“For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.” Ecclesiastes 12:14
“Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin. And the servant abideth not in the house forever; but the Son abideth ever. If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.” John 8:34-36
Today’s Christian daily devotional
Kyra was eagerly looking forward to her thirty-year class reunion. A whole decade had quickly passed since the last high school celebration. But so much had changed for Kyra.
The last time she had seen her high school friends, she was in the middle of a messy divorce, had packed on about twenty pounds and was let go from her company. For the last ten years, Kyra had visions of redeeming herself.
“You look fabulous, Marie!” Kyra air kisses her girlfriend stationed at the check-in table.
“Looks like Marie has fallen in love with two men— Ben and Jerry.”
As cruel as they were, Kyra’s thoughts couldn’t be detected. This was because she had perfected the kind of smile to ensure they wouldn’t.
Kyra’s sarcastic side never really died, it only lay dormant in the shadows of her thoughts. At times it would rear its ugly little head…usually when she was sharing a bottle of her favorite Pinot with her closest comrades.
Ecclesiastes 12:14 reminds us that God could never be fooled. Even if we are stealth at ‘cleaning up’ our outward act, if the inward heart is evil, God isn’t pleased or appeased.
Many are experts at putting on the persona of a ‘good person’. Perhaps this is why Jesus was so quick to point out there isn’t one person who is born good.
Imagine with me for a moment—For twenty-four hours, your mouth had no restraint. You can’t stop your thoughts from being vocalized. Every person you encounter in that twenty-four hour period would get a raw, un-edited version of your mind.
After doing this, can you truly and honestly claim that you’re a ‘good person’?
All human beings are inherently evil. In today’s ‘feel good’ culture, that’s a pretty brazen statement! But, these aren’t my words. The Bible makes this claim about humanity’s fallen state over and over again.
Are you willing to believe this painful and ugly truth? If so, there’s hope for you. John 8: 34-36 says that if we are honest about our own depravity, only then will our lives have the chance of being truly free.
Is living in denial really worth it? Your choice affects not only this life, but you eternal destiny as well. Chose wisely. And be sure to keep in mind that even if you manage to fool your friends (or even yourself) in the end, God is no fool.
“Dear Heavenly Father,
Oh, Lord, forgive my sick heart. I’ve been jumping through hoops thinking that I could fool you into believing if I did enough ‘good deeds’ I would qualify as a ‘good person’ in your eyes.
I must keep in mind your eyes are not limited like the human perceptions can be. You see everything—my thoughts, motives and intentions. Lord, when I wrap my head around this truth, I cannot fool myself into believing I am a good person.
I am wicked and I know it. Lord, Jesus claimed to be a Savior for the wicked. Today, I want to repent of my sins. I want a clean slate and a fresh start. I know I need the blood of your perfect Son to wash me clean from my wickedness.
I accept Jesus into my heart, I chose to turn from my sins and I ask that the supernatural power of your Holy Spirit fill me up to never go down the paths that would be the beginning of my end. I want to truly see what freedom looks like.
Empower me to live the kind of life that never takes advantage of the grace of God, but only reflects His power working thorough me.
In Jesus’ name, bless me to be a blessing to your kingdom, Amen.”
Thank you for reading today’s Christian daily devotional on verses: Ecclesiastes 12:14 and John 8:34-36
Please check back and see what we have for you tomorrow!
Author: Julia Shalom Jordan