Daily Reading: 1 Corinthians 4
Scripture Focus: The kingdom of God does not consist in talk but in power. (1 Corinthians 4.20)
Devotional Thought: "Bluster, n - loudly boastful or threatening speech; syn.: babel, blare, cacophony, chatter, clamor, clangor, din, discordance, noise, racket, rattle, roar." (Webster's dictionary)
Looking at that definition, there is a lot of bluster these days, isn't there? But, the Bible says the Kingdom of God is not like that. The Kingdom is not bluster, but rather blessing.
It is tempting to make the Kingdom all about 'talk': preaching, debating, and winning arguments. That is bluster. Bluster theorizes about love, but lives to dominate. It talks about holiness, but lives under the dominion of sin. It talks a big game, but wilts under pressure. Bluster refuses to go out on a limb, to take risks or to make sacrifices. That's not the Kingdom way of doing things.
When the Kingdom of God is about power, things look different. By the power of the Spirit, we can love others without conditions. We are enabled to live holy and godly lives. We can stand for Jesus when we face opposition. We can testify, "In the name of Jesus rise up and walk." The Spirit gives us power to be generous, to live free from addictions, to forgive the sins of others. In power, we testify to the life and resurrection of Jesus. We love those not like us, and treat others with dignity and respect. We sacrifice our own personal comforts and causes, for the sake of others.
I would rather operate in the power of the Kingdom, live by the power of the Holy Spirit - than to talk about it. How about you?
Prayer: Lord, thank you for making me a part of your Kingdom. Help me to live out this Kingdom life with power. Forgive me when my talk doesn't match my walk. In the name of Jesus, amen.
Psalm of the Day: Psalm 112.6-10
6 For the righteous will never be moved;
he will be remembered forever.
7 He is not afraid of bad news;
his heart is firm, trusting in the Lord.
8 His heart is steady; he will not be afraid,
until he looks in triumph on his adversaries.
9 He has distributed freely; he has given to the poor;
his righteousness endures forever;
his horn is exalted in honor.
10 The wicked man sees it and is angry;
he gnashes his teeth and melts away;
the desire of the wicked will perish!
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