Make Every Effort (and a challenge)
2 Peter 1:5 NLT SAYS, “In view of all this, make every effort to respond to God’s promises.” Before we look at what “all of this” is, I want you to consider what might hold you back from responding to God’s promises? God does not change his promises to us. He speaks a word, and it is true. Yet there are plenty of things that could distract us from the promises of God. Anything that we believe is a better promise than God’s word is something we either turn to instead of God’s promise or hold in tension with his promise. In abiding daily, we are after a single-minded devotion to Jesus that flows from intimacy with God through his Holy Spirit.
So what is “all of this?”
One of the most excellent summaries of God’s promise for his people is in 2 Peter 1:3-4. It says, “By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence. And because of his glory and excellence, he has given us great and precious promises. These are the promises that enable you to share his divine nature and escape the world’s corruption caused by human desires.”
I urge you not to read past that passage. Please take it in slowly. Believe that this is God’s promise for you.
In view of that… will you make an effort to respond to this promise?
If you’ve been reading this devotional for some time, you’ll know that I am big on communicating the message of receiving over striving. Religious duty never gets us where love and intimacy will. This abiding relationship is only possible because God has initiated it through his promises. Do you realize that we are living in the grand promise of the Holy Spirit living in us? Can you see that God’s kingdom has come on the earth even today? You are a part of that story.
I do not write these devotions every morning so that you can get a quick thought for the day. My desire is that you will develop a more profound longing for more of God than you could have imagined. I think there is an opportunity today for a challenge.
Will you commit to making every effort to respond to God’s promise?
What does this look like? It means that you don’t leave any opportunity to know God or obey God on the table. It means that every day you are positioning yourself to respond to the promises of God and be a vessel for his kingdom.
I think sometimes we get this whole thing backward. We feel that we have to live up to the promises of God and that only through perfect behavior can we get his rewards. I know the church has taught most of us to reject that idea immediately. “Relationship over religion” has become so cliche that we tend to say it even if we are just living in religion. Setting that aside, pause for a moment and consider the depth of God’s promise. Do you believe that he has already given you divine power to live a godly life?
This won’t be for everyone, but I want to issue a challenge. If you’ve been reading the devotional passively for a few weeks, I want to call you to dig in. This means reading these words in a focused state of mind. Go deeper with the scriptures. Journal. Pray. Share with a friend. Join in the journey of building a culture of believers who live in freedom by abiding in God’s presence.
What are we willing to do in the journey of responding to God’s promise? Maybe this devotional will be a starting point for you to go all-in with Jesus.
Will you join me in this? If so, send the message “ALL-IN” to Abiding Daily.
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Abiding happens daily in his presence. Abiding Daily is a simple and practical reminder to stay connected to the vine. Each prompt is inspired by the scriptures and designed to point you toward prayer and encounter. You can follow us on Facebook and Instagram. To get the Daily Invitation sent to you every day click this link or text “Daily” to +1 (779) 237-3914.
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Our first devotional book is available on our online store! Abiding Daily: Volume One is a devotional book including 120 prompts from the Daily Invitation. This book is designed to help believers connect with God through the word and discover more of what it means to abide in Christ. Click here to learn more.
