Home > Reading > The Daily Lectionary – September 7, 2016

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Job 12:1, 14:1–22; Acts 12:18–25; John 8:47–59

Jesus, in dialogue with the Jews over their relationship versus his relationship with God the Father says: “Whoever is of God hears the words of God. The reason why you do not hear them is that you are not of God.”

Here is a simple truth we need to understand. Unless we are of God we cannot understand God’s Word. Paul puts it this way in 1 Corinthians 2:14: “The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned.”

What this means is, people who are not Christians cannot understand God’s Word and the things of the Spirit because they are spiritual. Unbelievers cannot “get” Christ’s work on the cross, see the beauty and compassion of God’s divine plan, or desire to know God at all. All of these things are foolishness to them because the capacity to grasp all this comes straight from the Holy Spirit.

So how can they “get it”? That is where we come in. God uses us to proclaim his Word to them, through which the Holy Spirit will speak to them and bring them to faith.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, use me this day to proclaim Jesus to others and may the Holy Spirit break through their to their hearts so that they “get it,” in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Today’s devotion was written by Carl Haynes, Pastor of Christiana Lutheran Church in Salisbury, NC.

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Tomorrow’s readings: Job 16:16–22, 17:1, 13–16; Acts 13:1–12; John 9:1–17

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