Passage: Matthew 16:15-16
He saith unto them, "But whom say ye that I am?" And Simon Peter answered and said, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."
Let's face it... time isn't slowing down any in these last days of this century! It seems that everything around us is flying at the speed of light, and it's hard to keep caught up. I mean, just a couple years ago, the computer upon which I am typing was "state of the art", and right at the cutting edge of technology. Today, this same computer is almost 600 MhZ obsolete!!
We no longer have to cook bacon and eggs for breakfast, just pop a Toaster Scramble® in the toaster, and grab an instant orange juice on the way out the door! It seems everything is growing faster, easier, and handier every day, and there are no signs of that pace slowing any time soon.
I think we look at Christianity in much the same way, much of the time. We do our best to find the shortest church service, or the youth group with the most activities. If we don't have to carry our Bibles with us, "all the better - that book slows me down anyway."
The major problem with that attitude, however, aside from it being completely self-serving, is the fact that rather than practicing a "relationship" with God, we are practicing "religion". Religion is all about what man has done to try to get close to God... and in recent years, man is allowing even that to slip by the wayside, as more important things seem to take precedence.
21st Century Relationship
The fact is, however... that man can NEVER "do" anything to get close to God. God is holy, and man is not. God is perfect, and man is sinful. And try as we may, religion, in any form, will always fall short of what God desires for His creation. Rather, what God desires from His people is "relationship".
Plain and simple, God wishes to be known by man in a personal way.
Look at the verse chosen for this devotional. Jesus was asking his disciples, "who do people say that I am?" He got answers such as, John the Baptist, Elijah, Jeremiah, or one of the prophets. But then he asked Peter... "who do YOU say that I am?"
I believe in that moment, Peter's eyes were opened to a Spiritual truth, the likes of which he had never considered before. And in that moment, his teacher became his GOD! And what followed after that point in time was a GREAT example of the type of relationship that God desires with us.
Oh sure, there were times that Peter blew it. And there will be times that we, too, will likely make decisions and take actions that will disappoint the Lord. But the relationship was there for Peter, and Jesus restored that relationship when Peter faltered. We, too, need to have that relationship with God. And when we fall, we need to be restored... just as Peter was.
The good news is, He's waiting to do just that for us... right now. He's desiring us to slow down enough to speak to Him... and to listen to what He has to say to us. He speaks to us through His Word, and through His people. He may even be speaking to you through the words of this devotional. If so, don't you think it would be a great idea to hearken to the words of His voice, and get back to that right-standing relationship with the Lord? I will agree with you in prayer for just that to happen!
Prayer: Father, please forgive us of our attempts to do you lip-service by religion, and failing to nurture our relationship with you. Lord, help us to draw closer to you, and as we do, we know that you will draw closer to us. Teach us what it is to know you for who you are - the God of the universe, and the Lord who desires to know us personally. And as we know you more, Lord... we will bring you glory and honor. This is our prayer, in Jesus' name, amen!
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Eric Reamer is an evangelist, and full time Christian
Illusionist. If you enjoy this devotional, please e-mail Eric at: Eric@IllustratedIllusions.com.
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