DATE POSTED: Tuesday, August 29, 2023, and I was blessed to be at Dothan, AL when God inspired me to prepare this devotional. My Footnote will tell you how to find, read or listen to any and all episodes that I have shared over the years.

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE FROM THE New Living Translation (NLT) IS FOUND IN Luke 9:18-20

THE BIBLE TEXT IS: One day Jesus left the crowds to pray alone. Only his disciples were with him, and he asked them, “Who do people say I am?”
“Well,” they replied, “some say John the Baptist, some say Elijah, and others say you are one of the other ancient prophets risen from the dead.”
Then he asked them, “But who do you say I am?”
Peter replied, “You are the Messiah sent from God!”

MY INITIAL THOUGHTS: A very familiar passage of Scripture where God’s messengers would normally point out the important question You challenged Your disciples with: “But who do you say I am”. While this is a key point for anyone to consider, I couldn’t help but think about the mindset of Jesus when asking this very important question. As we meditate, let me encourage you to ask God to help you see the message intended for you personally. It may not be the usual and obvious question that most tend to emphasize on. He may have a dedicated message to you for this very time and place.

APPLICATION OF THE WORD: This past Sunday, our pastor chose to speak from this very familiar Scripture. His emphasis was on the Transfiguration, and how God made known His precious Son to the disciples. Although listening closely to our pastor, I believe that God was speaking even louder to me, for I heard Him telling me to care for others like Jesus did. Let me explain. There are many times that we visit with people and we casually ask the normal and expected questions. How are you? It is inevitable that we respond ‘oh, good!’ And then we prepare to ask our next question, even if the response to our first question was ‘awful’ or ‘I hurt all over’ or ‘I would much prefer being anywhere but here’. Wait a minute, why did we visit? Just to say that we did so, and ask the questions we were trained to ask when visiting the sick and/or hospitalized? Isn’t it time that we seek training on great listening skills, and ways to respond to the words from our sick loved ones? Notice carefully how Jesus was careful to train His disciples on things they might talk about with the people they would minister to. Who do they say that I am? This indicates that Jesus expected that the disciples would have sought out this same question from those following Him. I don’t believe this is the same as Jesus asking, who do you think they are saying that I am? Often when we visit someone, we are told about what the people are saying about the pastor, or about the church. Perhaps a good follow-up question might be for us to ask, but who do you say that the pastor is, or how has the church ministered to you? I believe that the worst nightmare would be for us to leave a hospital room without asking about the individual’s personal experience with Jesus, only to later hear that you were the last person to visit with them while alive. To ask them about Jesus shows that you care about them. However, remember that you cannot save them. So be ready to stand down, even if you leave the question with them to ponder. Not long after Jesus asked these challenging questions of His disciples, He was taken up to heaven in the Transfiguration. It was like, He wanted to make sure that He challenged His disciples with these questions to ponder long after He had left them. Friends, know today that this life, not even this Christian life, is about how often you attend church, or how much you give to the church, or even how often you give the pastor a pat on the back about his sermon. While all of these things are great gestures and encouraging for your pastor to know that you care about him, what will matter on the day you meet with Jesus in glory is: Who was Jesus to you? Did He impact your life so that you could, in turn, impact the lives of those you came into contact with each day while given the opportunity here on earth? You see, I would like to know that I have my life in order before trying to help others straighten out their life. If not, I will give them the same bad advice that I have fed myself over the years. Think about joining me in this endeavor, dear friend.

BLESSINGS WORTH NOTING: Jesus showed us that He cared enough about His disciples that He wanted to know their intimate, personal feelings about His impact on them. Oh how I wish that I could be that caring with the folk I come into contact with each day, and that my readers and listeners would do the same.

PRAYER BECAUSE OF THE IMPACT OF TODAY’S SCRIPTURE: Precious Lord, I thank You for reminding me one more time about Your love for Your children, and that our priorities are in order in our relationship with You, so that others would, in turn, be impacted by us. Please forgive us when we casually walk about each day without considering the needs of others, and especially their need for You. Thank You for showing us how to love and care about our fellow mankind and knowing that their very thoughts and feelings are geared towards sharing Your love with everyone they encounter here on earth. We are Your instruments Lord, please lead us in ways that You may be glorified in everything we say or do for others, so that they may seek and experience new life through Jesus our Lord. AMEN!

FOOTNOTE: There’s another page on my website, entitled ‘To Know Jesus’. If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading or listening to this devotional, please go to this page, or speak with a local Bible Teaching Pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. Please allow someone to pray with you and give you help and/or encouragement as you begin or continue your walk with Jesus. If you would like to read more of my devotionals, or subscribe for a daily email containing each new devotional, please go online to NuggetsFromGodsWord.org. For my podcast, go online to Apple Podcasts or, using the Apple Podcast app, simply search for Nuggets From God’s Word to hear more episodes, or click ‘Follow’ to be notified of Podcast updates. Friends, please allow me to encourage you to find a church home nearby your home and attend as frequently as you could. Get to know God and allow His people to encourage and strengthen you in your Christian walk, while making every effort to be a blessing to them. God is at work among His people! Please consider growing in your faith, as you worship with fellow believers!