Daily Devotional
Is Jesus Real to You?
“The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.”
Romans 8:16-17
September 1, 2024
Ponder This
When you believe in Jesus, God gives a witness. The Holy Spirit of God inside of you says, “Jesus is Lord, praise Him.” One reason I hold onto my faith, even in hard times, is because I've got the witness in myself. He lives in me. Faith is rooted in evidence, but faith also goes beyond evidence—it must do so to be faith. But then faith becomes its own best evidence.
Do you have that internal evidence? Is the Lord Jesus Christ to you a bright, living reality? I’m not talking about an emotional feeling. Does God know something because He feels it emotionally? No. Does God know something because somebody tells Him? Of course not. God’s not waiting on you to tell Him anything before He knows it. Does God know something because He figures it out? He doesn’t have to figure it out. He automatically knows, doesn’t He? He knows because He knows everything. So, how do I know I know God? Because I feel it? No. Because I learned it? No. Because somebody else tells me? No. God’s Spirit bears witness with my spirit. I know because there’s that witness of the Spirit in my heart.
- How have you seen the internal evidence of the Spirit in your life?
- How have you seen the internal evidence of the Spirit in someone else’s life?
Practice This
Go to someone who has shown you the life of faith well and ask how that person has experienced the internal evidence of the Spirit.
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.’”
