Daily devotional, March 13, 2024 Free vouchers
"And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus."
Philippians 4:19
Vouchers are so important nowadays. Even my preschooler son knows why we should get some: so that we can get free shipping, discounts in food deliveries, and even free items etc. There is just so much made available to consumers, and much much more we have collected, and yet like the Gift Certificates of yesteryears, some remain unredeemed.
The Bible contains so many promises of our Lord and Savior that continue to be unclaimed by those who fail to seek Him, and hear Him call. These are vows made by our Sovereign King, that could just answer all of our life concerns, yet we are too blinded by our realities to see, grasp, and claim for ourselves.
"For all the promises of God find their Yes in him. That is why it is through him that we utter our Amen to God for his glory."
2 Corinthians 1:20
When we are too troubled about our problems, God has promised to deliver us: “fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you,I will uphold you with my righteous right hand” (Isaiah 41:10). When we feel lost about what to do, and what our purpose in life is, He promises to guide us: “Call to me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known” (Jeremiah 33:3).When we feel like we are too weak because of an illness, He promises to heal us: “Nevertheless, I will bring health and healing to it; I will heal my people and will let them enjoy abundant peace and security” (Jeremiah 33:6).
And when we are just so desperate for peace and help from depression and anxiety, He has told us: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light” (Matthew 11:28-30).
The issue however lies not on the promises but in our failure to recognize them. We fail to know about all these truths because we do not take time to get to know our God, and delight in His words. In today’s world we are often too busy to sense His presence in our lives, or we deliberately shove Him to a high place because of our guilt feelings because of our past and present sins.
Let us not allow our worldly pursuits to hinder us from claiming God’s best plans for our lives. Likewise, we should also not allow sin to keep us from seeking our Heavenly Father whose arms are wide open to call us back in, forgive us, and make us brand new.
So how do we claim these vouchers that will lead us to live God-honoring lives that come with built-in grace, peace that transcends understanding, and joy that is not fleeting? Well, all we have to do is to accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, recognize that only through will our sins be forgiven and He is our only hope to inherit eternal life.
Practically, we can do this by having a heart to heart talk with our God, tell Him about the sins and what weighs us down, the guilt feelings, and everything that has hindered us from coming to Him and embracing His presence. Like children who have made a mistake, we can say sorry for all that we have done and sincerely seek His presence in our lives. And with a contrite and honest heart, vow to surrender your life to Him and live His purpose for you. As the beloved disciple John says:
"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
There is no condemnation for followers of Jesus Christ, because He gives us a fresh start. An opportunity to live our lives from a clean slate no matter our past waywardness and sins:
"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come."
2 Corinthians 5:17
And when we set out to live God-honoring lives we will get to fulfill the premises of each promises that He has put forth in the scriptures. You see, each of the promises God made comes with a premise. There is a required faithful obedience that will come naturally for anyone who desires to abide in Christ.
"If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples. As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love."
John 15:7-10
And as long as our hearts are in the right place, that we are not just obeying because of the blessing but because we truly love the Lord our God, then we could redeem those heavenly vouchers He has given us. After all, He was the first to have redeemed us.
Thank you for reading through our devotional today. I invite you to ponder on John 15:1-17 to dig deeper on today’s topic.
Reflection Question: Are you aware of God’s promises? DO you make an effort to claim them?
Conversation with the Lord: Lord Jesus Christ, your steadfast love and generosity is beyond words. I praise and thank you for all these promises that you have given us and as I set myself to continuously abide in you, please give me the strength to continue to sanctify myself so that I could live a life that pleases you. Amen.