Friday March 18, 2011
Theme: Love Redeems
Weekend Music links on iTunes: Let the Praises Ring - Lincoln Brewster, The Time Has Come - Hillsong, From the Inside Out, Before the Throne of God - arr. Shane & Shane
Read: Ephesians 1:19b-23
Think: During the Middle Ages, the common view around Europe was that the Earth was the center of everything. The sun, moon, stars, and planets were all thought to revolve around our home planet. Not only was Earth at the center of the universe, it was also unmoving. Of course, Copernicus and Galileo and others came along and took a new look at the evidence. As a result, we no longer think of this rock we live on in quite the same way.
Max Lucado recounts this little bit of history to illustrate the central theses of his book It’s Not About Me. ‘What Copernicus did for the earth’, he writes, ‘God does for our souls.’ Like little children, each of us has an inborn propensity to place ourselves at the center of all that is important. Sometimes, this error even works its way into Christian circles, with a misleading emphasis on the individual sinner. While there is a sense in which the statement ‘Jesus died to save me’ is correct, we must be careful to avoid any hint that we somehow merited the saving. The truth is that Jesus died because of who He is, not because of who we are. His perfect love for us moved Him to sacrifice Himself for us.
You see, it’s not about you or me; it’s about Jesus. Pastor Dave encouraged us to shift the focus of our lives so that we are giving God the glory that His rightful place in the universe demands. The story of Ruth we heard over the weekend is a story of lives redeemed. As Pastor Dave taught us, the redemption of our life is seen when God is glorified. Giving glory to God gives value to our lives.
Do: Copy down these opening verses from Psalm 145 as a reminder of your resolve to give glory to God.
“I will extol You, my God, O King,
And I will bless Your name forever and ever.
Every day I will bless You,
And I will praise Your name forever and ever.
Pray: Dear God, it’s not enough for me to simply speak words of praise to You. I want to live my life in a way that brings glory to You. I need Your help for that, and ask for it now. In Jesus’ name, amen.
The eDevotional is written each week by a team of volunteers from Timberlake Church.