Jesus can pierce the hardest of hearts with His love, let Him use you to reach people!

1/22/2019

Praise the Lord, all you gentiles! Laud Him, all you peoples! For His merciful kindness is great toward us, And the truth of the Lord endures forever. Praise the Lord! Psalm 117 NKJV

This exhortation to praise God is the shortest and middle chapter of the bible.

Gentiles were non-Jewish people. The word “gentiles” can be used to describe non-believers today. Jesus wants all people to praise Him. That is why the Lord created us!

Jewish people did not associate with gentiles. Israel believed they were the soul inheritors of the Kingdom of God. They were wrong. God wanted to use Israel to reveal Himself to the world. God wants all people to live in loving relationship with Him!

God tells us not to be unequally yoked with unbelievers. That does not mean we should discriminate against them. It does not mean we should turn our backs on them. It means we should not be joined together with unbelievers in a way that draws us away from Jesus.

Jesus wants us to live differently than unbelievers. He wants us to live for Him. He wants to live through us so unbelievers can see Jesus in us. The witness of our relationship with Christ and Him living through us is how God will draw unsaved people to Jesus.

We see the two reasons why so many people have unbelieving hearts in this chapter.

Unsaved people are blinded to truth. The devil’s deceptions, the desires of our sinful flesh and the peer pressure of the world system deceive all of us to some extent.

Some unsaved people do not believe God’s is merciful and kind. How can anyone believe mercy and kindness exists at all if God is not merciful and kind?

Belief that God is a source of evil hardens unbelieving hearts and blinds eyes. It is a lie!

God loves all people. He wants everyone to love Him. He is merciful and kind to all people. He is the source of all truth. His truth will prevail!

Jesus can pierce the hardest of hearts with His love. He can restore broken lives. He can heal wounded souls. Jesus uses people who love and obey Him to reach people!

It can be very difficult to love people with hard hearts. It can be very hard to be merciful and compassionate with people in bondage to sin. Christ calls us to love everyone. How can that be possible?

It is not possible for me or you to love everyone. With God all things are possible!

Surrender your heart and life to Almighty God. Let Jesus use you to reach people today!

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Louie Garcia

Joyfor2day daily devotional goes out over the internet to thousands of people all over the world five days a week

Jesus can use you to shake the foundations of the prison and set people free!

Now it happened, as we went to prayer, that a certain slave girl possessed with a spirit of divination met us, who brought her masters much profit by fortune telling. This girl followed Paul and us, and cried out, saying, “These men are servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to us the way of salvation.” And this she did for many days. But Paul, greatly annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her. And he came out that very hour. Acts 16:16-18 NKJV

The slave girl was speaking the truth. She was possessed by an evil spirit. The evil spirit was drawing people away from Christ!

This attack came as God’s servants went to prayer. The enemy of our souls attacks when we step out in faith. Satan seeks to distract us. He wants us to focus our attention on things other than Jesus.

The devil perverts the truth. He uses it against us. No one can serve two masters. This girl was speaking the truth about Paul and his companions while practicing witchcraft. When people claim to speak for God we must consider how they live.

The girl followed the disciples for several days before they cast the demon out of her. It is important for us to wait on the Lord before stepping out in faith. The bible tells us Paul was greatly annoyed by this girl. Paul was not fearful. The Lord was with Him!

Paul and Silas were put in jail. The owners of the slave girl were angry at the loss of income when the demon was cast out of her. While Paul and Silas were in jail they shared the gospel with the jailer. His entire household was saved.

God uses Satan’s attacks for His glory and our salvation!

Satan is a real being. He takes people captive to do his will. There really are demons who seek to destroy God’s people and bring destruction to our world.

We have nothing to fear from the devil or his demons when we live according to God’s will. We have nothing to fear from anyone or anything when we step out in faith to serve Jesus!

Jesus wants us to fear Him and Him alone. He wants us to know His power and authority are unequaled in all of creation.

God wants you share the gospel of Jesus Christ with the people in your life. Jesus wants you to walk in great boldness because He is with you everywhere you go!

Jesus can use you to shake the foundations of the prison and set people free!

Jesus can pierce the hardest of hearts with His love, let Him use you to reach people!

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Louie Garcia

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