NorMel House Devotions

The Bible tells us that this life will not be easy. Christians, especially, can count on going through hurdles, trials and tribulation. Even Jesus had to endure through sorrow, rejection, pain and temptation. Jesus wept upon seeing Mary's grief after Lazarus died. He was rejected three times by someone who claimed to love Him. He was beaten and mocked by the authorities and had to deal with Satan actively trying to get Him to turn from God. How did Jesus deal with all this? How did He persevere when life got difficult? If we turn to John 11 we can see how He dealt with His grief, "And Jesus lifted up His eyes and said, 'Father I thank You that You have heard Me. I knew that You always hear Me, but I said this on account of the people standing around that they may believe that You sent Me.'' (John 11:41b-42). So we see that prayer is where we start. In Matthew 4 we can read about how Satan actively pursued Jesus and tried to tempt Jesus to turn from God. Jesus quash...

As a child, I often liked to play outside. Like many kids, I liked making mud pies and playing with dirt. There's several ways children will play; some get right down on their hands and knees or even sit right in the mud. They're not afraid to get dirty. Some, like me, liked to play with the mud but didn't really want to get filthy. I would crouch down and use sticks and occasionally use my hands. I wanted to have fun but didn't really want to get messy. Then, there are still other children who don't want to play with mud or have anything to do with getting dirty. But you can never truly avoid all puddles, especially when it's raining. In a way, you can compare the mud to sin. Some people wallow in their sin, loving every minute and not caring how dirty they get. Others want to have the fun and pleasure sin can bring but don't want to get too dirty. It's just a little fun. And then there are those who, by God's grace, strive to live a life apart from...

  Read 1 John 5:13-21 At the time John wrote this letter, Christianity was under attack. People were going through uncertainties and either leaving the church or trying to change the gospel. As we come to the conclusion of the letter, we can see that not only was it a response to Gnosticism, but it was also meant to reassure the reader of several things. By using the phrase "we know," John gave the reader several certainties for Christians to be confident in as he summarized and concluded his letter. Our first confidence, and concurrently the purpose of the letter, is found in verse 13. John wrote the letter that the reader might be certain of eternal life. His desire is that they might know that Jesus is the true Son of God, and knowing this, believe in the gospel promises and therefore have eternal life. He goes on to tell us of the confidence we have that our prayers are not only heard but will be answered. Do not make the mistake of thinking prayer is a way to control God...

Read 1 John 5:1-12 We come to the last chapter of 1 John, and here again, we see the main point John has been trying to get across to his readers: Jesus is Christ, the Son of God. Just as love is a sign of being born again, so also, is faith in Jesus as the Christ. At the time John wrote this letter, family members were all considered a unit under the father of the household. This is why John uses the illustration of a family to show that if someone loves the Father, then they must also love the Son and vice versa.  Another way to show love for God is obedience to His commands. Obedience to God and showing love for God is also evidence of love for His children. John tells us that God's commands are not "burdensome" (verse 3) because we have been born again. By faith, one who has been born again of God is then enabled by the Holy Spirit to obey. It's easy to be obedient to God's commands because God overcame the world and gave us His Spirit to dwell in us. It is th...