide us to what You want to show us.
John is concerned for his fellow Christians. He sees that the “world” can be a snare, leading them away from their faith in Christ. He’s saddened that some have left, although he concludes that their rejection must mean they didn’t ever fully belong and receive the Holy Spirit and new life. He makes it clear that a Christ follower believes that Jesus is Messiah, Son of the living God, the Father. Christianity is not a club where you just go because the people are nice, and they feed you if you’re hungry. It’s a commitment to these core beliefs and a desire to surrender to God so His Spirit enters in and leads us from within. We are still capable of disobedience, but that “still small voice” within makes it very uncomfortable. (I might be speaking from personal experience here. 😊 ) Bottom line? Once we’ve made that commitment to Christ, let us walk it out in obedience and love, remembering that worldly possessions or fame or pleasures fade very, very quickly. Let’s live for what lasts for eternity. Let’s give ourselves to the One who died for us and loves us wholly.
My verse: 1 John 2:20, “But you are not like that, for the Holy One has given you his Spirit, and all of you know the truth.”
My response: I’m so thankful that I don’t have to live in constant fear of losing You, Lord. You’ve given me Your Spirit as my guarantee: “And now you Gentiles have also heard the truth, the Good News that God saves you. And when you believed in Christ, he identified you as his own by giving you the Holy Spirit, whom he promised long ago. The Spirit is God’s guarantee that he will give us the inheritance he promised and that he has purchased us to be his own people. He did this so we would praise and glorify him” Ephesians 1:13-14 NLT. I rest in that. Help me to see the snares of the world and recognize them for the empty things they are, Lord and instead cling to You. In Your Name, Amen.
What’s next?
As the Spirit leads, share what He has laid on your heart in the comment section below. Then join us again tomorrow for the next commentary.
