John

John 21: Follow Me

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Journaling Through John Fall Picture leaves falling

“As for you, follow Me.” John 21:20. (NLT)

Jesus appears to some of His disciples for a third time. They are out in their boats and are not catching any fish. Jesus calls to them from the shore and tells them to throw their nets to the right side. They do what He says and their nets are filled. Peter swims to shore to be with Jesus.

Jesus asks Peter 3 times if He loves Him. Peter replies, yes each time. The third time, Peter is a little frustrated that He keeps asking Him, because He does love Him and has said yes. Jesus reply is to tell Peter, then “feed my sheep.” He is calling Peter to go and continue His ministry to people.

Another disciple is there and Peter asks Jesus, “What about him?” And Jesus replies in verse 22, “If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you? As for you, follow Me.” Jesus is letting Peter know He needs to mind his own business and do what he is called to do. What the other does or does not do is none of his concern.

What a great reminder for me today. There are things God has called me to do. His plans and purposes for my life don’t match anyone else’s. What others do is not my concern. I must follow Him and obey the call and commands He has placed in my life. My life won’t look the same as anyone else’s. I can’t compare what I have done or have not done to others accomplishments.

Thank you Lord today for the plans and purpose you have for my life. I pray for a continued desire and determination to go after those things you are calling me to. May I not fall into the temptation to compare myself to others. I pray that I would keep my eyes fixed on you and follow where you go. Amen.

What is God speaking to you today in chapter 21 of John? Share your insights in the comment section below.

John 20: Not By Sight

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“You believe because you have seen me. Blessed are those who believe without seeing Me.” John 20:29. (NLT.)

“But these are written that you may continue to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God. And that by believing in Him you will have life by the power of His name.” John 20:31 (NLT)

This chapter starts at the empty tomb. The stone was rolled away and Jesus has risen from the grave! He is alive! The disciples see Him and realize what they thought they knew, Jesus is the Messiah! Thomas, one of the disciples, was not there when Jesus first appeared to them. When they told him they had seen Jesus alive, Thomas said He would not believe until He saw Jesus.

It was 8 days later when the disciples were together again and Jesus came to them. Thomas was with them and Jesus told Thomas to “Look at my hands. Put your hand into the wound in my side. Don’t be faithless any longer. believe!” John 20:27 (NLT) Then Thomas believed that Jesus was Alive!

In verse 29 Jesus tells Thomas “You believe because you have seen Me. Blessed are those who believe without seeing Me.” And this is where faith comes into play. I’ve never seen Jesus, seen the holes in His hands or touched the wound in His side, but I believe what the Word says. He came as a baby, fully God and fully man. He willingly went to the Cross and died for the payment of my sin. And He overcame death, hell and the grave. He rose from the dead and Lives!

Verse 31 tells me that these things are written so that I will continue to believe that Jesus is the Messiah! And, that because I believe I will continue to have life by the power of His name! It’s His Word that brings me hope, that strengthens my faith and reveals Jesus to me.

My prayer today is for a greater desire and love for His Word. I pray for the hunger for the Word would be continuous. I pray for a greater depth in my understanding. Thank you Lord for your Word and for the life it gives me. Amen.

What is God revealing to you today in chapter 20? Share your insights in the comment section below.

John 14: The Gift of Peace

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“I am leaving you with a gift, peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.” John 14:27 (NLT)

Jesus is speaking with His disciples preparing them for when He leaves. He says He must go be with the Father and there He will prepare a place for them. He says the only way is through Him, He is “the way, the truth and the life.” (V. 6) He then goes on to tell them that the Father will send the Holy Spirit, an advocate who will not leave and will lead into all truth.

Jesus goes on to tell them that He will leave them with a gift, peace of mind and heart. And oh, how I find hope in this verse today. That in Christ I can have peace of mind and heart. I can and do find myself feeling troubled by all that is happening in the World. I’m allowing myself only small doses of news and media. It only takes a few minutes of scrolling through social media or reading today’s headlines and I can begin to feel overwhelmed, heavy and helpless. If I stay in that place, relying on my own thoughts, the weight only gets heavier. But I have the presence of the Holy Spirit to comfort me, to bring perspective and empower me to pray and intercede.

Jesus says, “Don’t be troubled or afraid!” I don’t think this means that I cannot be aware of what is happening. I can’t separate myself and deny the reality of life happening around me. But, it’s in the midst of all the chaos that I can lean in and find peace of mind and peace in my heart. This peace can only come from Him, from His Holy Spirit. And it’s out of this place of peace that I can find direction and purpose. It’s in His presence that I am empowered to pray. It’s in that peace that I find hope. It’s His peace that strengthens me and leads me. I’ve said it before and I’ll continue to say it, I need His Word and His presence in my life. Without it I would be greatly afraid.

Thank you, Lord, for the gift of the Holy Spirit. Thank you for the advocate that brings comfort to me daily! I pray for a greater awareness of your presence in my life that comforts me and empowers me. I pray for continued peace in my mind and heart. Amen.

 

Let’s talk about what you received from today’s chapter.  Share your thoughts and insights in the comment section below!

 

 

John 6: Eternal Focus

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“But don’t be so concerned about perishable things like food. Spend your energy seeking the eternal life that the Son of Man can give you.” John 6:27 (NLT)

It’s the day after Jesus fed the crowd of 5000 with just 5 barley loaves and 2 fish. A miracle of provision with 12 baskets of leftovers! The crowd is searching for Jesus and when they find Him on the other side of the lake, they question when did he get there? Jesus tells them they are not looking for Him because they understand who He is, they are there because He fed them. And in verse 27 Jesus begins to change the conversation from one of physical bread, to a conversation of eternal Bread.

He tells them to not be so concerned about “perishable things,” but to put their energy on eternal things. Their focus is getting more bread to fill their stomachs. But Jesus goes on to tell them of the “true Bread from heaven.” (V. 32). He is speaking of Himself, the One who came from Heaven and gives light to the world. (V. 33)

So much of my time and energy can be used up on caring about perishable things. I can easily focus on things, schedules, programs, circumstances and tasks, all the while, miss out on what I really need. Taking care of what God has entrusted to me is important. I need to be a wise steward and be faithful to the things God has called me to. However, if my schedule gets over run with ‘stuff” that wears me out and have no eternal value, then I am missing Jesus.

During these past several months my life has looked a lot different. Just like much of the rest of the world, my schedule came to an abrupt hault. So many things were cancelled and completely removed from my calendar. I found myself with some extra time. And it was in that time that I was able to see where I had become busy with no boundaries. I have decided and I am determined that my life will not go back to what it was. I have loved the time with my family and I’m not willing to give that Up again. I missed time with people and I want to be with people more.

My prayer today is for a clearer understanding of perishable and eternal value. I desire to have a focus on those things that will last for eternity. I was recently introduced to the “Lazy Genius,” a blogger, podcaster and Author. She talks about becoming lazy with those things that really don’t matter and becoming a genius in those things that do matter. I want to become lazy about things that won’t last and focus on those things with eternal value. It’s there that I will find Life.

What is God speaking to you today in John 6? Share your thoughts and insights in the comments below.

John 5: He’s Always Working

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“My Father is always working, and so am I.” John 5:17

Jesus just healed a man who had been sick for 38 years. Jesus told him to “stand up, pick up your mat and walk” (V. 8). It was the Sabbath and of course the Jewish leaders objected. The man was carrying his mat on the Sabbath, and when he was confronted, he told them that the man who healed him told him to pick up his mat and walk. I want to say, ummmmmm, hello Jewish leaders, this man had been sick for 38 years and was instantly healed! That’s something pretty big. So why not focus on the miracle?

The Jewish leaders found out it was Jesus that healed this man and told him to pick up his mat and walk on the Sabbath. They began harassing Jesus for breaking the Sabbath rules. And I love Jesus’ response, “My Father is always working, and so am I.” (V. 17)

Oh Lord, am I so thankful today that you are always working! You don’t need to rest or take time off. There is never to much for you to handle. My situation and circumstances may not be ideal, but I can be assured that you are always working. I won’t always see it and often won’t even understand it, but you are always working! Amen.

I won’t always see it and often won’t understand it, but you are always working!And as I go about my day, I’m pretty sure “Way Maker” will be on repeat!

What is God speaking to you today through John 5? Share your thoughts and insights in the comment section below.

John 4: Living Water

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“Those who drink the water that I give will never be thirsty again. It becomes a fresh, bubbling spring with in them giving them eternal life.” John 4:14 (NLT)

Jesus sat resting at Jacob’s well. In the middle of the day a Samaritan woman approached the well. Jesus spoke to her and asked her for a drink. She was taken back by this, because in this culture a man would not speak to a woman and definitely not a Samaritan woman. Jesus and she begin talking of the water in the well and He then speaks of the “water” He is offering.

This woman has had several husbands and was currently with a man who was not her husband. I used to think she was a woman who made bad choices or was difficult to get along with. But when you look deeper into the culture of this time, a woman could not pick her own husband, nor did she have the choice to divorce. A woman could not support herself, she needed a husband to provide for her. If at any time, for any reason a man decided he didn’t want his wife He could divorce her with a simple declaration, “I divorce her.” This would leave her abandoned on the street with nothing.

This woman had not been enough for 5 husbands and was now with a man who didn’t care enough for her to make her his wife. Could you imagine, never being enough? Being discarded over and over? Then, Jesus offers her the living water. A provision that is never ending. Something that she could not earn or receive from her own hand or from a man. This water is quenching, lasting, cleansing and filling.

His presence gives me hope and peace.I’m thinking about my own life and how often I look to other people or things to provide and satisfy me. My own insecurities lead me to want to be accepted, loved and cared for by others. I can easily look to entertainment, food, shopping, or even my own abilities to satisfy a need that only Jesus can fill.

With Jesus I have purpose. I am accepted. With Jesus I am able. He provides for my every need. His presence gives me hope and peace. He strengthens me. He comforts me. He heals me. He cleanses me. He protects and defends me. He goes with me.

Thank you Lord, for the never ending, filling and always satisfying living water that flows through my life. I pray today that your presence would be with me and in me and that it would flow out of me to bring life to others. I pray today that my words and actions would bring life and hope to those around me. And let me never take the living water you give lightly. Thank you for the life it gives. Amen.

What is God speaking to you today in John 4? Share your thoughts in the comment section below.

John 2: Perspective

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“Jesus replied, “Destroy this temple and in 3 days I will raise it up.”  “What!” They exclaimed. “It has taken 46 years to build this temple and you can build in in 3 days?”  But when Jesus said “this temple” he meant His own body.”  John 2:19-21. (NLT)

Jesus had just cleared the temple of merchants selling and dealers making exchanges of money.   He used a whip and scattered all their merchandise, livestock and their coins.  He told them to stop turning His Father’s house into a marketplace.

The Jewish leaders were not happy.  They demanded that if God gave Him authority then He needed to show them a miraculous sign.  Jesus replied, “Destroy this temple and in 3 days I will raise it up” (V. 19).. There was just no way He could rebuild them temple that took 46 years to build in only 3 days.  But what they didn’t yet understand was that Jesus was referring to His own body.  Later, after Jesus resurrection, the disciples would remember this and believe  what He had said (v. 22).

This story has lead me to think about perspective.  Jesus said ‘tear down this temple,” and the Jewish leaders believed He was referring to the physical building.  Jesus was speaking of His own body that would be broken, killed and resurrected.  What a profound difference, not just in the reality, but in the significance and impact.

As 2020 continues and changes and uncertainties abound.  I’m stepping back and asking the Lord to give me a new perspective.  I want to step back and take a wider view of what is happening.  Much of what I am spending my time on may not have an eternal value, so what can I surrender?  There are inconveniences that I am facing that have no eternal value, so why allow myself to get so worked up about them?   Some of the things I think need to happen or not happen, have no eternal value, so why not just let those things go.  I must pause and wait to see where the Lord is moving and leading.

I pray today for a shift in my perspective from worry and focusing on things that will pass away, to a focus on eternal and lasting things.   I’m looking to the Holy Spirit and the Word for my peace, provision, hope and for my future.   Amen.

What is God speaking to you today through chapter 2 of John?  Share your thoughts in the comment section below.