Lord, thank you for your Word. Thank you that through it we can walk with Jesus today. Amen. John 20:30-31 (NIV)
30 Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. 31 But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.
John 21:24-25 (NIV)
24 This is the disciple who testifies to these things and who wrote them down. We know that his testimony is true. 25 Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written.
As I read the text assigned for today, I was reminded of Paul’s letter to the Romans where he write, “Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ.” (Romans 10:17)
I am giving thanks today for the generations of people, including myself, who would never have heard the Gospel had not the writers of the New Testament, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, been faithful in writing down a small portion of what Jesus taught and did.
I am giving thanks today that the Holy Spirit still works through the Bible, the Word of God, to bring people to faith. The scriptures are such a precious treasure to me and to countless people because through this means we have come to know Jesus and believing have life.
I have always found it interesting that when in Luke 17:5 the disciples ask Jesus to increase their faith, he doesn’t respond by giving them a neat formula to get there. He says in essence, follow me. Walk with me. Live with me. Listen to me. It is in taking that journey with Jesus, that the disciple’s faith is strengthened day by day. Like the disciple, we can rejoice that our faith becomes stronger each day as we journey with Jesus through the Word that God has so graciously given to us.
Lord, thank you for the privilege of walking through life with you. Amen.
John