Cling to Jesus
|
Posted:Nov 12, 2023 5:38 am
Last Updated:May 2, 2024 3:58 pm 6487 Views
|
Today's Devotional
Read: Matthew 9:18–22
Bible in a Year: Jeremiah 51–52; Hebrews 9
She said to herself, “If I only touch [Jesus’] cloak, I will be healed.” Matthew 9:21
Dizziness struck me in the stairwell of the office building. Overwhelmed, I gripped the banister because the stairs seemed to spin. As my heart pounded and my legs buckled, I clung onto the banister, thankful for its strength. Medical tests showed I had anemia. Although its cause wasn’t serious and my condition was resolved, I’ll never forget how weak I felt that day.
That’s why I admire the woman who touched Jesus. She not only moved through the crowd in her weakened state, but she also showed faith in venturing out to approach Him (Matthew 9:20–22). She had good reason to be afraid: Jewish law defined her as unclean and by exposing others to her uncleanness, she could face serious consequences (Leviticus 15:25−27). But the thought If I only touch His cloak kept her going. The Greek word that’s translated as “touch” in Matthew 9:21 is not mere touching but has the stronger meaning of “to hold on to” or “to attach oneself.” The woman tightly held on to Jesus. She believed He could heal her.
Jesus saw, in the midst of a crowd, the desperate faith of one woman. When we too venture out in faith and cling to Christ in our need, He welcomes us and comes to our aid. We can tell Him our story without fear of rejection or punishment. Jesus tells us today, “Cling to Me.”
What’s caused you suffering and fear? To what or whom have you turned for help and healing? How can you cling to Jesus today?
Dear God, thank You for Your love. I don’t have to feel ashamed and afraid. You accept me and call me Your .
|
|
|
0
Comments
|
|
Love through Prayer
|
Posted:Nov 10, 2023 4:13 am
Last Updated:May 2, 2024 3:58 pm 6639 Views
|
Today's Devotional
Read: Luke 6:27–31
Bible in a Year: Jeremiah 48–49; Hebrews 7
Pray for those who mistreat you. Luke 6:28
For years, John had been somewhat of an irritant at church. He was bad-tempered, demanding, and often rude. He complained constantly about not being “served” well, and about volunteers and staff not doing their job. He was, honestly, hard to love.
So when I heard that he’d been diagnosed with cancer, I found it difficult to pray for him. Memories of his harsh words and unpleasant character filled my mind. But remembering Jesus’ call to love, I was drawn to say a simple prayer for John each day. A few days later, I found myself beginning to think a bit less often about his unlikeable qualities. He must be really hurting, I thought. Perhaps he’s feeling really lost now.
Prayer, I realize, opens ourselves, our feelings, and our relationships with others to God, allowing Him to enter and bring His perspective into it all. The act of submitting our will and feelings to Him in prayer allows the Holy Spirit to change our hearts, slowly but surely. No wonder Jesus’ call to love our enemies is bound up tightly with a call to prayer: “Pray for those who mistreat you” (Luke 6:28.
I have to admit, I still struggle to think well of John. But with the Spirit’s help, I’m learning to see him through God’s eyes and heart—as a person to be forgiven and loved.
Why is it important to pray for even the difficult people in your life? What can you pray for them?
Loving God, You know how I feel about those who’ve hurt or irritated me. Please give me Your heart of grace and compassion to pray for them, for You love them.
|
|
|
0
Comments
|
|
Jesus’ Ultimate Victory
|
Posted:Nov 9, 2023 7:01 am
Last Updated:May 2, 2024 3:58 pm 6876 Views
|
Today's Devotional
Read: 2 Chronicles 20:15–22
Bible in a Year: Jeremiah 46–47; Hebrews 6
As they began to sing and praise, the Lord set ambushes . . . and they were defeated. 2 Chronicles 20:22
At some military camps across Europe during World War II, an unusual type of supply was air-dropped for homesick soldiers—upright pianos. They were specially manufactured to contain only 10 percent of the normal amount of metal, and they received special water-resistant glue and anti-insect treatments. The pianos were rugged and simple but provided hours of spirit-lifting entertainment for soldiers who gathered around to sing familiar songs of home.
Singing—especially songs of praise—is one way that believers in Jesus can find peace in the battle too. King Jehoshaphat found this to be true when he faced vast invading armies (2 Chronicles 20). Terrified, the king called all the people together for prayer and fasting (vv. 3–4). In response, God told him to lead out soldiers to meet the enemy, promising that they’d “not have to fight this battle” (v. 17). Jehoshaphat believed God and acted in faith. He appointed singers to go ahead of the soldiers and sing praise to God for the victory they believed they would see
(v. 21). And as their music began, He miraculously defeated their enemies and saved His people (v. 22).
Victory doesn’t always come when and how we want it to. But we can always proclaim Jesus’ ultimate victory over sin and death that’s already been won for us. We can choose to rest in a spirit of worship even in the middle of a war zone.
How can you praise God right where you are today? How can you press into the victory that Jesus has won for you?
You’re stronger than my enemies, dear God. I lift up Your name in faith today.
|
|
|
0
Comments
|
|
Knowing the Shepherd’s Voice
|
Posted:Nov 8, 2023 1:03 am
Last Updated:May 2, 2024 3:58 pm 6917 Views
|
Today's Devotional
Read: John 10:1–10
Bible in a Year: Jeremiah 43–45; Hebrews 5
His sheep follow him because they know his voice. John 10:4
When I was a boy living on a ranch in Tennessee, I spent glorious afternoons roaming with my best friend. We’d hike into the woods, ride ponies, visit the rodeo arena, and venture into the barn to watch the cowboys work the horses. But whenever I heard my dad’s whistle—that clear sound slicing through the wind and all the other clatter—I’d immediately drop whatever I was doing and head home. The signal was unmistakable, and I knew I was being called by my father. Decades later, I’d still recognize that whistle.
Jesus told His disciples that He was the Shepherd, and His followers were the sheep. “The sheep listen to [the shepherd’s] voice,” He said. “He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out” (John 10:3). In a time when numerous leaders and teachers sought to confuse Christ’s disciples by asserting their authority, He declared that His loving voice could still be heard clearly, more distinctly than all the others. “His sheep follow [the shepherd], because they know his voice” (v. 4).
May we be careful as we listen for Jesus’ voice and avoid foolishly dismissing it, for the fundamental truth remains: The Shepherd speaks clearly, and His sheep hear His voice. Perhaps through a verse of Scripture, the words of a believing friend, or the nudge of the Spirit—Jesus speaks, and we do hear.
How do you think you’ve complicated hearing God’s voice? What’s the Shepherd saying to you today?
Dear God, I need to be reminded that You’re speaking, and that I do hear You. Help me pay attention. Help me to listen and respond.
|
|
|
0
Comments
|
|
Destruction Destroyed
|
Posted:Nov 7, 2023 2:06 am
Last Updated:May 2, 2024 3:58 pm 6861 Views
|
Today's Devotional
Read: Genesis 3:1–10
Bible in a Year: Jeremiah 40–42; Hebrews 4
The Lord God called to the man, “Where are you?” Genesis 3:9
“The baby birds will fly tomorrow!” My wife, Cari, was elated about the progress a family of wrens was making in a hanging basket on our front porch. She’d watched them daily, taking pictures as the mother brought food to the nest.
Cari got up early the next morning to look in on them. She moved some of the greenery aside covering the nest but instead of seeing baby birds, the narrow eyes of a serpent met hers. The snake had scaled a vertical wall, slithered into the nest, and devoured them all.
Cari was heartbroken and angry. I was out of town, so she called a friend to remove the snake. But the damage was done.
Scripture tells of another serpent who left destruction in his path. The serpent in the garden of Eden deceived Eve about the tree God had warned her against eating from: “You will not certainly die,” he lied, “for God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil”
(Genesis 3:4–5).
Sin and death entered the world as a result of Eve and Adam’s disobedience to God, and the deception wrought by “that ancient serpent, who is the devil” continues (Revelation 20:2). But Jesus came “to destroy the devil’s work”
(1 John 3:8 and through Him we’re restored to relationship with God. One day, He’ll make “everything new” (Revelation 21:5).
How has Jesus destroyed the devil’s work in your heart and life? What do you look forward to in Him?
Please deliver me, Jesus, from the devil’s deception. Saving God, give me grace to live for You!
|
|
|
0
Comments
|
|
Persistent Pizza
|
Posted:Nov 6, 2023 4:22 am
Last Updated:May 2, 2024 3:58 pm 6743 Views
|
Today's Devotional
Read: Galatians 6:2–10
Bible in a Year: Jeremiah 37–39; Hebrews 3
Let us not become weary in doing good. Galatians 6:9
At age twelve, Ibrahim arrived in Italy from West Africa, not knowing a word of Italian, struggling with a stutter, and forced to face anti-immigrant putdowns. None of that stopped the hardworking young man who, in his twenties, opened a pizza shop in Trento, Italy. His little business won over doubters to be listed as one of the top fifty pizzerias in the world.
His hope was then to help feed hungry on Italian streets. So he launched a “pizza charity” by expanding a Neapolitan tradition—buy an extra coffee (caffè sospeso) or pizza (pizza sospesa) for those in need. He also urges immigrant to look past prejudice and not give up.
Such persistence recalls Paul’s lessons to the Galatians on continually doing good to all. “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up” (Galatians 6:9). Paul continued, “Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers” (v. 10).
Ibrahim, an immigrant who faced prejudice and language barriers, created an opportunity to do good. Food became “a bridge” leading to tolerance and understanding. Inspired by such persistence, we too can look for opportunities to do good. God, then, gets the glory as He works through our steady trying.
How does your persistence glorify God? In your life, what deserves more godly persistence and loving charity from you?
When I consider giving up, dear God, inspire me to endure in You.
|
|
|
0
Comments
|
|
God’s Rescue
|
Posted:Nov 4, 2023 5:47 am
Last Updated:May 2, 2024 3:58 pm 6914 Views
|
Today's Devotional
Read: Psalm 40:1–4
Bible in a Year: Jeremiah 32–33; Hebrews 1
He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. Psalm 40:2
A compassionate volunteer was called a “guardian angel” for his heroic efforts. Jake Manna was installing solar panels at a job site when he joined an urgent search to find a missing five-year-old girl. While neighbors searched their garages and yards, Manna took a path that led him into a nearby wooded area where he spotted the girl waist-deep in a marsh. He waded carefully into the sticky mud to pull her out of her predicament and return her, damp but unharmed, to her grateful mother.
Like that little girl, David also experienced deliverance. The singer “waited patiently” for God to respond to his heartfelt cries for mercy (Psalm 40:1). And He did. God leaned in, paid close attention to his cry for help and responded by rescuing him from the “mud and mire” of his circumstances (v. 2)—providing sure footing for David’s life. The past rescues from the muddy marsh of life reinforced his desire to sing songs of praise, to make God his trust in future circumstances and to share his story with others (vv. 3–4).
When we find ourselves in life challenges such as financial difficulties, marital turmoil, and feelings of inadequacy, let’s cry out to God and patiently wait for Him to respond (v. 1). He’s there, ready to help us in our time of need and give us a firm place to stand.
When has God delivered you from the “muddy marsh”? How do His past rescues encourage you to trust in Him?
When I’m stuck in the mud, I’ll wait patiently for You, my loving God.
|
|
|
0
Comments
|
|
Reflecting the Light of the
|
Posted:Nov 3, 2023 5:42 am
Last Updated:May 2, 2024 3:58 pm 7176 Views
|
Today's Devotional
Read: Matthew 5:14–16
Bible in a Year: Jeremiah 30–31; Philemon
You are the light of the world. Matthew 5:14
After I had a conflict with my mother, she finally agreed to meet with me more than an hour away from my home. But upon arriving, I discovered she’d left before I got there. In my anger, I wrote her a note. But I revised it after I felt God nudging me to respond in love. After my mother read my revised message, she called me. “You’ve changed,” she said. God used my note to lead my mom to ask about Jesus and, eventually, receive Him as her personal Savior.
In Matthew 5, Jesus affirms that His disciples are the light of the world (v. 14). He said, “let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven” (v. 16). As soon as we receive Christ as our Savior, we receive the power of the Holy Spirit. He transforms us so we can be radiant testimonies of God’s truth and love wherever we go.
Through the power of the Holy Spirit, we can be joyful lights of hope and peace who look more and more like Jesus every day. Every good thing we do then becomes an act of grateful worship, which looks attractive to others and can be perceived as vibrant faith. Surrendered to the Holy Spirit, we can give honor to the Father by reflecting the Light of the —Jesus.
When have you noticed the light of Jesus shining through another person? How has someone else’s good deeds prompted you to praise God?
Dear Jesus, please shine Your vibrant light of love in and through my life so I can give honor to the Father and encourage others to put their trust in You.
|
|
|
0
Comments
|
|
Everybody Worships
|
Posted:Nov 2, 2023 5:11 am
Last Updated:May 2, 2024 3:58 pm 7304 Views
|
Today's Devotional
Read: Acts 17:24–32
Bible in a Year: Jeremiah 27–29; Titus 3
People of Athens! I see that in every way you are very religious. Acts 17:22
I recently visited Athens, Greece. Walking around its ancient Agora—the marketplace where philosophers taught and Athenians worshiped—I found altars to Apollo and Zeus, all in the shadow of the Acropolis, where a statue of the goddess Athena once stood.
We may not bow to Apollo or Zeus today, but society is no less religious. “Everybody worships,” novelist David Foster Wallace said, adding this warning: “If you worship money and things . . . then you will never have enough. . . . Worship your body and beauty. . . and you will always feel ugly. . . . Worship your intellect . . . [and] you will end up feeling stupid.” Our secular age has its own gods, and they’re not benign.
“People of Athens!” Paul said while visiting the Agora, “I see that in every way you are very religious” (Acts 17:22). The apostle then described the one true God as the Creator of all (vv. 24–26) who wants to be known (v. 27) and who has revealed Himself through the resurrection of Jesus (v. 31). Unlike Apollo and Zeus, this God isn’t made by human hands. Unlike money, looks, or intelligence, worshiping Him won’t ruin us.
Our “god” is whatever we rely on to give us purpose and security. Thankfully, when every earthly god fails us, the one true God is ready to be found (v. 27).
What other “gods” do you see society worshiping today? What do you rely on to give you purpose and security?
Father, forgive me for placing wealth, beauty, politics, or other things first. I take them off the altar of my heart and place You there instead.
|
|
|
0
Comments
|
|
Under God’s Wings
|
Posted:Oct 31, 2023 3:39 am
Last Updated:May 2, 2024 3:58 pm 7619 Views
|
Today's Devotional
Read: Psalm 61
Bible in a Year: Jeremiah 22–23; Titus 1
I long to dwell in your tent forever and take refuge in the shelter of your wings. Psalm 61:4
There are several Canada goose families with baby geese at the pond near our apartment complex. The little goslings are so fluffy and cute; it’s hard not to watch them when I go for a walk or run around the pond. But I’ve learned to avoid eye contact and give the geese a wide berth—otherwise, I risk a protective goose parent suspecting a threat and hissing and chasing me!
The image of a bird protecting her young is one that Scripture uses to describe God’s tender, protective love for His (Psalm 91:4). In Psalm 61, David seems to be struggling to experience God’s care in this way. He’d experienced God as his “refuge, a strong tower” (v. 3), but now he called desperately “from the ends of the earth,” pleading, “lead me to the rock that is higher than I” (v. 2). He longed to once more “take refuge in the shelter of [God’s] wings” (v. 4).
And in bringing his pain and longing for healing to God, David took comfort in knowing that He’d heard him (v. 5). Because of God’s faithfulness, he knew he would “ever sing in praise of [His] name” (v. 8.
Like the psalmist, when we feel distant from God’s love, we can run back to His arms to be assured that even in our pain, He’s with us, protecting and caring for us as fiercely as a mother bird guards her young.
How does it encourage you to remember God’s protective care for you? How have you experienced His care?
Dear God, thank You for Your fierce, protective love for me. Help me to rest securely in Your tender care.
|
|
|
0
Comments
|
|
