Jesus Lives in You
Do you realize that Jesus lives inside you?
Verse of the Day
‘For God wanted them to know that the riches and glory of Christ are for you Gentiles, too. And this is the secret: Christ lives in you. This gives you assurance of sharing his glory.’
Today’s Devotional
The “them” mentioned in this verse refers to the past generations of the people of God, namely the Jews. It is my understanding that the Jewish people were not very inclusive to others outside of their community. But as I’ve been reading the Old Testament, I have seen many references to God’s desire to include people of all nations into His family. (For example, see Isaiah 49:6.)
But here’s the thing: God has always wanted our hearts. That’s why there were so many rules in the old law. So that maybe by behaving according to the law, we could see that the rules are in our best interests and we would learn, by our behavior, what it looks like to really love God and love others. But…we are too stubborn and selfish for that to work. And God knows that.
So the next phase of God’s glorious plan was to send Jesus. So that we could see, in living form, the character and heart of God. And then when Jesus’s time on earth was finished, God sent an even better gift. The indwelling. The secret. Christ lives in you. And me. So now, we have a supernatural form of power inside us that we have the option and ability to use.
Have you ever had a really busy day, and you just don’t have any energy, and then you realize (or someone points out) that you haven’t eaten enough food to fuel your body? Or…have you ever been having a really bad day and you realize that you haven’t prayed? There are things we need to do to activate the power we need for daily life. Your physical body needs food and water and rest. Your spirit needs prayer, and the Word and worship. If we can remember to consistently do the things that our spirit needs, there is a richness and a glory that comes from doing life with and for Christ.
Yesterday as the day was getting started, I had a bad attitude. I did not want to go to work or do anything that the day required. So as I was driving to work, I realized that I had not spent enough time connecting to my source of power. So I prayed out loud and declared the glory of God and the power of Jesus over my day. I was still tired, and I still had a long day, but my heart was happy. I was able to be kind. And no matter what anyone says, that kind of power is available to everyone. All we have to do is believe in Jesus and invite His power into our day. And then we should continue to remind ourselves of the glory that awaits us. Because we are human and it is so easy to forget.
Journal Prompts
Answer only the questions that seem relevant to you today.
Do you feel like Jesus Christ is living in you? How so?
In what areas is hard to believe that Jesus lives in you?
How can you plug into the power of Jesus today?