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Day 16: John 16/Psalm 33
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Thursday March 11, 2004
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Conversations
at the supper table
I don’t suppose that many of your family discussions during supper were
as serious as the one Jesus was having with His disciples in John 16,
but then again, this wasn’t any ordinary night--it was the last supper
that they would share together until He came back again. Like an
officer preparing his troops for war, telling them of what they might
encounter, Jesus prepares the disciples. There is just one minor
problem. True to the disciples’ character, they just don’t get it.
Jesus tells them that He must go away, but that is not what they are
expecting from their Messiah; they are expecting a mighty warrior
coming to conquer.
Even though it may
not be what you expect, God's plan is dependable. He is in control even
when our human eyes can’t see it. In Psalm 33:19, God promises “to
deliver their (our) soul from death and to keep them (us) alive in
famine.” I like the sound of Him saving our souls from death, but did
you notice the word “famine”? Famines don’t sound like too much fun.
In John 16, Jesus
predicts the grief that His disciples will feel when He is put to
death. He compares it to childbirth. Although my nephew is such a joy
now, as I watched my sister in childbirth I honestly thought "is
it worth this?" If you ask any woman who has given birth you tend
to get the same answer…yes. The momentary pain is left far behind when
the big picture is revealed. Jesus was about to reveal that big
picture--a new dimension of our relationship with God.
“Until now you
have asked for nothing in My name; ask and you will receive, so that
your joy may be made full.” Up until this point in the history of the world,
people couldn't live through an exposure to the presence of God--they
couldn’t even say His name. Everything happened through the Priest in
the temple. Now Jesus is saying that after His return we can say His
name, have a personal relationship with God, approach the throne
boldly, and dwell in His presence. He must first go away, but because
of this He will send a “Helper,” a.k.a. the Holy Spirit.
Today’s
Prayer:
”Lord,
thank you that your plan is bigger than mine and bigger than any of the
problems and trials that I see before me now. Thank you for bearing the
pain so that we could experience life, and not just any life, but life
to the full. Lord, help me to have a new understanding of my
relationship with You; show me through the Holy Spirit how to approach
You boldly and experience Your peace.”
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Memory Verse of the Week:
“If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you
wish, and it will be given you. This is to my Father's glory, that
you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.”
John 15:7-8 (New International Version)
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For a complete
listing of all the previous devotionals in this "50 Day
Experience," click here.
To read the chapter or psalm of the day online, click on one of the
following links:
o
John
16
o
Psalm
33
Pamela Lucas, lucas@cincyvineyard.com,
Operations Coordinator of Evangelism at VCC
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Reminder:
Wednesday, May 7th is a day of fasting.
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