Week 2 Day 3 Devotional
Pray:
Ask God to reorient you to Himself. Confess any known sin. Thank Him for His forgiveness. Be still and reflect on Jesus and His sacrifice for you. Ask the Holy Spirit to open your heart and mind to God’s Word. Pray for others in your life that they, too, would know and love God today.
Read:
Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. 2 This is what the ancients were commended for.
Reflect:
Certainty in the current age is a sign of arrogance. We are not supposed to be certain of things because it means we think we “know.” If we “know” something that someone else does not believe to be true, then we are labeled unkind and judgmental. The overall cultural trend is towards a worldview where the only certainty is what I feel (who can debate that?) and what humans can discover. These trends are moving away from a God who reveals what is certain. A contributing factor in this movement is a history of people misusing “certainty.” How many people have done great harm by claiming to have a “word from God”? This kind of certainty is a kind of final “trump” card. Who can debate “certainty” that comes out of a word from God himself? This person welds great power. Institutions and individuals have misused the power of “certainty” and have caused many to be suspicious of anyone who claims a “certainty” from God. But is certainty arrogance? Can it not be confidence? How can we live well without certainty? Should I be certain about what I am giving my life for? Should I not have certainty about what happens when this life is over? Does God want me to live with certainty in the areas that form the foundations for who I am and what I do with my days? Of course he does! Do not pretend to be certain about things you are not. If you do not know something, admit it. But do not hesitate to be certain about things God has revealed to us. It is not arrogant to have received a gift of certainty. Thank God today that you can be certain. Close the gap today on your certainty…be humble regarding the things you don’t know for sure, and be confident regarding the things you do. Confident, grateful, humble.
Pray:
(Personalize this prayer today; make it specific to the circumstances that face you.)
Ask God to lead you through His Spirit as you go through your day. Ask Him to bring to mind the truth of the gospel and its implications for what you will encounter today. Tell Him “Yes” to His will and ask Him for His power and protection to live this “yes.” Ask God to create and reveal opportunities to proclaim the good news today.