Upper Room Daily Devotions ~ Tuesday, 29 October 2013 ~ “Beloved Of God” ~ READ: Luke 3

Upper Room Daily Devotions ~ Tuesday, 29 October 2013 ~ “Beloved Of God” ~ READ: Luke 3:21 Now when all the people were immersed, Yeshua also had been immersed, and was praying. The sky was opened, 22 and the Holy Spirit descended in a bodily form like a dove on him; and a voice came out of the sky, saying “You are my beloved Son. In you I am well pleased.”(Messianic WEB)

A voice from heaven said to Jesus, “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.”(Luke 3:22 (NIV))

Quietly, over a number of months, I fell into the bad habit of allowing myself to be dragged down into a pit of worry and despair. I began to worry even when I had nothing to worry about. This habit led to pessimism that was not helpful to me, my family, or others around me. By grace, I found Luke’s account of the baptism of Jesus. God’s Holy Spirit descends on Jesus in the form of a dove, and a voice speaks directly to Jesus saying, “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.” In this profound moment, Jesus’ identity was confirmed. These days, when worry and doubt begin to assail me, I have a new way of dealing with them. Over and over again I repeat these words: You are my beloved. With you I am well pleased. In a world of distraction and noise, I find it helpful to remember that God loves me. When times get tough and the world seems to weigh us down, we can remind each other that we are God’s beloved children. And God is pleased with us.(The Author ~ Roland P. Rink (Gauteng, South Africa))

Thought for the Day: Today I will remember that I am God’s beloved.

Prayer: Thank you, God, for Jesus Christ, through whom we have all been called your beloved. Amen.

Prayer Focus: People of South Africa

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