June 30 Daily Devotional

Bible Reading

Devotional

Our lives need to change! The Bible repeatedly warns us not to follow the patterns of this world. In Romans 12:2 we read, “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” Like a caterpillar is transformed into a beautiful butterfly, we need to go through the process of metamorphosis. Our lives need to change from feeding on the desires of the sinful nature to enjoying the nectar of the fruit of the Spirit.

The transformation of our lives works its way from the inside out. It is not just an external change, or the avoidance of worldly behaviours. Our hearts need to be changed and our minds need to be renewed. When the Holy Spirit transforms our lives we have no greater desire than to break loose from world conformity and the patterns of a godless culture. We are not interested in a duty-driven Christianity because the love of Christ controls us. We offer up our lives as a living sacrifice of praise and our whole life is transformed into a spiritual act of worship.

Transformation isn’t something we can accomplish in our own strength, but is granted to us through Christ. At the marriage feast in Cana, Jesus performs a sign and wonder, displaying His ability to transform. He changes water into such fine wine that the master of ceremonies is amazed how good it tastes. Christ so completely transforms a liquid, that it gets a different colour and nature. The liquid changes on the outside and on the inside.

This first sign that Jesus performs as the “kick-off” to His ministry is a foretaste of greater things to come. This Jesus, who converts water into wine, has the power to change ordinary life. Christ’s first sign reveals what He came to do. He does not take us out of life but He restores the true joy of living with God and each other by making our life pure and harmonious. The last sign Christ gave His church, the sacrament of Lord’s Supper, encourages us to look to the Lord Jesus for strength as we anticipate the hour of His return. Christ does not transform the wine of communion into His blood, but by this sign He shows how our lives are transformed to manifest His power and glory.