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Christian Devotional – August 28, 2021
Esther, Day 4 How do we respond to injustice? Read Esther 4. A great injustice was going to be done to the Jews. Mordecai was devastated as he felt this very keenly and knew he would be killed. Esther may have been feeling removed from it, insulated in the palace as she was. Still, Mordecai reminded her that she still has a responsibility. The same applies to us. When we become aware of injustice that is occuring, how do we respond? Whether or not we are directly affected, we should recognize that we still have a responsibility to point those we are around to the right way. We must confront…
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Christian Devotional – August 27, 2021
Esther, Day 3 Read Esther 3. Why is it that the most painful bruise that one can receive is a bruised ego? Haman experienced one. He had built up a sense of pride in who he was and the position that he held. Yet one look at a defiant Mordecai and his bruised ego began to get the better of him. Are we so busy stroking our own ego that we miss the opportunity to lift up and praise God? Do we recognize when we are placing ourselves higher than God in our own lives? Haman suffered from a bruised ego, but his refusal to acknowledge God as the highest…
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Christian Devotional – August 26, 2021
Esther, Day 2 She was chosen. Read Esther 2. After a long and rigorous process, Esther was chosen. She found favor with the king and out of all the other women, she was chosen. She was given the royal crown and all ths perks that went with it. Still she remembered who she was and she continued to remain loyal and humble. She continued to trust God. No matter our circumstances, we can see all that God has for us and all that he is doing. We can know that God desires to place us exactly where he wants us and where we will bring him the most glory. Are…
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Christian Devotional – August 25, 2021
Esther, Day 1 One decision. Everything that happens in this book is the result of one decision. Read Esther 1. After almost 3 months in the New Testament, we’re going to take some time in the Old Testament. The book of Esther has amazing principles of God and his presence, even while never mentioning his name. We see in this first chapter that what is happening is the result of one decision that one woman made. We can argue whether that was the right or wrong decision and I’ve seen commentary that goes both ways. At the end, it was her decision that led to the situation that resulted in…
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Christian Devotional – August 24, 2021
The Gospels through the Summer, Day 89 Our final day through the Gospels. Read John 21. We spent the last 89 days reading through the 4 books of The Bible that described the life of Jesus on Earth in detail. Still, as we see here, we have not even begin to scratch the surface of all that Jesus Christ is and all that he does. The works of Jesus Christ can be seen in everything. The entire world declares the glory of God and seeks to be restored to him. Are we busy understanding and learning more about Jesus is everyday? The entire world declares the glory of God through…
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Christian Devotional – August 23, 2021
The Gospels through the Summer, Day 88 Sent by Jesus, just like Jesus was sent. Read John 20. Jesus is alive and he appears to his disciples and to those who have been following him these past few years. Jesus shows that he is conqueror over death and that he truly is exactly who he said he was. We can trust in Jesus. Now, he gives a mandate to those that have been his disciples. He tells them that they are to go just as he has gone. He is sending them just like he was sent. We recognize that Jesus’s life was difficult and challenging and yet, that’s exactly…
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Christian Devotional – August 22, 2021
The Gospels through the Summer, Day 87 The death of Jesus. Read John 19. Jesus did die. But, he was not killed by others. Jesus chose to lay his life down as a sacrifice for us. We see this through his statements on the cross. Jesus laid his life down and by doing so, paid the penalty for our sin. How do we respond to the sacrifice of Jesus Christ? Have we accepted who said Christ is our own because he was killed as a result of our sin. Jesus died the death that we all deserve. But, Jesus did not deserve it. Instead, he took it on his own…
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Christian Devotional – August 21, 2021
The Gospels through the Summer, Day 86 What do you think about Jesus. Read John 18. Jesus asks Pilot a question, and its a question that we all need to ask ourselves. Is our belief in Jesus based on our own decisions or on what others have said? Ultimately, Pilot was being challenged by Jesus. Jesus wanted to know if Pilot was making his own opinion about who Jesus is. Or, was Pilot simply allowing the opinions of others to determine who he thought Jesus was. Each and every one of us must come face-to-face with the question of who is Jesus. Each and every 1 of us must make…
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Christian Devotional – August 20, 2021
The Gospels through the Summer, Day 85 What is eternal life? Read John 17. While there may be other passages of scripture that are labeled the Lord’s prayer, John chapter 17 is truly a prayer from the Lord. Here we see Jesus praying the night before his crucifixion. We see how he speaks with his father and prays for his disciples and all those who will believe in him. Also, he explains eternal life. Jesus says that eternal life is knowing God and knowing Jesus. There’s no mention of heaven. There’s no mention of angels or wings or halos or anything like that. Eternal life can be found in Jesus…
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Christian Devotional – August 19, 2021
The Gospels through the Summer, Day 84 The world = trouble. Jesus = peace. Read John 16. As we read about Jesus speaking all that he will bring about, both before his death and after, do we trust in him as our peace? It can be easy to allow what happens with others to become a focus for us, but Jesus is our peace. No matter what today brings, in him we have peace.