INTRODUCTION

Colossians 1:21 says, “you [we] were alienated from God and were enemies in your [our] minds because of your [our] evil behavior.” Ephesians 2:12 says, “We were distant from God and without hope.” In the time that Jesus lived on this earth, Rome imprisoned, tortured and/or killed its enemies. Jesus however came to rescue, to love and draw us close to God. In the New Testament there are four words that describe this relationship. They are prepositions, connecting words that identify the relationship between two objects. They are “with”, “like”, “for” and “in”. Because of Christ, we have been brought near to God. It’s not a geographical position, but a relational position as John writes in John 1:11-12.

QUESTIONS

1. What surfaces in your heart and mind when you consider that Jesus has made it possible for you to be near God, to humbly approach Him with confidence and to be called a child of God?

2. How does this fact change the way you love, live and lead?

3. What change is Jesus inviting you to embrace as a result of today’s devotional?

ACTION STEP

If faced with a negative situation today, pause and remind yourself - “Jesus Christ is WITH me and He understands what I’m feeling and facing because He is LIKE me. He came FOR me and to give me victory as I walk through this difficult moment. All things are possible because He is IN me and I will not succumb to negativity, but be a person of compassion, empathy, peace and hope.”