November 8

Morning

Therefore, just as you have received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to walk in Him, — Col 2:6 BSB

The life of faith is described as receiving—an act that implies the very opposite of merit. It’s simply the acceptance of a gift. Just as the earth drinks in the rain, the sea receives the rivers, and the day takes in the sunlight, so we, giving nothing, freely partake of God’s grace. By nature, the saints are not wells or streams; they are only cisterns that the living water flows into. They are empty vessels that God fills with His salvation.

The idea of receiving implies a sense of reality, making it something tangible. You don’t receive a shadow; you receive something real and substantial. So it is in the life of faith—Christ becomes real to us. When we are without faith, Jesus is just a name—a figure from long ago, a distant history. But through faith, Jesus becomes a living, real person in the awareness of our hearts.

Receiving also means grasping or taking possession of something. When I receive something, it becomes my own. I appropriate what is given to me. When I receive Jesus, He becomes my Savior, so truly mine that neither life nor death can take Him from me.

To receive Christ is to take Him as God’s free gift, to make Him real in my heart, and to claim Him as my own.

Salvation can be described as the blind receiving sight, the deaf receiving hearing, the dead receiving life. But we have received more than these blessings—we have received Christ Himself. He gave us life from the dead. He gave us the forgiveness of sins. He gave us His righteousness. These are precious gifts, but we are not satisfied with just these—we have received Christ Himself. The Son of God has been poured into us, and we have taken Him as our own. What a heart full Jesus must be, for even heaven itself cannot contain Him!

Evening

and whichever house he enters, say to the owner, ‘The Teacher asks: Where is My guest room, where I may eat the Passover with My disciples?’ — Mark 14:14 BSB

During the Passover, Jerusalem was like a large inn, with every house filled with guests invited by the owners. Yet no one invited the Savior, and He had no home of His own. It was only by His own supernatural power that He secured an upper room in which to celebrate the feast. This is still true today—Jesus is not received by humanity unless, through His grace and power, He makes the heart new. Every door is open wide to the prince of darkness, but Jesus must clear a path for Himself or remain outside.

It was through the mysterious power of our Lord that the householder in Jerusalem asked no questions but immediately and joyfully opened his guest room. Who this man was, we don’t know, but he readily accepted the honor of hosting the Redeemer. In the same way, it is still made clear who are chosen by the Lord and who are not, for when the gospel comes to some, they reject it, but when others receive it with open arms, it is a sign that God is at work in their souls and has chosen them for eternal life. Are you willing, dear reader, to receive Christ? If so, there is no obstacle in your way. Christ will be your guest, for His own power is at work in you, making you willing.

What an honor to welcome the Son of God! Heaven itself cannot contain Him, and yet He humbles Himself to make His home in our hearts. We are not worthy to have Him under our roof, but what an incredible privilege it is when He chooses to enter! For when He comes in, He prepares a feast, and we share in a banquet of heavenly delights. We sit at a table where the food is immortal, giving eternal life to those who partake. Blessed is the one who welcomes the Lord of angels!