Galatians 3:28—There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. Read todays devotion, Being First, from Beside Quiet Waters, a devotion book that reminds today’s Christians that when life’s storms threaten to overcome us, the Lord promises to lead us to find peace. Who ran the first four-minute mile? Who was the first to hit 60 home runs in a season? Who took the first step on the moon? Maybe you remember the names. Maybe you don’t. Others more recently have accomplished similar feats and more. Wonder about those names, though? They were Roger Banister, Babe Ruth, and Neil Armstrong. Some people think being first is important. Even in the church. Jesus’ disciples did too that day when they asked about being greatest in his kingdom (Matthew 18:1). For their selfish ambition the Lord Jesus had a strong answer. In one sense, though, each of us is first in God’s eyes, as Paul reminds us. Regardless of nationality, gender, or social status, each believer is on the same level in God’s kingdom. Each shares equally in an awesome inheritance. Each has forgiveness through Jesus, membership in God’s family, and a future home in their Father’s heaven. So I can say, “I’m first,” not in pride but in gratitude. God has made me into something special. His love made his only Son into a child so that I could become his child. His grace scrubbed out sin’s dirt from my soul so that I could stand holy in his sight. His Spirit worked in my heart the faith to believe in the Savior so that I could stand beside him in heaven. I and others like me have no cause for patting ourselves on the back. Instead, I have every reason to praise the God of love. Prayer: Lord, keep me as one whom your love through Jesus has made your very own. Amen. From Beside Quiet Waters: Daily Devotions for a Year, by Richard E. Lauersdorf © 2005 Northwestern Publishing House. All rights reserved.
Posted on: Fri, 17 Oct 2014 01:00:01 +0000
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