Devotional Thoughts

John 9:8-10    "The neighbours therefore, and they which before had seen him that he was blind, said, Is not this he that sat and begged?  (9)  Some said, This is he: others said, He is like him: but he said, I am he.  (10)  Therefore said they unto him, How were thine eyes opened?" Jesus had anointed the eyes of the blind man, then sent Him to the pool of Siloam to wash them. It is amazing to think of the many different ways in which Jesus healed others. He could have simply spoken the word and the man's eyes would have been opened. He could have touched them and they would have received sight. But for this man, Jesus made a spittle of clay and anointed His eyes. The Lord is not limited in the manner He touches the lives of others. We can never put God in a box and expect Him to always work in the same manner. Aren't you thankful? After the man had washed his eyes, he came back with sight in his eyes. The people began to ask questions. Isn't this the ma...

John 9:1-3    "And as Jesus passed by, he saw a man which was blind from his birth. (2) And his disciples asked him, saying, Master, who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind?  (3)  Jesus answered, Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him." There are many ways in which to ask the question, "Why?"  Sometimes, we want to be able to transfer maladies from those who are worthy to those who are unworthy. For instance, why was this blindness not given to the Pharisees rather than to this man? Then other times, we want to be able to rationalize everything. What caused this man's blindness? What did he do wrong that brought this blindness upon himself? What did his parents do wrong that caused their son to be blind? When you stop to really think about these questions, you can see the disciples were completely off track because the man was "blind from his birth." He had always b...

John 8:59    "Then took they up stones to cast at him: but Jesus hid himself, and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by." John 9:1    "And as Jesus passed by, he saw a man which was blind from his birth." I must say that I am thankful to whoever went through the Bible and numbered the chapters and verses. It makes it very convenient for us, doesn't it? But at the same time, we often stop at the end of one chapter, when the story is not completed at that point. Today's verses, in my opinion, are one such instance in Scripture. At the end of chapter 8, the people took up stones to try to stone Jesus. As we have noted on more than one occasion, it was not yet Jesus' time to be offered. When the people grew angry and took up the stones, Jesus went through the crowd and "passed by" them. He, the Son of God, was not welcomed by the people, so He left them. He walked out of the temple and "passed by" t...

1 Chronicles 16:34 – O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever. We take so many things for granted. Sunshine, clean air, water, food, shelter, and clothing are just a few things many of us just assume we will have in abundance everyday. I for one have rarely wanted for anything, and my blessings are beyond count. One of the greatest assumptions we make is that God’s mercy endures through all our sins and shortcomings. Why do we make this assumption? Because God is that reliable. God’s patience and endurance so far exceeds ours that we cannot fully comprehend why He does not strike down sinners immediately. We wonder why bad things happen without the ability to see how  all   things  can and do work together for those that love the Lord (Romans 8:28). Sometimes the picture is too large for us to see. Even so, we should praise God for mercy. Without enduring mercy, we are doomed. “Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the king...

John 8:56-58    "Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it, and was glad.  (57)  Then said the Jews unto him, Thou art not yet fifty years old, and hast thou seen Abraham?  (58)  Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am." In these passages Jesus is telling the Pharisees of His identity, but they cannot understand it.  They are accusing Him of doing wrong. Jesus does not argue; yet He tells them the truth. They said Abraham was their father, then when questioned, they said God is their only father.  Jesus had said, "If Abraham was your father, you would believe what I'm saying." Again, He was not arguing, neither was He trying to persuade them to believe Him. Jesus was merely stating facts. When they persisted, Jesus made this beautiful statement:  "Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it, and was glad." This statement really threw them for a loop. Having the full accou...

John 8:34-36    "Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin.  (35)  And the servant abideth not in the house for ever: but the Son abideth ever.  (36)  If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed." Jesus used a common analogy in these verses. Those to whom He was speaking understood the picture of a servant's quarters and the house of the Master. The servants served but did not abide, or live, in the Master's house. There was no hope of those servants ever moving from their quarters to the house of the Master.  They understood the analogy, but they could not picture themselves as being the servants. "We are of the line of Abraham. We have never been in bondage to anyone. Why are you saying that we can be free?" We all were servants to sin. We were dead in trespasses and sins and completely unable to bring ourselves out of that state. We were alive to the things of the wor...

John 8:31-32    "Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed;  (32)  And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." Jesus is speaking to a particular group of people at this point: "those Jews which believed on him." God had worked in their hearts and given them the ability to receive the person and work of the Lord Jesus.  They seemingly rejoiced and found peace in the presence of the Lord and followed Him as He went about doing the work of the Father.  Now He gives the specific instructions. "Continue in my word." The word "continue" is the same word as Jesus used in John 15 when He said, "abide in me and my words abide in you". He would also say, "abide in my love." He is speaking of standing strong in Him, His words, His love, His very being. He was telling them the things they observed, heard, and rejoiced in were not just a temporary...

John 8:28-29    "Then said Jesus unto them, When ye have lifted up the Son of man, then shall ye know that I am he, and that I do nothing of myself; but as my Father hath taught me, I speak these things.  (29)  And he that sent me is with me: the Father hath not left me alone; for I do always those things that please him." "When ye have lifted up the Son of man..."  We read back in verse 20, "... no man laid hands on him; for his hour was not yet come."  In comparing verse 20 and 28, we can truly come to the conclusion that God was in control of all matters concerning His Son. Jesus came to do a particular work according to a particular time frame and nothing would change that determination. To my understanding, the darkest time on the face of the earth was those three hours as Jesus hung on the cross. May I say just now, that if God was in control during the darkest hour that has ever been on the face of the earth, He is still in control now.   In ...

1 Corinthians 13:8 – Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away. One of the lasting, enduring promises of Scripture is the strength of godly love. Passion fades and comradery diminishes, but the love shown by God and given to His people will never fail. Is someone in your life in need? Love them as Christ would love them. Show them compassion and truth. Help them see hope and strengthen their faith. Demonstrate the patience needed to endure through difficulties. Tell them the story of Jesus from your perspective. Your witness of love will not be wasted. If you know nothing else to do, you can love someone. Our intellect may decrease, our understanding may be wrong, and our knowledge may grow old, but when all else around us may falter, love is always in style. Love is always helpful and covers many sins. A legacy of love endures forever.

John 8:12    "Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life." Here we see another of the "I am" statements of Jesus. We have seen that He is the Living Water. He is the Living Bread. Now we see that Jesus is the Light of the world. These three elements come to mind as you think of the necessary elements for life. Jesus is those three elements to every child of God. Life cannot exist without water, food, or light.  Spiritual life cannot exist without Jesus Christ. While thinking on these three things that are providentially given to every child of God, we also see Jesus speaking of action that we are to do. He spoke of drinking the living water, eating the living bread, and walking in the light of life. How can we do these things? They are all taken into our spiritual being through faith in the Risen Lord. We call upon the Lord for refreshing (reviving) whe...

John 8:7-9    "So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.  (8)  And again he stooped down, and wrote on the ground.  (9)  And they which heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last: and Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst." John 8:11    "She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more." Scribes and Pharisees had brought this woman to Jesus. She had been caught in the act of adultery. These men really had only one reason for this public display and that was a constant attempt to try to find fault in Jesus. They apparently forgot to bring the man also. As Jesus listened to these accusers, he bent down and began writing something in the dirt. I have often wondered what He was writing. Whatever it may have be...

John 8:1-2    "Jesus went unto the mount of Olives.  (2)  And early in the morning he came again into the temple, and all the people came unto him; and he sat down, and taught them." There are two events in these verses that catch my attention.  Jesus went unto the mount of Olives. This was a place where He often went. We read at the conclusion of chapter seven, "And every man went unto his own house." And immediately in Chapter 8:1, "Jesus went unto the mount of Olives."  We remember He once said the Son of man hath not where to lay His head. In other words, there was no permanent home for Jesus as He went about doing His ministry.  We look at His going to the mount of Olives in that maybe He and the disciples made camp there for the night, or He went there to pray. Or logically, we could say He did both camp and pray in the mount of Olives. The next event that catches my attention happens in verse two. Jesus arose early in the morning to go into t...

John 7:46-49    "The officers answered, Never man spake like this man.  (47)  Then answered them the Pharisees, Are ye also deceived?  (48)  Have any of the rulers or of the Pharisees believed on him?  (49)  But this people who knoweth not the law are cursed." Do you remember what was said about Jesus when He concluded His Sermon on the Mount?  "And it came to pass, when Jesus had ended these sayings, the people were astonished at his doctrine:  (29)  For he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes." (Matthew 7:28-29)  These officers had been sent to arrest Jesus. His time had not come. They came back without Him. "Why have ye not brought Him?"  They answered, "Never man spake like this man." These officers had listened to many people speak. To begin with the elementary: Their parents had spoken to them. Teachers had spoken to them. Their higher ranking officers had spoken to them. No doubt, they had li...

Isaiah 44:6 – Thus saith the LORD the King of Israel, and his redeemer the LORD of hosts; I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is no God. In a competitive culture where you are expected to be faster, stronger, smarter, more innovative, more durable, and generally better than your competitors, it is hard to put others first. Where’s the reward in humility? By contrast, the Word of God is full of examples of where a meek and humble person triumphs. Joseph, Moses, Gideon, King David, Ruth, Ester, Abigail, Mary, and others humbled themselves putting the needs of others before their own. Each of these individuals faithfully served God and their people with self-sacrificing devotion. While they may seem exceptional, these people are merely a few of a countless number of disciples of the God who is first and last. Certainly, God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit is first in glory and first in power as well as wisdom and understanding. It is also accurate to say that Go...

John 7:40-43    "Many of the people therefore, when they heard this saying, said, Of a truth this is the Prophet.  (41)  Others said, This is the Christ. But some said, Shall Christ come out of Galilee?  (42)  Hath not the scripture said, That Christ cometh of the seed of David, and out of the town of Bethlehem, where David was?  (43)  So there was a division among the people because of him." "So there was a division among the people because of him." I read that verse and my heart breaks. I remember a question asked of the Corinthians by the Apostle Paul, "Is Christ divided?" Of course the answer to that is, "No, Christ is not divided." So what brings about division? We have to answer that man is the cause of division, not the Lord. In fact, we are told specifically that God is not the author of confusion. When you read these verses, we see that each side of the controversy had the facts. Jesus indeed spoke great words of truth which would mak...

John 7:37-38   "In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. (38) He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water." The past few chapters have been a comparison and contrast concerning those things given by Moses and that which Jesus provides. They spoke as though Moses had been the source of manna. Jesus is the living bread. Moses gave them water from a rock.  Jesus is the Living Water from the Rock of Ages. Moses was with them to lead them. He had given the law. Moses died. They were constantly leaning back (in past tense) on that which Moses gave. Jesus' reply was in the present tense. "I am" the living bread. "I am" the living water. You search the Scriptures for the words of Moses. They testify (present tense) of me. You rely on the law which calls for death to those who transgress. "I am" the red...

John 7:30    "Then they sought to take him: but no man laid hands on him, because his hour was not yet come." Timing!  It's all in the timing. How many times have you heard that concerning so many different matters of life. Yes, timing is very important, but it must be discerned as to whose timing is under consideration. The nature of humanity is that we want what we want when we want it. But the truth remains that God is not on our time schedule. And patience is definitely not a virtue that we have when we are born. I'm afraid that many blessings have been missed because we tend to give up before "the time is right." I know I have been guilty of this many times. I write concerning timing because of the phrase at the conclusion of our text: "because his hour was not yet come." We will see that phrase, or something similar, again as we travel through this book of John. Jesus has had this conversation with the Pharisees because of a miracle which H...

John 7:7    "The world cannot hate you; but me it hateth, because I testify of it, that the works thereof are evil." "The world cannot hate you." These are words spoken by Jesus to "his brethren." This was still early in His ministry and the disciples had taken a quiet approach to their work. This was going to change when the time came for Jesus to be offered up. On the night of His betrayal, these words would change to something of this nature, 'Because the world hates me, they will hate you also."   There was a popular song of the 70's that asked a question, "Why can't we be friends?"  After all, we all want to get along, right? We want everyone to like us and enjoy our company. The truth of the matter is that as long as we remain neutral in our thinking, the world will love us. Whether we agree with them or not, they will tolerate us as long as we remain silent. They will love us if we agree with them; but otherwise they to...

John 6:65-69    "And he said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father.  (66)  From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him.  (67)  Then said Jesus unto the twelve, Will ye also go away?  (68)  Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life.  (69)  And we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God." How big is your God?  Now that's a strange question, isn't it? But it is a legitimate question. Maybe I should reword the question. How big is your estimation of your God? How big? How powerful? How knowledgeable? Can He do all things? Does He know all things? Can He provide your needs, even when you do not know your own needs? Does He need you? Does He need your help? How often do you rely upon Him? Who initiated your state of eternal life? Who consummated your state of ...

John 6:54    "Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day." This statement was very mystifying to those whom Jesus was speaking. I admit there is a mystery surrounding this verse and this entire conversation that Jesus was having. One thing needs to be clarified before looking at the mysterious side of it. I was not a good English student in school and still cannot speak good "Southernese", much less good English. But I am learning to pay attention to the tense of verbs and actually using the art of diagramming sentences as I try to study God's Word. Why do I use space and time for that first paragraph? Looking at the tense of the verbs tells us something is already in place before the other verbs can happen. I first look at the phrase, "hath eternal life."  Jesus did not say, 'If you do these things, you can have eternal life." The tense of the verb is present tense. Eternal life...

John 6:44    "No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day." How is it that you and I came to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ? Was it because we were smarter than others?  The folks Jesus was talking to were some of the smartest people in the land of that day; yet they were unable to take hold of these sayings of Jesus. Was it because we were in the right place at the right time? Again, these folks were face to face with the very Son of God, Jesus Christ; yet, they could not comprehend what was being said. Was it because we made the right decision to follow Him?  Let's think about the disciples of Jesus for a moment. They were content in their own mode of living and not looking for anything else, until Jesus came to them and drew them to Himself by saying, "Follow me." What is the power by which we are able to come to Jesus? Let me just plainly say, it is not within ourselves.  Let's look a...

Psalm 138:6 – Though the Lord be high, yet hath he respect unto the lowly: but the proud he knoweth afar off. One of the hardest things for people to understand (myself included) is that God understands our human plight. Though holy and infinite in power, the Lord sympathizes with the lowliest of persons. As the Psalmist David put it, “He remembers that we are dust” (Psalm 103:14). Honestly we struggle to understand the needs of others at times and especially those we think lower in status or simply too different from ourselves. For this reason, the wisdom of God’s Word teaches us to care for the downtrodden, the widows, the orphans. Jesus demonstrated this compassion by healing countless people suffering from blindness, deafness, paralysis, and many other issues. Furthermore, the Savior’s wisdom showed all people how to enjoy an abundant life filled with joy and peace. Chief among those teachings is love for others. While humble submission to the Lord leads to this abundant life, prid...

John 6:37-39    "All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.  (38)  For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me.  (39)  And this is the Father's will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day." Do you believe in the Lord Jesus Christ? Isn't that a wonderful blessing? Do you believe in Him so much that you love Him? Isn't that a wonderful feeling and blessing to be able to express your love for Jesus? Have you felt His presence being so close to you that you could reach out and touch Him? Or even better than that, have you felt His presence so close that you could feel the touch of His hand on you?  Most of us love the Bill Gaither song, "He Touched Me."  "He touched me and ohhh the joy that floods my soul. Something happened, and now I know... He touched me and made m...

John 6:30-35    "They said therefore unto him, What sign shewest thou then, that we may see, and believe thee? what dost thou work?  (31)  Our fathers did eat manna in the desert; as it is written, He gave them bread from heaven to eat.  (32)  Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven.  (33)  For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world.  (34)  Then said they unto him, Lord, evermore give us this bread.  (35)  And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst." The people had seen Jesus multiply the loaves and fishes in order to feed the multitude of thousands. Jesus had now told them to seek and feed upon that which feeds not the belly, but feeds the soul. "Our fathers did eat manna in ...

John 6:26-27    "Jesus answered them and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Ye seek me, not because ye saw the miracles, but because ye did eat of the loaves, and were filled.  (27)  Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed." This is the day after Jesus had fed the multitude with the five loaves and two small fishes. This is the morning after Jesus had gone walking on the water to the aid of His disciples. The people were looking for Jesus and realized neither He nor His disciples were still in that place. They got into ships and came to Capernaum seeking Jesus. They did not understand how Jesus could have gotten from one side of the sea to the other. Jesus knows the very thoughts and intentions of our innermost being. He replied to them as they enquired of Him, "Ye seek me, not because ye saw the miracles, but because ye did eat ...

John 6:20    "But he saith unto them, It is I; be not afraid." John's account of this event shows us the importance of looking at all four accounts of the Gospel. John is very brief in his account. Not discounting the fact all Scripture is inspired of God, but it may be that John, James, Andrew, and Peter were accustomed to storms coming upon the sea. Whereas some of the other disciples were not seasoned sailors. In one account, we are told Jesus sent the disciples into the ship while He went into the mountain to pray. Another account tells us He saw them toiling in rowing as the wind was contrary to them. We never want to overlook the fact that Jesus was, and still is, always aware of our situations in life. He saw them toiling and went to them. How did He go? He went walking on top of the water. The storm did not restrain Him from going to be with His disciples in their time of trouble. One account tells us they thought He was a spirit walking across the water and we...