Friday January 13, 2023

Friday – January 13th – 1 John 3:7-8     -----     
 
3:7) Little children, let no one deceive you. He who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous.
8) He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil.
 
The Daily Walk Bible inspirational thought for today:
     IT IS BETTER TO GO STRAIGHT THAN TO MOVE IN THE BEST OF CIRCLES.*

     Happy Friday my friends. Our inspirational thought for today is a great reminder to reflect on our actions as a follower of Jesus. Keeping our eyes focused on Jesus is the best medicine for whatever challenge we may be facing in our lives. Who we hang with can either help us in our faith journey or completely distract us from doing God’s will for our life. As I read this thought, I am reminded of the old Family Circus cartoon where the little boy makes multiple loops on his way home arriving hours later than the minutes it would take for the most direct route. Is your spiritual journey more like a here-there-everywhere or a straight line to Jesus? Is there someone or a group of influencers who serve to distract your path to spiritual growth?

     In our pick verses today, John reemphasizes the message of our gaining freedom from sin (v4-6) by contrasting the nature of both God and the devil. This contrast also includes the people of God and the people of the devil.  God is righteous, and by His grace His people will also be righteous regardless of how the devil attempts to disrupt us. One of the roles of Jesus was to destroy the works of the devil by destroying all sin. We can stand on the power and promise of God that Jesus will be triumphant over the devil. And when the devil is finally destroyed there will be no more sin or death. When we choose to follow Jesus, we are choosing the winning side.

Blessings
  Pastor Jim
Saturday – January 14th – 1 John 3:9

*The Daily Walk Bible NLT: Explore God's Path to Life (p. 190). Tyndale House Publishers. Kindle Edition.

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