Encouragement for Today - January 27, 2006
1/27/06
Encouragement for Today
“The Right Question”
Micca Monda Campbell, Director of Outreach, Proverbs 31 Speaker Team Member
Key Verse:
Proverbs 14:12, “There is a way that seems right to man, but its end is the way of death.” (NKJ)
Devotion:
I had just finished speaking in
They both appeared to be in their early twenties. The girl leaned against the desk behind her while the guy sat on the floor directly across from the girl with his arms resting atop his knees. She was sharing her faith, and he was a skeptic.
“Why don’t you come to church with me sometime and give it a try?” she invited.
“It seems to me that if God were real there wouldn’t be so many different religions. How do you know your church is the right one?” he challenged.
As much as she tried to convince him about the One true God, he remained cynical. I couldn’t help but wonder if people like him are blinded by the enemy, or just looking for an excuse to live life their own way?
I knew God had me there for a reason so I prayed, “Lord, what would you have me to do?” God whispered back, “Pray for him to believe.” So, I prayed for his eyes to be open and the light of truth to penetrate his heart in such a way he would come to believe in God’s saving grace as his friend shared her faith.
I don’t know how it turned out. I had to board the plane before their conversation ended. All the way home I couldn’t stop thinking about that boy. He had so many questions about why he should believe in only one way when there are so many from which to choose. “Of all the questions he asked, why didn’t he ask the right question?” I ponder within. “Why didn’t he simply ask the only question that would have answered all his questions and changed his life forever?” Perhaps he didn’t really want to know the truth. Maybe he was comfortable living apart from God.
Do you know someone who is skeptical of Jesus Christ simply because His moral standards don’t reflect those of todays? Do they often ask you questions like, “What does Jesus have to say about divorce?” or, “What does He say about which religion is right?”
These are the same types of questions that the religious leaders asked Jesus in their day. These questions were not about finding answers, but about tricking Jesus into seeing things their way. The Pharisees didn’t think that they had anything to learn from Jesus. They thought they had it all figured out with their own set of rules and standards by which to live. Yet, it was their rules and ideas apart from Christ that kept them in bondage. The Bible says, “There is a way that seems right unto man, but that way leads to death.”
Perhaps those who doubt Him are asking the wrong question. Instead of debating which ideas are wrong or right, maybe we need to simply ask Jesus the right question: “What must I do to have eternal life?”
This humble question will eventually provide all the answers that each of us seeks. Not only will this question allow us to receive what Jesus came to offer, abundant life both now and for eternity, but over time all our questions will be answered by the One who created and set this world in motion.
Maybe the skeptic is you? John tells us that, “Jesus is the way, the truth and the Life; No one comes to the Father but by Him” (14:6, NKJ). Your way of life may seem logical to you, but the Bible warns that it leads to death. True life begins for each of us when we ask the right question first, “What must I do to be saved?”
Confess that you doubted God, and then trust Him for eternal life. God will do the rest. Once you yield to Christ, truth will flood your heart and mind, and the world will become a much clearer place to live as you look through the eyes of the One who created it.
My Prayer for Today:
Dear Lord, help me to see the Truth. I’ve had doubts about who You are. Today, I choose to trust You. I’m turning from my old way of living and I’m giving my life to You. Forgive my sins and guide my life. I invite You to be my Savior and Lord. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Application Steps:
The best place for a new believer to begin knowing Christ and His ways is by reading the book of John in the Bible. The book of John has 21 chapters. Begin by writing down your questions about Jesus. Then, read one chapter a day for 21 days. Before you begin, ask God to open your eyes to His truth. Records the answers you find to your questions, and share your findings with others who are skeptical.
Reflection Points:
In your opinion, who is Christ?
What have you been taught to believe about faith in God?
How have your beliefs changed after reading the book of John?
How can you share your new belief in Christ with others?
Power Verses:
John 3:16, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” (NKJV)
Romans 3:23, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (NKJV)
Ephesians 1:7a, “In Him, we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins.” (NKJV)
Romans 10:9, “If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus’ and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” (NJKV)
John 10:10, “I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.” (NKJV)
Additional Resources:
Do You Know Him?
http://proverbs31.gospelcom.net/knowHim.htm
Who Holds the Key to Your Heart, by Lysa TerKeurst
http://proverbs31.gospelcom.net/newresources_whoHoldsKey.htm
The Ultimate Makeover, by Sharon Jaynes
http://proverbs31.gospelcom.net/newresources_ultimateMakeover.htm
