Becoming the Man God's Future Requires

Good morning, sir!  

Welcome to day ten! Thank you for being here again!  I pray you're being spiritually nourished through these devotionals.

Let's open with this prayer: “Lord, You are the living Word! You told us, "Take, eat; this is My body." And Lord, that's what we desire right now. Draw me into deeper union with You. As I abide in You, I will not dry up. Speak, Lord, Your servant is listening! In Jesus' name, amen!”

One thought that has lingered in my heart since our men's retreat is this admonition: "Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 2:5)

Jesus willingly sacrificed Himself because He knew who He was!

I worked for the Christian Broadcasting Network (CBN) in Kyiv, Ukraine, for 29 years. One day, while visiting CBN's beautiful headquarters in Virginia Beach, USA, for a meeting, I noticed a small bag of garbage lying on the lawn.

My first thought was, Pick that up.

Then came another: That's not my job!

But I reconsidered. CBN has given me so much. I should give something back.

Then came a question from the Lord I'll never forget: "Are you a son here or a hireling?"

That settled it! I picked up the garbage.

But that simple incident revealed a profound truth:

How we see ourselves determines how we spend ourselves!

Jesus declared, "I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd gives His life for the sheep." He contrasted Himself with the hireling, who flees when the wolf comes because the sheep aren't his. (John 10:11–13)

Jesus knew who He was. His identity shaped His willingness to sacrifice His life for those He loved. The hireling merely performed a job. The Son gave Himself!

Let's close with this prayer:  Lord, open my spiritual eyes to see myself as You see me—Your beloved son! May I trust You completely and willingly give myself for others! Amen!