Jennifer A

This is my final devotion before we come together on Sunday to celebrate Pentecost. I absolutely love that our last message of the week comes from Paul. Remember, Paul was not present with the other disciples in the upper room, in Jerusalem, during Pentecost (Acts 2). Yet Paul’s life became one of the greatest testimonies of the transformative power of the Holy Spirit after his encounter with Jesus on the road to Damascus. Paul was temporarily blinded so that he could spiritually see, and from that moment on, Paul never looked back as he fully surrendered his live to Jesus and allowed the Holy Spirit to stir within his heart. Paul allowed his life to be guided by the Holy Spirit and as a result his life became an example for many to witness. Friends, like Paul, our prayer should be that our lives are transformed so much that our hearts honor and glorify Jesus and our love impacts the world for His Kingdom.

In today’s passage, Paul reminds believers that we are “children of God”. I know that we say those words often, but when we say them do we think about the sheer magnitude of the meaning behind those words? Through our salvation in Christ Jesus, we are no longer slaves to fear, shame, or any sin of this world because we know Jesus has taken all of that from us, and He has ignited the Holy Spirit within us. It is the Holy Spirit Who affirms when our hearts are connected to Jesus and offers divine guidance for our lives when we are fully surrendered to Him, and all because we are children of God.

In yesterday’s devotion from Acts 2:1-11, we recalled what transpired in the upper room when the Holy Spirit first came to the Church on Pentecost in Jerusalem which was 50 days after the resurrection of Jesus. Today, Paul reminds us that as believers, we are children of God who are led by the same Holy Spirit that transformed the disciples nearly 2,000 years ago. That means that the same Holy Spirit Who settled on those disciples, is the same Holy Spirit Who blinded Paul, and is the SAME Holy Spirit Who abides within us. Think about that for a moment, right now the Holy Spirit is joining with your spirit to affirm that you are one of God’s precious children. It means that as this world tosses and turns in darkness, the Spirit draws you and me closer to the Light of Truth, which is Jesus, Who is the heart of our Father because we are set apar as God’s children. So, we are His kids, His heirs, and as a result we get to share in God’s glory with Jesus, as He prepares us to journey through every moment that this life brings, including suffering. Remember, “Abba, Father” is with us at all times, He never leaves us, and He will never forsake us. His Spirit is within us, and we get to celebrate that Truth together on Sunday.

Romans 8:14-17 (NLT)

14 For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God.

15 So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his own children. Now we call him, “Abba, Father.” 16 For his Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God’s children. 17 And since we are his children, we are his heirs. In fact, together with Christ we are heirs of God’s glory. But if we are to share his glory, we must also share his suffering.

Prayer: Abba Father, we are so grateful for the gift of the Holy Spirit and that through our salvation in Christ Jesus, You call us Your beloved children. Holy Spirit, we need You every single moment of every single day, as we never want to walk this dark world or suffering alone. So, please continue to burn brightly within each one of us and be our Guide. We ask that You continue to lead us away from fear, shame, and sin, and draw us closer to Your Truth, love, and holiness. Each one of us wants to surrender in faith like the disciples and Paul, and so we need You to fill our hearts with Your gratitude, joy, and peace. We are looking forward to coming together on Sunday to celebrate the great gift that You, Holy Spirit, live within us. We ask all of this in Your Holy Name, Jesus. Amen.

Friends, I am so excited about today’s passage. Over the last few days, we have been preparing our hearts to celebrate Pentecost this coming Sunday, and today we actually read what the disciples experienced when the Holy Spirit arrived in Acts 2. We need to keep in mind that the same Spirit that boldly brought fire to settle on each of the disciples, lives within each one of us as believers. Think about that for a moment…through our salvation, the Holy Spirit burns brightly through each one of us. He convicts us, refines us, and seeks to transform our hearts so that our lives can keep growing to reflect Jesus and His love within this hurting world. It is the greatest gift that we contain…the vibrant Holy Spirit living and moving within us.

Our passage today is Acts 2:1-11, and after days of being in the upper room together in prayer, surrender, and spiritual preparation, Pentecost FINALLY happened. God’s promise was fulfilled and the Spirit-empowered Church began at that very moment in Acts 2. Imagine, it sounded like a roaring windstorm, and suddenly each disciple was speaking languages they did not know how to speak moments before the Holy Spirit settled on each one of them. This moment reminds us that the Gospel message of Jesus, the eternal One, and His unending love is for everyone. Think about it, people from every nation heard from God, through the disciples, in their own languages on Pentecost. The same Spirit that moved through them wants to move through us. Pentecost still matters, as it reminds us that God works through surrendered hearts that are willing to turn their full lives over to the work of the Holy Spirit.

The question each of us need to ask ourselves today is, “Am I allowing the Holy Spirit to lead, shape, and empower my daily life so that Jesus may be glorified and more hearts can come to truly know Him, to be loved by Him, and to grow in love with Him?”

Acts 2:1-11 (NLT)

The Holy Spirit Comes

1 On the day of Pentecost all the believers were meeting together in one place. 2 Suddenly, there was a sound from heaven like the roaring of a mighty windstorm, and it filled the house where they were sitting. 3 Then, what looked like flames or tongues of fire appeared and settled on each of them. 4 And everyone present was filled with the Holy Spirit and began speaking in other languages, as the Holy Spirit gave them this ability.

5 At that time there were devout Jews from every nation living in Jerusalem. 6 When they heard the loud noise, everyone came running, and they were bewildered to hear their own languages being spoken by the believers.

7 They were completely amazed. “How can this be?” they exclaimed. “These people are all from Galilee, 8 and yet we hear them speaking in our own native languages! 9 Here we are—Parthians, Medes, Elamites, people from Mesopotamia, Judea, Cappadocia, Pontus, the province of Asia, 10 Phrygia, Pamphylia, Egypt, and the areas of Libya around Cyrene, visitors from Rome 11 (both Jews and converts to Judaism), Cretans, and Arabs. And we all hear these people speaking in our own languages about the wonderful things God has done!”

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You for the gift of the Holy Spirit through Jesus. Holy Spirit, please continue to convict, refine, and transform each one of our hearts so that our lives may be willing vessels to reflect Jesus, His love, and His Truth. Help us to know what we need to surrender into Your hands. We want to be filled with Your wisdom so that You can guide us on where You needs us to go and share more of the Gospel message so others may know, love, and glorify Jesus. Thank You for the Pentecost message that reminds us that we contain Your burning love and Truth. We love You, and ask all of this in Your Holy Name, Jesus. Amen.

If someone asked us to have a conversation about John 3 without opening our Bible, I think John 3:16 might come to most of our minds, “For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.”

John 3:16 is a beautiful theological and spiritual bridge that connects one biblical conversation to another biblical conversation within the third chapter of the Gospel of John. In the beginning of John 3, we find Jesus and Nicodemus, who is a religious leader, having a nighttime conversation. Jesus talks about the importance of being “born again” through the Spirit in order to enter the Kingdom of God, or to experience eternal life. In the second part of John 3, we find John the Baptist having a conversation with his disciples. John confirms Jesus’ divine authority and in verse 30 we see that John understands that in order for Jesus to be given all of the glory “He must become greater and greater, and I must become less and less.” This is true for each one of our lives, in order for Jesus to be glorified through our lives, we must allow the Spirit in us to become greater, as our flesh becomes less.

Our passage for today’s devotion are the last six verses of John’s conversation with his disciples, and we see that he is talking about Jesus. As we continue to prepare our hearts to celebrate Pentecost on Sunday, John reminds us that our spiritual transformation begins with our full surrender to the One Who is God, to His Word, and to His Spirit that abides within us…and that is Jesus. On Pentecost Sunday, we will be reminded that God gave the gift of the Holy Spirit through Jesus.

So, let’s ask ourselves again, is there anything within my heart and life that is resisting God’s authority, direction, and refining work? If so, we need to ask the Holy Spirit to cleanse those things from us so that our hearts are clean and open as we near Pentecost. Both of the conversations within John 3 remind us of our great need for salvation in Christ Jesus, as our eternal existence comes through believing in Him as the Son of God, and surrendering our full selves and hearts over to the Holy Spirit so He may transform us as we have been born again and baptized into a new life with Jesus.

John 3:31-36 (NLT)

31 “He has come from above and is greater than anyone else. We are of the earth, and we speak of earthly things, but he has come from heaven and is greater than anyone else. 32 He testifies about what he has seen and heard, but how few believe what he tells them! 33 Anyone who accepts his testimony can affirm that God is true. 34 For he is sent by God. He speaks God’s words, for God gives him the Spirit without limit. 35 The Father loves his Son and has put everything into his hands. 36 And anyone who believes in God’s Son has eternal life. Anyone who doesn’t obey the Son will never experience eternal life but remains under God’s angry judgment.”

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You for loving us so much that You sent Your Son, Jesus, so that we may have eternal life through Him. Holy Spirit, please continue to guide us as we want our hearts to be prepared to celebrate Pentecost on Sunday. We know that our hearts must surrender to Your authority, direction, and refining work within our lives, and we desperately need Your help. We want You, Jesus, to increase within our lives so that our flesh may decrease. So, cleanse our hearts, renew our minds, and draw us closer to You, Jesus, as we want You to be glorified as we seek to draw others closer to You. We ask all of this in Your Holy Name, Jesus. Amen.

Friends, let’s continue where we left off with Peter yesterday, because his message about our spiritual preparation is crucial, especially as we live with the expectation that Jesus can return for His Church at any moment. What Peter is telling us, as the universal Church of believers, is exactly what the disciples did as they waited for the promised Holy Spirit just before Pentecost in the upper room. They devoted themselves to prayer, they loved one another with the love of Christ, and they served others with their individual God given gifts.

The three words that Pastor Mary shared during Sunday’s Challenge fit beautifully with today’s passage. If you were not able to join us here are those three words, and if you were with us, this is a reminder:

1. First, Contrast. As believers, we need to remember that it is alright to look different from everyone within the world; because as believers, we are being shaped by the Holy Spirit into the likeness of Christ. So, our love and hearts for Christ and others will Contrast with the love and hearts of non-believers.
2. Second, Clarification. When life feels uncertain, Pentecost is one of many great reminders that God alone is always certain, He is in control, and we can count on Him. We can have great joy and rest in God’s supernatural peace as we trust in Him and His timing and direction for our lives. We must allow the Holy Spirit to utilize our lives so others can be blessed by our spiritual gifts to see Jesus and to hopefully turn to Him.
3. Third, Confirmation. Through our salvation, we have been called to a place of transformation. God does not want to stop by saving us. Remember, we are sanctified through our salvation. That means God has set us apart from the world, and the Holy Spirit is working in and through each one of us all of the time, even right now, to draw us away from sin and closer to Jesus and His holiness.

Let’s allow God’s Word to continue to prepare our hearts to celebrate Pentecost together on Sunday. Today, we need to keep in mind that sanctification is happening within us, right now, and that means the Holy Spirit wants to use our surrendered lives to selflessly love someone else into Jesus’s arms. Ask the Holy Spirit, in prayer, to use you and your uniquely appointed gifts to glorify the Lord and to lovingly grow His Kingdom by serving His creation.

1 Peter 4:7-11 (NLT)

7 The end of the world is coming soon. Therefore, be earnest and disciplined in your prayers. 8 Most important of all, continue to show deep love for each other, for love covers a multitude of sins. 9 Cheerfully share your home with those who need a meal or a place to stay.

10 God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another. 11 Do you have the gift of speaking? Then speak as though God himself were speaking through you. Do you have the gift of helping others? Do it with all the strength and energy that God supplies. Then everything you do will bring glory to God through Jesus Christ. All glory and power to him forever and ever! Amen.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You for sending Jesus so we have the perfect example of how our transformed lives through our salvation in Him should look different, and contrast from the lives of those living for this world. Please clarify the Truth for our hearts today, so that we can be filled with Your joy and peace as we trust that You alone are in control. Confirm within our hearts that You are sanctifying us all of the time, as we want You, Holy Spirit, to be our Guide. We need Your guidance in our prayer time as we want to grow closer to You, so that we can love others more deeply and serve others more faithfully with our appointed gifts. Thank You for continuing to prepare our hearts for Pentecost as You draw us closer to Jesus. We ask all of this in Jesus’s Holy Name. Amen.

Pastor Mary is visiting her brother this week, and I have the privilege of filling in for our devotional time while she is with her family. Please continue to pray for all of them.

If you recall, last Thursday, Pastor Mary reminded us that it was Ascension Day. Ascension Day is 40 days after Easter and celebrates the ascension of Jesus from this earthly realm into His exalted place within the eternal heavenly realm. There are 10 days from Ascension Day until Pentecost, which we will celebrate this coming Sunday, May 24, 2026.

Our passage today, from Peter, does a perfect job of bridging Ascension Day and Pentecost, not only for the disciples but also for us as believers. Keep in mind, as Luke tells us in Acts 1, the disciples were primarily waiting, praying, worshiping, and preparing their hearts while gathered together in the upper room. If you think about it, they had no idea what was going to happen on Pentecost and so they were faithfully waiting on God’s direction and appointed time, just as you and I have to do all of the time. The disciples were waiting between a time of promise and a time of fulfillment, and their hearts were aligned with Jesus, so they would not miss out on what God was bringing them, which was the empowering work of the Holy Spirit. God wants to do the same for each one of us all of the time. We “miss out” when we step out of alignment with Jesus.

Friends, waiting is not wasted time. Just as the disciples waited in prayer, worship, and a time of preparation, Peter reminds us that as believers we are called to leave behind our old lives so that we can keep moving forward in living out our renewed lives with Jesus. We do this by surrendering our flesh to the constant work of the Holy Spirit. Our spiritual preparation takes time as it does not happen overnight, it is hard work that takes faithful dedication and discipline, and honestly, we are constantly growing in our spiritual preparation as long as we are on this side of the heavenly realm.

So, we need to keep asking ourselves, what is it within my life that I need to surrender so that the Holy Spirit can move more freely within me?

1 Peter 4:1-6 (NLT)
Living for God

1 So then, since Christ suffered physical pain, you must arm yourselves with the same attitude he had, and be ready to suffer, too. For if you have suffered physically for Christ, you have finished with sin. 2 You won’t spend the rest of your lives chasing your own desires, but you will be anxious to do the will of God. 3 You have had enough in the past of the evil things that godless people enjoy—their immorality and lust, their feasting and drunkenness and wild parties, and their terrible worship of idols.

4 Of course, your former friends are surprised when you no longer plunge into the flood of wild and destructive things they do. So they slander you. 5 But remember that they will have to face God, who stands ready to judge everyone, both the living and the dead. 6 That is why the Good News was preached to those who are now dead—so although they were destined to die like all people, they now live forever with God in the Spirit.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You for reminding us that as we wait upon You, we need to continue to faithfully surrender our flesh so that the Holy Spirit can move freely within us. Help each one of us today, to be more prayerful, to be more devoted as worshippers, and to lay down something that we need to surrender to You, so that we can grow spiritually deeper with You, Jesus. Holy Spirit, thank You for guiding us today. We ask that You please continue to be with everyone who needs Your healing touch and guidance today, especially Pastor Mary and her family. We ask all of this in Your Holy Name, Jesus. Amen.

Psalm 78 is commonly known as one of thirteen teaching psalms, which are often identified by the Hebrew title, Maskil, which means instruction, contemplation, or wisdom song. In Psalm 78 we see that Asaph, who was a worship leader from the Tribe of Levi, retells of Israel’s history as a way to teach future generations. We are keeping with the theme of yesterday’s devotion, as we saw Stephen used Israel’s history, in Acts 7, as a way to teach the Council, and future generations, of God’s glory. Today, in verses 17-20, Asaph reminds us of Israel’s rebellion and their worries, fears, and frustrations that all led to their doubt of God in the wilderness. He goes on in verses 52-55 to contrast as he reminds us of God’s faithfulness as the Good Shepherd to His people.

Friends, if I am being completely transparent, I have been like Israel and have wrestled with worries, even after witnessing God’s tremendous faithfulness as the Good Shepherd within my life. I can tell you that I love Jesus with my whole heart, yet recently I have wrestled with my human worries rather than trusting faithfully, at all times, in the One Who wants to take those worries from me. So, what do I do? Well, Lent is the perfect season for me and Jesus to firmly hold hands, as it is for you and Jesus, too. I know Jesus invites me to release my worries to Him all of the time, but in this particular season it all began with Satan tempting Jesus in the wilderness, and so I know that Jesus understands my wilderness of worries right now, just as He understands exactly where you find yourself. So, I’m going to surrender to the Shepherd as I walk in daily reflection, repentance, and renewal, and I invite you to do the same. Remember, Lent is a time for us to allow Jesus to work within our hearts, so He can take what we need Him to take, and He can bring healing to each one of us.

Please join Pastor Mary as she beginning her 40-Day Lenten Devotional series tomorrow and I encourage you to not miss a day. Also, come tomorrow night to the Ash Wednesday Service, February 18, 2026, at 7 p.m. – 9398 Oakhurst Road, Seminole, FL 33776. Together, let’s remember the freedom that we have in Christ which is not the absence of our times in the wilderness, rather a time for us to reflection, repent, and seek renewal as we invite the faithful Shepherd in so He can lead us through our wilderness. Be sure to come to worship on Sundays at 9:45 a.m. during this Lenten season. It has been such a privilege to spend time with you through these devotions over the last few weeks. With much love and many blessings, Jen Auer.

Psalm 78:17-20, 52-55 (NLT)

17 Yet they kept on sinning against him,
rebelling against the Most High in the desert.
18 They stubbornly tested God in their hearts,
demanding the foods they craved.
19 They even spoke against God himself, saying,
“God can’t give us food in the wilderness.
20 Yes, he can strike a rock so water gushes out,
but he can’t give his people bread and meat.”

52 But he led his own people like a flock of sheep,
guiding them safely through the wilderness.
53 He kept them safe so they were not afraid;
but the sea covered their enemies.
54 He brought them to the border of his holy land,
to this land of hills he had won for them.
55 He drove out the nations before them;
he gave them their inheritance by lot.
He settled the tribes of Israel into their homes.

Prayer: Jesus, thank You for being our faithful Shepherd. Please forgive us when our wilderness moments cloud our trust in You. Holy Spirit, we need Your daily guidance, wisdom, and discernment. We especially need You as our Holy Guide through our places of uncertainty. Jesus, we want to be closer to You this Lenten season. Help us to surrender to You, to lay down our burdens, to and to embrace repentance as we welcome a revived spirit in You, Jesus. Please continue to allow us to rest in the freedom that we have in You, Jesus, as we take each step in obedience, trust, and faithfulness. We ask all of this in Your Holy Name, Jesus. Amen.

In Acts 6 we learn that Stephen was one of the first seven deacons of the early Church. He was faithful and wise. In Acts 7, we witness Stephen boldly addressing the Council, which was made up of religious leaders. During his address, Stephen retold Israel’s history in an effort to make a point that God’s presence is not limited to a temple. Stephen wanted the religious leaders to experience God’s glory. But he also knew that much like Israel’s repeated rejection of God, His messengers, and of Jesus the Messiah, these religious leaders would miss their moment for a transformative encounter with God. As the religious leaders were filled with rage from Stephen’s address, Stephen was filled with the Holy Spirit, and God’s glory was revealed. Stephen told the religious leaders, “Look, I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing in the place of honor at God’s right hand!” (v. 56). The religious leaders did not look up, rather they put their hands over their ears, and they began shouting; and this took places moments before they stoned Stephen to death. (v. 57-58)

Today’s passage is the part of Stephen’s address to the Council where he recalls Moses’ encounter with God at the burning bush. The religious leaders might have missed God’s message through Stephen, but we need to grab ahold of it. Just as the glory of God called Moses to humbly accept his position within God’s Family and for His Kingdom, our freedom in Christ calls us to the same place of humble acceptance within God’s Family and working for the glory of His Name and His Kingdom. God told Moses to take off his sandals, because He needed Moses to embrace the holy position that he was going to walk out for God. God was going to use Moses to free His people from oppression. Friends, God invites us to “holy ground” moments every day. We need to embrace the holy position that God has for us to walk out.

Acts 7:30-34 (NLT)

30 “Forty years later, in the desert near Mount Sinai, an angel appeared to Moses in the flame of a burning bush. 31 When Moses saw it, he was amazed at the sight. As he went to take a closer look, the voice of the Lord called out to him, 32 ‘I am the God of your ancestors—the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.’ Moses shook with terror and did not dare to look.

33 “Then the Lord said to him, ‘Take off your sandals, for you are standing on holy ground. 34 I have certainly seen the oppression of my people in Egypt. I have heard their groans and have come down to rescue them. Now go, for I am sending you back to Egypt.’

Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank You for the freedom we have in You. Holy Spirit help us to have courage like Stephen and Moses. We want to grow in our faith walk with You, Jesus, and to be guided by Your wisdom. We bow our hearts to You as we walk out this day with humility and on holy ground. We ask for more hearts to encounter You, and if You need to use us today, we are willing vessels for You, Jesus. We ask all of this in Your Holy Name, Jesus. Amen.

Alicia Britt Chole, in her book, anonymous, reminds her readers that while only 10% of an iceberg is visible, as much as 90% of the iceberg remains under water, unseen, and is the portion of the iceberg that makes it virtually indestructible. Chole goes on to compare the most influential Life in all of history to that of an iceberg, Jesus. As she states, ninety percent of Jesus’ earthly life was spent in obscurity, while ten percent was spent in the public eye. Yet, all of His life was, and still is, absolutely indestructible. Jesus’ “invisible or hidden” years were equally as important to His “visible or unhidden” years. It is often within the invisible and hidden places of lives where God is able to birth spiritual greatness.

In Hebrews 11 we see much of Moses’ early life. Many of the decisions that were made for Moses’ life, by his parents, and by himself in early adulthood, were done out of obedient faithfulness of Moses’ parents and Moses, himself, to God. These decisions were made in obscurity and were the building blocks that ultimately led to Moses’ public ministry and great leadership of God’s people. Moses’ parent and Moses knew that every decision they made had to be for God and ultimately about God.

The freedom we have in Christ has nothing to do with our earthly status, the comforts of this world, or really about ourselves. Rather, much like Moses and his parents, our freedom in Christ should be about our obedient choice to walk by faith with Jesus and not to align with this world and all of the world’s securities. We need to fixate our hearts and lives on what is eternal, and that is Jesus, not on what is fleeting and temporal, and that is this world. Our freedom in Christ is sustained by our faith in Christ. We need to value Jesus above all else and thus our obedience, much like Moses, allows God to reveal His power in and through us, as He sees fit, and as He need it to work for His glory.

Hebrews 11:23-28 (NLT)

23 It was by faith that Moses’ parents hid him for three months when he was born. They saw that God had given them an unusual child, and they were not afraid to disobey the king’s command.

24 It was by faith that Moses, when he grew up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. 25 He chose to share the oppression of God’s people instead of enjoying the fleeting pleasures of sin. 26 He thought it was better to suffer for the sake of Christ than to own the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking ahead to his great reward. 27 It was by faith that Moses left the land of Egypt, not fearing the king’s anger. He kept right on going because he kept his eyes on the one who is invisible. 28 It was by faith that Moses commanded the people of Israel to keep the Passover and to sprinkle blood on the doorposts so that the angel of death would not kill their firstborn sons.

Prayer: Jesus, thank You for the hidden seasons of our lives. Please forgive us for being impatient during these times. Holy Spirit, please strengthen our obedience during the hidden seasons so that our faith can be sharpened and we can grow closer to You. We want to grow in Your wisdom so that we value eternity over this temporal realm called earth. May our hidden and unhidden places bring You eternal glory, Jesus. We ask all of this in Your Holy Name, Jesus. Amen.

It’s important for us to recognize that God states “I am the LORD” four times and “I will” seven times in today’s passage. Here’s a breakdown of what God said, of where He said it, and we will dig deeper into why He said it:

“I am the LORD” – Verse 2
“I am the LORD” – Verse 6
“I am the LORD” – Verse 7
“I am the LORD” – Verse 8

“I will free you” – Verse 6
“I will rescue you” – Verse 6
“I will redeem you” – Verse 6
“I will claim you as my own people” – Verse 7
“I will be your God” – Verse 7
“I will bring you into the land” – Verse 8
“I will give it to you” – Verse 8

When God said “I am the LORD” four times, He was claiming His eternal authority over all of heaven and earth, and especially in comparison to Pharaoh’s momentary earthly power over the Israelites as they were still being held in captivity as slaves when God spoke this message to Moses.

God goes on to say “I will” seven times, and these were not mere statements, they were covenant calls to action. God was telling Israel, through Moses, that He was going to fulfill His divine plan by upholding His covenant promise that He made to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and to their descendants (Israel). God was telling the Israelites that He will free them from the Egyptians, He will rescue them from slavery, He will redeem them, He will claim them as His people, He will be their God, He will bring them to the land of Canaan, and He will give the land to them.

In verse 9, we see that the Israelites were too discouraged and focused on their immediate circumstances in bondage to receive from Moses God’s message of faithful hope through redemption.

Friends, we need to grab a hold of the freedom we have in Christ at all times. By our faith, this freedom must be active. When we are wholeheartedly and actively trusting God, we can see His promises. We cannot allow this world or our circumstances to turn off our active trust in God. No matter what is happening, God’s message of faithful hope through the redemption we have in Christ Jesus is never changing and ETERNAL. We ARE freed, rescued, redeemed, claimed as God’s people, and He is our God. We CANNOT fall into verse 9, because we do not want to miss all of the freedom that God has for us.

Exodus 6:2-9 (NLT)

2 And God said to Moses, “I am Yahweh— ‘the Lord.’ 3 I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob as El-Shaddai— ‘God Almighty’—but I did not reveal my name, Yahweh, to them. 4 And I reaffirmed my covenant with them. Under its terms, I promised to give them the land of Canaan, where they were living as foreigners. 5 You can be sure that I have heard the groans of the people of Israel, who are now slaves to the Egyptians. And I am well aware of my covenant with them.

6 “Therefore, say to the people of Israel: ‘I am the Lord. I will free you from your oppression and will rescue you from your slavery in Egypt. I will redeem you with a powerful arm and great acts of judgment. 7 I will claim you as my own people, and I will be your God. Then you will know that I am the Lord your God who has freed you from your oppression in Egypt. 8 I will bring you into the land I swore to give to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. I will give it to you as your very own possession. I am the Lord!’”

9 So Moses told the people of Israel what the Lord had said, but they refused to listen anymore. They had become too discouraged by the brutality of their slavery.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are the great I AM, and we bow our hearts to Your authority. Holy Spirit, please continue to lift our spirits when our circumstances are heavy and we feel discouraged. Please bring to our remembrance, Your unchanging promises, hope, and eternal love. As we stand in our freedom that can only be found in You, Jesus, we want to grow in our faith and oneness with You. Thank You for being our God and for guiding us today to share Your love with someone else. We ask all of this in Your Holy Name, Jesus. Amen.

This is our third devotion, in a row, where we acknowledge and celebrate the Light of Christ.

Image it’s sometime in the fall, around AD 29, and you are in Jerusalem preparing to celebrate Sukkot, the Feast of Tabernacles. You are in the temple court attending a nightly ceremony where lots of lamps light up the temple complex. The lamps are placed as a reminder of God’s guidance during Israel’s wilderness journey and the pillar of fire that led God’s people by night (Exodus 13:21). As you are gazing at the bright lights you hear, see, and experience Jesus’ teaching in the treasury, a large public courtyard within the temple complex where men and women gather, and Jesus says, “I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life.”

It is Jesus’ statement about being the light of the world that is where we find our true freedom in Christ. Our freedom is not the absence of darkness, rather it is in the very presence of Jesus, and allowing His light to be at the center of absolutely every aspect, place, and moment of our lives. When we chose to follow Jesus, we chose to allow His light to guide our path, even when it’s hard, even when we cannot understand it, and even when it is costly.

In this passage, we see that Jesus affirms His authority in response to the Pharisees by connecting Himself to the Father as One. Just as the Pharisees could not see that Jesus was God’s Son, many do not know Jesus now. We must pray for the Light of the world, Jesus, to be revealed to hearts, because those who do not follow Him will remain in darkness. The Light of the world, Jesus, leads us into eternal life with Him.

John 8:12-20 (NLT)

Jesus, the Light of the World

12 Jesus spoke to the people once more and said, “I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life.”

13 The Pharisees replied, “You are making those claims about yourself! Such testimony is not valid.”

14 Jesus told them, “These claims are valid even though I make them about myself. For I know where I came from and where I am going, but you don’t know this about me. 15 You judge me by human standards, but I do not judge anyone. 16 And if I did, my judgment would be correct in every respect because I am not alone. The Father who sent me is with me. 17 Your own law says that if two people agree about something, their witness is accepted as fact. 18 I am one witness, and my Father who sent me is the other.”

19 “Where is your father?” they asked.

Jesus answered, “Since you don’t know who I am, you don’t know who my Father is. If you knew me, you would also know my Father.” 20 Jesus made these statements while he was teaching in the section of the Temple known as the Treasury. But he was not arrested, because his time had not yet come.

Prayer: Jesus, we cannot thank You enough for shining into the dark places of this world. We want to continue to follow You, so please allow the Holy Spirit to light the path that You have for us. Help us to center our lives in You. We pray for those who do not know You, Jesus. Please soften their hearts, open their spiritual ears, and eyes to see You, the One Who is Truth and the Light of the world. We love You, Jesus, and ask all of this in Your Name, Jesus. Amen.