Category: Daily Devotions

People will come from east and west and north and south, and will take their places at the feast in the kingdom of God.
Luke 13:29

Foreverland

Do you remember the name of Michael Jackson’s estate? He called it, “Neverland,” after the fictional island in “Peter Pan: It included a lavish home with a huge theater, gardens, fountains, a four-acre pool, and a private amusement park and zoo.

But did it make him happy? A lot of people who knew him described him as troubled. Michael’s dream estate never gave him true peace and contentment. Sadly, the name “Neverland” was fitting.

“Neverland” is a fitting name for the world we live in. It never seems to give us the peace and contentment we are looking for. Things might be going great, and then a pandemic turns our lives upside down. But even before the coronavirus brought upheaval and anxiety into your life, you probably had financial pressures, relationship problems, work stress, illness in your body, or sadness in your heart. Because this life is “Neverland”—never able to give us the life we long for.

But even as we are keenly aware of how this life fails us, here’s what does not fail: God’s love for you. The Bible describes God’s love as “unfailing” no less than 32 times. He loves you so much that he sent his Son to undo the mess you have made in your relationship with him and the mess that human sin has made of life. He sent his Son into our world to suffer on a cross for our sins as if HE was the one who had messed things up. Through that sacrifice, you are forgiven.

Now there is nothing to keep you from going to heaven, a very different kind of “Neverland.” In heaven, there will NEVER be any sin. There will NEVER be any suffering. There will NEVER be any disappointment. There will NEVER be any death.

So, expect this world to be “Neverland” when it comes to being what you long for it to be. But be content and at peace anyway. Because God’s love in Jesus Christ will never fail you. In that love, God will keep forgiving you and giving you what you need until that day when he brings you to perfectly restored life in the “Foreverland” of heaven.

Prayer:
Lord, I know that this life will never be the perfect paradise you intended. But I thank you that, through Jesus, you promise me a perfect paradise in the life to come. Amen.

For “you were like sheep going astray,” but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.
1 Peter 2:25

Worth it in the End

“Now I see!” Isn’t it a wonderful relief when it finally dawns on you? You could never understand why something so terrible had happened, but now you get it. The suffering begins to make sense. It’s as if the veil has been lifted, and all the darkness has turned to light.

The Old Testament believer Joseph had endured a lifetime’s worth of such darkness. His lousy brothers had sold him into slavery. His Egyptian master’s wife had falsely accused him, prompting his master to throw him into prison. He was separated from his beloved father for years, forced to live in a strange land. One miserable day of suffering, after another.

And then it happened. God filled him in on the why. The whole region was struck by famine. By that time, Joseph was second-in-command in all Egypt, in charge of distributing the stored-up food when who should show up but his hungry brothers. Joseph could hardly contain himself.

But it wasn’t the feeling of revenge that got him choked up. It was his thankfulness. Joseph finally understood the reason for all that suffering. He said to his brothers, “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives” (Genesis 50:20). For Joseph, it was worth it in the end.

Joseph’s suffering to save his family from hunger was nothing compared to Jesus’ suffering to save the world from sin and death. But Jesus, too, understood that his suffering would be worth it in the end and for all eternity.

And that goes for our suffering, as well. We might not understand it now, but God has a good reason for it. As Saint Peter reminds us, our suffering has the divine purpose of inducing straying sheep like you and me into the safe and saving arms of our Good Shepherd, Jesus. Saint Peter wrote, “‘…you were like sheep going astray,’ now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls” (1 Peter 2:25). And one day we will see that this will make our suffering worth it in the end.

Prayer:
Jesus, help me see your loving purposes even in my suffering. Amen.

“He himself bore our sins” in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; “by his wounds you have been healed.”
1 Peter 2:24

Eternal Healing

Are you a quick healer, someone who can’t be held down long? If so, count your blessings. It’s a wonderful attribute to have.

Chronic sufferers will tell you: it’s no fun imprisoned by pain. It’s often a Catch-22 situation since the physical activity you need to get better is sometimes the very thing your condition prevents you from getting.

But no matter how quickly you heal, you can’t avoid contracting one chronic condition common to everyone. This disease puts you down and keeps you down. Benjamin Franklin had it right when he said there are only two certain things in life, death and taxes. And this devotion isn’t about taxes.

Yes, death finally gets us, and for a simple reason, too. The Bible tells us that, “the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23). We can’t fix that, no matter how well we take care of ourselves. The doctors of this world can’t either. Every patient they treat will eventually die.

But the Great Physician, Jesus, has. Jesus’ prescription for overcoming death has nothing to do with something we take or something we do. Instead, it involves what he took on himself and did for us. Our Great Physician conquered sin and death forever by carrying our sins and dying our death as our perfect substitute. Quoting the Old Testament prophet Isaiah, Saint Peter writes, “‘He himself bore our sins’ in his body on the cross.” Yes, Jesus “is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world” (1 John 2:2).

Whether you believe it or not, Jesus died for you. He is “the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). He bore your sins. He is your Savior. And why? Because he loves you. “By his wounds you have been healed,” not just for the moment or for a lifetime. Forever.

Imagine. Eternal healing. Our suffering Savior’s gift of love to you!

Prayer:
Dear Jesus, help me revel in the truth that by your suffering and wounds, I am assured of eternal healing. Amen.

When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly.
1 Peter 2:23

A Favorite Teacher

Have you had a favorite teacher in your life? I have.

Why was he my favorite? Not because he was tough, and certainly not because I dreaded entering his classroom. He was my favorite because he was fun, easygoing, and interesting. Best of all, he loved to hand out A’s.

I’ve had other teachers whom I didn’t like so well. Their classes were hard, sometimes confusing. Some were unfair; others boring. In those cases, I was thankful when the school year came to an end. I was finished with them—forever!

Wouldn’t it be nice if we could say that about suffering? “I’m finished with it forever!” But Professor Suffering has a way of dragging us back into his classroom and even keeping us past the bell.

Or didn’t you know that suffering is our divinely-sent teacher?

Martin Luther knew that. He knew it all too well, in fact. He was speaking from experience when he once wrote a grieving friend, “This is the school in which God disciplines us and teaches us to trust in him so that our faith may not always stay in our ears and hover on our lips but may have its true dwelling place in the depth of our hearts.” Luther may not have considered suffering his favorite teacher, but it was one of his best.

Ours, too.

Why? Because suffering teaches patience. Indeed, patience means “longsuffering.” When we suffer, we’re learning how to be patient with God and with others. Peter says that when Jesus suffered, “he did not retaliate . . . he made no threats.” Suffering taught him patience, yes, perfect patience for sinners like you and me.

The other chief lesson that suffering teaches us is trust. When Jesus suffered unjustly, “he entrusted himself to him who judges justly”—his heavenly Father. Rather than taking matters into our own hands, suffering teaches us, as it taught Jesus, to entrust matters to our perfectly just God.

Patience and trust are not easy to learn. But when you’re in Professor Suffering’s classroom, you’re learning from the very best. And through faith in Jesus, we all get an A+.

Prayer:
Father, help me learn the lessons you desire to teach me through suffering. Amen.

To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps. “He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth.”
1 Peter 2:21,22

What is the Point

“Oh, what’s the point? I give up!” Sometimes we just need to throw in the towel because we don’t have what it takes. That’s perfectly understandable if what you’re doing is voluntary, like trying to make 10 out of 10 three-pointers.

But it’s not quite so simple when you’re under an obligation, or you’ve made a promise. God doesn’t allow you to say, “My marriage is difficult; I quit.” Or to conclude, “Raising children involves too many sacrifices. I’ll just leave them on the roadside.” Often the most important things we do aren’t easy. They involve suffering.

We naturally don’t like to suffer, but suffering has an important point and purpose, a divine one. Peter says that suffering is a calling, an assignment that God regularly gives to you and me for a good reason.

What’s the reason? We can’t always know exactly. But we can be certain of this: God is disciplining, that is, he is training us.

True, it’s not fun. “No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful,” the Bible says. Yet the suffering to which God calls us is not pointless! And if we stick it out, the Bible promises that it, “produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it” (Hebrews 12:11).

We might not like it, but God has his reasons. And those reasons result in overwhelming blessings for us and others.

Want proof? Consider Jesus’ suffering. Was it unjust? Absolutely. Peter reminds us that, “he committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth.” Unlike us, Jesus was a perfect 10 for 10 every time in everything he did. And yet he suffered.

Why? Was it pointless? Not for you and me, because Jesus’ suffering was for you and me. His perfect, painful suffering resulted in our perfect forgiveness. His death grants us eternal life as a gift.

You might not get the point of your suffering but hang in there. God gets it. And he will use it wisely for your good.

Prayer:
Jesus, help me to see and understand that my suffering has a point, and that through it you will bless me. Amen.

For it is commendable if someone bears up under the pain of unjust suffering because they are conscious of God. But how is it to your credit if you receive a beating for doing wrong and endure it? But if you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is commendable before God.
1 Peter 2:19,20

Making Sense out of Suffering

We don’t like to hear, “I told you so,” yet we have no one to blame but ourselves. Someone warned us, “I wouldn’t do that if I were you.” They predicted it would turn out badly, and now we’re suffering.

I hate it when that happens.

How did they know? Probably because they had tried it themselves and discovered it hurt. It’s simple. The cause is a bad decision. The effect is suffering.

Can’t you hear Mom’s progression of logic? The stove is hot. I told you not to touch it. You touched it anyway. Now you’re suffering. “I told you so.”

You caused your own suffering.

But what if you didn’t? What if you were just minding your own business, following the rules, doing everything correctly, and suffering came anyway? The worst kind of suffering is suffering that makes no sense.

That’s the type of suffering Saint Peter is describing in our Bible reading for today. He says, “it is commendable if someone bears up under the pain of unjust suffering.” In other words, if you didn’t cause your suffering but you’re enduring it anyway, you’ll be rewarded. Especially, Peter adds, if the reason for your patient endurance is because you “are conscious of God.”

We need to realize that sometimes the only cause for our suffering is God himself. No, he’s not punishing us for something we did wrong. He hasn’t stopped loving us. He hasn’t taken the day off. Instead, in his perfect wisdom and saving work, he has allowed some suffering to darken our days that we never saw coming, and it doesn’t make sense.

Until we realize, this is God’s will and say, “God’s will be done.”

That’s hard!

But rather than complaining or shaking our fist at God, what do God’s people do? We endure suffering patiently. We trust that our loving Father has a good reason for it and that one day it will all make sense.

Prayer:
Dear Lord, help me endure all my suffering patiently by putting my trust in you. Amen.

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.
Romans 8:28

Keep Praying

So, what are you praying for these days? For God to keep you and your loved ones from getting the coronavirus? For God to end the threat of the virus, so people don’t get sick or die from it anymore, and so you can stop losing income and pay your bills?

Those prayers are appropriate because God invites us to pray, “Call upon me in the day of trouble, and I will deliver you,” he says in Psalm 50.

But, in the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus also taught us to pray, “Your will be done.” (Matthew 26:42) Why would you pray, “Your will be done” in these days when you are stressed about your future or that of those you love? Because God has promised to bring good out of your suffering. The apostle Paul reminds us of this in Romans 8:28 when he says, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”

What good could God bring out of the uncertainty and anxiety caused by this virus? He could be reminding you that you need him so that you rely more on him and less on yourself or the things of this world. That would be good. He could be showing you that things you assume will always be there—your health, your job, your income, your lifestyle—can be gone in a flash so you don’t build your life on such unreliable things but instead on him. That would also be good. He could be helping you rethink your priorities, so you think more about what matters—your relationship with God, being there for your loved ones, helping the needy, and hurting. That would be good too.

Maybe it would be good to pray for God to open your eyes to all the good that he can work through these present hardships and the suffering they may bring you. Because that is his specialty. Through the worst suffering possible—his Son’s suffering at the cross for your sins, he achieved your greatest good—your eternal salvation. So, keep praying “Your will be done,” with confidence that he will keep working good for you in these difficult times.

Prayer:
Lord, even as I ask you to protect my loved ones and me during this difficult time, I also pray that your will be done. Help me to trust that your will is always best for me. Amen.

[Jesus said] “Teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
Matthew 28:20

Jesus By Your Side

I just took all my financial information to my accountant, who does my taxes. A few weeks ago, I took my car to my mechanic to get it fixed. A couple of months ago, when my furnace went out, I called a heating and cooling company that sent out a tech to get it working again.

We’re used to having professionals take care of things that we can’t. But this coronavirus is different. There is no medical researcher with a cure for this virus. There is no doctor we can go to get an immunization vaccine. The best the government can do is recommend we limit contact with each other. We’re feeling very vulnerable because we are feeling very helpless, and that is scary.

Jesus’ disciples felt like that one day on the sea of Galilee when a furious storm came up so quickly the disciples had no time to make it to shore. Before they knew it, the rain was blowing sideways, the waves were crashing into and over their boat, threatening to sink it. They were helpless.

But Jesus was also on that boat. And standing up, he addressed the storm as if it was an unruly child, and said, “Quiet! Be Still!” Suddenly, the wind stopped blowing, the rain stopped falling, the waves stopped churning, and the once wildly rocking boat now glided calmly along the glassy surface of the sea.

Jesus has power you and I do not have. He has the almighty power of God. And in this present health crisis, which makes us feel so small and weak and helpless, he is with us. He promised that when he said, “I am with you always to the very end of the age” (Matthew 28:20).

So Jesus—who is your almighty God and your loving Savior—will get you through this crisis. He will end this threat at the right time. And until then, he will make sure you have what you need each day. No matter how helpless you may feel, you are never helpless with him by your side.

Prayer:
Jesus, I know that I am helpless in the face of this virus. But I also know that you are more powerful than any virus. Protect me and my loved ones until this storm has passed. Amen

Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.
John 20:30,31

The Bible Is Not Random

The news seems so random lately. Things that were not significant last month seem very important this month. Things that were crucial last month seem unimportant now.

The news that Jesus rose from the dead is not random. When the gospel writer John finished describing that important event, he wanted to let you know why he wrote what he did. He could have chosen many other things to write about. He was with Jesus every day, and there were many other things he could have described.

But he had a good reason for writing the facts of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. His reason? That you would believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the promised Savior. When John wrote about what Jesus did, he wanted you to see how God kept his promise to win forgiveness for you by sending a Savior.

John also wanted you to know that Jesus is the Son of God. He’s not just some random man who had some good ideas. He existed as God from all eternity, and he remained God when he took on a human body to live and die for you. Now that he has risen; he uses all of his power as God.

When you believe in Jesus, the Messiah, the Son of God, you have eternal life. You realize that your seemingly random life has a purpose, that you are on the way to heaven. Now that you are going that direction, you can say thank you to God by how you live.

The promise that you are going to heaven comes directly through the name of Jesus, the Messiah, the Son of God, your Savior. The Bible was written to assure you of that. There’s nothing random about it at all.

Prayer:
Lord God, thank you for the certainty that you provide in the words of the Bible and the person of my Savior, Jesus. Amen.

Then [Jesus] said to Thomas, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.” Thomas said to him, “My Lord and my God!”
John 20:27,28

My God

Some people don’t believe that Jesus is fully God. Those people don’t understand how God could take on a human body and still remain God. Those people try to downplay Bible passages that call Jesus God or describe Jesus doing things only God can do.

But they are stumped when Thomas calls Jesus “my God” after seeing him risen from the dead. The best they can do is suggest that Thomas swore, using the same kind of language as people who abbreviate their swearing as OMG on the internet.

Thomas did not swear. He confessed a wonderful truth. When you realize that Jesus rose from the dead, you realize that he is God, just as he said. And when you realize that the only true God has called on you to believe in him, you realize that he’s not just God—he’s my God in a very personal way.

There are a lot of false gods in the world, but the true God suffered and died for you, all to take the punishment for your sins. There are a lot of idols in the world, but the true God lived and rose from the dead for you, all to provide you the righteousness that is yours through faith in Christ Jesus. There are a lot of misleading philosophies in the world, but the true God spoke the truth so that you would know who is the Lord of your life.

We are going through challenging and confusing times, but this truth will help you find clarity: Jesus is your Lord and your God.

Prayer:
Jesus, my God and Lord, do not forsake me. I trust your Word. Amen.