Our Daily Walk with Christ Devotional – May 16, 2024
“In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.” —1 Thessalonians 5:18
The grateful heart continuously reflects on God’s loving character: “Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed, Because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness” (Lamentations 3:22-23). God’s loving promises and daily mercies are the catalysts to thank Him daily with a renewed covenant to live righteously and serve Him with a surrendered, obedient, and grateful heart.
We Are the Recipients of Every Good and Perfect Gift
God’s love and gift of His Son, Jesus, and Jesus’ willingness to rescue us from the wages of sin through the perfect Plan of Redemption, cover us with His Righteousness, and restore our characters through the process of Sanctification is much more than we deserve. Because human effort can never achieve righteousness, Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to teach and empower us in our earthly journey.
“But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.” —John 14:26
The gift of the Holy Spirit, our Teacher and Comforter is responsible for our spiritual transformation [which requires our cooperation]. He is the Giver of wisdom and discernment of the Holy Scriptures, teaches us how to live holy, opens our eyes to recognize temptations, and to perceive sin as treacherous. The Holy Spirit also convicts us of our disobedience.
“The human heart is the most deceitful of all things, and desperately wicked. Who really knows how bad it is?” —Jeremiah 17:9
“For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice. Now if I do what I will not to do, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me.” —Romans 7:19-20
Throughout the Epistles, the apostle Paul expressed immense gratitude for Jesus’ sacrificial offering, yet, he also shares his continuous struggle with sin. Born into sin and shaped by iniquity, we fight inner turmoil and external warfare all day long. It is easier to sin than to live righteously. Because we can never fight sin without the Holy Spirit, we should never minimize the devastating impact of sin.
“Though he falls, he will not be overwhelmed, for the LORD is holding his hand.” —Psalm 37:4
We love God and express gratitude for His goodness through our praise and worship, still, we fall. For the faithful believer, it’s usually something we perceive as insignificant that causes us to fall. Thank You, Jesus, for Your great sacrifice! God’s grace and mercies are beyond our comprehension. Yes, we sinned, but Divinity acts immediately, the Holy Spirit uses His convicting power to reveal our transgressions.
“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” —1 John 1:9
Yes, we are sinners saved by grace, but God’s grace is a privilege. Although we repent, sin mars our character, and as a result, our spiritual struggle escalates. With humility, we fall to our knees and utter David’s prayer of repentance, “Have mercy upon me, O God, According to Your lovingkindness; According to the multitude of Your tender mercies, Blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, And cleanse me from my sin” (Psalm 51:1-2).
“No one who abides in him keeps on sinning…whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God…” —1 John 3:6, 10
The grateful heart cherishes Jesus’ blood sacrifice. How do we view sin? When we reflect deeply on Satan’s never-ending deceptions and how the wicked one has impacted our lives, we should desire and prepare for eternal life with zeal. Praying for the Holy Spirit to open our eyes allows us to perceive sin for what it really is—the loss of eternal life and experiencing the fate of the second and final death.
“The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly” (John 10:10). Our praise of Thank You, Jesus! for the Plan of Redemption must extend beyond spoken words, our gratitude is demonstrated by striving to live holy.
“But as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct…” —1 Peter 1:15
With overflowing gratitude, we rejoice in God’s promises to keep us on the straight and narrow Path of Righteousness. Living in perilous times exposes us to the intentional warfare of busyness and distractions designed to divert our attention from God and steal our precious time. Our battle plan includes separating ourselves and praying for the Holy Spirit to give us wisdom to see life through spiritual eyes.
With our souls at risk, we desperately need to give God our attention and time through meaningful worship. True worship places us in the presence of God. To enter the presence and power of a Holy God is to experience spiritual transformation and heart conversion. We worship God in Spirit and Truth by possessing a pure heart filled with thanksgiving and ready to do His will. God rewards us with blessings of spiritual renewal and the strength to overcome Satan’s temptations.
“My grace is all you need, for my power is the greatest when you are weak.” —2 Corinthians 12:9
The grateful heart readily admits the wretchedness of inheriting a carnal heart and wholeheartedly believes Jesus’ warning, “…you can do nothing without me.” We live with the conviction that we were bought with a price, and our strength is from Christ, our King, therefore we willingly give ourselves away to Christ to live a life of servitude. “A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master” (Matthew 10:24).
The Promise of Eternal Life: “In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.” —John 14:2
The grateful heart responds with honor and adoration to our Savior and King who is waiting for every living being to choose who they will serve, and “when the gospel is preached to all the world then will the end come.” With heaven ever before us, we must live as one who is forgiven. We are grateful sojourners—just traveling through this earthly life by preparing for eternal life with Christ Jesus.
“For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son that whoever believes in Him will not perish, but have everlasting life.” —John 3:16
The grateful heart is filled with immense love and gratitude because humanity is the benefactor of God’s love, grace, and mercies. We know that our identity is through Christ, “But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light…” (1 Peter 2:9).
“If you love Me, keep My commandments” (John 14:15). The grateful heart truly loves and appreciates God’s Divine Gift of His Son. Every day, with humility, we whisper the covenant words, “Lord, not my will but your will be done.” When Jesus is our First Love, our grateful heart reveals itself by following in His footsteps to live a sinless life of total surrender and obedience.
“And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last. Blessed are those who do His commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city.” —Revelation 22:12-14
Daily our resounding proclamation is, “I am going to heaven!” Not only in words but also in deeds, we consecrate ourselves to live holy. From our commitment, the Holy Spirit transforms our characters into a Christ-like character. Our thoughts, spoken words, habits, and lifestyles reflect a life hidden in Christ Jesus. Preparing daily for eternal life results in a life filled with praise and worship. We do not fear because we will receive our reward when Christ comes.
“The righteous are people who have entered into covenant with God by faith and seek to live according to his Word.” Jeane Jones
Lord, we thank You for Your life and Your love. We pray for an outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon our lives that we travel this journey with conviction and courage. In Jesus’ Holy Name, Amen.
© 2024 SDJ For the rest of my life, I will give Christ the best of my life
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