Bible League: Living His Word “We must quickly carry out the tasks assigned us by the one who sent us. The night is coming, and then no one can work.”— John 9:4 NLT Jesus and his disciples came upon a man that had been blind from birth. The disciples asked Jesus, “‘Why was this man born blind?’… ‘This happened so the power of God could be seen in him,’” (John 9:1-3). That’s when Jesus spoke the words recorded in our verse for today. He then “spit on the ground, made mud with the saliva, and spread the mud over the blind man’s eyes. He told him, ‘Go wash yourself in the pool of Siloam.’ So the man went and washed and came back seeing!” (John 9:6-7). In our verse, Jesus lays out a general principle of the Kingdom of God. Before night comes, while it is still day, we must carry out the tasks assigned to us. In Jesus’ case, this meant that he had to, among other things, preach the good news of the Gospel, heal the sick, and cast out demons. For us, it could be anything. The Lord God has tasks that need to be carried out in every area of life. Whatever the tasks may be, however, they must be carried out in the day, before night falls. What does this mean? It means that we have a limited timeframe within which to do the tasks assigned to us. We have until night. What does “night” mean in this context? It can mean, literally, that we have until dark. In ancient times, day was the time for work, not night. It can also mean, however, that we have until the night of death arrives. Obviously, no tasks will be performed on earth after we have passed on to heaven. Finally, it can mean that we have until the opportunity for our tasks has passed us by. It’s like the saying, “Strike while the iron is hot.” We must act decisively and make good use of our opportunities when they arise. It’s because there’s a limited timeframe—however this is understood—that we must “quickly carry out the tasks assigned us.” The goal, in other words, is to get as many tasks done as we can within the limited time allotted to us. Night is coming. Get moving! Bible in a Year Old Testament ReadingLeviticus 26, 27 Leviticus 26 -- Rewards and Punishments concerning Obedience NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB Leviticus 27 -- Rules concerning Valuations NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB New Testament Reading Mark 2 Mark 2 -- Jesus Heals a Paralytic, Calls Matthew; Fasting; Lord of the Sabbath NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB Reading Plan Courtesy of Christian Classics Etherial Library. Tyndale Life Application Daily Devotion The LORD is a friend to those who fear him.He teaches them his covenant. Insight “The LORD is a friend to those who fear him.” God offers intimate and lasting friendship to those who revere him, who hold him in highest honor. Challenge What relationship could ever compare with having the Lord of all creation for a friend? Your everlasting friendship with God will grow as you revere him. Morning and Evening by Spurgeon Luke 15:18 Father, I have sinned.It is quite certain that those whom Christ has washed in his precious blood need not make a confession of sin, as culprits or criminals, before God the Judge, for Christ has forever taken away all their sins in a legal sense, so that they no longer stand where they can be condemned, but are once for all accepted in the Beloved; but having become children, and offending as children, ought they not every day to go before their heavenly Father and confess their sin, and acknowledge their iniquity in that character? Nature teaches that it is the duty of erring children to make a confession to their earthly father, and the grace of God in the heart teaches us that we, as Christians, owe the same duty to our heavenly Father. We daily offend, and ought not to rest without daily pardon. For, supposing that my trespasses against my Father are not at once taken to him to be washed away by the cleansing power of the Lord Jesus, what will be the consequence? If I have not sought forgiveness and been washed from these offences against my Father, I shall feel at a distance from him; I shall doubt his love to me; I shall tremble at him; I shall be afraid to pray to him: I shall grow like the prodigal, who, although still a child, was yet far off from his father. But if, with a child's sorrow at offending so gracious and loving a Parent, I go to him and tell him all, and rest not till I realize that I am forgiven, then I shall feel a holy love to my Father, and shall go through my Christian career, not only as saved, but as one enjoying present peace in God through Jesus Christ my Lord. There is a wide distinction between confessing sin as a culprit, and confessing sin as a child. The Father's bosom is the place for penitent confessions. We have been cleansed once for all, but our feet still need to be washed from the defilement of our daily walk as children of God. Daily Light on the Daily Path Genesis 5:3 When Adam had lived one hundred and thirty years, he became the father of a son in his own likeness, according to his image, and named him Seth.Job 14:4 "Who can make the clean out of the unclean? No one! Psalm 51:5 Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, And in sin my mother conceived me. Ephesians 2:1,3 And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, • Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest. Romans 7:14,15,18 For we know that the Law is spiritual, but I am of flesh, sold into bondage to sin. • For what I am doing, I do not understand; for I am not practicing what I would like to do, but I am doing the very thing I hate. • For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh; for the willing is present in me, but the doing of the good is not. Romans 5:12,19 Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned-- • For as through the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the One the many will be made righteous. Romans 5:15 But the free gift is not like the transgression. For if by the transgression of the one the many died, much more did the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abound to the many. Romans 8:2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death. 1 Corinthians 15:57 but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit http://www.lockman.org. |
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