Luke 21:36 Watch therefore, praying in every season that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things which shall occur, and to stand before the Son of Man.
Luke 21:36 was a foundational scripture when I began Worthy News in 1999. The concept was to provide watchmen with prayer points from the news each day and to prepare the body of Messiah to be found worthy of Him.
Our true value was expressed at the cross of Messiah, where God valued us according to the redemptive work of His only Son. In the light of our identity in Christ our value is inestimable. We are worthy in Him. Much of our spiritual battle, however, is about maintaining and expressing our true identity and worth, day by day.
One of the names of our enemy, Satan, is "Belial", which literally translated, is "worthlessness". How apt! In his rebellion, the enemy has become worthless, and his motive is to persuade us to be and feel like him.
In this post-modern age, where meaning and purpose are reduced to instant gratification, relationship is superficial and expedient, good and evil are relative or inverted, and the value of life is cheapened and ephemeral, our sense of worth is assaulted at every turn. The success of our "worthless" enemy is astonishing and presents the greatest challenge to our life of faith.
Yet our greatest challenge is also our greatest opportunity. Our true value in Yeshua is non-negotiable. It simply needs to be remembered, expressed, and presented to the darkness of our time. This is why spiritual disciplines are so important; prayer, scripture, and fellowship. These activities activate our spirits, instill our sense of value, and help us realize our worthiness in the Lord.
Your life is not 'worthless.' Yeshua has powerfully conveyed its worth. Now, more than ever, this truth can bring hope and real life to everyone you meet.
Copyright 1999-2024 Worthy Devotions. This devotional was originally published on Worthy Devotions and was reproduced with permission.
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I just came across this story through a friend and thought it significantly appropriate for us today. Maybe it is for you too?
An African king had a long time friend who always looked at everything positively, always saying "This is good!" even in the face of the most difficult situations. Hunting one day, he was preparing the king’s guns. When the king took his first shot, his thumb was blown off. Though the friend realized that it was his grave mistake for not properly setting the gun, and even in the face of this furious, bleeding king, he looked at him and said, "This is good!" The king was LIVID, and ordered that his friend be thrown in jail immediately.