Christ's Intercession

"I pray for them...which thou hast given me"  (John 17:9 ASV)

A devotional about our Lord's intercession for us, by Dr. John A. Witmer.

Most of us have felt the special thrill of having someone ask about some decision or some trial or an opportunity for witness and ministry, and then say, "Well, I was praying for you." This explains the unusual strength God gave or the extra wisdom we received or the interest and response of those to whom we spoke. Such is the blessed privilege and the glorious effect of intercession for one another as believers in Christ.

But the truth which should stagger our imaginations and which should transform our attitudes and our actions is the fact of the intercessory ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ which He mentions in this verse. The exalted Lord Jesus Christ at the right hand of the Father prays for me. This fact should overwhelm us.

We call this chapter of John's gospel the high priestly prayer of Christ. What we mean by that is that it is a sample of His intercessory ministry. We can properly say that the subjects Christ prays about in this chapter are the things that weigh heaviest upon His heart and for which he prays again and again.

How much of our spiritual growth, our success in ministry, our freedom from injury and illness and troubles can be traced to the intercession of Christ? No one can say. It exceeds our ability to estimate. But the Word of God reveals that the intercession of Christ is continual (Heb. 7:25). It also states that our security in salvation is dependent, at least in some measure, upon this continual intercessory work of our great High Priest, the Lord Jesus Christ. Certainly as believers we have much to praise Him for and to respond with thanksgiving.

"Great Advocate, almighty Friend!

On Thee our humble hopes depend;

Our cause can never, never fail,

For Thou dost plead, and must prevail."

"....and He ever liveth to make intercession for them"  (Hebrews 7:25).

Quick Praise (Ps. 113:3)

From the rising of the sun to its going down the Lord's name is to be praised. (Psalm 113:3 NKJV)

Jesus.....praise that name all your waking hours.

Quick Praise (Mk. 6:49-50)

When they saw Him walking on the sea, they thought it was a ghost and cried out; for they all saw Him and were terrified. Immediately He spoke with them and said, "Have courage! It is I. Don't be afraid." 
(Mark 6:49-50 HCSB)

Don't be afraid...Jesus is the Master of the Sea!

Christ's Lordship

Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it. (John 2:5 ASV)

Here's another devotional by Dr. John A. Witmer. This one is about Christ's lordship and our willingness to obey His will for our lives.

Mark Twain was asked about passages of the Bible he could not understand. In his humorous, but incisive, manner, he replied, "It is not the Scriptures that I do not understand that give me trouble. It is the ones I do understand."

So it is with most of us. There are cases when we need guidance as to what the will of the Lord is. God graciously meets us in those situations when we honestly do not know what He wants us to do and He reveals His will to us and guides us through Scripture, through prayer, through circumstances, and through the Holy Spirit.

But most of the time when we face difficulties and are burdened with problems the crux of the issue is not in knowing the will of God, but in doing it. Out lack is not knowledge, but willingness. Our need is not more information, but more obedience. God will not show us more of His will until we are cheerfully carrying out that which He has revealed to us. Jesus Himself told the story of the two sons whose father asked them to work in the vineyard. One refused, but later obeyed. The other consented, but never did obey. Jesus properly asked, "Whether of them twain did the will of his father?" The correct reply was the first, who finally obeyed.

We are the "servants" of the Lord Jesus Christ, if we have believed on Him as our Savior and acknowledged Him as our Lord. If we would be instruments in His hands for the accomplishment of miracles of grace, we must likewise give heed to Mary's words, "Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it." Obedience is the path of blessing and true happiness. The words of this chorus are simple, but they are simply true:

Trust and obey,

for there's no other way

To be happy in Jesus,

but to trust and obey.

Hosea

Plow up the hard ground of your hearts, for now is the time to seek the LORD, that he may come and shower righteousness upon you. (Hosea 10:12 NLT)

How sincere is your worship? Consider that question as you look at the following worship profile of Hosea from the Praise and Worship Study Bible published by Tyndale House Publishers.

Hosea

As with many prophets, Hosea's life was a living parable. He not only spoke the messages God gave him but also lived them out so that the people saw what God was trying to tell them. Hosea's troubled relationship with Gomer gave the people of Israel a clear picture of the deep hurt they caused the Lord when they turned away and worshiped idols.

Hosea the Worshiper

Hosea understood the importance of purity in worship. Idolatry is likened to committing adultery against the Lord, who has bound himself to his people like a husband binds himself to his wife.

Hosea's obedience shows that worship involves action as much as reflection. Hosea glorified God by faithfully pursuing his unfaithful wife and redeeming her.

Learning from Hosea

God calls us today to obey and reflect his love and faithfulness to others, regardless of the hurt they may inflict upon us.

Hosea teaches us that God loves us and desires that we be faithful to him. Although we may turn away, God remains faithful to us.

Hosea reminds us of the inseparable link between worship and justice. We cannot offer pleasing worship to God if we also willfully mistreat others.

Following the Example

Hosea's summation of Israel's sins, which begins in chapter 4, reads like a prosecutor's case against a defendant. One of the charges against Israel is insincere worship of the Lord: "Their worship is mere pretense as they take oaths in the Lord's name" (Hosea 4:15). Sadly, this charge could still be brought against many people today. As you reflect on your own worship, ask yourself, How sincere is my worship? Do the words I speak translate into deeds that serve others and honor God? Ask God to get rid of any pretense that you have allowed to stand in the place of true worship.