2 minute read.
Daily Reading: Ecclesiastes 1:1-3:22 ESV, 2 Corinthians 6:1-13 ESV, Psalm 46:1-11 ESV, Proverbs 22:15 ESV
Daily Verse: “For he says, “In a favorable time I listened to you, and in a day of salvation I have helped you.” Behold, now is the favorable time; behold, now is the day of salvation.” (2 Corinthians 6:2 ESV)
DEKTOS (1184): “Approved; propitious: accepted, acceptable.”[i]
Approved.
Paul, quoting Isaiah, applies the passage to the age of grace. Through Jesus, God shows His favor to humankind, offering salvation. Where Isaiah meant the words as vindication in due time, Paul uses them to show God’s grace.
When Jesus entered the world, so did God’s favor. We find salvation through God’s Son. Placing our faith in Christ and submitting to His will for our lives helps us become the person God desires. With Jesus, we can change into a new creation.
Recently, God revealed a bitter root in my heart, planted decades ago. As a result, I had a chip on my shoulder. In other words, I felt like the world owed me something because things didn’t go my way. Mad at my parents for moving me from my childhood home, the bitter root impacted my relationships for years to come.
But then Jesus.
Following Jesus reveals the bitter roots in your heart. Pursuing life to the full in Christ means uncovering the unhealthy areas. My childish anger impaired my vision. Because I looked at the world through a distorted lens, my relationships suffered. Jealousy impacted those I perceived had a better life than mine, those who got their way, unlike me.
In reality, no one ever gets everything they want. Bad things happen to everyone, not just me. People must move, whether they want to or not. Just because things don’t go the way we want doesn’t mean we can take it out on other people. My husband grew up in a military family; he moved constantly; unlike me, he didn’t let bitterness take root.
Pursuing Jesus healed my heart and removed the bitter root. As a result, the anger issues I struggled with lessened, and I see more clearly now. God’s favor in my life happened when I placed my faith in Jesus and began following Him.
Accept God’s grace, and place your faith in Jesus. Ask Him to reveal the bitter roots in your heart and remove them. Experience life to the fullest as you let God into all aspects of your life.
[i] Strong, J., & Strong, J. (2010). The New Strong’s expanded exhaustive concordance of the Bible. Greek Dictionary of the New Testament (p. 63) Thomas Nelson
