Daily Devotionals

Voice of the Lord

Devotional: 14th of Tammuz

Whoever acknowledges me in the presence of others I will also acknowledge in the presence of my Father in heaven (Matthew 10:32).

Yeshua has given us the responsibility of confessing him before others. However, some of us treat our faith in Yeshua as though it were a crime, and our confession is forced out of us rather than joyfully proclaimed.

I once led a group of Messianic Jewish college students on a trip to Israel. A number of the students were new believers, so I wanted to keep our faith in Yeshua quiet, lest they be treated harshly and become discouraged. I was the first one to be questioned by the security officers of El Al (the Israeli airline) . Slowly but surely his questions forced me to declare what I didn't want to say: "We are Jews who believe in Jesus." The man then looked out over the sea of people waiting to pass through security and yelled in a loud voice, "How many of you are from the Jews for Jesus group?" Sixteen college students sheepishly raised their hands. As a result, the team had numerous chances to share their faith, not only with the security guards, but with many of the passengers on the plane.

Jewish believers often struggle with openly confessing their faith to fellow Jews and even to their own family members. Although the discomfort and pain that come with confessing Yeshua can be deep, the reward of confessing him outweighs it all. Our confession can lead our family or friends to come to know the Messiah. It also leads to his advocacy for us. If we confess him, he will confess us.

...resolve to be open about my faith in Yeshua the Messiah. I will take steps to make my faith known to any of my family or friends who don't yet know about my belief in Yeshua.

DB