Daily Devotional for Thursday, October 26

The Illustration

“And have ye not read this scripture; The stone which the builders rejected is become the head of the corner: this was the Lord’s doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes?”
Mark 12:10, 11.

A Christian professor recalled a moving incident that happened in a Christian camp where he served. One of the campers, a boy with spastic paralysis, was the object of heartless ridicule. When he would ask a question, the boys would deliberately answer in a halting, mimicking way. One night his cabin group chose him to lead the devotions before the entire camp. It was one more effort to have some “fun” at his expense. Unashamedly, the spastic boy stood up, and in his strained, slurred manner he said simply, “Jesus loves me—and I love Jesus!” That was all. Conviction fell upon those junior high age students. Many began to repent. Revival gripped the camp. Years afterward, the professor still meets men in the ministry who came to Christ because of that testimony.

Jesus preached a parable using Isaiah to point out the sin of the Pharisees’ twisted religion. These religious rulers were tasked with delivering the Word of God and ministering to people. Yet, they had misappropriated the truth and misused their position for personal gain. When the truth of Jesus’ simple parable touched their hearts, they became convicted and responded in anger.

Whether it is a sharp rebuke or a simple message of God’s love, the Word of God has great power when it is delivered. Jesus was consistent in responding to every matter with God’s Word. Whether His temptation in the wilderness or confronting the sin of self-righteousness, He delivered the Word with power.

FINAL THOUGHT: “What does God’s Word say?”should be the natural and regular response of Christians.

Steven Ridings