Devotional Thoughts

Ephesians 2:8-10    “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves:   it is   the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.” The Greek word translated as “for” in these passages of scripture properly means “to assign a reason,” according to Strong’s. Paul clearly states here that the reason we are saved is grace. Our salvation (divine deliverance and preservation) is the direct result of grace (especially the divine influence upon the heart, and its reflection in the life). The vehicle that brings us to the knowledge of our salvation is faith (especially reliance upon Christ for salvation). Paul makes it quite clear that this faith is not something that is inherent to man. The faith that gives us the joyous confidence in the saving grace of God does not come from us. This faith is the gift (a pres...

Isaiah 53:7-8      "He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.  (8)  He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken." I know these verses contain so much more than I am able to bring out in our devotion, but I pray we can see our Saviour in the light of His compassion and love for us. "He was oppressed, and he was afflicted..." We cannot begin to fathom the depth of oppression that our Saviour endured. The very fact that He was willing to leave the glory of heaven to come to this earth is more than we will ever have to go through. The Living Word, Jesus the Christ, left the glory that belonged to Him in order to be made flesh was greater than we can imagine. We will not be able to underst...

Ephesians 2:4-7     “But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.” In the first three verses of this chapter, Paul has described to us our wretched condition. He has assured us that we were children of wrath even as others. We were in no condition to do anything for ourselves to improve our situation. In the fourth verse, he begins by penning two of the most important words a sinner will ever read or hear; “But God.” Our entire situation is about to undergo a miraculous change. We were unable to help ourselves,  but God  is rich in mercy. He has an abundance to draw from. His mercy is such that it is new to us ever...

Isaiah 53:4-6      "Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.  (5)  But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.  (6)  All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all." Be certain that every word of the Bible is important, but notice the first word of verse 4: "SURELY he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows..."  There can be absolute peace when God says something is sure or certain. In our verses, something has surely happened and nothing can change it. Surely, or most certainly, the servant of God (Isaiah 42:1 and 52:13) has done something for us that we could not do. That which brings grief and sorrow into our hearts was laid upon Him. What is it in our lives that ...

Ephesians 2:1-3     “And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.” Paul has spoken in the closing verses of chapter one about the mighty power of God that raised Jesus from the dead. Now he says to us who make up the body of Christ here that we have first-hand knowledge of this same power. We were dead (Thayer definition: destitute of a life that recognizes and is devoted to God). We were physically animated beings without any ability to see the things of God or any desire to do the things of God. It was not in us to desire any change in that condition. The power that raise...

Isaiah 53:3      "He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not." Think for a moment: Jesus was the only perfect One to ever walk on this earth. We cannot fully grasp that great truth. There was no sin in Him. He was not born with the sin nature as every other person. The only other person who was not BORN with the sin nature was Adam, but that perfection did not last long. The perfect nature of his clay was marred by his transgression in the Garden of Eden. Jesus walked in that perfection. Peter wrote of Jesus that He "... did no sin, neither was guile (deceit) found in his mouth."  Pilate's wife said of Jesus, "Have thou nothing to do with that just man..." (Matthew 27:19)  Even Judas witnessed, "I have sinned in that I have betrayed the innocent blood." (Matthew 27:4) Why am I stressing these things? I'm glad you aske...

Ephesians 1:21-23     “Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come: And hath put all   things   under his feet, and gave him   to be   the head over all   things   to the church, Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.” In these verses, Paul is expanding on his comment that God raised up Jesus from the dead and set Him at His own right hand. God taught us from the days of the prophets that His ways and thoughts are as high above our ways and thoughts as the sky is above the earth. We cannot reach up in our own ability and touch it; we can neither contain it nor control it. When God set Jesus on His right hand, He was seated above all government, above the power and might of the world to control or affect, and above any future authority that men might establish. That was true in Paul’s age (world), in our...

Isaiah 53:2      "For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him." Isaiah is still speaking about the servant... "Behold my servant..."  (Isaiah 42:1)  "Behold, my servant..." (Isaiah 52:13)  We can know certain things about this servant of the Lord. We know there is a report concerning Him. In fact, the entire Bible is the report concerning this servant, the Son of God, named Jesus. He is the Son of God who was made flesh. He came as a tiny Baby, born in a stable in Bethlehem. Angels sang His praises. Kings bowed down to worship Him. Lowly shepherds came to adore and acknowledge the report. "He shall grow up." We are told in Luke 2:52, "Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man." Yes, He grew from a tiny baby to a man of 33 1/2 years old. In those years, we see the ...

Ephesians 1:18-20     “The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, And what   is   the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set   him   at his own right hand in the heavenly   places, ” Paul has expressed to this body of believers that he is in continual prayer for them. He is petitioning the God of our Lord Jesus Christ to give the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Christ. These verses continue Paul’s petition on their behalf. He wants them to know that he is specifically asking God to do something for and in them, and he is not seeking any credit or glory for himself. It is a wonderful thing when God is pleased to shed light (enlighten) on those things that we se...

Isaiah 53:1-3      "Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the LORD revealed?" "Who hath believed our report?"  I cannot answer that question for anyone else. I do not have the ability to look into anyone's heart to see what is there or what is not there. So, as I look at this question, I have to look inside myself to find my answer to the question.  Do I believe? I can tell you that I know I believe when things are going well, the sky is blue, the birds are singing, the temperature is in the 70's, and I am feeling good. But what about in the storms of life? What about when things do not go my way?  What about when I am awaiting the results of the blood test? I think of the disciples going across the Sea of Galilee when the storm arose. Jesus was asleep while they were fearing for their lives. "Master, carest thou not that we perish?"  Who has believed our report? I think of the father who brought his son to Jesus: "Lord, I be...