Reading your Bible for today December 23

December 23: Romans 12:1-3

KJV Key Verse: Romans 12:3
3 For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly*, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.

Devotion:
What did Jesus do when He came to earth? He became man... He lowered Himself down to our level, just so He could save us. That is a true sign of His love for us; He was willing to give up a position in heaven just so He could prove His love by laying His life down for our sakes. He knew the perfect manner in which He could achieve things and He went forward and did it.

What manner of things can we do to show our love for Christ? How can we then show Him with all sincerity that we do love Him? The answer is surprisingly simple, but it’s not that easy for us to do... We are born with sin and pride embedded in our lives. We do have all of God’s Word so we can know what it is He wants and we do have guidance from Him if we are willing to listen. Everything He has given us tells us we need to obey Him, and these few verses sum it up perfectly – we need to give our lives back to Him. We need to make a stand, just as He did. We need to do something which is going to count; something that is going to make a difference. He has shown us what He is willing to do for us – we need to show Him what we are willing to do for Him...

He has given us the grace to live our lives in the right manner. He has extended His mercy and love towards us, in that whilst we still go about our sinful lives, He is willing to love and forgive us. If He is willing to lower Himself to be as a servant to us, then why should we think anything of being His servants? We do not have to be priests or bishops or even deacons to be able to do God’s will because He has a position for each and every one of us in His church. No matter what condition we are in, He has work for us to do because we are fighting a sinful world. Use God’s Word. Listen to His instruction. Live your life for Him. Live your life with Him.

Points to Ponder:
Do you like doing things for others?

Are you doing things for God or for yourself?