Editors note: Today's devotional is based on Mark 3:31-34! I have decided to go back to the Gospel of Mark and continue from Chapter 3.

Quiet Times: ( Psalm 149, Proverbs 29, and Mark 3:31-34)

"Fear of man is a dangerous trap but to trust in God means safety." (Proverbs 29:25)

^“Then Jesus' mother and brothers arrived. Standing outside, they sent someone in to call him. A crowd was sitting around him, and they told him, "Your mother and brothers are outside looking for you." "Who are my mother and my brothers?" he asked. Then he looked at those seated in a circle around him and said, "Here are my mother and my brothers! Whoever does God's will is my brother and sister and mother." (Mark 3:31-34, NIV)

Observations:

I asked myself what words or phrases are repeated!

1. Mother (5)

2. Brothers (5)

Jesus’ family went to take charge of Him and they finally arrived. I found it very interesting what they did when they arrived.

Interpretation:

I asked myself what is significant about their actions.

I found it very interesting that Jesus’ mother and brothers do not call Jesus on their own when they arrived. Instead, they sent someone in to call Jesus.

Imagine you are preaching a sermon when your family arrives. Instead of them coming in to call you, they send someone else to call you to them. How would that make you feel? They already arrived and were standing outside of where Jesus was. They could have gone in and talked to Jesus but they did not. It is possible that it was so crowded it would have been easier to send someone else!

Jesus was told, “Your mother and brothers are outside looking for you.”

Observations:

I asked myself what was the response of Jesus?

Jesus’ response was three-fold:

1. "Who are my mother and my brothers?" he asked.

2. “Then he looked at those seated in a circle around him and said, "Here are my mother and my brothers!”

3. “Whoever does God's will is my brother and sister and mother."

Interpretation:

I asked myself what is the significance of Jesus mentioning only mother, brother, and sister?

Jesus was willing to acknowledge anyone doing the will of God as His brother, sister, and mother but not as father. Jesus knew who His Father was and no one was going to become His Father except Father God. To say someone can be his brother, sister, and mother was ok but not to call anyone Father except Father God.

I asked myself what was Jesus trying to teach the crowd?

What came to my mind is there is more to life than an earthly family. Jesus went as far as to say that anyone who does ‘God’s will’ can be His mother, brother, and sister. That is so cool. I believe Jesus was making a profound statement about the Kingdom of God. Jesus wanted His own family to know the importance of the will of God.

Implications:

I saw important implications for my own life. It starts with having a desire to do the will of God. This is the most important thing and Jesus emphasized it to the crowds and for His own earthly family.

I ask you now dear friend, what are you doing with God’s will?

Dear friend, in this world we live in we can be pulled in all directions. We can even be pulled into the direction our family wants us to go but our family’s desires for us may not be in line with what God’s will is for our life. Jesus wants us to focus on God’s will and makes a promise that we will be his mother, brother, and sister. It will not be easy to do God’s will when our own mind is leaning on to our own understanding. That is what Jesus’ family was doing. When Jesus did not have time to eat, they went to take charge of Him thinking they knew best. However, they did not! When it comes to our life, we need to seek the Lord more than anything even over our families. HOWEVER, this does not mean we dishonor our families or ignore them. On the contrary, we have to honor them for this is the will of God but at the same time we need to be obedient to God over man. This means if what our family wants for us is contradictory to what God wants for us, we need to take God’s side. This is not always easy but the Lord will help us get through.

Having the desire to do God’s will is the first step in doing God’s will. We need to depend on Father God to help us do His will. God’s universal will is that you accept what He did for you because He sent His only begotten Son so that whosoever believeth in Him shall not perish but have Everlasting Life. God wants you to accept Jesus’ sacrificial death on the cross for you and accept that He was raised again on the third day to give you Salvation when you turn to Him. To turn to Him and receive the free gift of grace, you need to turn your life over to Him.

Won’t you do that my friend?

You can do that right now! You do not have to wait! You can go now, you can go! You can walk in faith. May you have the desire to do God’s will in your life as you allow Jesus to work in you and through you! Amen!

"God’s Own Deliverance’ SAVES! Wonderfully Immanuel Leaves Lesson!" (G.O.D.’S  W.I.L.L)/”What are you doing with God’s will?"

Prayer:
Dear Jesus, thank you so much for teaching me the importance of doing God’s will. We are so sorry for our sin and repent of our sin. Thank you Lord for loving us so much and dying for our sin! We accept your cleansing blood on the cross shed to save us. We accept the free gift of grace you give us! Thank you that your desire has been to do God’s will and you want us to do the same. Help us please Jesus, for on our own we mess up but with your help we can scale any mountain and do what you want us to do. Forgive us when we are rebellious and go our own way. Help us to always seek you Lord and please bring harmony in our families. Help us to live for you and serve you. Help us to love and honor our families whatever your will is for us. Families that do not understand, help them see your love in their own lives and come to understand why other family members choose to do your will. Thank you so much Jesus. We acknowledge you as our Lord and Personal Savior. Please come into our heart and make our heart your home. Please save us Jesus. Live in us Jesus and please help us and guide us. Thank you Lord even when we mess up and have gone our own way, you in your love rescue us as we seek you. Thank you Jesus for hearing us and answering us! In Your Name I Pray Jesus! Amen!

You can pray this prayer with me to offer yourself to Jesus!

Dear Jesus, thank you for being born in Bethlehem in a stable. You had a humble beginning even though you are the King of kings and Lord of lords. I am so sorry for my sins and confess all of them to you. Please Jesus forgive me of my sin and set me free from any bondage I am in. I turn myself over to you and offer myself as a present to you this Christmas Day. Thank you for dying for my sin and coming back to life to save me. I do not know all I want to know about you but I want to start my journey with you and learn from you as I feed upon you and draw my nourishment from you. Help me please Jesus. Thank you so much Jesus. Thank you for saving us and being there for us. Please come Jesus into my heart and make my heart your home. Live in me Jesus and I will live for you and I will serve you the rest of the days of my life. Thank you Jesus you have heard my prayer and answered me. Thank you for being my Lord and Personal Savior. In Your Name I Pray Jesus! Help me in my journey with you Oh Lord. Thank you Jesus! Amen!

Friend, if you have prayed this prayer and meant it in your heart, you are a new creation in Christ and all old things are passed away and everything has become new! You may feel something or may not but don’t base it on feelings but base your new life in Christ on the promises of our Savior who will never leave you nor forsake you! Amen!

Spend time in His word and let the Lord speak to you! Start out in the Gospel of Mark which are also the devotionals I have been going through before the Christmas Devotionals and hope to continue in them. Learn from Jesus through study and prayer. Also find yourself a fellowship you can be part of where you can be part of a community of believers to supplement your own walk with the Lord. Let it be a Bible-believing and Bible-breathing church! Believe in Bible Live Eternally!

Feel free to email me at reddy4hisglory2004@yahoo.com if you want to meet to study the Bible, pray with, talk about Spiritual issues or whatever is on your mind! My number is 412-720-4579

"This is my work and I can do it only because Christ's mighty energy is at work within me." (Colossians 1:29, TLB)

Love in Christ,
Ramesh

Next Devotional:
"What do the P.A.R.A.B.L.E.S mean to you?"

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