Marie’s daily verse: 

John 14:27:  Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid.

DAILY DEVOTION, December 10, 2021

Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen (2 Peter 3:18).

Okay, I trust Jesus as my Lord and Savior, and my sins are forgiven, and heaven is my destiny. Is that it? Peter says NO! Once we have come to faith in Jesus, our next business is to grow. Salvation is wonderful, but there is much more beyond being saved. As we become absorbed with the life and teachings of Jesus, we grow ever more effective in the Christian way of life.

The Apostle Paul had a wonderful conversion experience, but it did not end there. As He learned more and more about Jesus, he became increasingly effective in his ministry. He grew in the grace and knowledge of the Lord. As we follow this same pattern, we also become ever more effective in the service to which we are called. As a result, our usefulness as Christians grows.

All the credit for what we do as Christians belongs to Jesus, not to us. Without His help, we can do nothing. To Him be the glory both now and forever! Yes, I want to go to heaven, but I also want to be useful to Christ during my brief life on earth. Do you?

Father, again I thank You for the gift of eternal life. However, I do not want to be content to just go to heaven when I die. I want to be a useful servant in Your Kingdom here on earth. I want to grow in Your grace. I want to grow in the knowledge of Jesus. For Jesus’ sake, Amen.