“A “Daily” Religion”
Jarrod M. Jacobs
After preaching the sermon about “A Daily Religion” last week, someone asked me if I had ever looked at this from another perspective and considered the many times God emphasized things being done “daily.” This proved to be an interesting study. There are things we ought to do “daily,” but I also saw warnings of wickedness that can occur “daily.” With this in mind, I thought it appropriate to write down some of these “daily” things found in God’s book. I pray this study will be helpful to our dear readers.
“Daily” Cross-Bearing
Luke records these words, “And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me” (Lk. 9:23). Jesus made it clear that if we will “come after” Him, we need to take up our cross “daily” and follow Him. The “cross” was a device used for capital punishment in those days. When Jesus said, “Take up your cross,” those folks knew that following Jesus was not for the weak or those who are not genuinely committed to Him. It is not a one-time thing or something to be done when the mood is right. It is a daily, personal decision to follow Jesus wherever He goes, especially when it is difficult (Ps. 23:4)! Are you bearing your “cross” daily?
“Daily” Additions
One of the most uplifting verses in the Bible is Acts 2:47. “Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.” This continuous growth of the Lord’s body, which began with 3000 and continued having daily additions, is a testament to the power of daily preaching and teaching (Acts 2:42-46). It gives us hope and encouragement that when we are willing to “plant” and “water” (I Cor. 3:6), there will be an “increase.” Acts 2:47 shows us that there will be a “daily” increase when we plant and water “daily”! How are we doing in this area? To whom have we taught the gospel lately?
“Daily” Study
Another group of people who deserve special mention are the Christians who lived in Berea. Acts 17 tells us that after about three weeks of preaching, Paul was driven from Thessalonica (Acts 17:1-10). He then went to Berea, preached, and found these people receptive to the truth. “These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so” (Acts 17:11).
I am impressed with these people. When Paul came to town to preach, they didn’t blindly accept his word but compared it to the Scriptures. They studied daily (no doubt because Paul was preaching daily) and learned the truth. They were complimented as being “noble” or “fair-minded” for doing so. How “fair-minded” are we? Friend, how often do you spend time in God’s book? Is it daily? If not, why not?
“Daily” Temptations
In addition to the above, I find that there were Bible heroes who were tempted daily. Do you feel like you are tempted daily? Why did you answer the way you did? The Bible is filled with records of people who were tempted to sin and what decisions they made in light of such treatment.
Remember Samson? He was “vexed daily” by Delilah to tell him the secret to his power (Judg. 16:16). Wouldn’t this wear on a person after a while? It wore on Samson, we know, and he finally confessed (Judg. 16:17)! Mordecai was vexed similarly when he was spoken to daily by those who wanted him to bow to Haman (Est. 2:3-4). Thankfully, he did not submit, but there is no doubt such daily attacks had to wear upon him. King David would lament the daily actions of enemies who sought his harm (Ps. 56:2, 74:22, etc.).
These are but a few examples of how Satan tries to “devour” us as a “roaring lion” seeks to devour his prey (I Pet. 5:8). Satan tried this with Jesus on multiple occasions (Matt. 4:1-11; Lk. 4:13)! Yes, we face temptations daily! The question is, will we yield to the temptations (Jas. 1:14-15), or will we resist Satan (Jas. 4:7-8)? Remember, we must make that decision “daily”! What decisions are you making?
“Daily” Prayer
Prayer is how man communicates with God. How often are we speaking to Him? David prayed to God when joyous and in the throes of despair (Ps. 86, 88). James would remind Christians that when we are afflicted, we need to pray (Jas. 5:13). Do we talk to God daily? If not, why not? Why would we not speak to the Creator of the universe who loves us and sent Christ to die as a sacrifice for us (Jn. 3:16; Rom. 5:8)?
Where is prayer on your list or priorities? Should not prayer be a daily practice? In our Bible reading and study, God speaks to us, and in our prayers, we reciprocate by speaking to Him! How can we benefit from authentic communication with God if we make prayer a low priority and not a daily practice?
“Daily” Death
This may seem like a strange point to make, but it is what Paul said about himself in I Corinthians 15:31. “I die daily.” How is it that someone can die “daily”? Isn’t death something that happens only once to man?
It would be good to be reminded that the word “death” means a separation. Physical death occurs when the soul is separated from the body (Jas. 2:26). However, other separations occur in the Scriptures that God describes as a “death” (Gen. 2:15-17, 3:23-24; Lk. 15:24, 32; Col. 3:3; etc.). In this case, Paul stating that he dies “daily” would imply that he is continuing to separate himself from something, would it not? As we all must, Paul needed to separate himself from temptations and sin (Heb. 12:1). Paul needed to separate himself from the lusts of the flesh and eyes and the pride of life (I Jn. 2:15-17). He needed to separate himself from those wanting to bring him back to the kingdom of Satan (Phil. 3:7-8, 13-14).
There are many things from which we need to separate ourselves! “Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners” (I Cor. 15:33). Remember that this verse was not explicitly written for teens but for people of all ages to make sure we are aware of who influences us. There is a “death” we must die “daily” when it comes to our separation from this world and its lusts and drawing closer to God (Jas. 4:8)! Have you made that commitment?
Conclusion
Is it not amazing to take a moment and consider the “daily” religion that God expects us to follow? God emphasizes the “daily” aspect of religion and temptation in many places in Scripture. Thus, we understand that religion is more a deed done at a specific moment in time. It is a lifestyle (Jas. 1:26-27). It demands our time, our choices, our words, our deeds, and, yes, our life!
Are you engaged in a “daily” religion for God? If not, why not? If you want to begin this “daily” religion and follow in the footsteps of Christ and many Bible heroes, then start by becoming a Christian. You can become a child of God by believing that Jesus is the Son of God (Jn. 8:24), repenting of your sin (Lk. 13:3), confessing Christ as the Son of God (Acts 8:37), and being baptized for the remission of sins (Acts 2:38). Upon becoming a Christian, your new life, your religious life, can begin! Are you ready to engage in a “daily” religion?