A Devotional by Pastor Cesar Castellanos

Today’s Bible Verse

Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God–children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.

John 1:12-13

In His Image and Likeness

After the Father had taken clay from the ground to shape it with His hands, He blew His breath of life in it. In the same way, Jesus takes each person who is determined to believe in Him through His Word. He shapes them into His image and then blows His Spirit of life into them. Only the Word of God can produce faith in us, because it is the only instrument that molds and shapes our lives. Through His Word, we can truly relate to God. When we come into contact with His Word through faith, the Kingdom of God is opened before us. With spiritual eyes, we can see into all that God has reserved for those who love Him; things that have never been seen by human eyes, nor heard by human ears; things that the mind of man has never even imagined.

Faith in Jesus gives us life.

The Lord Jesus said, “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full” (John 10:10b). For the Israelites, conquering the land of Canaan meant possessing every blessing that God had in store for them. The only way that they could be certain that the land would ultimately belong to them was to obey every command God gave them. The same applies to each believer today. God has reserved the Promised Land, revealed by His Spirit, and it can only be conquered through faith.

Faith enables us to receive what He has promised.

Paul said, “For no matter how many promises God has made, they are “Yes” in Christ. And so through him the “Amen” is spoken by us to the glory of God” (2 Corinthians 1:20). His promises become a part of your life by believing them in your heart and confessing them with your mouth. “He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit” (Galatians 3:14). “If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise” (Galatians 3:29). The blessing of God is directed towards the seed of Abraham. Through Christ, we are Abraham’s seed. Therefore, we get the right to legitimately enjoy all of God’s promises.

We praise God for all the wonders He has done for us.

After the Israelites cried out to the Lord in the midst of great distress, He delivered them from all their troubles, the darkness they were experiencing and the shadow of death. He delivered them from slavery. Seeing all this, David exclaims, “Let them give thanks to the LORD for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for mankind” (Psalm 107:15).

God has promised prosperity in everything.

God always wants to bless the work of our hands. However, first He wants to put our lives in order so that we can enjoy prosperity. His Word says, “Dear friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well” (3 John 2).

Something to Think About

Charles Spurgeon once shared about a businessman who asked a Pastor from Brooklyn a question, “Pastor, I would like to know if Jesus Christ will received me as a passive shareholder?” “What do you mean?” The Pastor asked. “A passive shareholder is someone who shares in a business, but does not worry about anything and is not even aware of what is going on.” The minister’s responded, “Christ does not take passive shareholders. Some say the devil is cloven-hoofed. We do not really know if this is true. However, what we do know is that Satan’s children have a divided heart; one half for God and the other half for sin. One half lives for Christ and the other half is in the world. God only has a small corner and the rest is kept for sin and the devil.”

Prayer

Dear Jesus, thank You for choosing me to be one of Your disciples. Thank You for forming me with Your Word, just as a potter does with clay. I want to be formed until You can see Your image in my life. Just as the presence of Your Spirit was alive inside the Apostles, I ask that He would be alive in my life, because I need the light of Your glory and I want to walk in Your radiance. I love You, my Lord, Amen.

Declaration

I have the image of Jesus because I was shaped by His Word, transformed by His Spirit and blessed by His love.

Today’s Bible Reading

• Old Testament: Ezekiel 1-3; Job 1
• New Testament: John 7:37-44; 2 Peter 1:1-11