May 29 Daily Devotional

Bible Reading

Devotional

Here is a description of the nature and power of preaching. The word of the gospel is in the first place a call to repentance and an announcement of salvation in Christ. That word has the power to bring about conversion and salvation because it is the Word of God.

But the gospel is more than the call for repentance and faith. It is also the power to prick the balloons of human reasoning and the artillery that wrecks the forts of human pride. In fact, the gospel will not only expose the folly of human-centered thought, it will take these thoughts captive to obey Christ.

Christians have not always paid attention to the wider implications of the gospel. Too often they have regarded the gospel as a message through which peace was restored between the soul and God. They have not always sensed its power to affect the thought patterns that rule the university and the ideas that shape the struggle in the field of labor relations. We must be aware that our attitudes towards sex and money, science and warfare, have everything to do with our faith in Jesus Christ as the beginning of a new order of things. And this reordering of thoughts and attitudes is brought about by our listening to the gospel.

When Christian warriors enter these different fields and areas, they must not switch weapons. In academic life they will be tempted to rely on logic; to lean on oratory when they turn to politics; to think in terms of worldly power when in business. But "the weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world." The reordering of thoughts and attitudes is brought about by the Word of God.

Just as the original creation was made by God's speech, so the new order is called into being by the Word of Christ. This gospel must be proclaimed by God's people—not just extensively, that is, over the whole earth, but also intensively, to every part of life.

REFLECTIONS

Pick an area of your life such as working or parenting or studying or using your leisure time. How could the transforming power of the gospel be more evident in that part of your life?

Andrew Kuyvenhoven's Daylight, a modern devotional classic, was originally published by Paideia Press in 1977. This updated edition is copyright 2009 by Faith Alive Christian Resources. You can order a copy of this revised version of the book directly from the publisher.

A man of many accomplishments, Andrew Kuyvenhoven is probably best known for his contributions to Today (formerly The Family Altar), a widely-used monthly devotional booklet associated with the Back to God Hour. Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations for this updated edition of Daylight are from the Holy Bible: Today's New International Version copyright 2001, 2005 by the International Bible Society.