January 22 Daily Devotional

Monthly Theme:

The theme of the month is spiritual war. Jesus won the battle not by might but by obedience. He is the source of salvation for all who obey him. When we have stood the test, we will share Christ's glory.

Bible Reading:

James 1: 13–21

Bible Text:

After desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death (Jas 1:15).

Devotional:

To accuse God of causing human sin is blasphemy, says James (v. 13). It's also wrong to say, "The devil made me do it." The devil does want to destroy us, but he cannot harm us unless we let him in.

Our refusal to take the blame for our actions is as old as the first sin. When God asked Adam about his sin, he said the woman made him do it. When God confronted Eve, she said it was the serpent's fault (Gen. 3:12–13). Today, perhaps more than ever, people refuse to acknowledge guilt. The politician accused of abusing his office denies doing anything wrong; then he blames someone or something else. Hardly anyone admits guilt for murder, adultery, or theft. People blame their upbringing, parents, environment—anything.

But God's Word says sinning begins with our own evil desire. This desire leads to the deed. Once the door is open, sin reigns over us and death is the end.

The only way to begin dealing with sin is to acknowledge our guilt. Without confession spiritual progress is impossible. Be honest to God. Level with those against whom you have sinned. Humility does not hurt. On the contrary, humble confession is the first step toward healing and improvement.

If we fall into sin, let's take the blame and confess our sin to God. Then he will forgive us and teach us to do better.

Andrew Kuyvenhoven's Daylight, a modern devotional classic, was originally published in 1994. This edition is copyright by Faith Alive Christian Resources, from whom may be ordered Daylight, the predecessor of Twilight.

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 edition of Twilight are from the New International Version

Be sure to read the "Preface" and the "Acknowledgments" by the author.