Light And Darkness.

This is Follow Jesus Radio, encouraging you to have faith in Jesus Christ and follow Him daily. The title of this devotional thought is: Light And Darkness.

John 1:5 (BSB):

"The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it."

There are seasons when life feels very dark. Sometimes that darkness comes through grief, disappointment, anxiety, loneliness, or the heavy awareness of our own sin. At other times, it comes from watching the wickedness of the world and feeling worn down by it. John 1:5 speaks into that darkness with deep comfort: the Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

That Light is Jesus Christ. He is not a fragile candle threatened by the winds of this world. He is the eternal Son of God, holy, sovereign, and full of grace and truth. Darkness is real, but it is not sovereign. Suffering is painful, but it is not final. Sin is powerful, but it is not greater than the Savior.

This means that when a believer feels surrounded by darkness, they are not abandoned. Christ does not cease shining because circumstances are hard. His presence is not diminished by pain. His promises do not fail in the night. Even when the heart feels weak, Christ remains strong. Even when understanding is limited, His rule is perfect. Even when tears are many, His mercy is sure.

This verse also reminds us that darkness does not win. It did not win when sinful humanity rejected Christ. It did not win at the cross. It did not win at the tomb. And it will not win in the life of any one of His people. The risen Christ will keep every person the Father has given Him.

So if the path feels dim today, do not trust your feelings above God's Word. Look to Christ. Bring your fears honestly to Him. Confess your sin plainly. Rest in His finished work. Open His Word and let His truth steady your soul. The Light is still shining, and the darkness has not overcome Him.

For the one who does not know Christ, this verse is both warning and hope. Apart from Him, you remain in darkness because of sin. But the Light still shines. Turn from your sin and trust in Christ alone. He is a sufficient Savior for all who come to Him in repentance and faith.

God Power Not Man Power

This is Follow Jesus Radio, encouraging you to have faith in Jesus Christ and follow Him daily. The title of this devotional thought is:  God Power Not Man Power.

Deuteronomy 30:6 (BSB):
"The LORD your God will circumcise your hearts and the hearts of your descendants, and you will love Him with all your heart and with all your soul, so that you may live."

Deuteronomy 30:6 teaches a decisive truth: obedience to God does not begin with human willpower, but with divine heart surgery. Moses says that the Lord Himself will “circumcise” the heart. That means God cuts away the rebellion, hardness, and spiritual deadness that keep sinners from truly loving Him. Left to ourselves, we do not naturally submit to God. We may perform outward religion, but we cannot love Him rightly from the inside out.

This is why no one can truly follow Jesus unless God first changes the heart. Christ is not followed merely by admiration, tradition, or moral effort. He is followed by those whom God has made alive, those whose hearts have been renewed by His sovereign grace. The command to love God with all the heart and soul is impossible for the person who is not born again, but what God commands, He also grants to His people through His saving work.

Deuteronomy 30:6 points forward to the new covenant reality fulfilled in Christ: God transforms sinners so that they love Him, trust Him, and walk in His ways. True discipleship is not self-reformation; it is regeneration. If a person has any real love for Christ, that love did not originate in fallen flesh, but in the mercy of God.

Do not trust in a decision, a ritual, or outward conformity. Ask whether God has changed your heart. Where the heart has been circumcised by God, there will be real love for Christ, real hatred of sin, and real perseverance in faith. Only the Lord can make a sinner live. If you have not already, ask God for this heart surgery.

That's it for this podcast. Remember, Jesus loves you and is just a prayer away.

Not Everyone

This is Follow Jesus Radio, encouraging you to have faith in Jesus Christ and follow Him daily. The title of this devotional thought is: Not Everyone.

Listen to what we are told by Jesus in Matthew 7:21-27: 

Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter into the Kingdom of Heaven; but he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.

Many will tell me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, didn’t we prophesy in your name, in your name cast out demons, and in your name do many mighty works?’

Then I will tell them, ‘I never knew you. Depart from me, you who work iniquity.’

“Everyone therefore who hears these words of mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man, who built his house on a rock.

The rain came down, the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat on that house; and it didn’t fall, for it was founded on the rock.

Everyone who hears these words of mine, and doesn’t do them will be like a foolish man, who built his house on the sand.

The rain came down, the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat on that house; and it fell—and great was its fall.”

My fellow followers of Jesus, let's remind each other this very day to make it our aim to follow only Jesus and His teachings. There are so many "voices" out there. Let's make sure the only voice we hear is that of our Savior, Jesus Christ. And let's ask God to give us ministers who are faithful only to Jesus and His word.

Of course, none of us can follow Jesus unless God changes our heart. Has He changed yours? If not, ask God for that heart surgery right now.

That's it for this podcast. Remember, Jesus loves you and is just a prayer away.

Light And Darkness

This is Follow Jesus Radio, encouraging you to have faith in Jesus Christ and follow Him daily. The title of this devotional thought is: Light And Darkness.

John 1:5 (BSB):

"The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it."

There are seasons when life feels very dark. Sometimes that darkness comes through grief, disappointment, anxiety, loneliness, or the heavy awareness of our own sin. At other times, it comes from watching the wickedness of the world and feeling worn down by it. John 1:5 speaks into that darkness with deep comfort: the Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

That Light is Jesus Christ. He is not a fragile candle threatened by the winds of this world. He is the eternal Son of God, holy, sovereign, and full of grace and truth. Darkness is real, but it is not sovereign. Suffering is painful, but it is not final. Sin is powerful, but it is not greater than the Savior.

This means that when a believer feels surrounded by darkness, they are not abandoned. Christ does not cease shining because circumstances are hard. His presence is not diminished by pain. His promises do not fail in the night. Even when the heart feels weak, Christ remains strong. Even when understanding is limited, His rule is perfect. Even when tears are many, His mercy is sure.

This verse also reminds us that darkness does not win. It did not win when sinful humanity rejected Christ. It did not win at the cross. It did not win at the tomb. And it will not win in the life of any one of His people. The risen Christ will keep every person the Father has given Him.

So if the path feels dim today, do not trust your feelings above God's Word. Look to Christ. Bring your fears honestly to Him. Confess your sin plainly. Rest in His finished work. Open His Word and let His truth steady your soul. The Light is still shining, and the darkness has not overcome Him.

For the one who does not know Christ, this verse is both warning and hope. Apart from Him, you remain in darkness because of sin. But the Light still shines. Turn from your sin and trust in Christ alone. He is a sufficient Savior for all who come to Him in repentance and faith.