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Thankful I’m not Judas
Andrea Lende • January 24, 2020
Luke 22:3-5
Daily Word:
Luke 22:3-5
"But [then] Satan entered into Judas, called Iscariot, who was one of the Twelve [apostles]."
"And he went away and discussed with the chief priests and captains how he might betray Him and deliver Him up to them."
"And they were delighted and pledged [themselves] to give him money."
As I was reading this chapter these verses plague me.
The rest of the chapter is truly beautiful and sacred.
Jesus was having His last supper with the disciples.
It was the first communion.
Jesus talked about serving others.
He told them that He prayed for them continuously because the enemy was incessantly asking for their souls.
And the last part of the chapter took place in the garden of Gethsemane.
This chapter is packed full of powerful experiences with Jesus.
However, the chapter starts out with sin.
It starts out with Satan getting a hold of Judas.
Judas and the chief priests and captains were used to betray Jesus.
Their cunning plan delighted them.
Even sin brings momentary delight.
But their delight would not last long.
Upon Judas' betrayal, he was convicted and knew he should not have given Jesus up.
He quickly took his own life.
However, the betrayal had to happen according to the Word.
Jesus had to die in order for our sins to be covered.
Verse 22 says, "For the Son of Man is going as it has been determined and appointed, but woe to that man by whom he is betrayed and delivered up!"
I am thankful that God did not use me in that way.
I am thankful that God had a different plan for my life.
By grace I am saved.
By grace I am chosen to worship the Lord.
By grace I was not Judas.
My continual prayer is that God uses me for His good.
I desire God's love and His affection above all.
Today I pray that God will use me for His good and allow me to worship Him and keep me worshiping Him for eternity.
May you find that His plan for you is covered with grace and that His plan is good.
Blessings be to you!
Daily Prayer:
O Lord, my God, thank You for all You do for me. Thank You for watching over and protecting the family You have given me. Thank You for choosing me to know You. Thank You for choosing me to worship You, Lord. Thank You for all the beauty and grace and mercy You pour over me. You are the God of this universe and God of my heart. You rule over everything and everybody. Your will is perfect. Help me be true to Your plan, Lord. Help me do all that You desire me to do. Help me love others and have compassion as You do. You know my heart, Father. You know my faults and insecurities and, yet, You call me to You and ask me to serve. Help me serve with joy, Lord. Help me go beyond myself and give to others. Help me rely on Your strength when mine is gone. Keep me far from the enemy, and close to You. Keep me at Your feet, Lord. Help me bless someone this day, Father. Thank You for hearing my prayer.
Answer: I AM always with you, My child, and will lift you up and keep you safe.
Response: Thank You, most gracious and loving Father.
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.