Kingdom Incarnate Part 5 Devotionals
Day 1: The Power of Choice
Devotional Sometimes the simplest questions can be the most challenging to answer. When Jesus asked the man at the Pool of Bethesda if he wanted to get well, it wasn’t just about physical healing. It was about choosing a different path. Often, we find ourselves stuck in situations that aren’t healthy for us, yet they’ve become comfortable. We make excuses, rationalize our circumstances, and resist change, even when it could lead to something better. Just like the man who had been ill for 38 years, we might find it easier to stay in our familiar pain than step into unknown healing.
Bible Verse
“When Jesus saw him lying there and learned that he had been in this condition for a long time, he asked him, ‘Do you want to get well?'” – John 5:6
Reflection Question
What areas of your life have become comfortable despite being unhealthy, and what’s holding you back from choosing change?
Quote Sometimes we will settle for familiar and we’ll start to choose it over what’s healthy. Because what healthy movement might be might be a little unknown.
Prayer
Lord, give me the courage to be honest about the areas where I’ve become comfortable with dysfunction. Help me to choose healing, even when it means stepping into the unknown. Amen.
Day 2: Breaking Free from Excuses
Devotional We’re masters at rationalizing our situations. When faced with opportunities for change, we often respond like the man at the pool, listing all the reasons why we can’t move forward. It’s easier to blame circumstances or other people than to take responsibility for our own healing. But rationalization is just a way of telling ourselves comfortable lies to avoid uncomfortable truths. Real transformation begins when we stop making excuses and start making choices that align with God’s plan for our lives.
Bible Verse
“The thief comes only to steal, kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” – John 10:10
Reflection Question
What excuses have you been using to avoid making necessary changes in your life?
Quote When you rationalize something, you’re just telling yourself rational lies.
Prayer
Father, help me recognize when I’m making excuses instead of taking steps toward healing. Give me the strength to face truth and embrace the full life you offer. Amen.
Day 3: The Path to Healing
Devotional God’s invitation to healing often requires action on our part. When Jesus commanded the man to get up, pick up his mat, and walk, He was asking him to participate in his own healing. This command required faith, courage, and immediate action. The same is true for us today. Whether we’re dealing with physical, emotional, or spiritual challenges, healing often involves both divine intervention and our willingness to take steps of faith. God provides the power, but we must choose to get up and walk.
Bible Verse
“After this, Jesus found him at the temple and said to him, ‘See, you are well again. Stop sinning or something worse may happen to you.'” – John 5:14
Reflection Question
What specific step of faith is God asking you to take toward your healing journey?
Quote Get up, pick up your mat and walk.
Prayer
Jesus, give me the faith to act when you call me to move. Help me trust in your healing power and take the steps you’re asking me to take. Amen.
Day 4: Choosing Life
Devotional Life presents us with daily choices between two paths: God’s way (the Tree of Life) or our way (the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil). One leads to peace, rest, and healthy relationships; the other to stress, anxiety, and fear. Through Jesus’s sacrifice on the cross, we have renewed access to the Tree of Life. This isn’t just about making better choices; it’s about choosing a different source of life altogether. When we choose God’s way, we choose life itself.
Bible Verse
“I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.” – John 6:35
Reflection Question
In what areas of your life are you trying to be your own source of wisdom instead of trusting God’s way?
Quote One tree is life and peace and rest and good relationship and everything that you can imagine. And the other tree is stress and anxiety and worry and anger and fear and death.
Prayer
God, help me choose your path of life over my own understanding. Thank you for making the way back to the Tree of Life possible through Jesus. Amen.
Day 5: Sharing Hope with Others
Devotional Once we’ve experienced God’s healing and transformation in our own lives, we have a powerful story to share with others. However, sharing our hope isn’t about forcing our experience on others or judging their journey. Instead, it’s about gently and respectfully pointing to the source of our healing – Jesus Christ. When we share our story with gentleness and respect, we become living testimonies of God’s transformative power.
Bible Verse
“But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.” – 1 Peter 3:15
Reflection Question
How can you share your story of transformation in a way that brings hope to others while showing respect for their journey?
Quote I got some hope to share. But the rest of that verse in 1st Peter 3:15 is what’s like. It says, be ready to share, but do it with gentleness and respect.
Prayer
Lord, help me share the hope I’ve found in you with gentleness and respect. Use my story to bring encouragement and healing to others. Amen.
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