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Jesus Didn't Trust Himself to Men
Andrea Lende • January 24, 2020
John 2:24-25
Daily Word:
John 2:24-25
"But Jesus [for His part] did not trust Himself to them, because He knew all [men];"
"And He did not need anyone to bear witness concerning man [needed no evidence from anyone about men], for He Himself knew what was in human nature, [He could read men's hearts.]"
As I was reading the Word today, these verses spoke to me.
Jesus didn't trust Himself to men.
He knew what was in their hearts.
Human nature is, at best, flawed.
We try our best and, yet, fail.
Others in our lives fail.
May we not get so hard hearted that we think our sin is any less significant or less harmful than another's.
No sin is better than another.
No sin is worse than another.
Jesus knew all men sin.
He also knew that His mission was not to simply get people to like Him.
His mission was to save them.
His spirit was constantly strengthened by God, not man.
He was ministered to by the Holy Spirit and angels while on this earth.
He didn't need the affection or lifting up by people.
This passage spoke to me today as God reaching out and instructing me to not put all of my faith in man but put my faith in Him.
I also felt like God was giving me a message about being careful who I trust.
We need to take care in who we trust.
God's will for our lives is different for each of us.
Most people won't know what to do with the will and message He has for our lives.
He didn't give it to them.
He gave it to us, individually.
I'm not to look to others for their affirmation and approval.
I'm to look to God.
Today I choose to rely on God's affirmation and will for my life instead of the world's affirmation and be careful with whom I trust.
May you find that as you trust Him, He will direct you to the people who will honor you and His will for your life.
Blessings be to you!
Daily Prayer:
O Lord, my God, You are Almighty and Great! You designed this world and everything that is in it. You knew me before I was ever born. You designed my life before I understood what life was. Your will is perfect, Father. Help me do all that You have for me to do. Help me look to You for direction and purpose. Help me look to You before I look to the world. May Your love for me be more than enough to fill my heart and soul. May I stand strong and operate in Your will as You direct and lead me. Help me not look for affirmation and affection here on this planet when Yours is perfect and all that I need. Help me follow You in everything that I do. Keep my eyes on You, Lord. Help me listen to Your whispers and heed Your voice. Thank You, Lord, for being my all in all. Thank You for holding me up in all the dark times and blessing me with times of rejoicing. Help me bless another today, Father. Thank You for hearing my prayer.
Answer: I AM with you, My child, and will lead and direct you into My perfect will.
Response: Undeservedly Yours, Lord.
We start a New Year! How exciting! Paul had just finished telling the Ephesians to put off their old nature. They had been run around by their feelings and desires. He told them to be renewed in their spirit. The Amplified Bible defines this to be “having a fresh mental and spiritual attitude.” As we say goodbye to this year, let us put on the new and leave the old behind. We have an opportunity to reflect on what to bring forward into this New Year.
This is a great message for the New Year. We can be in control of our own words. As a mother, I used to tell my children to use their words to explain what was happening in their minds. I tried to help them find the right words. Words that would help the situation and not make it worse. I must do the same thing when talking to them. It’s important to use words that do not damage their spirits. Words that lift up instead of tear down. Even though my children have grown, I still want to be careful how I speak to them because my worlds will impact them for the rest of their lives.
As we approach the New Year, it is a perfect time to take inventory of what part of our lives, our hearts, and our souls are not bearing fruit. What can we give up as this year comes to a close? What do we need to give to the Lord for His cleansing and pruning? The answers to these questions take time. Time with the Lord. We are creatures of routines and habits which serve us well. But we can also change our routines and habits to serve us and the Lord better. So, we can ask God to show us what He wants us to give up so that He can have more of us.
I cannot think of a better verse to meditate on as we approach the New Year. Jesus said, "the kingdom of God is within you [in your hearts] and among you [surrounding you]." For so many years I believed I had to wait to go to heaven to experience the kingdom of God. I have longed to step into heaven and meet the Lord and His Son. However, as we read the Gospels and study Jesus and all that He said, we begin to understand the kingdom of God is all around us. The kingdom of God is within.
Paul wrote to the Colossians and told them he was praying for them. He prayed they would be refreshed, renewed, and invigorated. He also prayed they would be strengthened. May his prayer be heard by the Lord God Almighty on our behalf today just as it was received two thousand years ago. God is the Source of all things beautiful and wonderful. There is no shortage of renewal, refreshment, or inspiration in His kingdom. And as the Creator of this universe, He continues to pour all good things into His people. Paul wrote that refreshment and strength are needed so we may have endurance.
This verse is the perfect verse to reflect on as Christmas comes to a close. The Lord sent His Son to us. He sent Him to this world as a babe. Jesus was given the task of growing up. A difficult one for all of us. He endured the awkward stages we all go through as we grow past them. I look back at old picture and cringe, yes, I cringe. This life provides plenty of opportunities to feel awkward and just plain weird, but our Father loves us as though we are perfect every day of our lives. This is why Jesus came. He came to make us perfect in God’s sight.
God made Himself flesh so He could take away the sins of the world. The story of the very first Christmas was humble, yet the most powerful and loving birth ever recorded in history. All humanity changed in an instant. When Jesus was born, love filled the earth. Love came down and lifted us up. The angels came to tell the shepherds of this beautiful birth. The stars in the heavens also told the story. As we do all tasks that we do to ensure a beautiful Christmas day, may we remember the miracle that God sent long ago. The miracle of all miracles.
The first Christmas was going to be documented, so that it could be read many times over for all Christmas’ to come. It was also documented so the prophecy of the Messiah’s birth would be known to be fulfilled. Prophets of old foretold Jesus would come from the house of David. They also prophesied that He would be born in Bethlehem. And all this came to pass. Even though Jesus would be known as a Nazarene, His beginning began in Bethlehem. God’s divine plan was set in motion with the first census while Mary was at the end of her pregnancy.
What a wonderful passage to read during Christmas week. Our passage touched my heart as I read it through the lens of Jesus’ birth. “It was God [personally present] in Christ, reconciling and restoring the world to favor with Himself.” We have so much to be thankful for in these few short words, “restoring the world to favor with Himself.” So undeserved and yet so graciously given. We are offered favor with the Lord. Imagine having favor with the almighty God, the Creator of the universe. Jesus chose to leave heaven’s door where all was perfect. He chose to be born into this dusty messy world.
Jesus had just spoken to a fig tree and deemed it unworthy to live because it had no fruit on it. His disciples were amazed when they saw the fig tree wither and die. Then the Lord talked to them about prayer and belief. He told them that whatever they asked for, if they had the faith and belief, they would receive it. I remember the day I started hearing music and lyrics. I had just bowed my head at the piano and asked if the Lord would bless praise and worship music. As soon as I prayed that prayer, the Lord bestowed the gift of song writing upon me.