September 7 Devotional Meditation
By Dr. Patrick Elijah Anyomi
Key Text: "For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life [zoe], and I will raise him up at the last day." (John 6:40)
Devotional Meditation:
God has a will, a desire, a purpose! It is not a hidden agenda to be decoded or a harsh standard to be met. The will of the Father in this verse reveals the beautiful, generous heart of God's will: that people would have life.
This life, zoe, is the very life of God—uncreated, eternal, and full of communion with the Trinity. It is the opposite of the spiritual death and separation from God that we were born into. And according to Jesus, receiving this life is not achieved through a complex series of religious deeds; it is received through a simple, yet profound, act: looking on the Son and believing in him as Lord and Savior.
This "look" is more than a glance. It is the look of the Israelites at the bronze serpent in the wilderness (John 3:14-15)—a look of desperate faith, acknowledging that the solution to their fatal problem was outside of themselves. It is a turning of the soul's attention away from our own efforts and onto the person and work of Jesus Christ. It is to behold Him on the cross as the sacrifice for our sin, to see Him risen as the Lord of life, and to trust that He alone is sufficient to save us.
The magnificent promise is that whoever looks in this way of faith "should have eternal life." Not "will eventually get it, (when they die)" but has it now as a present possession. The Father's will is that we would not merely hope for life in the future, but that we would confidently know and experience the reality of His zoe life dwelling within us today. This present reality is the guarantee of our future resurrection: "and I will raise him up at the last day."
The blessing for the believer is immense: we are living in the center of God's will. Our salvation is not our own idea; it is the fulfillment of the Father's deepest desire. He wills that we possess and enjoy the same divine life that flows between the Father and the Son.
Time of Prayer:
Heavenly Father, I am humbled and amazed that Your will for me is not burdensome, but beautiful. Thank You that Your deepest desire is for me to have life—Your life.
Lord Jesus, I look to You today. I turn my gaze away from my own failures and accomplishments and fix my eyes on You, the author and perfecter of my faith. I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God, and that Your work on the cross is complete and sufficient for me.
Thank You for the gift of zoe life that I have received through faith. Make me more aware of Your eternal life at work within me today. Let it flow through me as love, joy, peace, healing for my body, and patience. When I am tempted to doubt, remind me that my salvation is secure because it rests on Your will and Your promise, not my own shaky performance.
I live today in the good of Your promise that You will raise me up. Because I have Your life, I have this certain hope. In Your mighty name, Amen.