Daily Reading: John 3
Scripture Focus: We speak of what we know, and bear witness to what we have seen. (John 3.11)
Devotional Thought: I have a friend who until recently was childless. An amazing thing that I noticed about my friend was how freely he could give advice about raising children. He was an expert! Most people just took his expertise with a grain of salt. Then he and his wife began having children of their own. His wisdom suddenly was tested in the laboratory of life. His council changed drastically!
When Jesus spoke to Nicodemus, he told him, "We speak of what we know and bear witness to what we have seen." Jesus knew that advice given from a lack of education or experience was not all that reliable!
We have basically two sources for our knowledge. We speak of "what we know." We know something when we truly experience it. Jesus spoke of that experiential knowledge first, since it is the most important. If I want to speak authoritatively on the topic of Jesus, then I need to know him, to experience him as my Friend!
We also bear witness to what we have seen. This is a different form of knowledge. We 'see' things in the lives of other people either by witnessing them or reading about them in books. This form of witness is very important because it serves as a correcting influence on our experiences. Personal experiences are wonderful, but we need to test them against the combined experiences of God's people across the ages.
So, get out and testify! But do it from the basis of a personal experience with Jesus, informed by what you read in the Bible and what you see in the lives of others.
Prayer: Lord, help me to know you better and to be a better student of your Word. Then, help me to proclaim the wonderful news of God's love! Amen.
Psalm of the Day: Psalm 33.8-15
8 Let all the earth fear the Lord; let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him! 9 For he spoke, and it came to be; he commanded, and it stood firm.
10 The Lord brings the counsel of the nations to nothing; he frustrates the plans of the peoples. 11 The counsel of the Lord stands forever, the plans of his heart to all generations. 12 Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people whom he has chosen as his heritage!
13 The Lord looks down from heaven; he sees all the children of man; 14 from where he sits enthroned he looks out on all the inhabitants of the earth, 15 he who fashions the hearts of them all and observes all their deeds.
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