Time Out! Devotions

(from Crosswalk.com devotionals)

So the Word became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son.
—John 1:14

Some children were asked the question, “What is God like?” Ashley, age 10, said, “God is like a never-ending story that you want to read again and again. When I hear about Him, I want to know more. Although I can’t see Him, I feel Him. He is perfect and pure. I know He has felt pain and has suffered greatly to take away my sins.” Well said.

Adrian, age 8, said, “God is cool. Awesome. Powerful. Nice. Big. Huge. Wonderful. Loving. Exciting. Caring. Giving. And the best.” Adrian has some great insight into God’s attributes.

But I think Caleb, age 10, had the best answer. He said, “God is like Jesus, because God is Jesus.” That is right. If you want to know what God is like, then take a long look at Jesus, because Jesus was God in human form.

Jesus was not a mere representative of God; He was God himself among us. He was not a glorified man, but God in human form. As it has been said, “Jesus was God with skin on.” He walked our planet and breathed our air and felt our pain. He was so wise that He could predict the future events of the world. He was so humble that He could get on His knees and wash His friends’ dirty feet. He was so powerful that He could calm the wind and waves with a word. He was so approachable that children climbed into His arms.

There has never been a man who strode across the human stage quite like Jesus. He stands apart from all others. And because of Him, we have access to God. C. S. Lewis summed it up beautifully when he said, “The Son of God became a man to enable men to become sons of God.”

Copyright © 2010 by Harvest Ministries. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright 1996, 2004. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.

For more relevant and biblical teaching from Pastor Greg Laurie, go to www.harvest.org and to listen to Greg Laurie’s daily broadcast on OnePlace.com, click here.

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I love the Lord because He hears my prayers and answers them. Because He bends down and listens, I will pray as long as I breathe!

Death stared me in the face – I was frightened and sad. Then I cried, “Lord, save me!” How kind He is! So merciful, this God of ours! The Lord protects the simple and the childlike; I was facing death and then He saved me. Now I can relax. For the Lord has done this wonderful miracle for me. He has saved me from death, my eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling. I shall live! Yes, in His presence – here on earth!

In my discouragement I thought, “They are lying when they say I will recover.” But now what can I offer Jehovah for all He has done for me? I will bring Him an offering of wine and praise His name for saving me. I will publicly bring Him the sacrifice I vowed I would. His loved ones are very precious to Him and He does not lightly let them die.

O Lord, You have freed me from my bonds and I will serve You forever. I will worship You and offer You a sacrifice of thanksgiving.

(Psalm 116:1-17 – The Living Bible)

God is not so far away that you cannot reach Him. He “bends down and listens” to your prayers. This writer’s love for the Lord had grown because he had experienced answers to his prayers.

If you are discouraged, remember that God is near, listening carefully to every prayer and answering each prayer in order to give you His best.