“But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. Early in the morning
He came again into the temple, and all the people were coming to Him; and He
sat down and began to teach them. “ (John 8:1,2)

Jesus
attracts people to Himself. As many as are willing, He will draw them to
Himself and teach them. It is no different today. You who have faith simply
express that faith in daily living, reading Scripture, listening to the Lord,
growing and understanding more about the eternal will of God the Father.

Lord, like other sinners, I resist doing what I know is right and therefore agree with Paul that I do not do as I ought, but do the very thing I hate, agreeing with the law. Help me, I pray, to learn how to be still, sit down with You and know that You are God. Grant that I would change my habits to include time with You.

Thank You, Lord Jesus, for always taking time with Your disciples. Take time with me today and help me to take time with You that I may learn and grow. By Your example, help me to take time with others that they may learn as I share with them what You have taught me through Your Word. May You be glorified this day through me. Amen.

“They answered him, “You are not also from Galilee, are you?
Search, and see that no prophet arises out of Galilee.” Everyone went to his
home.” (John 7:52,53)

A little
information is a dangerous thing. It has been misleading the faithful from the
beginning. If you go to Scripture to prove something wrong, you can probably
find what you are looking for (in a wrong way). But Scripture must interpret
Scripture. People with an agenda are often blinded by that agenda. But the
truth always remains true.

Lord, help me be diligent in my search for the truth You
reveal. Grant that I would not stop short, nor listen to those who do not
believe. Instead, help me grow in understanding that I may live into the faith
You have given me. Guide me in knowing what is true and then help me hold fast
to what You have revealed.

Thank You
Lord for the faithful who would not be intimidated by those who were led by
their father, the devil. Grant that I may hold fast to the truth You have
revealed to me this day, sharing with others boldly what You have said. May my
mouth speak faithful words, knowing that You have all truth. Amen.

“Nicodemus (he who came to Him before, being one of them)
said to them, “Our Law does not judge a man unless it first hears from him and
knows what he is doing, does it?” (John 7:50, 51)

Those who
use the law to their own ends are often willing to violate parts of it. Nicodemus
shows that he is an honorable man. Do you see where the Founding Fathers got
the principle of innocent until proven guilty? The Lord desires that we be
fair. It is in the law. Even though there are evil people, so also, the Lord
has those in whom truth dwells.

Lord, help me to be a fair and reasonable person. Help me see when the crowd is being misled and then grant that I would be bold to stand up to those who are seeking their own ends. Grant that I can learn to understand the greater uses of the wisdom You give through the law so that, like Nicodemus, I can stand up to those who seek to do wrong.

Guide me today, Holy Spirit, that I may live this day with wisdom. Grant that I would be bold when facing what is wrong. Help me to be a help to others and stand up for those who are wrongly accused. Grant that I would be a bold witness of my loyalty to Jesus, no matter what the cost may be. Amen

“But this crowd which does not know the Law is accursed.” (John
7:49)

Unbelievers
do not know what we know, so there is no way they could know the truth. A mob
may not be intelligent, but individuals are. Those who have an agenda often
bully their way through things because they actually believe they are superior.
Jesus calls for each of us to be humble and gentle in spirit.

Lord, I have bullied with a superior attitude before. Help
me learn to be gentle and humble that I may be like You. Let me not become
overly concerned when others do not agree with me, but instead help me always
learn and grow in Your wisdom. Help me to know, but also to never become
afflicted with pride because I do know.

Thank You
Jesus for standing firm. You who knows all things accepted the bullying for our
sake. I know You do things that will surprise me, but help me to trust in You
no matter what may come. Grant that I would live today standing up to those who
try to intimidate and hold fast to what You have shown me is true. Amen.

“No one of the rulers or Pharisees has believed in Him, has
he?” (John 7:48)

If the
leaders do not believe, then it couldn’t possibly be true. This kind of
thinking has always been around, a peer pressure of rulers. If your rulers do
or do not believe, then this establishes what is true. The atrocities in human
history come about because people let others think for them. Bottom line: what
about you? Is Jesus your Lord?

Lord, I get tossed about by the winds of this world. Help
me, I pray, to be firm in the truth and listen only to the words of reason. Grant
that I would not be led astray by falsehood or deceit, but would instead follow
You alone who has the words of eternal life. Grow in me a firm conviction that
is unyielding in the face of pressures to believe lies.

Thank You,
Jesus, for the gift of Your Word. In the grace You give, I have been set free. Help
me today to live firmly in the revealed truth, no matter what any others may
say. Help me not waver, or back down from what You have revealed. May the Holy
Spirit move boldly through me today. Amen.

“The officers answered, “Never has a man spoken the way this
man speaks.” The Pharisees then answered them, “You have not also been led
astray, have you?” (John 7:46, 47)

Reason is
reason. Sadly, because of others, we can set our reason aside. The Lord gave us
a mind and He desires that we use it. Think through what Scripture says. Think
through what you hear and you will see that things fit. There are always those
who will put pressure on you to conform to this world.

Lord, in many ways and many times, there are those who put
pressure on me to conform to ideas that are not true. Help me to stand firm in
Your Word, knowing that You who authored all of creation will bring about all
that You have promised. Help me not have beliefs that waver, but instead stand
firmly in the truth.

Lead me today,
Lord Jesus, that I may think on Your Word. When others confront me and seek to
lead me away from what is true, help me to hold fast and live according to Your
Word. Knowing that the wicked one uses whom he will to lead people astray, use
me today to speak Your Word of truth to counter his lies. Amen.

“The officers then came to the chief priests and Pharisees,
and they said to them, “Why did you not bring Him?” (John 7:45)

Expectations
of others are always upon us. The officers were sent into a crowd, split by
what Jesus was saying. The chief priests wanted to get rid of Jesus. The
tension between those who listen to the Good Words of Jesus and those who want
to get rid of Him remains. Manipulation, blame and demands will never rid the
world of the truth. The truth abides and cannot be gotten rid of.

Lord, help me to not get caught up in the speculations or
demands of others that would cause me to go against You. Grant that I would
live into the life You have always intended, knowing that You have the Words of
eternal life. Grow me into that life more and more each day as I prepare, with
God’s help, to live the perfect life of eternity.

Lord Jesus,
You have shown me how to be bold for the truth. Help me to stand firm in the
face of those who have ideas other than the truth and desire for me to live
them. Grant that I would live according to Your Word today and share Your truth
through my life this day. May the Holy Spirit guide me in all truth that I may
not yield to any falsehood. Amen.

“So a division occurred in the crowd because of Him. Some of
them wanted to seize Him, but no one laid hands on Him.” (John 7:43, 44)

One small step away from the truth and the crowds arise, become agitated and seek to do violence. The mob is driven by the devil. We do well to step back in prayer and ask that the Holy Spirit lead us so that we do not get caught up in the insanity of the devil’s plan. No one is able to thwart what the Lord intends. His will shall be done.

Lord, let me see plainly that the mob is always able to be
stirred up to action by the devil. Keep me from mob thinking, instead
meditating on Your Word. Grant that I would see the truth You have revealed, knowing
that You alone have the truth. Grant to me wisdom in Your Word that I may know
and counter the insanity of the devil.

Thank You
Lord Jesus for facing the demons in every age and banishing them away from Your
saints. Grant today that I may be one of Your protected ones in order to stand
firm in Your truth. In the peace You give, grant that I may be able to witness
to those who are tossed about by the winds of false doctrines that are out
there. Amen.

“Has not the Scripture said that the Christ comes from the
descendants of David, and from Bethlehem, the village where David was?” (John
7:42)

Technical questions arise but ignore whether or not there is truth. Jesus was born in Bethlehem, but raised in Nazareth. Life is often filled with twists and turns. If Jesus had been born in Nazareth, the people there would have made it clearly known. God fulfills what He says, but we often doubt. Don’t be double-minded but believe.

Lord, just because I do not see the connections does not
mean that they are not there. Help me see that what You say is true always. Move
my heart to be believing and not unbelieving that the power of Your Word would
rule in my heart. Move me to see the connections of the truth You have spoken
and live in them.

Guide me
today in my thinking, Holy Spirit, that I may live into the truth of Your Word.
Indeed raise in me questions, but then lead me to Your Word where You have
already given the anser. Equip me to be able to speak with others who are
doubting and questioning that I may point them to You. Amen.

“Others were saying, “This is the Christ.” Still others were
saying, “Surely the Christ is not going to come from Galilee, is He?” (John
7:41)

God is not
who we expect Him to be. We have our own ideas. Sinful humans have a sinful
idea of how things are supposed to be. The imperfect cannot comprehend the
perfect. Therefore, we come with our ideas of how it should be. But God comes
as He IS and does what He will do. Believing in the Christ is to accept the
revelation.

Lord, help me not get caught up in speculations. Grant that
I would hear what You have revealed and begin there. Help me when I accept
things that are contrary to the truth that I may know You, abide in Your Word,
be Your disciple and live in the freedom You have come to grant. Move me beyond
myself to embrace Your revealed truth.

Thank You,
Lord Jesus, for coming as You are that we would have the chance to know eternity
as it is. Help me today to live firmly in the truth, proclaiming in Word and
deed what You have shared. May others come to know that You are the Anointed
One and follow You into eternity. Amen.