Author: Kerry

God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Romans 5:8

Love That Is Real

Do you feel loved by God? Do you feel close to him? Do you feel as if his arms are embracing you, carrying you through this day or this night? Do you feel safe, secure, protected? Do you feel as if God is focusing every fiber of his attention on you?

Perhaps you do. But chances are good that you don’t. After all, think about everything going on in your life that can keep that feeling away from you. Perhaps it’s the uncertain economy or trouble at work. Perhaps it’s heartache at home, your finances, your health, or a relationship that’s gone sour. Perhaps it’s the death of someone close. Perhaps at this point in your life, you simply find yourself in a place where you feel empty, isolated, misunderstood, forgotten. But you definitely do not feel loved by God.

But you know what? That’s okay. Think about it: Would you really want to live in a world where God’s love was there for you only when you really felt it? You see, God’s love for you in Jesus Christ is far more dependable, far more certain, far more real than any temporary emotion. In this broken-down world, bad things are going to happen, and those bad things are going to rough up our emotions once in a while. And when that happens, we are not going to feel very loved.

“But God demonstrates his own love for us in this,” the apostle Paul says. “While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” And so there it is. It’s okay if our frail emotions don’t always feel God’s love. We don’t have to depend on our feelings to know God’s love is real. Instead, we can place our certainty on the One who sent his Son to wash us clean of our every sin.

Prayer:
Holy Father, your love for me in Jesus Christ is real. Forgive me when I’ve trusted my emotions instead of trusting you. In my difficult moments, empower me to rest in you alone. Amen.

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
John 3:16

The Result

“Hell on earth.” That’s how the husband described the invitation to go Black Friday shopping with his wife. We may chuckle at the hyperbole. But do you ever notice how often “hell” makes its way into conversations? “War is hell.” “Hell, no!” “It’s hotter than hell.” “To hell and back.” “H-E-double-hockey sticks.” “Hell’s Kitchen.”

While “hell” is used to describe many situations on earth, to really savor the sweetness of John 3:16, we need to come to grips with the reality of hell. John 3:16 describes hell as “perishing.” At its most basic definition, hell is separation from God and all of his blessings. Hell is suffering. Hell is rejection. Hell is anger, pain, and sorrow. And hell is where we were headed. But…

That’s what this sweet Bible passage is all about… “but.” In Jesus, God’s one and only Son, we find a “but” to our prescribed destination. “Whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” Just as hell is real, so is heaven. Heaven is seeing God face-to-face. Heaven is being the recipient of every blessing God gives. Heaven is joy, contentment, acceptance, peace. And heaven is what God promises to every person who trusts that Jesus is the Savior they need. Savor the sweet truth that in Jesus, you have life now and forever.

Prayer:
Holy Spirit, work faith in my heart that I may receive the gift of eternal life that is mine through God’s one and only Son. Amen.

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
John 3:16

The Gift

My grandparents grew up as neighbors. In fact, my grandfather remembered the day that Grandma was born. They dated for seven years as they couldn’t afford to get married during the Depression. They were married for 68 years. The only night they slept in separate beds was when one was in the hospital. When Grandma died, Grandpa felt every pillow at the funeral home to see if it was soft enough for his bride. Shortly after, Grandpa died of a broken heart—shared experiences cement relationships.

Consider the shared experiences between God the Father and God the Son. Together they conferred before creation, “Let us make mankind in our image” (Genesis 1:26). Together they could reminisce how they rescued Noah and his family during the flood. Together they delivered Israel from slavery in Egypt. Together, together, together. Imagine how close that relationship was and is. And yet, at just the right time, God the Father sent his Son into the world. God the Father so loved the world that he gave “his one and only Son.”

We can’t even fathom what a tremendous gift this was! It’s so easy to go through life and look at what we don’t have. Or we look at the gifts that God has given us with a bit of disappointment. “That’s it, Lord? Isn’t there something more?” But when we take a step back and look at the gift that God has given us, when we consider that God gave us “his one and only Son,” we realize a little more what it means that God so loved the world. And I pray, we will never say, “That’s it?” again. Savor the sweetness of this indescribable gift.

Prayer:
Dear Jesus, help me to never take you for granted. Open my eyes to see what a testimony you are of the Father’s love for me. Amen.

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
John 3:16

The Recipient

“Jesus loves me, this I know. For the Bible tells me so.” Many Christians grew up learning this as their first song. But it doesn’t take long before we realize we’re not so lovable. Our classmates don’t include us at the lunch table. Our teenage crush dumps us. Our adult neighbor avoids talking to us at the mailbox. And worst of all, the person in the mirror doesn’t even like us.

Why? It’s not just a difference of personalities. When it comes to the person in the mirror, it’s often what’s on the inside that makes us feel ugly and unlovable. We see our thoughts. We see our disappointments and how we’ve disappointed. We see our guilt. And we soon change the lyrics from, “Jesus loves me. This I know,” to “Jesus loves me? I don’t know.”

When that mis-sung lyric rings loud in your heart, savor the sweetness of John 3:16—God so loved the world. As a pastor, I have often directed people to those words. To the one who confessed adultery, “Are you part of the world? Then what does that mean? God loves you.” To the woman plagued by an abortion from a decade earlier, “Are you part of the world? God loves you.” To the Christian fighting homosexual desires, “Are you part of the world? God loves you.” To the one who tried to take their own life, not once but twice, “Are you part of the world? God loves you.” To the one sitting reading this devotion, “Are you part of the world? God loves you.” It doesn’t matter who you are or what you have done; you are the recipient of God’s love. Savor the sweetness of that truth.

Prayer:
Lord, when I feel unlovable, turn my eyes to the truth of your Word which assures me of your universal love. Amen.

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
John 3:16

The Giver

Recently, I read an article titled, “What To Do When Someone Gives You a Gift and You Didn’t Get Them One.” The unexpected gift can be extremely awkward. Granted, some say that we live in an era of entitlement, so maybe we expect gifts. But a gift from God? That’s what our Bible passage for today tells us. God gave us a gift.

The title “God” is so common, showing up more than 4,500 times in the Bible. When something or someone is so common, we can take it for granted, even when it comes to gift-giving. On our birthday, we expect a gift from our spouse or significant other. At Christmas, we expect gifts from the person who has our name in the name exchange. But what if you came home today and Amazon delivered a gift to your doorstep that said, “To: Me, From: The President,” or, “To: Me, From: Your Favorite Celebrity.” No matter what the gift was, you would think, “Wow, I got a gift from so-and-so.” You would feel special. But John 3:16 says that God has given you a gift! God doesn’t just govern a country; he governs the world. God isn’t just a celebrity on the big screen, he’s made himself known through the skies themselves (Psalm 19:1). And yet, he has given you a gift. He wrapped up the gift of his Son and said, “To: You, From: God.” Wow!

So, how do you react to such an unexpected gift? The magazine article reference earlier strictly warned, “Don’t pretend you have a present for them and that you just forgot it. Rather, understand that people are excited to show their love by giving gifts.” That’s some good advice. God’s love language is gift-giving. Instead of pretending you can offer anything in return, be humbled and show your genuine appreciation by savoring the sweetness of the Giver. Savor the sweetness that God thought of you. Savor the sweetness of his love.

Prayer:
God, you are big and powerful, and yet you thought of me. Thank you. Amen.

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
John 3:16

Sweetness of the Love of God

Grandpas carry them in their pockets. Restaurants have them stocked by the register. Some churches have them in a basket in the entryway. I even know one church that called them “Sermon Sweets.” For over a century, peppermint candy has been bringing fresh breath to millions of mouths.

But what’s the problem with it? Even though these classic candies have been around for a long time, they don’t always last long in our mouths. We let the flavor sit on our tongues for thirty seconds, but before long, we lose our patience and chomp it down, and before long, we wish we had another piece.

Do we ever treat God’s Word the same way, particularly the popular passages? For example, the Bible passage for our devotion today is John 3:16. It has topped the “Most Popular Bible Passages” for many years. It has made its way onto posters at football games and tattooed on many arms. But, specifically, because many of us have heard or read this passage so many times, it is easy to fail to savor what it really says.

Listen again: “God so loved the world.” Perhaps more now than any other time in our lifetime, love is what’s missing in this world. Mostly because we fail to define love, all too often, we’ve make love an emotion. With God, it’s an action. A selfless action that doesn’t count the cost. And that’s what we see so clearly when we let our mind’s eye picture Jesus on the cross, taking the punishment for our sins. That horrible death allows us to see the extent of God’s love for us. He wanted us to spend our eternity with him so much that he was willing to sacrifice his Son to make it happen.

Today, don’t let these words disappear from your thoughts too quickly. Savor them. Spend the day relaxing in the reality that the God of this universe loves you.

Prayer:
Lord, help me slow down and savor the sweetness of your love. Amen.

He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?
Romans 8:32

A Question For You

How are you feeling about the future? For many people, thinking about what is going to happen fills them with a sense of fear and worry. They wonder things like: “What will happen with my job? What about my savings? What about my expenses?” The questions can also be about people we care about: “What about the kids? What about my parents on a fixed income?” And the questions we have might even be bigger: “What about my country? What’s going to happen to this nation—the place I call home?”

For all of our questions, the apostle Paul has a question for you. He asks, “He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?” In other words, here you and I are with a God who loves us so much that he gave up his Son to wash us clean of our sins and to claim us as his own. The question from Paul is: If God kept that promise, don’t you think he’ll keep his other promises too?

Perhaps it’s time for each of us to take a break from the news, sit down with our Lord in a quiet place, and answer Paul’s question with a confident sigh of relief knowing that our gracious God will certainly give us all the things we need. After all, he was willing to give his own Son to save us.

Prayer:
Heavenly Father, in these troubled times, I often fill my mind with fearful questions. Through your word, fill me with the answer to the question that really matters. Amen.

The foolishness of God is wiser than man’s wisdom.
1 Corinthians 1:25

The Good News of the Bible

Author David Platt, in his book, Radical, tells the story of what happened when he was standing outside of a Buddhist temple in Indonesia. As he stood there, he got into a conversation with two people—a Buddhist leader and a Muslim leader. Both of them embraced what seemed to be a very reasonable belief. They believed that, while there were superficial differences among the major religions, all of them basically taught the same thing. Then they asked David Platt what he thought.

He said, “It sounds as though you both picture God at the top of a mountain. It seems as if you believe that we are all at the bottom of the mountain, and I may take one route up the mountain, you may take another, and in the end, we will all end up in the same place.”

To this, the Buddhist and the Muslim said, “Exactly! You understand!”

But then he leaned in and said, “Now let me ask you a question. What would you think if I told you that the God at the top of the mountain actually came down to where we are? What would you think if I told you that God doesn’t wait for people to find their way to him, but instead he comes to us?”

They both thought for a moment and then responded, “That would be great!”

David Platt then replied, “Let me introduce you to Jesus.”

Current human wisdom believes that all forms of spirituality are essentially the same. Such a belief seems logical. Without question, it’s very convenient. And it’s dead wrong.

Never forget how radical the message of the Bible really is. It’s not about our getting up to God. It’s about God coming down to us in the person of Jesus Christ. It’s not about making ourselves holy before God. It’s about God living a holy life in our place. And it’s not about cleansing ourselves of our wrongs. It’s about God going to the cross to wash our sins away.

Thank God that this is the good news the Bible has to share.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, thank you for coming down to save me. Amen.

His disciples remembered that it is written: “Zeal for your house will consume me.”
John 2:17

Jesus Was Zealous For Us

Jesus had the proper attitude for worship, and it is described in one word: zeal. Zeal is an inward passion for something. Jesus had it. This verse says he was devoured or consumed by it. Jesus loved the Lord’s house. He burned for it. He longed to be there and was righteously angry when others did not treat God’s house the same way.

Sadly, we don’t always display this same kind of zeal for worshiping in God’s house. Often our zeal for God and his Word is replaced by laziness, indifference, or even contempt. We often have a zeal for other things: work, play, and sports. How often don’t we get more fired up for the big game than to hear a sermon? If given the option, would we prefer catching our limit out on the lake or taking part in a worship service? We can often be zealous for things, just not the most important things.

Thank God Jesus was not like us. The disciples noticed that Jesus was zealous. It is important for us to understand that Jesus was perfectly zealous. This zeal that is so obvious in this verse, is the same zeal that drove him all the way to the cross to die for our sins. Jesus was inwardly consumed to obey God’s will. In fact, he was so consumed with the idea of saving you from your sins that he was willing to suffer in your place. He was falsely accused. He was laughed at and made fun of. He was beaten and flogged. He was nailed to a cross and died for you.

Thank God that Jesus was zealous for us! Through him, we are saved and forgiven. Through him, heaven is our home. And Jesus has just as much zeal now to continue to lead you toward that heavenly home.

Prayer:
Dear Jesus, thank you for your zeal in achieving my salvation. Forgive me for my sins and move me to be zealous for you today. Amen.

When it was almost time for the Jewish Passover, Jesus went up to Jerusalem. In the temple courts he found men selling cattle, sheep and doves, and others sitting at tables changing money.
John 2:13,14

Distractions

It must have been quite the scene in the Temple that day. One might compare it to the opening day of the county fair. Try to picture it for a moment. As you walk through the gates, you hear the noises of cattle and the loud back-and-forth bartering between the moneychangers and their customers. You look around, and you get the impression that you are at a cattle auction. Oxen, sheep, and doves are everywhere. And then, of course, there would be the smell. Imagine the stench!

Yet, it was not the smell of cattle that aroused the righteous anger of Jesus that day. Far worse than the smell of animals in the courtyard was the spiritual stench in and around God’s house. The courtyard of the Temple was where non-Jewish believers were allowed to worship. Imagine how difficult this must have been with so many merchants buying and sheep bleating!

How many distractions are in your life that keeps you from focusing on God? How many different things are keeping you from worship or daily prayer and devotion? Life provides no shortage of things that daily distract us from our relationship with God. Unchecked, these distractions can drive us further and further away from the Lord.

Thankfully, God was never distracted from saving us. Our heavenly Father let nothing get in the way of his plan to win our salvation. Jesus, our Savior, let nothing distract him from his mission of going to the cross to pay for the sins of the whole world. Our Savior was and is always focused on us. His life, death, and resurrection have assured us that we have a place in heaven through faith in him.

Prayer:
Dear Lord, thank you for your determination in winning forgiveness and eternal life in heaven for me. Help me to eliminate the distractions in my life and to focus on you today. Amen.