Category: Devotionals

When reading the story of Elijah and the widow of Zarephath, I was reminded of the promotions offered at some well-known restaurant chains. To cater to our desire for value, for getting the most bang for our buck, these restaurants offer things like “bottomless” or “endless” fries. The fries just keep on coming and, at least for the time you are sitting there as a paying customer, they never run out. Now, these things are nice, if not exactly healthy, but there are two things in life that are “bottomless” and “endless” that we should be truly thankful for – God’s grace and love.

In the story of Elijah and the widow of Zarephath (1 Kings 17:7-24), we can see God’s grace at work in a very tangible way. Elijah had been sent by God to the home of the widow, where God had said Elijah would be fed. Now, the widow had only a small amount of both flour and oil left in her home, enough for one last meal for her and her son. When she told Elijah this, he asked her to make a small loaf for him and something for herself and her son. He told her that God had said that the supply of flour would not be used up and the oil would not run dry. The widow did as Elijah asked and the result was endless flour and bottomless oil. This is what God’s grace is like, it never ends. His grace has been poured out from the beginning of time, it continues today, and will do so for eternity.

Just as God’s grace is endless, so too is His love. Scripture is full of verses that testify to this. For example, in 1 Chronicles 16:34, we read that we should give thanks to the Lord because His love endures forever. His love is bottomless! In Psalm 100:5, we are told that God is good and that His love and His faithfulness will endure forever, from generation to generation. His love is endless! And, the best part is that His endless love is so great that He gave His only Son, Jesus, so that we may experience that love forever in eternity with Him (John 3:16). But, unlike the “bottomless” and “endless” fries in restaurants, there is no price for that. It is free to all who believe in Jesus and give their lives to Him.

Jesus came so that He could be the sacrifice for our sins. His death on the cross was the atonement for the sins of mankind. Our sins were nailed to that cross with Jesus. So, why was the resurrection of Christ necessary? For one thing, if Jesus had died and remained in the grave, it would have been no different from any other man suffering that horrible form of death. Jesus was fully human, but He was also fully divine. His resurrection is proof that He was, in fact, the Son of God. So, in part, the resurrection was necessary because it proves to the world that He is who He said He is.

If Jesus had died and not risen, the atonement that we received through His sacrificial death would be no different from the atonement received through the sacrifice of a lamb. It would have been temporary and would have to be repeated every year, just as it had been since the days of Moses. But, because of His resurrection, the atonement that comes from His sacrifice was only required to be done once for all (Hebrews 7:27). That sacrifice is the source of eternal salvation for everyone who believes and obeys Him (Hebrews 5:9).

The resurrection was also necessary because it verifies the truth of Scripture. In Psalm 16:9-10, David spoke of the resurrection of the Messiah, who God had promised would descend from David’s throne. In those verses, which Peter quoted on the day of Pentecost, David wrote that the Messiah would not be abandoned to the realm of the dead, nor would His body decay (Acts 2:30-31).

We believe that Jesus rose from the dead and we testify to that when we share our faith with others. If Jesus had not risen from the dead, then all that we believe, all that we testify to, and all that is preached in our churches would be useless and false (1 Corinthians 15:14-15). And, if Jesus was not raised from the dead, then our faith is futile, since we would still be in our sins (1 Corinthians 15:17). But, thanks to our loving and merciful God, Jesus did rise from the dead and His resurrection power gives us victory over sin and death! (1 Corinthians 15:56-57)

Peace is defined as the absence of war and hostility, or as harmony among nations or groups of people. A look at the headlines or a glance at a TV news broadcast will tell you that peace is something that is not truly present in our world. Nations are at odds with each other, violence occurs on a daily basis, and terrorism has become a common word in our vocabulary. These are not peaceful times.

While we may never see true peace on earth until Jesus returns, through Jesus we can have peace in our own lives. Peace is also defined as tranquility. This is the kind of peace that Jesus gives. He is the Prince of Peace. The peace that He gives is a peace that goes far beyond our understanding. His peace has the power to guard our hearts and our minds. (Philippians 4:7)

The peace that comes from Jesus Christ is the kind of peace we all need and long for. It is the kind of peace that enables us to face the troubles of this world and not be afraid. This is the kind of peace that God intended for us to have when He created the world. But when sin entered the world, that peace was destroyed. That is why this peace cannot come from the world. It cannot come from money and success, and it cannot come from people.

But, because of Jesus Christ and his sacrifice, we can have this peace. In order to have the peace that He gives, we must abide in Him and He in us. When we are in Him, we will have peace and that peace will help us to face the trouble that comes from this world and not be afraid. He has overcome the world (John 16:33). Jesus has promised to give us the peace that the world cannot give, the peace that only He can give (John 14:27).

Thursday was a day of instruction, a day of betrayal, denial, and trial. Friday brought pain, suffering, death, and immeasurable grief. Then came Saturday, a day filled with fear, grief, confusion, disillusion, and mourning.

But today is Sunday! And Sunday brings joy for the Lord no longer lies in that cold, dark tomb. He is risen, just as He said (Luke 24:6-8). And so, the disciples rejoiced, just as Jesus said they would. Their grief was turned to joy – a joy that could not be taken away (John 16:20-22).

As the disciples rejoiced, so we rejoice because we do not serve a Savior who is dead and buried, but a Savior who is alive. We rejoice because, by His death and resurrection, Jesus conquered sin and death and made a way for us to enjoy eternal life with Him in heaven. The chains of our sin have been broken because the Lord is risen. He is risen indeed!

The day after the darkest day in history was a day of quiet. Nothing much is known about what went on the day after Jesus died. The only reference to that day in Scripture is found in five verses in Matthew’s gospel. In those verses, we learn that the chief priests and Pharisees went to see Pontius Pilate. They knew that Jesus had said that He would rise on the third day. Although they did not believe that Jesus would actually rise from the dead, they feared that His disciples would remove His body from the tomb and tell people that He had risen. So, the chief priests and Pharisees appealed to Pilate to seal the tomb and post a guard. Pilate granted their request. (Matthew 27:62-66)

But, what of the disciples? What of Mary, the mother of Jesus, Mary Magdalene, and the other women who had followed Jesus? What were they doing on that day? What were they thinking and feeling? These men and women had seen their Lord, Teacher, and friend arrested, beaten, mocked, and then crucified. Jesus was dead. The Son of God was lying in a cold, dark tomb. No doubt, the hearts of His followers were broken. They were devastated, afraid, and numb with shock. The feelings that gripped them must have been similar to those experienced by Americans on the day following the 9/11/2001 terrorist attacks.

On 9/12/2001, a shocked and heartbroken nation watched in stunned silence at the aftermath of those attacks. We grieved and mourned the loss of friends, family, neighbors, and co-workers. On the day after Jesus died, His followers had scattered and hid. They were stunned, confused, and grieving. Although they did not understand this on that day, they were sandwiched between grief and joy. But those of us who live on the other side of that joy know that the grief of Jesus’ followers was to be short-lived. We know that, although those disciples and those women did not know it on that day, they would soon learn that Sunday is coming!

Today is Good Friday. It is the day on which Jesus died. It followed a night on which Jesus was betrayed, arrested, denied, and forced to stand trial for crimes He did not commit. Many false witnesses were brought in to testify against Him, but their statements didn’t even agree. Yet, He was accused of blasphemy and condemned to death. He was spit on and beaten. After enduring a long and difficult night, Jesus was then bound and brought before the Roman governor in Jerusalem, Pontius Pilate, in order to be executed (Matthew 27:1-2). And this is how Good Friday began. So, why do we call it good?

When in the custody of Roman soldiers, Jesus was mocked and insulted. A crown made of thorns was placed upon His head, the thorns piercing His flesh and causing intense pain. The soldiers then struck Him on the head with a staff, driving the thorns deeper (Matthew 27:28-30). Jesus was flogged to within an inch of His life (John 19:1). When Pilate then brought Jesus before the crowd that had gathered, he asked them what He should do with Jesus. The crowd shouted, “Crucify Him!” (John 19:15) Some of the voices now yelling for His crucifixion were the same voices that earlier in the week had shouted, “Hosanna!” and “Blessed is He who come in the name of the Lord!” (John 12:12-13) Pilate had even offered to release a prisoner and gave the crowd a choice between Jesus and an insurrectionist and murderer named Barabbas. The crowd chose Barabbas. And yet we call this day “good.”

Jesus was then handed over to the soldiers to be led to Calvary and crucified. Nails were driven through His hands and feet as He endured one of the most horrific forms of execution ever devised by man. And, as He hung there, dying on that cross, Jesus was mocked and insulted by people passing by, by the religious leaders, and even by one of the criminals being crucified along with Him (Matthew 27:38, 41; Luke 23:39). As all of this was taking place, the sky became as dark as night and remained that way from noon to three o’clock. It was the darkest day in history, and yet we call it “good.”

Jesus endured tremendous suffering on that day. And, yes, it is good. It is good because when Jesus uttered the words, “It is finished,” then died on that cross (John 19:30), He was giving His life for you and for me. Although He was without sin, He took upon Himself all of our sin and paid the penalty that we really deserved. He conquered sin and death. And that is good. When Jesus breathed His last, the temple curtain was torn in two (Mark 15:37-38). No longer did sin separate us from the presence of God. And that is good. God loved us so much that He willingly gave His only Son, Jesus, to die for us so that, when we believe in Him, we can have eternal life (John 3:16). And that is very good!

In the Christian calendar, today is Holy Thursday, the day on which we remember the events that took place on the night before Jesus died on the cross. It was on that night, while sharing the Passover meal with His disciples, that Jesus instituted the Lord’s Supper, which Christians continue to share in to this day. It was also on that night that Jesus predicted both Judas’ betrayal and Peter’s denial of Him. In addition to these things, Jesus also spoke at length with the disciples, giving them His final instructions. These instructions, these words that Jesus spoke, were not just for those disciples sitting at the table with Him, but for all of us who give our lives to Christ.

Jesus’ first instruction was not just given in words, but also shown by example. As the disciples gathered around the table with Him preparing to share the Passover meal, Jesus wrapped a towel around His waist and began to wash their feet. The Son of God, the One who had healed the sick, raised the dead, and calmed the seas, got on His knees and washed the feet of those to whom He was both Lord and Teacher. Through His actions, and then by His words, Jesus taught that we are to serve one another. Jesus demonstrated true servant leadership and then instructed His disciples, and us, to follow His example and do the same (John 13:2-17).

Jesus also commanded that the disciples love one another. He explained that they, and we, should love each other in the same way that He loves us. He said that we should love as one who is willing to give his life for a friend. There is no greater love than that. It is exactly the kind of love that Jesus Himself demonstrated when He gave His life so that we may have eternal life with Him. When we love each other as Jesus loves us, we are showing the world that we are His disciples (John 15:9-17).

In His final instructions, Jesus also gave several promises to His disciples that also apply to us as His followers. He promised that He would prepare a place for us in heaven, a place which He will one day come and take us to (John 14:1-4). He promised that He would ask the Father to give us the Holy Spirit, another advocate who would come after Him and provide the help and guidance that we need (John 14:15-17). Jesus also promised that, if we abide in Him, if we remain in Him and He remains in us, we will be as fruitful as the branches on a vine (John 15:5).

The final promise that Jesus gave His disciples that night was that their grief would turn to joy. On the very next day, as they saw Jesus tried, beaten, and put to death on a cross, the disciples’ grief must have been unbearable. But, on the third day, Jesus would rise again and that unbearable grief would be turned to unspeakable joy (John 16:20). He then told the disciples that He had told them all these things so that, in Him, they would have peace. This promise applies to all who are in Him, all who believe and follow Him. As Jesus said, in this world we will have trouble. But, in Him, we will find peace because He has overcome the world! (John 16:33)

In the parable of the sower, Jesus illustrates four very different ways in which the Word of God can be received.

The parable begins with a sower going out to sow some seed. As he does so, some of the seed falls on the path. That seed gets trampled on and eaten up by birds (Luke 8:5). Then there is the seed that falls on rocky ground where, because it cannot develop strong roots, the plant that springs up from that seed withers and dies (Luke 8:6). Still other seed thrown by the sower falls among thorns, or weeds, that grow up with the plant and choke it (Luke 8:7). Finally, there is seed thrown that falls on good soil, soil that is fertile. That seed grows well and produces a crop many times the size of the one individual plant (Luke 8:8).

As Jesus explains in Luke 8:11, the seed in this parable represents God’s Word. As God’s Word is spread throughout the world, it can be received in one of four ways. How the seed of God’s Word is received and how it grows is dependent upon the ground or soil on which the seed lands. The ground or soil represents the heart of the person receiving the Word.

When a person hears the Word of God but believes only in his mind and not in his heart, he is like the path on which the first seed fell. Because the Word is not in his heart, it can be easily snatched away by Satan, preventing that person from truly receiving the gift of salvation (Luke 8:12). When a person receives the Word in his heart with joy but doesn’t allow it to truly take root, he is more vulnerable to temptation. When he is unable to resist that temptation, he falls away from the faith and, like the seed on rocky ground, withers away (Luke 8:13).

The person who receives the Word in his heart but then allows the world to crowd it out is like the seed that fell among the thorns or weeds. The thorns or weeds represent the world. They can be the cares and worries of life or the riches and pleasures of the world. In either case, they have the ability to “choke” the person by crowding the Word out of the person’s heart (Luke 8:14).

The final example given in this parable is the example that we should all strive for. This is the person who not only receives the Word in his heart, but keeps it there, allowing it to nourish him. When we keep God’s Word in our hearts, when we follow it and live by it, we become like the good soil. We will grow in the Lord and, because our roots are deep and we are receiving the full nourishment of God’s Word, we will be fruitful and able to produce a crop that is many times larger than our individual lives (Luke 8:15).

In his final words to the Israelites, Moses placed a choice before them. They could choose life or they could choose death (Deuteronomy 30:19). In choosing life, they would be choosing to love God, to walk in obedience to Him, and to keep the commands and laws He had given to them. Choosing this way of living would mean prosperity. On the other hand, in choosing death, they would be choosing not to be obedient to God and put other gods before Him. Choosing this way of life would mean destruction. The choice was theirs (Deuteronomy 30:15-18).

In the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve also had a choice. This choice was also a choice between life and death, a choice between obedience and disobedience. Choosing obedience would mean that they would continue to have eternal life in God’s presence. But, Adam and Eve chose disobedience and the result was that sin entered the world bringing death along with it (Genesis 2:17). From that moment on, mankind lived under the curse of sin and death. But, just as Moses wanted the Israelites to choose life, God also wants all of us to choose life. God loves us so much and that is why He gave His only Son, Jesus Christ, to atone for our sins and once again give us the ability to choose life (John 3:16).

Through God’s grace and Jesus’ death and resurrection, we have a choice. Jesus conquered sin and death. By choosing to believe that Jesus died for us, by turning from our sins and accepting Him as Lord and Savior, we choose life. But, by choosing not to believe, by choosing not to turn from our sins, and by rejecting Him, we choose death. Now, it is true that, until the day that Jesus returns, we all still face a natural death. But, our souls will continue to live eternally. In choosing Jesus, we choose to spend that eternity in heaven but, if we reject Him, we will spend that eternity in hell.

Jesus spoke of our choice in terms of two different gates which lead to two different roads. One gate is wide and it leads to a wide road that many are able to travel on. It’s the easy road, but it leads to destruction. The other gate is narrow and it leads to a narrow road that few are able to travel on. It’s the harder road to travel, but it leads to life. Just as Moses told the Israelites to choose life, so Jesus tells us to enter through the narrow gate (Matthew 7:13-14). Although the road may be harder to follow, it leads to eternity with Jesus.

We have a choice set before us. We can choose life – eternity with Jesus, or we can choose death – eternity without Him. Choose life!

If you’ve ever seen a Superman movie or read a Superman comic book (or graphic novel, as they like to call them these days), then you know that Superman has tremendous strength and power. He is invincible. But there is one thing that can neutralize his power – kryptonite. When kryptonite is placed before Superman, he becomes weak and can be easily defeated.

By the grace of God, believers have been given the power to live victoriously against the attacks of our enemy, the devil. Through our salvation in Jesus Christ, sin has no hold on us. The presence of God in our lives makes us more than conquerors (Romans 8:37). In a sense, the presence of God makes us spiritually invincible. But, if we allow the presence of God to be taken from us or if we move away from His presence, we become vulnerable. Without God’s presence, we are in a weakened state and we our enemy can have an advantage over us.

Cain, the son of Adam and Eve, knew this. When he was driven from the land, he knew he would no longer have the protection of God’s presence and could be killed by anyone who found him (Genesis 4:14). Moses knew how important God’s presence was to the Israelites and to himself. He felt it was so important that He told God that they did not want to go anywhere if God’s presence was not with them (Exodus 33:14-15).

So, what can move us way from God’s presence and make us vulnerable to the attacks of the enemy? What is our spiritual kryptonite? I believe it is distraction. Distraction can cause us to spend less time in God’s Word. It can pull us in all sorts of directions and cause us to spend little or no time seeking God’s presence in our lives. Distraction can allow the presence of God to be taken from us.

Distraction comes in many forms. It can be busyness stemming from work or projects. It can be money concerns. It can be sports, entertainment, and the internet. Now, these things are not necessarily bad things and there is certainly nothing wrong with giving some time to them. But, when they pull us away from seeking God’s presence, they are spiritual kryptonite.

We need to keep ourselves strong and able to stand form against the enemies attempts to defeat us. Just as Superman’s enemies know that kryptonite makes him weak, our enemy knows that distraction weaken us. We need to neutralize the effects of the kryptonite of distraction. We can do that by making sure that we stay in God’s Word and consistently spend time in His presence. When we draw near to God, when we actively seek His presence, He will draw near to us. And when God is near us, when we have His presence in our lives, we can resist the devil and he will flee (James 4:7-8).