Live 4 The LORD

READ

10 He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world knew him not. 11 He came to his own home, and his own people received him not. 12  But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God; 13  who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.  (John 1:10–13, RSV2CE)

REFLECT

Jesus made the world but the world did not know Him. 

Jesus came to His own people (the chosen who supposedly knew God and were destined to tell the world who He was) but they did not receive Him. (We can receive or reject Him as Lord of our life)

Those who do receive Jesus as Lord of their life (instead of themselves) He gives them power to become His children. 

These children are born not of blood and not of  the will of man. They are born by the will of God to be the children of God. 

PRAY

Jesus, you show me who the Father is. He is God and knows best for His creation and how it works. We need a Lord to give us the right direction and understanding because we have corrupted ourselves here and lost our way fumbling around in the darkness. The blind leading the blind into more blindness. 

If I receive you as Lord, you can guide me home in the ways that are best for me since you see all things and know all things. I have to realize that I am unable to effectively guide myself. I am not all knowing and see from the darkness not light. 

I receive you, I believe in your Holy Name, that you are God. Please give me the Holy Spirit that will enable me to be your child. It is your will that those who receive and believe be born anew as yours!

I am baptized as yours. I receive you as my Lord. I am weak and need lots of help to yield to your guidance. Thank you for loving me and coming to give me new life. I’m sorry when I fail, please keep forgiving and enabling me to get back up! I love you! Amen. 

THOUGHT:

God does love His creation. But He does not approve of sin. He destroyed the world and the people who refused His Lordship. The righteousness of God is given to those who align themselves with Him, even though they are weak and still sin—they are trying to yield to His direction not themselves. It’s not perfection—it is broken surrendered submission to grace that empowers little by little.