Category: Daily Devotions

When the Sabbath came, Jesus went into the synagogue and began to teach. The people were amazed at his teaching, because he taught them as one who had authority, not as the teachers of the law. Just then a man in their synagogue who was possessed by an evil spirit cried out, “What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God!” “Be quiet!” said Jesus sternly. “Come out of him!” The evil spirit shook the man violently and came out of him with a shriek. The people were all so amazed that they asked each other, “What is this? A new teaching—and with authority! He even gives orders to evil spirits and they obey him.”
Mark 1:21-27

Authority of Jesus

Fictional stories of demon possession tend to be all about the drama, the suspense, the terror. When people watch a horror movie, they expect to be horrified. In today’s reading, we hear about a real case of demon possession, but only so that we may learn what Jesus does about it.

There is no real suspense here. Jesus simply speaks: “Be quiet! Come out of him!” That’s all it takes. The evil spirit must obey. The witnesses are understandably amazed by the exorcism, but what amazes them even more is the authority behind Jesus’ words. Only God himself can speak with such effect.

Jesus still speaks with divine authority. He speaks on the pages of Scripture, where we are told, “the reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work” (1 John 3:8). By his death on the cross and his resurrection from the dead, that’s just what Jesus has done.

The devil is always tempting us to turn away from God and his saving Word. We must confess that we’ve succumbed. We haven’t been so amazed by the teachings of Jesus as we should be. We haven’t loved God’s Word with all our heart. But Jesus has taken away our sins. And we don’t have to wonder whether or not Jesus can help us in our struggles. He even gives orders to evil spirits and they obey him.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, when I am struggling with guilt and fighting temptation, draw me closer to your Word. Be my shield and my strength, now and always. Amen.

God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are.
1 Corinthians 1:27-28

The Sunday Morning Faces

It’s another Sunday morning. Into the church they come for the worship service. And what a sorry mess they are.

Don’t misunderstand. On the outside they look calm and pleasant enough. But on the inside it’s different. On the inside, each one is carrying bruises and wounds and scars.

Right side, third pew from the front. Middle-aged couple. For years, she has longed for her husband to open up to her, to let her in. He cannot shake the fear that he has been a disappointment to her.

Left side, second pew from the back. Single man in his twenties. He’s polite, well-mannered. But he feels like a hypocrite. His drinking with friends is getting out of hand. It’s led to things that mock the very God he claims to worship. He wonders if he’ll end up like his father.

Left side, half-way up. A young family of five. He runs his own garage. She keeps the books. Business has been down. The creditors are calling. And the kids are getting sick of Mom and Dad never having any time.

Right side, towards the back. Single mom, two small children. She’s always tired. And she can’t remember the last time she was able to listen to an entire sermon.

Left side, front row. Woman in her seventies. It’s been ten years, but the ache from her husband’s death has never left her. It still hurts to come to church alone.

Right side, middle pew. A divorced man in his late forties. His daughter seldom calls. And when he thinks about all the things he’s left undone, he cannot blame her.

And yet, in this sorry group of broken souls, the Lord Jesus is at work. He is calling them to repentance. He is healing them with his forgiveness. He is sweetening their tears. He is quieting their fears. He is refreshing them with his promises.

And when they leave this place, this rag-tag band, they will touch the lives of others. And the Word will spread. And others will come.

Prayer:
Dearest Jesus, I am just a broken soul, afraid and alone. But you have rescued me in your blood. You have healed me in your gospel. Thank you for the privilege of doing the greatest work there is to do. Amen.

This devotion was selected from the Daily Devotion archive.

“Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven.”
Matthew 5:11-12

Completely Different

Dennis and David are twins. Early in their life, people looked at them and wondered, “Which twin is it?” At times, even their parents became confused. As time went on, though, subtle differences emerged, but not in their looks. Their personalities evolved. Dennis became very outspoken and aggressive. David remained quiet and thoughtful. Then people wondered how they could be so different.

When I consider Jesus’ teaching on the “beatitudes,” his statements of blessing, I am amazed at the striking contrast Jesus presented. On the one hand, there was the way of the world which offered a life of self-indulgence, excess and unbridled pleasure. On the other, was the way of blessing which Jesus offered. His view of life was selflessness, sacrifice, and a potential for persecution. While the world’s definition of blessing is very attractive, I need to understand it is what a moth experiences when it is lured to a flame. If it doesn’t turn away, it will be consumed. Instead of being consumed by life, Jesus offers contentment, peace and lasting joy. He even promises a life which ends with the reward of heaven.

What Jesus offers is completely different from what the world offers, because it makes me look past what the world can do to what Jesus has done for me. His blessing begins with the undeserved love which brought him to this earth and was guaranteed at the open tomb. All along the way he reveals one blessing after another: his faithful life instead of my unfaithfulness, his innocent death instead of my guilt and punishment, his perfect payment instead of my imperfect righteousness, his promise of life instead of my sentence of death. These are the blessings I desperately and daily need. They are also the ones which strengthen me and encourage me as I live for him. They even reassure me so I can look beyond the insults, the hardships, and even the persecution, and see the reward prepared for me in heaven.

Yes, what Jesus offers is completely different from what the world offers. It is this difference for which I long. It is also the difference from which I receive his promise of lasting joy and never-ending blessing.

Prayer:
O dearest Savior, I long for and need the blessings you offer in love. Give me the strength of faith to look past what this world offers and may even take away, and cling to the blessings you have prepared for me–now and forever. Amen.

This devotion was selected from the Daily Devotion archive.

Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.
James 4:10

Humble Yourself

There he was. The game was over. Pandemonium had erupted from the crowd of 80,000 plus. There he was. The hero. Standing on a bench, towering over the people nearby with arms folded across his chest and a look on his face that dared anyone to question his greatness. He had certainly made a nice play. Some might suggest he had the fortune of being in the right place at the right time and had merely managed to capitalize on someone else’s mistake. Either way, he was the center of attention and he was soaking it all in.

The picture described above could hardly be used as an illustration of today’s Bible verse: “Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.”

Are we any different than a proud athlete in this regard? We are also pretty good at pumping ourselves up. We highlight our good qualities and downplay our weaknesses. We post our accomplishments online for others to see. We make ourselves look better in comparison to others. We pat ourselves on the back and fail to congratulate others for a job well done. How many times haven’t we in our own minds decided that we are better than others for one reason or another?

This kind of self-flattery and pride will prevent God from lifting us up in the end. Sins of pride and arrogance and conceit can only lead us away from God, and all such sins are deserving of his eternal punishment.

God tells us to humble ourselves, to make ourselves low before him. This means leveling off our pride. It means stepping down from above others. It means humbly confessing our sins and our unworthy status before God.

When we do that, something surprising happens. He doesn’t crush us or destroy us. Rather, our Father in heaven lifts us up. He lifts our eyes to the cross of Christ where our Savior’s blood was shed and our sins were paid for. He lifts our eyes to the empty tomb where Christ won our victory over the grave. He takes us by the hand and says he will watch over us every day as he leads us on to heaven.

Today and every day, humble yourself before the Lord and he will lift you up.

Prayer:
Dear Heavenly Father, forgive my sins of pride and arrogance. Teach me to be humble before you and to rejoice as you lift me up. Amen.

Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.
Philippians 4:8

What is True

We’re often told that we should think happy thoughts. Today’s verse takes a more foundational approach. Don’t just aim for happy thoughts. Think about what is true.

In other words, be honest about your relationship with God, who loves you dearly. Scripture gravely states that all have sinned against him. So don’t pretend you haven’t and that your sin doesn’t matter. Think about the truth. But there is more to the truth than that. Scripture also says that Jesus is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. His willing sacrifice has freed us from sin and death. All who believe in Jesus have God’s promise to be with us, to bless us through every trial and trouble, and to take us to heaven. We need the whole truth. Our verse says, “Whatever is true… think about such things.”

If only we could do it! It’s easy to get so stuck on our sin and guilt to the point that we can’t believe God will forgive us. And it’s just as easy to think that our sin is small and easily managed on our own, without God’s help. Either way, we are setting ourselves up for something worse than just unhappy thoughts. If we lose sight of the truth, we are lost.

Once again, God doesn’t leave us alone. He continues to speak to us on the pages of Scripture. By means of his living Word, God chases away our doubts and fear, and leads us again and again to embrace the truth—because of Jesus, God is on our side.

And when you are thinking about what is true, then you are also thinking about what is noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, and praiseworthy. They’re connected. When you stick to the truth, the rest will follow.

You don’t have to settle for just happy thoughts. In his Word, God fills your head and your heart with what is true. You have a Savior named Jesus and he has taken away all of your sins.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, I can’t change my thought patterns, but you can. Stay close to me by means of your Word. Lead me to dwell on what is true. Amen.

The word of the LORD came to Jonah a second time: “Go to the great city of Nineveh and proclaim to it the message I give you.” Jonah obeyed the word of the LORD and went to Nineveh. Now Nineveh was a very important city—a visit required three days. On the first day, Jonah started into the city. He proclaimed: “Forty more days and Nineveh will be overturned.” The Ninevites believed God. They declared a fast, and all of them, from the greatest to the least, put on sackcloth. … When God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, he had compassion and did not bring upon them the destruction he had threatened.
Jonah 3:1-5,10

The God of Second Chances

Jonah believed that God is gracious and compassionate. He rejoiced in the second chance God had given him. But not even a three-night stay in the belly of a fish fully convinced Jonah that Nineveh deserved a second chance. Nevertheless, Jonah went. He shared God’s message. The Ninevites repented. And God gave them a second chance.

Christians believe God has given the world a second chance. Jesus died for our sins and rose again. For the sake of Jesus, God forgives us all completely and unconditionally. How can we rate someone else as unworthy of God’s compassion? That’s what Jonah did.

Christians believe they are not worthy of a second chance. All have sinned. And all sin is a crime against our Creator that is deserving of death. How can we say that our sin is less offensive to God than someone else’s? That’s what Jonah did.

Christians believe that God is gracious. Even though we do not deserve it, God sent us One who is greater than Jonah. Jesus not only preached against sin, he paid for our sin with his blood. He sank to the depths of hell and spent three days in the belly of the earth. But death could not stomach Jesus because Jesus had no sin of his own. In Christ, God has relented and promised not to bring on us the destruction we deserve.

Because of the Lord’s great love, we are not consumed (Lamentations 3:22).

Prayer:
Heavenly Father, I have sinned against you. But I believe that Jesus is my second chance. Help me to forgive as you have forgiven me. Amen.

After [Paul and Silas] had been severely flogged, they were thrown into prison, and the jailer was commanded to guard them carefully. Upon receiving such orders, he put them in the inner cell and fastened their feet in the stocks. About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them.
Acts 16:23-25

Unforeseen Witnessing

Witnessing can be pretty straightforward. In the court room, witnesses simply are asked to tell what they have seen and heard. Witnessing one’s faith in Jesus, however, can be met by hostility. Anger, sarcasm, or worse can come from a family member, a college professor, or a co-worker.

Missionaries Paul and Silas were in Philippi. For several days their efforts were disrupted by a demon-possessed, fortune-telling, slave girl. Her fortune-telling was a great moneymaker for her owners. Each day she identified Paul and Silas, shouting, “These men are servants of the Most High God, who are telling you the way to be saved” (Acts 16:17). Although what she said was true, that they did proclaim salvation through faith in Jesus, who would believe her? In Jesus’ name, Paul cast out the demon.

Immediately the owners saw their source of income vanish. False charges led to a severe flogging for Paul and Silas, and a night in the stocks in the inner cell of the jail.

Into the night, Paul and Silas prayed and sang hymns to God, “and the other prisoners were listening to them.” In their misery, Paul and Silas did not turn against God, but turned to God in prayer and song. It was an unplanned witness of humble trust in the wisdom and love of God. An earthquake that jarred open all the cell doors; every prisoner remaining in place; a jailer stopped from falling on his own sword… all led to that jailer’s question, “What must I do to be saved?” (Acts 16:30). Unexpected! Unforeseen! Amazing!

Don’t expect earthquakes, but your trust in Jesus as your Savior guides you in the way to deal with earthly life that can lead to precious, unforeseen witnessing opportunities. Our children praying aloud with us at the restaurant, or our family members comforting one another in the Intensive Care waiting room can result in witnessing.

Witnessing is never “force-feeding,” but unforeseen witnessing opportunities will arise as we “let our light shine.”

Prayer:
Lord, help me be ready to witness when those unforeseen opportunities arise. Amen.

After John was put in prison, Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God. “The time has come,” he said. “The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news!” As Jesus walked beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will make you fishers of men.” At once they left their nets and followed him. When he had gone a little farther, he saw James son of Zebedee and his brother John in a boat, preparing their nets. Without delay he called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men and followed him.
Mark 1:14-20

Come, Follow Me

Jesus is a king who has a kingdom and he calls us to follow him as our leader. Now we are usually suspicious of people who claim to be great leaders, especially political leaders like kings. We wonder if they are gathering a following so they might use their power over us. We wonder if they want to use us and control us to get something from us. So, in general, we are cautious about following those who claim to be great leaders.

But that is not what happened in Galilee 2000 years ago. Jesus came proclaiming that he was a king, and he had a kingdom, and that all people should follow him. The amazing thing was men like Simon Peter, Andrew, James and John did. They left everything to follow Jesus.

They were so willing to follow Jesus because Jesus was a different kind of king who had a different kind of kingdom. Instead of taking from people, he gave great blessings to people. Instead of gathering a following to control, he gathered a following to set them free. He didn’t rule to take the lives of others. He came to give up his life to rescue people from sin and death. That is why the first disciples were willing to give up everything and follow Jesus.

Now what about you? Are you willing to follow this King? Jesus’ kingdom is one of freedom and forgiveness. It is a kingdom of good news—the good news of eternal salvation.

Repent and follow Jesus your King!

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, you are my King. I repent of all my sins before you. I ask you to wash them all away. And now teach me to follow you in all my ways that I might bring glory to your name! Amen.

The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned.
Isaiah 9:2

Jesus is the Light

Light is certainly one of the most precious things in our world. Without it, we can’t do much of anything. The most simple tasks become all but impossible when darkness envelopes us instead of light.

A lack of light can also strike fear into our hearts and be quite dangerous. If you have ever tried navigating your way through complete darkness, you know this to be true. When you can’t even see your hand two inches in front of your face, it is impossible to walk with purpose and confidence. This is what life is like without Jesus.

Without Jesus there is no purpose in life. Every reason our world produces for our existence comes up empty in the end. Without the light of Jesus we would be forced to stumble our way through life, bumping into blessings without knowing where they come from and tripping over trials and problems. As we stumble we would always have the terrifying understanding that death could be right around the corner.

Thank God for sending Jesus to be the Light that illuminates our lives. He gives us hope and purpose. He came to remove the darkness of sin by shedding his blood and scatter the shadow of death by rising from the grave. Since our sins have been paid for by his blood, we have the sure confidence that every one of our sins has been removed—even the ones that weigh us down with the most guilt. Since he rose from the grave we have the rock-solid guarantee that death is not the end for us. We too will rise with him to live eternally.

With Jesus lighting up our lives we can live with confidence and purpose. The confidence comes from knowing that nothing can change the fact that our sins have been washed away by his blood and our eternal life guaranteed by his resurrection. Our purpose now is to live every moment to his glory. We strive to make the best use of all the gifts he has given us and do everything we can to share Jesus with others so they too may walk in his light.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, this sinful world is a dark place. Thank you for scattering the darkness of sin and death for us. Continue to light up our lives that we may live for you and share your light with others. Amen.

This devotion was selected from the Daily Devotion archive.

I appeal to you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another so that there may be no divisions among you and that you may be perfectly united in mind and thought. My brothers, some from Chloe’s household have informed me that there are quarrels among you. What I mean is this: One of you says, “I follow Paul”; another, “I follow Apollos”; another, “I follow Cephas”; still another, “I follow Christ.” Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Were you baptized into the name of Paul?
1 Corinthians 1:10-13

Unite and Conquer

“Divide and conquer” is an effective strategy in warfare. Once you divide your enemy’s forces, you can overwhelm each smaller group one by one.
“Divide and conquer” is also an effective strategy in spiritual warfare. It is one of the devil’s favorite tactics. He works hard to divide Christian congregations. He realizes that if Christians are busy fighting each other they will be too busy to fight him. He realizes that if Christians are shouting at one another they will be too busy to shout the Good News of sins forgiven to those around them. He knows that if Christians are jealous and angry and bitter toward one another they will be much less likely to love and honor and serve one another.
The apostle Paul understood these things. So, in his first letter to the Christians in the city of Corinth he encouraged them to fight against this effective strategy of their enemy. In the case of the Corinthians, they were divided over which of their leaders they liked better. Some preferred Paul, others Apollos, etc. Paul reminded them that Jesus was the only one who had paid for their sins on the cross. Rather than be divided over which of their leaders they liked, they ought to be united in their love for Christ.
If the devil is dividing you from your fellow Christians, let the love of Christ fill your heart and overcome the devil’s temptations. Do not allow the devil to “divide and conquer” you and your fellow Christians. Rather, “unite and conquer” him!

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, I know that the devil is a powerful enemy. But, I also know that you are a more powerful ally. Let there be no divisions in your Church. Unite us as one in the mission to love one another and to tell others of your great love for all. Amen.

This devotion was selected from the Daily Devotion archive.