In Christ is all we need

Luke 5:1-11 NIV; 2 Peter 1:3 NIV.

Praise God! Happy new year!!!

One time, I was meeting friends for a game of badminton. When I arrived at the court, I noticed I had come with the wrong bag. I planned to play in shorts, but I played in trousers, and my very competitive friends were not merciful.

Peter described the Christian life almost like my backpack experience, except that he made the right switch. He picked the one that had all he needed for his journey.

In Luke's passage (Luke 5:1-11 NIV), he records Peter's first meeting with Jesus. It was at a time when he had toiled all night but couldn't catch any fish. So he parked his boat by the seashore. But when Jesus saw Peter's boat, he got into it and used it to teach the crowd the word of God - to meet their spiritual needs. Again, in displaying his divine miraculous power, he used the boat to provide much fish - to meet the physical needs of Peter and his friends. When Peter recognised the divine power of Jesus, he surrendered to Him as Lord. He gave up his boat and everything to follow Him.

Peter then says (in 2 Peter 1:3 NIV), having journeyed with Jesus, that in Him we have everything we need to live godly lives. The divine power of Christ gave us everything when we came to know Him. Did you know you already have everything you need to live for God? His Spirit and a new heart - one receptive to Christ's character and God's will. Like Peter, we can surrender anything unnecessary for godly living, knowing we have all we need to live in Christ. Choose the right backpack; choose Christ again and again this year and watch Him change everything!

Reflect & Pray

What has taken your focus away from God? How might surrendering those things to Him realign your focus? What fruits could this bear?

Thank You, Father, that we have all we need to live for You in Christ.

God bless you exceedingly and have a great 2024,
Sam.

Psalm 91: A Guaranteed Refuge 1

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Psalm 91: A Complete Refuge 3

Psalm 91 [short series]. As we journey through life, sometimes we go through troubles beyond our control — an addiction, sudden financial lack, sickness, broken relationship, losing a loved one, a hope deferred. How do we navigate those seasons? Or maybe you are currently in such a season and wondering, "How do I live through this?" Previously [1] [2] , we saw that God's refuge is guaranteed. The Psalm also shows the completeness of God's refuge as a reason for how we can navigate the seasons of life. His Refuge is complete through this life! Psalm 91:3-6, 13 God rescues you from troubles beyond your reach and permanently deals with the cause of all problems, Satan himself. His refuge deals with: Sin: snare of the fowler (v3, 11-12) Snares are traps used to catch animals, often made with something enticing or luring, like a cheese trap for a

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A Devotional Life

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