As the years pass, Christians have become lovers of sweet words and of ‘spiritual’ instructions from prophets and teachers (eg. buy a blue-green oil from Jerusalem, apply it on your wallet for 1week for your breakthrough, etc.) And we tend to follow customs these men instruct or lay down rather than the customs of Jesus. However, if we believe that being a Christian is aiming to be like Christ who lived a victorious life, even on this earth, then we ought to look at His lifestyle and learn from what He did here on earth.
He went up to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, AS WAS HIS CUSTOM. ~ Luke 4:16 #Bible
To begin with, Jesus had a custom of going to the house of God. He loved to be in God’s presence. In fact, as a young boy growing up His first statement was, “Didn’t you know I have to be in my Father’s house?” This scripture is referring to the physical church building; so where can you regularly be found? As a Christian, Church should be your custom place. When Jesus was arrested in the garden He said, “Why didn’t you arrest me in the Temple? I was there every day (Luke 22:53).” This is the Son of God teaching us a simple principle, love to be in God’s house/ God’s presence.
Secondly, He often withdrew to be alone with God. “But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.” – Luke 5:16. The name of this Devotional stems from this verse and custom of Jesus. There is the need to have time Alone With God, and it has to be one of your customs. Make time to pray and read God’s word; spend time with God alone. Now this should have come first; this is loving to be in God’s presence on your own. Beloved, the best times a Father can share and discuss with His child is when they’re alone together. Make time to be alone with your Heavenly Father.
The next one, and I’ll probably end on this one (there are others): Jesus was always doing good. “How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how He went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him.” ~ Acts 10:38. I know it sounds basic but most Christians have ignored this. We’ve stopped being good to people, and living as good people. You’re telling the hungry and needy that Jesus will provide, when you just may be the only Jesus they will see.
Christians are being rude and disregarding others under a guise of spirituality; no, it’s just pride. Why are you judging someone who sins differently than you? Or are you a perfect being? No, so let us reach out with love. Christians speaking anyhow to people? We can’t speak gracious words, we can’t do good to people? Do these describe the Jesus we’re following? Not a tad bit. I pray that we learn from Jesus and do good to people. “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.”
So what did Jesus do (WDJD)? “He loved to be in God’s house, He made time to be Alone With God, and He was always doing good.” Be like Jesus. May the Spirit of grace help us adopt these customs and teach us to walk in them. Stay blessed and share with others.
#AloneWithGodDevotional
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