To prevent the frustration of falling behind, which most of us tend to do when following a Bible reading plan, each month of this plan gives you only twenty-five readings. Today we start a few “free days” . We encourage you to catch up on any readings you may have missed this month.
If you have finished the month’s readings, you can use these final days of the month to study the passages that challenged or intrigued you.
The Bible reading plan we are following this year can be found here: https://www.navigators.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/navigators-bible-reading-plan.pdf
Daily Devotion
Leading the Lost
A pillar in the Marine Corps doctrine is that every marine is a basic rifleman. Pilot, tank gunner, or logistical support, you must always be prepared to return to the core position.
Similarly, as Christians we also have a responsibility to return to our core position and always be laboring in the fields, which are ready for harvest. Jesus said the labors were few therefore revealing to me that my human nature is going to find any reason to validate my lack of labor. Unfortunately or fortunately, depending on your view, as saved Christians we are the only qualified labors available.
Only saved Christians have the experience of being forgiven for all our sins to guide unsaved people to Jesus. This was divinely designed by Jesus, starting with our focus, or where am I looking. I have to be looking, not at myself, accomplishments, failures, strengths, weaknesses, but at the fields. It is unique that these items which are my life story or testimony are the same items that will open an opportunity to lead someone to Christ. It is not easy, in fact it can be very overwhelming to reveal my story to a new person. But what better way for someone to feel the potential for hope then by someone who once was without hope and now has it. Our testimony does not stop when we get saved, it continues.
Therefore, if there is power in our testimony this power continues to increase. Jesus said he needed labors, which is a Greek word for a toiler and figuratively a teacher. Two words, one being hard work and the other guiding people, sweaty and frustrating, those are the words that come to mind, but in actuality the more I focus the easier it gets. When I remove the focus on me and redirect it to others the more I can see the reward. This is His burden and it is light. What friendships and miracles await when I begin to work in the harvest. Will I humble myself and labor? Therein lies the answer.
~Dominic Couvion