A Chain Reaction (and other Devotionals)

Again, the next day, John stood with two of his disciples.  And looking at Jesus as He walked, he said, "Behold the Lamb of God!"  The two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus (John 1:35-37).

When John opened his mouth about Jesus, two people who heard him speak followed the Lord.  We must open our mouths about the Lamb of God if we want people to follow Him.

Look what happens next in John 1:40-42,

One of the two who heard John speak, and followed Him, was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother.  He first found his own brother Simon, and said to him, "We have found the Messiah" (which is translated, the Christ).  And he brought him to Jesus.

We have a chain reaction happening here.  John says, "Behold the Lamb of God," and two men follow Jesus.  One of the men, Andrew, goes straight to his brother and brings him to Jesus.  It is interesting to note that it says he "first" found his own brother—indicating that Simon was not the only one that Andrew found and brought to the Lord.

The remainder of this chapter in John tells us how Philip told Nathaniel about Jesus and was able to persuade him to meet the Lord with the words "come and see."

These stories from the first chapter of John reveal to us what we should be doing once we meet Jesus.  We need to bring our friends and loved ones to the Lord.  We should be inviting them to "come and see."

Take a moment right now and ask God to show you someone who you should talk to about Jesus.  Then get busy and do it.  You just may see a chain reaction of salvations.

~Bayless Conley~

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Do not despise these small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin. (Zechariah 4:10 NLT)

It is no small thing to be involved in the testimony of God's glory. We should not make a virtue of smallness, as though there were something important about being despised by others, but at the same time we shall find that whenever God has called people to display His glory, He has chosen those who have no glory in themselves.

God has always been obliged to strip His instruments of their own glory. A Moses, full of Egypt's sufficiency, must go for forty years to the backside of the desert to be emptied out and made to confess his complete inadequacy before he can become an instrument for the display of the glory of God. There were times when some of the Israelites did try to despise this now humble Moses, and he made no attempt to stand up for himself, but God soon made it manifest to all concerned how wrong it was to despise him. The glory of God appeared at the gate of the tabernacle and took up the challenge. Sometimes it takes the Lord years to get us sufficiently emptied, weak and small, so that we can bear His glory in our lives, a fact which may well explain some of His dealings with us. When He has got us small enough and empty enough, then there is a chance for the working of His Spirit in glory.

By T. Austin-Sparks

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What You Might Miss Out On

BIBLE MEDITATION:
“But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.” 1 Peter 5:10

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:
Isn’t it wonderful to know that the works of God are perfect? That God’s ways are perfect? And that His will is perfect? Now, someone reading this may think, “But I don’t know about God’s will. I don’t want to give myself completely to Him or He might send me to a remote desert as a missionary.”

Let’s set the record straight. God’s will is not so much something that you surrender to as it is something that you get in on. God will choose for you what you would choose for yourself if you had enough sense to choose it!

ACTION POINT:
Let your prayer today be, "Help me, Lord, not to fear what I'll miss if I do Your will; help me to fear what I'll miss if I don't."

~Adrian Rogers~

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Hannah's Prayer

Today's reading: 1 Samuel 2:1-11

Upon delivering young Samuel to Eli the priest, Hannah then expresses her love of God and thankfulness to Him through a beautiful, passion-filled prayer. For me, verse 2 said it all.

"There is none holy like the Lord; there is none besides you; there is no rock like our God."

Is it your practice to tell God how much you love Him when you pray? How often do you recall and thank God for the things He has done? Is proclaiming your trust in God part of your prayers? 

~Tami~