After days of anxiety, perhaps you had your day in court, where you had to prove your innocence. Based on your evidence, the jury made a final decision about your guilt, or lack thereof. In the Bible Jesus tells us that we will have a similar day when we leave this world. When? It could be today, or anytime thereafter. And God, the righteous and fair Judge will base His verdict on the evidence you demonstrated over your lifetime. Consider what that verdict might be if you stood before God/the Judge immediately after reading this devotional!

DATE POSTED Wednesday, 2022-04-06
WRITTEN AT: Astatula, FL

BY: Ed Algreen

SCRIPTURE FROM: Matthew 25:32-36
TRANSLATION: New Living Translation (NLT)

BIBLE TEXT: 32 All the nations will be gathered in his presence, and he will separate the people as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 He will place the sheep at his right hand and the goats at his left.
34 “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the creation of the world. 35 For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home. 36 I was naked, and you gave me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you visited me.’

APPLICATION: I like to watch a TV show ‘America’s Got Talent’. One of the things they do when giving their judgment to a group of contestants is to separate them in smaller groups by asking individuals to step forward. Often, they will tell that group whether there are going home, or if they will go on to the next round of trials. I was reminded of this when I read this Scripture again today. Jesus said that the Father will also separate those who accepted His Son as Lord, from those who chose to live life without Jesus Christ. Jesus did not say that God would give us a chance to prove our case, like our earthly court systems need in order to render a verdict. But because God knows every action, word and thought by each person He created, then He also knows the content of their heart and the intent of their heart, soul and mind. This may catch a few by surprise, because often we want to brag on ourselves, or we may want to have a neighbor or family member brag about our good works. However, in God’s great wisdom and infinite knowledge, He also knows the intent behind our good works. He knows if we did something to gain popularity, or grow our business, or be mentioned by the pastor in front of the whole congregation. I believe it is evident from the Scriptures that when we did something from a sincere, loving and God-like heart, we were doing it for the glory of God, and I believe it is those very instances that God recognizes His likeness in us. We must remember, God is the only perfect one. But when we strive to live like Him, act like Him, and model the same sacrificial love that He showed on Calvary, then the evidence shows, and it becomes easy for Him to judge us honestly and fairly. So, in God’s ‘courtroom’ He has no need for us to bring someone to swear for our character, for He already knows about it; He has no need for us to have anyone lie about whether we did something wrong or not, for He already knows every little detail about our actions. Friends, if you know Jesus in a personal and relational way, and you listen to His teachings and read about His character, as a foundation for the way you handle life, then you should have no surprises on Judgment Day when God passes judgment on you. He will know and be proud of you for following in His Son’s example and obeying His teachings. God being our helper, may we all be found guilty of being a true child of the King who demonstrated His character while here on earth!

BLESSING(S) NOTED: God will recognize us for all the good that we did for others that brought glory to Him! Oh, that this good will far outweigh the times we fail.

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, thank You for giving us a firm foundation on which to build our character. May our lives be an example of all that You established for us, so that we might remind folk about our awesome Savior. As they decide to improve their time here on earth, may they choose to follow You, Lord. Use us Lord, so that the world might meet Jesus through us. May we never misrepresent You, nor be a stumbling block that may cause others to continue along their path to eternal destruction. AMEN!