Daily Devotional For Wednesday, July 30, 2025
Good morning Southside. It is “hump” day as they call it and I pray your week has been one of being productive for the Lord. If you have been reading these devotionals about following the Lord, you know that what is required is profound obedience to Christ, which is no easy task. It is not a life of smooth sailing on a luxury cruise ship, but rather it is at times like being on a Coast Guard cutter flowing through high seas with waves crashing over you continuously. There is risk even at times to our own lives. Discipleship requires sacrifice. It requires death to self and talking up one’s cross daily to follow Jesus.
Selflessness for Christ may require one giving up all their comforts, all their possessions, their power, their positions and their privileges in order to find our reward in Christ. This is why we are better together in these stormy waters and times. Ecclesiastes 4:9-10, 12 says,:
“Two are better than one because they have a good return for their labor. (10) For if either of them falls, the one will lift up his companion. But woe to the one who falls when there is not another to lift him up . . . (12) And if one can overpower him who is alone, two can resist him. A cord of three strands is not quickly torn apart” (NASB).
When Jesus sent His own disciples out, He sent them out in pairs. Mark 6:7 begins this way, “And He called the twelve and began to send them out two by two . . .” (ESV). Discipleship involves following the Lord wherever He leads us. Growing up, my church sang this hymn sometimes during the “Invitation” time. The chorus went this way: “Wherever He leads, I'll go, Wherever He leads, I'll go. I'll follow my Christ who loves me so, Wherever He leads, I'll go” (Source: Wherever He Leads I'll Go). When we sing this, do we really mean it? How far are you willing to go to follow the Lord?
If it meant giving up your current career to go into missions, if He leads you there, would you go? If it meant giving up your comforts and going into something uncomfortable, would you go? How far are you willing to go with the Lord? How far is too far for you? Are you willing to give up the “American Dream” for God’s dream? Jesus went all the way to the cross. He could have backed out, but He didn’t. He had seen numerous crucifixions by Rome. He could have opted to crucify Rome, but He didn’t. Jesus went all the way to the cross for you. Are you willing to go all the way with Him wherever He leads you?
If you study the life of Jesus, when He looked over all the lost people, His main concern was not they would come to the Father, but would His disciples go to them? We see this in Jesus’ words in Matthew 9:36-38:
“Seeing the people, He felt compassion for them, because they were distressed and dispirited like sheep without a shepherd.(37) Then He said to His disciples, ‘The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. (38) Therefore beseech the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest’” (NASB).
I believe our God deserves our best. The modern church has become such a consumer and seeker-friendly church that we have watered down the Gospel to just little tiny devotional thoughts for Scripture to get us through the day, entertaining worship services filled with lasers, lights, smoke and sermons filled with humor and self-help paganism, and void of all truth of what it means to be a disciple. A genuine disciple knows they are not their own because they have been bought with a price (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). Whether or not you want to read it or hear it – people are dying and going to hell every single day. Do you even care?
Take a moment and read 2 Corinthians 4:4-6. What is Paul’s point? There is only one true God in this universe who wants people to hear the Gospel and get saved and there is another evil and false god in this world that wants people to die and go to hell to burn for all eternity. The devil knows he is impotent against our omnipotent God. He learned this when he rebelled in heaven and was cast out. So, he resorts to a more sinister and evil tactic – come after people, who are created in the image of God.
If you are a parent, which hurt is worse? Hurt against you personally by someone or hurt by someone against your children? The devil knows if he can get people, He grieves the heart of God. What else grieves the heart of God are those who claim to be a disciple of Jesus Christ but refuse to share the Gospel with others. What grieves the heart of God are people who claim to be a disciple of God and use all the resources God has given them: their money, their talents, skills, abilities, their possessions and intellect all for themselves. Jesus said this in Luke 19:10, “For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost” (NASB). The only question is: Will His church follow His example? Will you personally follow His example?
Assignment: Take a minute and review your average day. How much of your time is consumed for things for you versus things for the Lord? Even when you are at work or school or the supermarket, is sharing the Gospel ever on your mind? How much are you participating with the devil to get people into hell versus obeying the Lord by sharing the Gospel to get people into heaven? There is no middle ground here. So, where do you stand on this and why?
Scripture To Meditate On: John 15:1, “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser” (ESV).
Prayer To Pray: Dear Lord, I want to join You where you are working to bring people to Christ. I do not want to be guilty of joining the opposition. I believe people die and go to hell every day. Therefore, I want to share You with others to help cripple some of the devil’s sinister tactics. Please give me a heart for the lost as You have. Everything I have is from You and so I want You to use it however best You see fit. I love You Lord and Your Gospel to reach the lost. In Jesus’ name, Amen!”
I love you Southside! – Pastor Kelly