Reading your Bible for today December 16

December 16: John 14:28-31

KJV Key Verse: John 14:30
30 Hereafter I will not talk much with you: for the prince of this world cometh, and hath  nothing in me.

Devotion:
Have you ever stopped to think who is in control of your life? Have you ever stopped to think what things you actually let control your life? Have you ever stopped to think what your weak points are? If each one of us were to be brutally honest with ourselves, we would see just how much we make compromises in our lives. We would be able to see just how far we let ourselves go each and every day. We would be able to see just how much we give in to the evil one each day!

Although Jesus was doing His best to show the disciples how much He had depended on His Father and how much He had trusted in God all the time, He also warned them about just who was in control of the earth. Yes, we are living in the period of His grace (living after His ultimate sacrifice so that we still can attain eternal life through Him simply by believing in Him) but we are still living in a world that surrounds us with evil.

The world we live in is a place where people give in to Satan every day without knowing or realising it. His deceptive ways have so corrupted the world that he continues to enjoy a whole lot of control over so many people. Not just the unsaved, but Christians as well. We do give in to the ideas that he plants in our heads, we do give in to the people he uses to corrupt us, we do give in to things... because it is so much easier to do so – or to fit in with the crowd!

Jesus surrounded this warning with words of encouragement, telling them He was about to do more because it was God's Will. He was doing things because it would glorify God. He did not carry on things because it was easier to do them; He was facing a terrible few days! But He knew He was going to join God in Heaven shortly. He did it to show us just how we can love God too. He did it to show us how we can obey God if we choose. He did it to show us we do not need to give in to Satan quite as much as we do. God is here with us to help us and guide us all the time!

Points to Ponder:
What have you compromised in today?

Did you ask God to help you avoid things today?