Daily Devotionals

'Every Day Light' with Selwyn Hughes

Devotional: February 23rd

For Reading and Meditation:
     John 6:25-33

It is because God is so utterly trustworthy and reliable that the Christian life at heart is a life of trust. In the passage before us today our Lord is asked: "What must we do to do the works God requires?" (v. 28). His answer was entirely different from that which you would receive if you posed the question to adherents of different religious systems today. A Buddhist would answer: "We must follow the eightfold path of Buddhism." A Muslim would answer: "We must fast and pray and make a trip to Mecca." Some followers of the Christian way might answer "We must engage in regular Bible study, prayer, tithing and Christian fellowship." But the answer Jesus gave was this: "The work of God is this: to believe –" George Watson, a devotional writer, said: "To trust the Origin of our existence is the fundamental grace of life. There is one virtue [in God] that stands out forever more conspicuously than friendship, or love, or knowledge, or wisdom – it is fidelity. God's fidelity is in Him what trust is in us" (emphasis mine). Understanding that God is utterly trustworthy will deliver us from such incapacitating emotions as worry, anxiety and fear. To be overwhelmed by the concerns of this life reflects poorly upon the faithfulness of God. An old saint who was dying became concerned that he couldn't remember any of God's promises. His pastor said: "Do you think that God will forget any of them?" A smile came over the face of the dying Christian as he exclaimed joyfully: "No, no, He won't." That too is our confidence. He won't forget, because being God, He can't forget.

O God my Father, if fidelity in You is what trust is in us, then help us come to a place where our trust matches Your fidelity. We confess we are not there yet, but we long to arrive. Help us, dear Father. In Jesus' Name. Amen.