Are you as tired after the Easter celebrating as I am? (It was also my son’s 13th birthday!) After a week of daily Holy Week devotions, I was tempted to take Mindful Monday off for this week, but I want to stay consistent for you and I both 🙂 This is from a devotional I read and I think it says it all without me giving too much of an introduction. I think it’s a perfect devotional for the day after Resurrection Sunday! It’s from Steven Furtick and his site, Seven Mile Miracle:
Key Scripture: John 19:30
Thought for Today: It’s not what I can do; it’s what He’s already done.
With Jesus’ dying words in John 19:30, He initiated the greatest sabotage in human history.
When Jesus said, “It is finished,” the enemy was ready to celebrate the ultimate defeat of evil over good. But what the enemy intended to be a cry of defeat, Jesus used to speak eternal victory over death. Once and for all, Jesus used His final words to issue us the victory of saying, “It’s not what I can do; It’s what He’s already done.”
No longer would you have to get your act together to come into the presence of God.
No longer would you have to strive under your own effort to earn God’s love.
No longer would you have to follow a detailed set of rules and regulations to achieve your spot in Heaven.
The triumph of the cross does not come by human effort. The victory of Jesus is received where your trying ends.
Jesus will never love you any more than He does right now. He’s not waiting for perfection before He’ll accept you.
Jesus has already done everything you need to experience Heaven. He’s not waiting for you to achieve the goals you’ve set for your life. He’s not waiting for you to feel sorry for the price He paid.
He’s waiting for you to be changed. He’s waiting for you to completely surrender your will to His.
Faith is not about a bad person becoming good; it’s about a dead person becoming alive. The greatest triumph in the world-the victory of life over death-is available for you to receive today.
When you make this daily decision to surrender to God’s greatest triumph, you enable yourself to experience His victory in every area of your life.
Surrender your unforgiveness. Resurrect love.
Surrender your disobedience. Resurrect the purpose God has for you.
Surrender your insecurities. Resurrect the security of your identity in Him.
Open your eyes today to the obedience and victory of surrender.
PRAY:
Jesus, I surrender to you. I know that you have overcome the world. The grave could not hold you down, Lord. You may have died on the cross, but you rose again. And today, Jesus, I receive the life you have made available to me through your victory over death. Change me, Lord, and shape me into the person you died for me to be. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
APPLY:
When you receive the victory of surrender to Jesus, your life will never be the same. How have you changed since surrendering to Jesus? How has your outlook on life changed? How have your relationships changed? How has your purpose in life changed? Write down your life change story and share it with one person close to you this week. Pray that they will be inspired by the story of victory you have experienced through Jesus.
