DAILY DEVOTIONAL: DAY 210
“And they prayed, and said, Thou Lord which knowest the hearts of all men, shew whether of these two thou hast chosen, That he may take part of this ministry and apotleship, from which Judas by transgression fell, that he might go to his own place” (Acts 1:24-25, KJV).
We all are important before God, but none of us is indispensable. It takes humility to realize this. When you rise to a position in life, you can easily forget how you got there. You can forget Who put you there. This forgetfulness can lead to complacency, pride and even unfaithfulness. We need to remember the words of Scripture, that “all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass” (cf. 1 Peter 1:24). When you remember that you are where you are because of God’s mercies, it will keep you humble. And your humility will keep you grounded.
In Daniel 2:21, we are told that God sets up kings and removes kings. Remember, therefore, that no matter how secure or indispensable you think you are, God can replace you. God can lift you up, and He can bring you down. Whatever assignment, responsibility, job, ministry or task you are given in life, hold firmly to it. Discharge your duties as faithfully as possible, and walk humbly with your God. Do not forget that God can replace you and have another take your place. You are not indispensable. The truth is, you are nothing. If you are something, it is because God has made you something.
Everything we’ve said so far has to do with today’s opening Scripture from Acts 1:24-25. So, let’s get into it.
As you recall, Judas was one of the original 12 Apostles chosen by Jesus. These men were the closest to Jesus. The Lord took them from nowhere and made them “special.” He gave them power to perform signs and wonders. Judas was in the middle of the action. He had front row access to Jesus’ love, His power, and His glory. But Judas took Jesus for granted, forgetting who put him in that position. He became unfaithful, even to the point of betraying Jesus to His enemies. This was the height of ingratitude and pride. What was God’s response? He removed and replaced Judas.
When the remaining 11 Apostles gathered in the Upper Room, Peter asked God to choose Matthias or Joseph Barsabas to “take part of this ministry and apostleship, from which Judas by transgression fell.” When Judas transgressed, God removed him and He let Matthias take his place.
What happened to Judas can happen to anyone. Several examples exist in the Scriptures about people God replaced (or threatened to replace) due to their unfaithfulness. Even in Revelation 2:5, Jesus warned the church of Ephesus that if they didn’t repent, He would come quickly and remove their candlestick (their position and identity as Jesus’s church) out of its place.
God loves us and He wants to do great things with us. But let’s keep in mind that we are not indispensable. Let’s do all things with gratitude, humility and faithfulness to God. Amen.
For further study: 1 Samuel 15:1-35
Higher-Self Realities 