October 16, 2019
Bible Reading: John 1
John 1:6-7
[6] There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. [7] The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe.
Today’s devotional is nothing new, it’s not some hidden truth that I can impress you with. It is as elementary as it gets as far as devotional goes, but I think that is fitting coming from John “The Disciple that Jesus loved” he was a simple man , with a simple message. Let’s start by remembering that “all scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable…” Verse 6 says there was a man sent from God, whose name was John. If we’re not careful we can miss the application to us in that verse.
#1 The Messenger (vs 6)
Whatever gender you are, whatever your name is it fits in that verse. Do me a favor and put your name in verse 6 and read it. If you are a child of God you are now sent by God. Paul tells us we are ambassadors of Christ. That means to act as a representative. Male or female, young or old, we are to represent Jesus with our lives and words. Let’s not forget the Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20.) Before we get to the message itself let’s accept our role as messenger.
#2 The Message (vs 7)
John had a message, a motive for his actions, and so do we. “He came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe.” A witness is not the same as an attorney. A lawyer argues a case, trying to prove a point, trying to influence people to reach a verdict. A witness is called to simply tell the truth. Witnesses are called to testify to what they know. John the Baptist knew Jesus was the Messiah, the Light of the world, and he testified as witness to that. Are you a witness to the saving power of Jesus Christ? Have you witnessed the grace of God? Have you witnessed prayers answered? Have you witnessed grace and mercy? You don’t have to be a bible scholar to share Jesus, you just have to be a witness to change He has made in your life. I want to challenge you to pray this prayer today. Lord help me to be able to share what I have witnessed You do in my life with someone who has never experienced it today. We are a messenger, with a life changing message to share. You’ve been called to the witness stand.
Frank Newsome