NorthStar Community Daily Devotional

Day 270 – More urgent warnings

Having a Heart in a Sometimes Heartless World

Scripture focus: “It’s urgent that you listen carefully to this: Anyone here who believes what I am saying right now and aligns himself with the Father, who has in fact put me in charge, has at this very moment the real, lasting life and is no longer condemned to be an outsider. This person has taken a giant step from the world of the dead to the world of the living.” John 5:24 The Message

A giant step from the world of the dead to the world of the living…

In step one of the Christ-centered 12 steps, we acknowledge our powerlessness and name the parts of our lives that are unmanageable. In step two, we admit that there is a God and he can restore us to sanity. In step three, we make a decision to turn our life over to His care and control. Evidently, someone has been reading the book of John.

Isn’t Jesus agreeing with the writers of the 12-steps? He reminds us that it is urgent that we align ourselves with the Father. And when we do so, at the very moment we make this decision, the real, lasting life becomes our new reality.

That does not mean we suddenly get our acts together. What this verse means to me is that at the moment we make this realignment, we possess the potential for the real, lasting life. We’re no longer condemned as an outsider. We’re in the proverbial “hut” of God’s love. It’s a giant step. It’s a beginning. The race has begun.

Don’t forsake this necessary first step. But I want to also offer a warning – do not mistakenly assume it is the only step.

Belief gains us entry. Following, walking, stepping as God speaks, moves us along our way. We will grow into the kind of person who is fit for the fruit of the Spirit. Our attempts to live life getting our own way all the time will diminish. There will be a kind of “back-and-forthness” to our lives as we learn how to relinquish control and follow God.

Please don’t get discouraged by the uneven meanderings of your feet. The road may be winding, but it leads to the throne of grace!


Recommended reading: Isaiah 51 and 52 in the morning; Isaiah 53 and Ephesians 5 in the evening

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