40 Days of Praise - Day 10
Day Ten
“In him was life“
John 1:4a
The Gospel of John begins with ideas that are very similar to what we have been learning from Colossians 1:15–20. The Word in John 1:1-2 is God the Son before He took on flesh. Verse 3 tells us that Creation came into being through him, just as we saw in Colossians 1:16.
But when we get to verse four in John 1, the Apostle John and the Apostle Paul take different paths. In Colossians, Paul goes on to talk about the resurrection and God‘s work of reconciliation. But here in John, the focus remains on the Word, God the Son. After ascribing creation to Him, John makes a simple statement that opens a world of contemplation: “In him is life”.
The physical creation is full of life, from single-celled varieties to all sorts of plant life, to cold-blooded animals such as reptiles, to mammals and birds. All of this life emanated from God the Son, the Word. And after He had brought all of this into existence over the six days of creation, He was in no way depleted or diminished. When it says He rested on the seventh day, it clarifies that He rested because Creation was complete and the work was finished, not because He needed to recover.
When Michael Phelps set swimming records at the Beijing Olympic games in 2008, he said his breakfast consisted of three 7-egg omelets. He consumed 18,000 calories a day during the games to sustain his energy output.
But the Word, God the Son, doesn't need to eat to maintain His energy. "In Him is life." He has no need to consume. He doesn't have daily food and drink requirements. All He needs comes from within Himself.
We can rest in His unlimited life, knowing that there is never a time that He is tired or distracted, irritable or mentally drained. He is there to give us the strength that our journey requires. Isaiah describes it best, and I'll close today's devotional with his words from Isaiah 40:28-31 from the English Standard Version.
28 Have you not known? Have you not heard?
The LORD is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He does not faint or grow weary;
his understanding is unsearchable.
29 He gives power to the faint,
and to him who has no might he increases strength.
30 Even youths shall faint and be weary,
and young men shall fall exhausted;
31 but they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength;
they shall mount up with wings like eagles;
they shall run and not be weary;
they shall walk and not faint.
Pastor Charles M. Butler
“In him was life“
John 1:4a
The Gospel of John begins with ideas that are very similar to what we have been learning from Colossians 1:15–20. The Word in John 1:1-2 is God the Son before He took on flesh. Verse 3 tells us that Creation came into being through him, just as we saw in Colossians 1:16.
But when we get to verse four in John 1, the Apostle John and the Apostle Paul take different paths. In Colossians, Paul goes on to talk about the resurrection and God‘s work of reconciliation. But here in John, the focus remains on the Word, God the Son. After ascribing creation to Him, John makes a simple statement that opens a world of contemplation: “In him is life”.
The physical creation is full of life, from single-celled varieties to all sorts of plant life, to cold-blooded animals such as reptiles, to mammals and birds. All of this life emanated from God the Son, the Word. And after He had brought all of this into existence over the six days of creation, He was in no way depleted or diminished. When it says He rested on the seventh day, it clarifies that He rested because Creation was complete and the work was finished, not because He needed to recover.
When Michael Phelps set swimming records at the Beijing Olympic games in 2008, he said his breakfast consisted of three 7-egg omelets. He consumed 18,000 calories a day during the games to sustain his energy output.
But the Word, God the Son, doesn't need to eat to maintain His energy. "In Him is life." He has no need to consume. He doesn't have daily food and drink requirements. All He needs comes from within Himself.
We can rest in His unlimited life, knowing that there is never a time that He is tired or distracted, irritable or mentally drained. He is there to give us the strength that our journey requires. Isaiah describes it best, and I'll close today's devotional with his words from Isaiah 40:28-31 from the English Standard Version.
28 Have you not known? Have you not heard?
The LORD is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He does not faint or grow weary;
his understanding is unsearchable.
29 He gives power to the faint,
and to him who has no might he increases strength.
30 Even youths shall faint and be weary,
and young men shall fall exhausted;
31 but they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength;
they shall mount up with wings like eagles;
they shall run and not be weary;
they shall walk and not faint.
Pastor Charles M. Butler
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