“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.

“Some of the people therefore, when they heard these words,
were saying, “This certainly is the Prophet.” (John 7:40)

We marvel at
amazing words that speak truth. Here today and tomorrow, do we actually take in
the words that impact us, or do we move on? Jesus is giving us the Word of life
and asks that we believe. He wants us to live into this hope and promise that
we will be united in Christ for eternity to the glory of the Father.

I hear Your words, Lord Jesus, but I often do not act upon
them. In the living water You have given me, motivate me to become a person of
action. Help me live into the life that I will live in eternity knowing that
You have come to lead as many as will believe into a new life. Help me live
that life today and not just think nice things about what You say.

Thank You,
Lord Jesus, for those who have given witness of the truth of who You are. Help
me take in that witness and then be a witness not because someone else said it,
but because I believe it. Grant today that I would speak of what You have done
not only for others, but also for me in the truth of the Gospel You offer to
all. Amen.

“But this He spoke of the Spirit, whom those who believed in
Him were to receive; for the Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not
yet glorified.” (John 7:39)

The Holy
Spirit is the Spirit of life that flows from the Father and the Son into and
through the believer; guiding, teaching, directing, leading and helping in
every way so that we need not lean on our own understanding, but on the very
Word of the Lord who speaks moment by moment that we may know Him by faith.

Holy Spirit, guide me today in Your ways that I would not
lean on my own ways. Flow through me that I would learn from You and go the
direction You lead. Help me see that You have already laid out a course and all
I need do is walk that course in order to fulfill what is needed for this day.

Thank You,
Lord, for coming and leading all who believe in the way of truth. Grant this
day that Your bride, the church, would bring You glory as You have sent us the
Holy Spirit because of Your glory. Guide us to work in unison for the sake of
the Gospel, that Your will be done throughout our earthly lives. Amen.

“He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, ‘From his
innermost being will flow rivers of living water.’” (John 7:38)

Without
water, there is no life. Wherever water is, there life grows. Jesus offers us
an abundance of life here and now and forever. Acting on what Jesus has given
us, the offered life comes as we live into this promise. He has promised life
to the innermost part of our being if we will receive Him.

Lord, help those places in my life where I am not believing
that I may grow with Your living water. Remove those things that would dam the
water, in order that I might live fully in Your purpose and power. Help me
today to work on those things You have given me to do that I may become more
faithful to You.

Thank You
,Jesus, for providing the living water and the opportunity for it to flow from
me to others. Grant today that I would flow with Your living water, splashing
on others Your Word. Guide my mouth, mind and heart that I would think on those
things which are pleasing to the Father. May I be a witness to Your truth this
day in all I say and do. Amen.

“Now on the last day, the great day of the feast, Jesus
stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and
drink.” (John 7:37)

We are
mostly water. All of what we need, Jesus offers to provide. He will fill us up
so that we are not parched. Many, however, will go elsewhere trying to be
filled. Jesus stands in the middle of the crowd and offers us what we need. Will
you take Jesus up on His offer and have your soul refreshed?

Lord, I do not think I need anything, so I do not come to
You. Yet, here You are, calling out and offering to quench our thirst. Jesus, I
am a sheep who is led around. I do not know what I need, often not until it is
almost too late. Help me listen to You so that I may be guided in all things,
today and every day.

Thank You
Jesus for putting Yourself at risk for all who would come to faith through You
to the Father. Help me today to live into this faith You have given me by
acting upon the things You have given me to do. May others have their souls
filled because I have helped to bring You to them. Amen.

“What is this statement that He said, ‘You will seek Me, and
will not find Me; and where I am, you cannot come’?” (John 7:36)

As Paul told
us in Ephesians, the Lord must lead the captives home. No one can seek the Lord
while He cannot be found, but He comes to those who hear His voice and leads
them home. We come to the Lord because He first came to us. The lost will
wander, but the found will follow. Only those found will follow the Good
Shepherd.

Lord, let me not get caught up in the mindless speculation
of this age, spoken by those who do not know You. Instead, lead me today to
perceive the unseen and live firmly in the truth You have already revealed. Grant
that I would not be a seeker, but instead be a follower. Help me where I
stumble in order that I may live by faith.

Help me
today, Lord Jesus, to show others Your presence by living in Your presence and
by Your example today. As You lead me, so use me to lead others to You that
they may have the opportunity to no longer be seekers, but followers of You who
leads us away from the realm of rebellion toward the heavenly realm of eternal
peace. Amen.