JOHN 3:27-30 (NIV) | John replied, “A man can receive only what is given him from heaven… The friend who attends the bridegroom waits and listens for him, and is full of joy when he hears the bridegroom’s voice. That joy is mine, and it is now complete. He must become greater; I must become less.”
John the Baptizer made quite a splash. His ministry had ripples that were carrying across the countryside. We’d probably even say his work was movemental—crowds came to him in the desert and turned back to God, even outsiders like the tax collectors and Roman soldiers.
How did he do it? John let us in on the secret: a man can receive only what is given him from heaven. In the midst of a monumental move of God, John pointed toward his great Source.
Humility—heart, life, and personal significance all fully surrendered to God. John lived it. He called others into it, dousing them in the river Jordan after they confessed their failings. John was preparing them for what would come next, and who would come next. Humility before God and man set the stage for the presence of Jesus and the coming of the Kingdom.
We launch this year’s Friday Devotional Series, On Earth as It Is in Heaven, with a shorter series examining what the Kingdom of heaven looks like in our hearts. Starting next week, and every Friday leading up to Easter, we will share devotionals from our staff that capture this process of following God with humble, surrendered, and responsive hearts. Together, we will prepare to meet with Jesus by turning our hearts back to God in new expressions of humility and faith.
We hope you enjoy this 8-week series, On Earth as It Is in Heaven: Kingdom in Our Hearts.