Vacation Bible School Devotional Day 2

Day 2:
Bible Point: Jesus gives us the power to help others.
Power Verse: “When Gods people are in need, be ready to help them.” Romans 12:13
Bible Story: Jesus gives sight to a blind man. John 9:1-41
Behave Like a Christian
9 Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good. 10 Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another; 11 not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; 12 rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer; 13 distributing to the needs of the saints, given to hospitality.
14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. 15 Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep. 16 Be of the same mind toward one another. Do not set your mind on high things, but associate with the humble. Do not be wise in your own opinion.
17 Repay no one evil for evil. Have regard for good things in the sight of all men. 18 If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men. 19 Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord. 20 Therefore
“ If your enemy is hungry, feed him;
If he is thirsty, give him a drink;
For in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head.”
21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
Monday at VBS we learned that Jesus gives us the power to be thankful even when times are hard. One of the things we mentioned in Chadder’s Theater is that Jesus places special people in our lives when times are hard. We were challenged to write a thank you note to someone we are thankful for that helped us in a hard time. I encourage you to take a moment and drop a card in the mail to someone you are thankful for. It can really impact their day.
Today’s Power Verse is just about becoming one of those people who are there for those in need. Jesus calls on us to give of ourselves to those in need. Frequently we look toward those who may not have a relationship in Christ or are new to Christ to give of our gifts and talents to. Doing so is great and helps us build the Kingdom of God. God certainly wants us to do these good works in His name. When I read this passage one of the things I thought about, and I checked many versions, is that it specifically relates to meeting the needs of other Christians.
Take a moment to reread the passage and think specifically about meeting the needs of other Christians. I’ll wait – go read. OK you’re back. Sometimes as Christians we get so wrapped up in serving those who need help building a relationship with Christ that we forget to serve each other. Some people talk about filling their cup. When we serve a little bit of our water is transferred to the other person. Since we’re talking about Jesus’ spirit within us I look at this water as being the water of life. So as we give we are giving Life Giving Water. Eventually that well could run dry, unless someone is continually feeding our spring with Life Giving Water.
One way to get “filled up” is by attending church regularly. Receiving the words of God through the ceremony and through the sermon helps us to grow in our love for him and gives us the tools to share that Life Giving Water. Communing with other believers is also a way to fill that cup. By this I mean just being friends with other believers and sharing your lives together. Naturally this leads to if your friend has a problem you are there to help them. Think about the Good Samaritan. He helped a total stranger in the ditch. If this were your friend, someone you’ve hung out with, you wouldn’t hesitate to help them. That’s what Jesus wants us to do. Help our friends no matter what. He promises to supply what we need. In Jesus’ eyes, we as Christians are all friends. You should be able to go up to another Christian and have that bond of like mindedness through the spirit of Jesus.
As you go through your day, try to be conscious of who you’re interacting with. If they are forming a relationship with Christ try to find one way you can make that easier for them. My suggestion is be their friend. Eat lunch with them, visit with them, just those little things friends do. If they are a Christian think of one way you can help fill their cup. Doing a task for them, eating a meal with them, visiting with them, and number of the things that have been listed in Romans. Don’t you love how Jesus’ always seems to have the right words to lead us? It might be to forgive them. Christians tend to hold each other to higher than normal standards and then we forget to practice forgiveness. Bless those around you with your presence all day long. Have another great day at VBS!