Daily Devotional for Sunday, June 2, 2024
Today is Sunday! Yeah! It’s the Lord’s Day as we say, but technically, every day is the Lord’s day. It is the time to cut loose and sing your heart out to the greatest God there is and then to be a sponge and soak in the truth from His Holy Word. David writes in Psalm 119:160a, “The very essence of Your words is truth . . .” (NLT). Not some truth. Not partial truth. Not when I “feel like it” kind of truth. Truth.
What I love about reading the Old Testament is how it reflects Jesus Christ. Jesus said this in John 8:31-32, “Jesus said to the people who believed in Him, `You are truly My disciples if you remain faithful to My teachings. (32) And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free’” (NLT). Jesus said this in John 14:6, “Jesus said to him, `I am THE Way, and THE Truth, and THE Life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” ESV).
So, when David says in Psalm 119:106a, “The very essence of Your words is truth . . .” What truth? Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is all through the whole Old Testament. It is not He did not exist until we got the New Testament. He was there all along and all the time. In John 8:58, Jesus said this to the pious, religious leaders, “Jesus said to them, `Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am’” (ESV). To think or believe that Jesus did not exist until He was born of Mary, is to not understand Who He is. Jesus was and is God for all eternity.
Truth does set us free and sometimes that truth can be painful. That is the point of Hebrews 4:12, ”For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires” (NLT). The Message translation puts it this way: “God means what He says. What He says goes. His powerful Word is sharp as a surgeon’s scalpel, cutting through everything, whether doubt or defense, laying us open to listen and obey. Nothing and no one can resist God’s Word. We can’t get away from it—no matter what” (MSG).
A surgeon’s scalpel cuts us in order to cure us, and the truth of the Scriptures hurts us in order to heal us. And we often feel painfully the results of that surgeon’s scalpel but we do heal. Sometimes even a scar remains that reminds us of the healing touch of that surgeon’ scalpel. So, today, at church, instead of focusing on the preacher’s delivery, focus on the Deliverer he is talking about for you. As I have said many times, when go to worship, we are there for an audience of One — Jesus Christ.
I really like what pastor Doug Dander writes:
“When the Spirit of God uses truth from the Scriptures, whether delivered by a sermon of the church, a conversation over coffee, or an idea brought to mind, we ought not bury it. Here’s why. If you flee from the truth—say, by denying your sin or your need to change in one area—then you will never be healed by the truth. Some people do this by leaving their church family (or their community group, or their circle of friends) every time something is said that offends them.
They never suppose that it might be God’s truth hurting them in order to heal them of their sinful thinking, their sinful attitudes, or their sinful actions. If what Jesus said about being set free by the truth and “dying to self” have any importance to us (and they should!), then perhaps we should be slow to run and quick to listen. God wants to save your life. You must let the light of Christ shine into your darkened heart (John 8:12 — “Jesus spoke to the people once more and said, `I am the light of the world. If you follow Me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life’” (NLT)).
The other option is death (Romans 6:22-23 — “But now you are free from the power of sin and have become slaves of God. Now you do those things that lead to holiness and result in eternal life. (23) For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord” (NLT). I’ll pray you’ll let his truth hurt you so that he may heal you” (Source: http://www.remnantresource.org/the-truth-hurts/#:~:text=Heb.,in order to heal us).
Questions To Consider
- When the pastor/preacher or the Word of God says something that doesn’t sit well with you, or even offends you, is your first response, “Lord, speak for Your servant is listening” or something else and why?
- When you read the Old Testament, do you look for Jesus in it? Do you see Jesus in it? Why or why not?
- When has the Word of God cut you to where it hurt? How did you respond to it?
- How intentional are you to be in God’s Word each and every day? If you are not, could it be you do not like THE Surgeon’s scalpel?
- Would you say that Jesus Christ is pleased with your involvement in the worship service at your church? Why?
Scripture To Mediate On: Psalm 33:4, “For the word of the Lord is right and true; He is faithful in all He does” (NIV).
Prayer To Pray: “Dear Jesus, I want to love, accept and apply the truth from Your Word even when it is painful to hear. I do not want to turn a deaf ear to it. Please forgive me for the times I have missed reading Your truth and please forgive me for the excuses I have given. I commit today be a disciple of Your truth because I need You and Your truth. You are THE Truth. I love You, Jesus. In Jesus’ name, Amen!”
I love you Southside!—Pastor Kelly