Daily Devotional
Will You Run To or From Jesus?
“Therefore, let that abide in you which you heard from the beginning. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, you also will abide in the Son and in the Father.”
1 John 2:24
August 16, 2021
Ponder This
When I was a little boy, my dad was in the Coast Guard. I lived in West Palm Beach, and he was stationed in Hope Sound, Florida. He drove a Model A Ford, and Hope Sound was about 40 miles from our house. Before he would go off to duty, he would tell my brother and me that we had yard work and other chores to do. We knew that when Dad came home, we had to report. Now, I must confess, I was not always very diligent in doing everything that my father told me to do. Sometimes I was and sometimes I wasn’t.
But if you know anything about Model A Fords, they have a peculiar sound. You can hear that sound about a block away. We’d be out playing baseball or whatever and we would hear him coming. If I had done what my dad had told me to do, when I’d hear that Model A Ford coming, I’d just take off running and jump on the running board. I’d reach in the window, hug his neck, kiss him, and it was a joy to see him. But there were other times when I heard that Model A Ford coming that I’d go the other way. Why? Because I had not been abiding, I’d not been obeying, I’d not been doing what he had told me to do. Similarly, when Jesus comes, I want to meet Him with boldness, I want to meet Him with joy. I want to abide in Him.
- How does your life show that you are preparing for Jesus’ return?
- If Jesus were to return today, would you be more likely to run to Him or from Him? Why?
Practice This
Consider today how you might further prepare for Jesus’ return.
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.’”
