Today’s Podcast
Today’s Scriptures
Today’s Bible reading plans include:
Ready -1 John 1
Set – Jeremiah 48; Psalms 67; 1 John 1
Go! – Jeremiah 48-49; Psalms 67; 1 John 1
1 John 1
1 We want to tell you about the One who was from the beginning. We have seen Him with our own eyes, heard Him with our own ears, and touched Him with our own hands. This One is the manifestation of the life-giving Voice, 2 and He showed us real life, eternal life. We have seen it all, and we can’t keep what we witnessed quiet—we have to share it with you. We are inviting you to experience eternal life through the One who was with the Father and came down to us. 3 What we saw and heard we pass on to you so that you, too, will be connected with us intimately and become family. Our family is united by our connection with the Father and His Son Jesus, the Anointed One; 4 and we write all this because retelling this story fulfills our joy.
5 What we are telling you now is the very message we heard from Him: God is pure light, undimmed by darkness of any kind. 6 If we say we have an intimate connection with the Father but we continue stumbling around in darkness, then we are lying because we do not live according to truth. 7 If we walk step by step in the light, where the Father is, then we are ultimately connected to each other through the sacrifice of Jesus His Son. His blood purifies us from all our sins. 8 If we go around bragging, “We have no sin,” then we are fooling ourselves and are strangers to the truth. 9 But if we own up to our sins, God shows that He is faithful and just by forgiving us of our sins and purifying us from the pollution of all the bad things we have done. 10 If we say, “We have not sinned,” then we depict God as a liar and show that we have not let His word find its way into our hearts.
Today’s Devotional
From today’s background scripture God might say:
John witnessed Me in the flesh. When he did and discovered what it was like to also have Me live in him, John could not help but tell the story. He wanted the world to know Me like he came to know Me. John was probably My closest disciple while I walked the earth. He probably understood My love better than any of My other disciples. Yet, until My Spirit came at Pentecost, the love he knew before that day was only a shadow of what was to come.
It is no wonder he starts his letter with a description of Me as pure light. I have a tendency to get to the heart of things. He watched Me cut through the smoke and mirrors people try to put up to hide the real issues they struggle with. He watched Me point to the sin and selfishness that causes people to push Me aside and fail to find fulfillment in their lives. He watched as I used My servanthood to demonstrate a side of God people did not understand. John wanted others to recognize Me and put their faith in Me. He wanted others to understand that as they shared their faith it would grow.
John also wanted others to see My perfect nature. People are sinful. I am holy. But the people who call themselves by My name will not continue to practice their sinful ways. They will strive for the holy life I practice before you. If you are My followers you will run from evil and sin. I command you to be holy because I am holy. I wouldn’t ask you to do something you cannot do without My help. You can do it, though, with My Spirit in you. I can help you find the exit when temptation tries to defeat you. Remember, you will never face a temptation greater than I can help you get through.
Until you get on My side of heaven, you will still make mistakes, fall short of my perfect holiness, need My forgiveness for your actions. But if you’ll consistently listen to Me and let Me guide you through My word and My Spirit, you will become more like Me each day. You will yourself being perfected each day until you finally come to be with Me forever. You can enjoy some of that now, though. You can let Me lead you along the path and enjoy My peace, My light, My holiness, My glory. All it takes is letting Me have control of your life.
I made you, I paid the penalty for your sins, I think I know what needs to be done to lead you along the best paths to make your life one of abundant living.
The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved. In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.