Fully God, Fully Man
And the Child grew and became strong in spirit, filled with wisdom; and the grace of God was upon Him.
- Luke 2:40
When Jesus was on Earth, He didn't empty himself of His divine attributes, but accepted the limitations of humanity.
For example, we know that Jesus became weary like we do. On one occasion, as He came to Samaria, we read that He was weary (see John 4:6). Why? He had been walking all day in the hot sun of Israel.
Now if I were God, I probably would have said to the disciples, "You boys go on up to Samaria, and I will see you there." Then I would have just appeared in Samaria. After all, why tire myself out like that?
But Jesus voluntarily went through the process of feeling what it was like to be tired and exhausted.
We see this throughout Scripture. We know that Jesus was tired. We know that He experienced physical thirst. As He hung on the cross, Jesus said, "I thirst" (Luke 19:28). The very God who created water allowed himself to experience thirst.
We also know that He was hungry. Jesus experienced physical hunger after fasting for 40 days during His temptation in the wilderness (see Matthew 4:2).
But did Jesus have complete omniscience and omnipotence as a baby in the manger? Luke's Gospel tells us, "And the Child grew and became strong in spirit, filled with wisdom; and the grace of God was upon Him" (Luke 2:40). So it appears that Jesus went through a learning process like anyone else.
Jesus grew as a human, but there was never a moment when He suddenly became God or when deity was transferred to Him. That was always a part of His life. He was fully God and fully man.
[ Pastor Greg Laurie ]
Run to Him, Not Others
You [are like] unfaithful wives [having illicit love affairs with the world and breaking your marriage vow to God]! Do you not know that being the world's friend is being God's enemy? So whoever chooses to be a friend of the world takes his stand as an enemy of God.
- James 4:4
In my kitchen there are some windows above the sink that are hard for me to reach. Now, when I go to open or close those windows, I can jump up on the counter and make a big ordeal out of it or I can save myself the struggle and strain by simply calling my husband, Dave, and asking him to come open or close them for me. Dave is much taller than I am, so with his long arms it is no problem for him to do what would be a real frustrating challenge for me.
That is the way we are with the Lord. We struggle and strain, wearing ourselves out trying to do something that the Lord could do for us with no effort at all-if we would just ask Him. But do you know what would insult my husband even more than refusing to let him help me? Running to the next-door neighbor and asking him to come over and open or close my windows for me. That is the kind of thing James is referring to here in this verse when he talks about our being "like unfaithful wives" who turn to other men for help rather than calling upon our own husband, a symbol of the Lord.
I was frustrated in my life and ministry until I learned to quit either trying to do everything on my own or running to others with my problems rather than running to God.
[ Joyce Meyer Ministries ]
Let Your Light Shine
Today's Verse:
"Let your light so shine before men that they may see your moral excellence and your praiseworthy, noble, and good deeds and recognize and honor and praise and glorify your Father Who is in heaven" (Matthew 5:16, AMP).
Today's Word:
Do the people around you see your light shining? Do they know you are a believer by your actions? Are you setting the bar in your office? Can people see your good works?
I know people who can quote half the Bible and pray two hours a day, but they have no influence or credibility because they're sloppy in the workplace. They're always late or wasting time. They're not productive. They're not efficient. No one will even listen to them.
I heard somebody say, "Your performance gives you a platform." When you excel in what you do, that gets people's attention. The way to gain respect, the way to gain influence is to develop your character and skills in such a way that people want what you have. They may not agree with what you believe, but when you are the best in your company, they can't argue with that. You've earned their respect, not by your words, but by your spirit of excellence.
I encourage you today, don't settle for mediocrity. You are a child of the Most High God. Make the decision today to let your light shine and bring Him glory in everything you do!
Prayer for Today:
Heavenly Father, I choose to let my light shine so that I can bring glory to You. Help me to rise up higher; show me ways to set the standard. Let my life be a testimony of You. In Jesus' Name. Amen.
[ Joel Osteen Ministries ]
