“You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it; you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise” (Psalm 51:16-17, NIV).

Have you ever lost something of great personal value? If so, how long did you continue searching for what was lost? The more we value something the more we pursue it. Have you ever considered what God values? Since God never loses anything, what could He possibly need to find?

We know that God’s desire is to live in a shared relationship with His people. This idea serves to remind us of God’s great love for authentic fellowship. God is looking for people who recognize their spiritual emptiness. He wants to fill this emptiness with His perfect presence. God is still searching.

God is not looking for spiritual puppets, but He is searching for empty vessels. An empty vessel in the hands of an Almighty God is powerful. He is not looking for great performers, but He is searching for the right heart to carry out His great work.

God is pursuing those who want to follow His ways, and worship Him in spirit and in truth. Consider this: “For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to give strong support to those whose heart is blameless toward him” (2 Chronicles 16:9).

Today, as you read this devotional, is your heart broken and empty before the Lord? When you sin, does it trouble you deeply and bring you to sorrowful repentance? Repentance means a change of direction. If you are not allowing God to deal with your sin, you are not broken.

If this is the case, don’t expect a rich spiritual experience. Personal holiness precedes authentic fellowship. Are you willing to live a life of personal holiness? Paul pleaded with the believers in Rome, “Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship” (Romans 12:1, NIV).

Your sin should point you to the Savior. First, remove the things from your life that continue to lead you into sin. Second, get ready to love and worship God like never before. God is still searching to fill hearts that are broken and empty. If today you are unforgiving and resentful, your heart remains full.

Read:  Open your Bible and read 2 Chronicles 16:9, and Psalm 511-19.

Reflect:  Prayerfully consider the following: How can I demonstrate a broken and empty heart before God? What would that look like?

Respond:  As a result of these truths, what might need to change in my attitude, beliefs, and actions? What steps do I need to take outwardly?

The source of this content comes from our book, Walking with Jesus.

“But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy.” (1 Peter 2:9-10, ESV)

Right from the start, God chose you for a very special purpose. In His infinite wisdom, God selected you to be His ambassador, His personal representative here on earth. He removed you from a life without an eternal purpose to carry out His master plan of leading all people to Himself. As a believer in Christ, you are a chosen vessel of God.

In Christ, you have been distinctly set apart to fulfill a specific purpose. Paul wrote, “I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy, because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now. And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ” (Philippians 1:3-6).

God has a unique plan for your life. This plan was crafted well before you ever existed. It is a plan that brings true satisfaction and personal fulfillment by living through the starting point of life—Jesus. You may find it hard to believe, but you have been personally chosen by God to be a part of His royal family. Right now, you are royalty. You are a child of the King!

There is no higher calling for your life. If God has chosen you to be His child, there is no higher status. No position can compare with being an heir to the King. You are no longer a slave to your past or a slave to sin. You are a slave of Christ. He is your Savior and Lord. Darkness has no power over your life. Nothing hidden or visible can separate you from your new position.

In Christ Jesus, you are permanently secure! You belong to the King! Paul wrote, “Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:37-39).

Read:  Open your Bible and read 1 Peter 2:9-10.

Reflect:  Prayerfully consider the following: What can I do today to make God’s name known to others? What skills or resources can I use to minister to others? What can I do right now to live for God’s purposes?

Respond:  As a result of these truths, what might need to change in my attitude, beliefs, and actions? What steps do I need to take outwardly?

The source of this content comes from our book, Walking with Jesus.

“He was in the beginning with God” (John 1:2).

Have you ever arrived late to a good movie? You may have prepaid your tickets online, but local traffic, and possibly your small children, obstructed every effort to arrive on time. When you ask the person sitting next to you, “How much did I miss?” They look at you and smile, “Oh, only about thirty minutes.”

By this time you are disappointed and very frustrated. You’re not sure where the story is headed or what key parts were missed because you were not present in the opening scene. You missed the starting point of the entire movie. Why? You were not present in the opening scene.

Jesus has always existed. He is the starting point of life. The title “I AM” was used in the Old Testament to refer to the God of the Hebrews. During one of his teachings, Jesus responded, “I tell you the truth…before Abraham was born, I am!” (John 8:58, NIV).

In other words, Jesus unapologetically declared that He was the eternal God over all of creation! This assertion infuriated the religious leaders of the day. Why? Simply put, it placed Jesus in the same divine category as the God of Israel. It meant that Jesus already existed in eternity past with the Father and Holy Spirit. If Jesus was the great “I am” it meant that He is eternal and shares God’s divine nature.

What these leaders failed to understand was that before time ever existed, before the movie of this world started playing, Jesus was already living. Jesus was present in the opening scene and they were not. Isaiah wrote, “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called ‘Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace’ ” (Isaiah 9:6).

Jesus was an active part of eternity before our world began. Why? Jesus is the starting point of life. One day everyone will bow and recognize Jesus as Lord of all things. The Living Word of God will return to earth, destroy all evil and reign supreme over His creation. John describes our great God and Savior powerfully when he writes, “He is clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God” (Revelation 19:13, NASB).

Read:  Open your Bible and read John 8:48-59.

Reflect:  Prayerfully consider the following: What activities are you involved in that bring glory to God? What two friends need to hear more regarding who Jesus is and what He has done to pay for our sins?

Respond:  As a result of these truths, what might need to change in my attitude, beliefs, and actions? What steps do I need to take outwardly?

The source of this content comes from our book, Walking with Jesus.