Daily Devotional
Are You Demanding of God?
“When he heard that Jesus had come out of Judea into Galilee, he went to Him and implored Him to come down and heal his son, for he was at the point of death. Then Jesus said to him, ‘Unless you people see signs and wonders, you will by no means believe.’ The nobleman said to Him, ‘Sir, come down before my child dies!’”
John 4:47-49
April 4, 2024
Ponder This
The man in today’s passage initially had a self-centered faith. Look again in verse 49. What’s he interested in? The welfare of his child. Is there anything wrong with that? No. And I will promise you if I have a sick child, I’m going to be bombarding Heaven in prayer. But this man had yet to bow at the feet of Jesus Christ and worship Him. So many of us are so concerned about our health, our welfare, our children, our families, and our future. There’s nothing wrong with asking God to bless us. But strong faith is interested primarily in the glory of God and the heart in its right relationship to Him. This man was interested in the physical, not the spiritual, in the temporal, not the eternal.
Faith is not dictating to God. Faith is hearing God, believing God, and acting on what God says. This man was a nobleman. He had been used to telling people what to do. He had many servants. But that’s not how it works with God. Faith is not about us telling God what to do. How many of us demand of God before we take a moment to worship Him?
- What do you pray about the most? What does that tell you about your faith?
- When have you been self-centered in your faith? How can you know?
Practice This
Discuss with a fellow Christian how your life would change if you were primarily interested in the eternal over the temporal.
FOR YOUR GIFT TO THE MINISTRY
Front Porch Moments by Gayle Foster
WITH KEY INSIGHTS FROM HER FATHER, ADRIAN ROGERS
I try to unplug each morning with Jesus with just my rocking chair, my Bible, and a pen.
Having a secret place is very important because I know that Jesus is always there waiting for me. I know where I can find Him! His presence is everywhere, but there are places where it is so thick you can cut it with a knife. You may not even have a front porch, but there is a secret place for you as well. God’s invitations are for anyone who will respond. There is no more important request than the one found in Psalm 27:8: “My heart has heard You say, ‘Come and talk with Me.’ And my heart responds, ‘Lord, I am coming.’”
