Our Advantage

Today's devotional comes from my book, 52 Days of Grace, available now on Amazon.

“What advantage, then, is there in being a Jew, or what value is there in circumcision?  Much in every way! First of all, the Jews have been entrusted with the very words of God.    What if some were unfaithful? Will their unfaithfulness nullify God’s faithfulness?  Not at all! Let God be true, and every human being a liar. As it is written:

‘So that you may be proved right when you speak and prevail when you judge.’”

                                                                                                                                                   Romans 3:1-4

There are many religions man uses to try to get to God.   Each has its own list of requirements to fulfill in order for a follower to climb closer to the ultimate goal.  Each uses a standard set by man to measure a disciple’s progress and many followers claim to have found peace and meaning in this process.

So what advantage do we, as disciples of Christ, hold?  We have the very words of God to use as our blueprint for building a meaningful life and to employ as a standard with which to measure our hearts.  Many times we fail to use God’s Word in this way, but simply read it as part of a ritual or as a daily habit.  The amazing thing about God is that this lack of faith on our part does not at all change His character.   If I claim that the maple tree in my front yard does not exist, that does not make it true, as evidenced by the shade I enjoy in the summer or the leaves I rake up each fall.  The tree is there no matter what I believe in my heart about it or how many times I ignore it as I walk past it on the way to the car.  In the same way, God’s faithfulness to fulfill his promises and to love us as only He can is not invalidated by my “lukewarmness.”    If I simply go through the motions of doing “religious things”, but make no real investment in my relationship with my Father, it does not diminish one iota His character.  He is still the same today as He was when He created all things. (Psalm 102:25-27)

Knowing that God is there waiting for me to place Him in the center of my life, and that He won’t be a different God once I finally appreciate and acknowledge Him, is comforting and inspiring.  I want to know a God who doesn’t change!  Everything else around me is constantly changing: My relationships, my family, my garden, my home, my job.  Nothing stays the same.  Nothing, that is, except God.  That is our advantage as the people of the One True God.       

When all else is shifting, I can stand firmly on the Solid Rock.

How have you fallen into the beliefs of this world regarding “religion” and character of God?

How much time do you spend in learning more about the One True God by reading His Word, meeting with His people and talking to Him?

Heavenly Father,

Thank you for being a God who does not change like shifting shadows.  I can always count on you.  I want to make You and Your law my foundation through faith in Jesus, giving me a solid rock to stand on during life’s storms.  I ask for strength and faith to make this commitment.  Thank you for your faithfulness to stay the same even when everything else around me is changing.  Help me to trust in your never-changing character.

I pray these things in Jesus Name,

Amen

If you were challenged by today's reading and would like to own a copy of 52 Days of Grace, click here to order