Wednesday September 2, 2020

Today’s Reading: Acts 20:17-24

 “But I count my life of no value to myself, so that I may finish my course and the ministry I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of God’s grace.”

Acts 20:24

Meditation: Life here and now is not meant to be lived for ourselves. In his last encounter with the leaders of the beloved Church at Ephesus, Paul describes how he has lived unashamedly for the Gospel. It is seen in how he serves his Church family with dedication, in how he boldly proclaims and teaches Jews and Greeks about Jesus, and in how he willingly goes where God directs him to preach and proclaim the Truth, even to places of great danger. Paul willingly gives his life for the sake of his ministry. He counts his own life as worthless unless it is spent ont he purposes of God.

Is life really worth living our way? Are days well-spent when we spend them on ourselves? Paul doesn’t seem to think so. On the contrary, he chooses to live his life for something far more valuable: the Gospel of Jesus Christ. This is because Paul knows that the Gospel is what saves lives, truly and completely. He knows that just as God wanted him to be saved, He wants the lives of others to be saved by the Gospel Message as well.

Jesus Himself said, “Whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life because of me will save it” (Luke 9:24). Paul exhibits what a life worth living looks like. It is not one of luxury and comfort. It is not one filled with earthly accolades and self-satisfaction. While it may include some of these things, a life worth living is really a life that is saved by Jesus, and spent seeking to share the Message of His Salvation. What do you live for? May your own journey of faith lead you to a place where you can declare with joy, “I live for the Gospel of Christ!”

Prayer: Lord God, thank You for Jesus. Thank You for the promise of life in eternity, which You have freely given through Him. Thank You for including me in Your work to share this important message to those around me. Please grant me boldness to live for Your purpose. Show me how to live my life surrendered to You. I pray all of these things in Jesus’ Name, AMEN.

Thru the Bible in a year (credit: Biblestudytools.com): Acts 20:17-34; Judges 14-15; Job 42