A certain ruler asked him, “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” “Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good—except God alone. You know the commandments: ‘You shall not commit adultery, you shall not murder, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, honor your father and mother.’” “All these I have kept since I was a boy,” he said. When Jesus heard this, he said to him, “You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” When he heard this, he became very sad, because he was very wealthy.
Luke 18:18-23

Faith Is Fully Dependent on Jesus

Daily Devotion – October 24, 2022

Devotion based on Luke 18:18-23

See series: Devotions

By all appearances, he was a wealthy and successful young man who genuinely wanted to do good things. He seemed to say and do all the right things. In case there was something good he hadn’t done, he asked Jesus for guidance. All in all, he appeared to be a good man who did many good things.

But appearances can be deceiving. He still lacked the one thing that can truly make a person good in God’s sight–a recognition of his sin and trust in Jesus as his Savior.

We can learn much from this young man and his interaction with Jesus. The seeming goodness of our lives is not what makes us a good fit for God’s kingdom. It is only the perfect goodness of Jesus, his complete sacrifice for our sins, and his enduring desire for our salvation that makes us a perfect fit for God’s kingdom.

What must you do to inherit eternal life? Place your trust in what Jesus has done to save you and follow him to the heaven he won for you.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, help me to rest daily in your good and perfect love for me. Amen.

So Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him till daybreak. When the man saw that he could not overpower him, he touched the socket of Jacob’s hip so that his hip was wrenched as he wrestled with the man. Then the man said, “Let me go, for it is daybreak.” But Jacob replied, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.” The man asked him, “What is your name?” “Jacob,” he answered. Then the man said, “Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel, because you have struggled with God and with men and have overcome.”
Genesis 32:24-28

Wrestling with God

Daily Devotion – October 22, 2022

Devotion based on Genesis 32:24-28

See series: Devotions

God doesn’t always give us what we want, at least not right away. Have you noticed this? You pray and pray and pray for something, but there seems to be no answer. Sometimes we become discouraged or angry with God because it appears that he’s not listening. We might even conclude that God doesn’t love us!

To accuse God of not loving us is a sin of the highest order. God is love. He showed that love when he sent his Son to die on a cross as payment for our sins. God’s love for us is greater than any other love we can imagine.

So, why doesn’t God give us what we want when we want it? Sometimes he gives us the opportunity to exercise our faith by being persistent in prayer. Wrestling with God in prayer is a way to demonstrate that we trust he will do what is best for us, in his own time and in his own way.

We won’t wrestle God physically the way Jacob did in this unusual story from the Bible. But we do wrestle with God spiritually in our prayers. Like Jacob, be bold and persistent in asking for God’s blessing. Then, trust that the God of love will answer in whatever way is best for you.

Prayer:
Heavenly Father, give me the faith to trust you completely. Give me a spirit of persistent prayer that knows you will do whatever is best for me. Amen.

And the Lord said, “Listen to what the unjust judge says. And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly.”
Luke 18:6-8

Patiently Await

Daily Devotion – October 20, 2022

Devotion based on Luke 18:6-8

See series: Devotions

We’ve come to expect instant gratification. It’s not that we want it fixed, but we want it fixed now. When we begin to feel aches and pains, we expect the doctor to offer a solution after one visit. When a home appliance malfunctions, we want it repaired that day. And when we order something online, we expect to have the item in hand within a day or two. We want it, and we want it now.

Our world of modern convenience has duped us into becoming impatient, and in many cases, sinfully so. That’s not conducive to developing and enriching the life of Christian prayer because patience and persistence are essential ingredients to having one. If we expect immediate results, we’ll become easily frustrated and give up.

Jesus understands what it takes to have a healthy prayer life better than anyone else could. Not only is he true God who hears and understands the prayers of his people with deep compassion and perfect timing. He is also truly human, who during his days on earth “offered up prayers and petitions with fervent cries and tears” (Hebrews 5:7). Yes, to this day, he continues to pray for us at his Father’s right hand. If Jesus’ prayers don’t get instant results, why should ours? And if he hasn’t given up praying and pleading for us every day. Why would we?

Why? Because we’re impatient! Because we don’t get the immediate results from our prayers that we expect. But Jesus reminds us today: the results are coming; we just need to be patient! “Will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? I tell you; he will see that they get justice, and quickly.”

When you find yourself impatient for God to answer your prayers, remember that you are one of God’s chosen ones, washed of your sins in the blood of Jesus and adopted into God’s family. Be patient and persistent in prayer. God hears you. And, in his time, he will answer you.

Prayer:
Jesus, help me to be like you in prayer, patient and persistent. Amen.

[Jesus] said: “In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared what people thought. And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, ‘Grant me justice against my adversary.’”
Luke 18:2,3

The Necessary Art of Pestering

Daily Devotion – October 18, 2022

Devotion based on Luke 18:2,3

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Children are masters at it, even without much practice; it just comes naturally—whining, begging, pleading, pestering.

Young children have an advantage over adults; without as many earthly cares, they can get away with having one track minds. The child who wants Mom and Dad to buy them something at the store asks and asks and asks again. And why? Because they understand the power of persistence, especially when their parents are in the habit of giving in.

But it has to make God wonder about his own children. Why don’t they utilize the necessary art of pestering him? Why is it that, if they even think to ask their heavenly Father for something, they only ask once or maybe twice and then give up?

Could it be that in their heart of hearts, they think that prayer is powerless? Could it be that in the back of their minds, they’re wondering whether they’re making their request to someone who doesn’t actually exist? Could it be that they’ve convinced themselves that, even if there is a God, he’s a miserly ogre and not a gracious and loving Father?

If God has this impression of you, can you blame him? After all, when was the last time you engaged in such unceasing, persistent prayer that you were actually concerned that your heavenly Father might get fed up with you and respond, “Enough! I’ve heard you already!” Truth be told, it’s more likely for sinners like you and me to go many days without offering up even one sincere, heartfelt prayer, much less pelt the throne of God’s grace with one request after another.

And still, our heavenly Father patiently waits and listens. Because of Jesus’ saving work, our sinful lack of persistent prayer is forgiven. It’s as if we have lived lives of perfectly persistent prayer. And we get a fresh start. Let’s take advantage of it! Live a life of persistent prayer starting today!

Prayer:
Dear Jesus, grant me the spiritual persistence and stamina I need to offer you my prayers relentlessly. Amen.

I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life. This is the confidence we have in approaching God; that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him.
1 John 5:13-15

Confidence

Daily Devotion – October 16, 2022

Devotion based on 1 John 5:13-15

See series: Devotions

“Are you sure?” Satan still asks, as he tries to rob you of your confidence.

John, disciple of Jesus, points out two things that will deepen your confidence.

First is the sure knowledge that eternal life is yours. You have this confidence because “you believe in the name of the Son of God.” His given name is Jesus, which means “savior, rescuer.” A worthwhile study would be to search out as many of the Bible’s titles and descriptive names for Jesus, you could find. His “name” includes all that he has done for you. It is a revealed fact, then, that God’s Son came into the world as true man and accomplished his mission perfectly. The payment of his life, death, and resurrection for the sins of the world was accepted by the Father as payment in full. Trusting in Jesus and everything his names tell you about him, you may know that you have the forgiveness of sins and eternal life.

Next, the wise old apostle teaches you about a second key to confidence. It regards your prayers to God: “If we ask anything according to his will.” God’s will is what God wants. The Bible reveals what God wants us to believe and do as far as we need to know it. And for the things only God knows, Jesus teaches us to trust as he trusted, saying, “Not my will, but yours be done.” Since we are praying for God’s good will to be done, “We know that we have what we asked of him,” whether his answer be “yes,” “no,” or “wait patiently.”

That’s God-given confidence.

Prayer:
Lord, keep me sure. Amen.

Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. You will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.
2 Corinthians 9:10,11

The Blessing of Giving

Daily Devotion – October 14, 2022

Devotion based on 2 Corinthians 9:10,11

See series: Devotions

A seed is a small thing, the size of our fingernails at most but often much smaller. And yet from that tiny seed can come large plants and great fruits. The apostle Paul uses the picture of seed and harvest to instruct us on how to give generously. Paul tells us that God supplies the seeds to us and makes the harvest grow. When it comes time to sow again, God will provide the seeds again and again.

An amazing thing happens when Christians sow with the seeds God provides. When they give generously of their material wealth, it spreads and grows into thanksgiving to God. It’s part of a harvest of righteousness.

Maybe you’ve seen the videos of Christians receiving Bibles for the very first time. A remote tribe that never had the Bible translated into their own language before receives the gift of Bibles written in their own language. The whole village shows up dressed in their best. They rejoice, pray, sing, dance, and give thanks to God for the gifts of generous Christians who helped make it possible.

There is great power in the simplest acts of generosity. For the price of Grande latte, we can help put God’s Word in the hands of families who have never owned a bible before. That generosity produces gratitude in the recipients of the gifts. And the recipients of the gifts pray for the ones who have so generously given.

Paul reminds us that the motivation for this giving doesn’t come from compulsion but rather through the confession of the gospel—the good news that our sins are forgiven in Jesus. As God has given so generously to us, so we give so joyfully to others.

Prayer:
Dear Lord, give me a cheerful heart to be generous as you are generous to me. Amen.

As he was going into a village, ten men who had leprosy met him. They stood at a distance and called out in a loud voice, “Jesus, Master, have pity on us!”
Luke 17:12,13

Jesus Have Mercy

Daily Devotion – October 12, 2022

Devotion based on Luke 17:12,13

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When did he know? When did he know that the red, irritated skin wasn’t going to get better on its own? Was it when the lesion started spreading? Was it when he noticed it on both of his arms or legs? Maybe it was when his hair started to fall out. Or perhaps when he pinched his hand in the door and realized there was no pain. Did he try to cover it up and hide it so no one would notice? When did he know that he had leprosy?

Leprosy was worse than a death sentence. It meant you had to live like you were already dead. You were traumatically ripped away from your family and friends. You were cut off and forced out of your city or village. You existed on the fringes. It was like you were invisible.

When did you know? When did you feel the pain in this life? That you were missing something? Your condition isn’t leprosy, but it is even more dangerous, even more isolating. It’s the infection of sin. Sin corrupts everything in this life. Your relationships. Your health, mental and physical. And it separates you from God.

“Jesus, Master, have pity on us!” That’s all the ten lepers could say to Jesus. It was their only hope. All you can say to Jesus is the same, “Jesus, have mercy!” And he does. Just like Jesus had mercy on those lepers, he has mercy on you. Jesus forgives you your sins, restores and redeems you.

Jesus told the lepers to show themselves to the priests. That’s it. No big show. No theatrics. But each one went, and each one was healed.

Forgiveness comes in the same way: No big show. No theatrics. Your believing heart trusts the words, “You are forgiven.” And God sees your sins no more. You’re clean and no longer separated from God because Jesus does have mercy.

Prayer:
Lord, give me faith to trust your words of mercy and forgiveness. Amen.

Then Noah built an altar to the LORD and, taking some of all the clean animals and clean birds, he sacrificed burnt offerings on it.
Genesis 8:20

Noah Built an Altar

Daily Devotion – October 10, 2022

Devotion based on Genesis 8:20

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Noah built an altar. People familiar with the story of Noah and the flood know Noah built an ark. But Noah also built an altar. For about a year, Noah and his family lived on the ark while it floated on top of the flood waters. Death and destruction swirled around them.

What thoughts went through the minds of the eight people on that ark as the rain waters fell and the flood waters went up? Every creature outside of the ark lost its life. Were Noah and his family horrified at the carnage?

When it was time to leave the ark, how did Noah feel? Thankful. Noah built an altar. And then he offered up a great sacrifice to God.

There were only seven of each clean animal saved on the ark, and Noah took one of them, fourteen percent of the living population, and offered it as a whole sacrifice. Every part of that sacrifice was offered to God. Noah didn’t save any of it to feed himself or his family, but with gratitude in his heart, he offered it all. It was Noah’s way of saying thank you and dedicating his whole self to God in gratitude.

Noah’s sacrifice was great, but it wasn’t the greatest sacrifice this world has seen. The flood waters purged a wicked generation, but sin remained. God knew the only solution to that sin was a sacrifice, the sacrifice of Jesus on a wooden cross. God gave all of himself as the sacrifice for sin; he didn’t hold anything back. The result? Your sins are forgiven. All of them. They are purged by the blood of Jesus.

God doesn’t ask his people to offer animal sacrifices as a show of thanks anymore. Instead, God asks them to show gratitude in the way they live their lives. God’s people show gratitude when they follow God’s commands and will; it’s their way of offering their whole lives in heartfelt thanks for the saving sacrifice of Jesus.

Prayer:
Dear Jesus, thank you for your great sacrifice for my sin on the cross. Give me a grateful heart that lives for joyful service to you. Amen.

This will happen when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven in blazing fire with his powerful angels.
2 Thessalonians 1:7

Final

Daily Devotion – October 8, 2022

Devotion based on 2 Thessalonians 1:7

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By the early 1990s, the popularity of Johnny Cash had faded. To be sure, the older generation still enjoyed hearing him in concert, but he hadn’t had a hit song since the 1970s. And the younger generation just looked at him as an interesting country singer from a bygone era.

Then there came into Johnny’s life a man by the name of Rick Rubin. Rick Rubin was a star producer for some of the biggest names in the music industry. Rick, however, was mostly known for his work with hard rock bands and rap artists. Nevertheless, he sought Johnny out. He wanted to work with him. He told him he was convinced that Johnny still had some things to say.

Rubin’s instincts were right. Together, he and Johnny Cash produced a series of albums entitled American Recordings. They sent shockwaves throughout the music industry. Critics wrote rave reviews about the unprecedented quality and substance of the songs. To a new generation the songs were edgy and fresh. And through those volumes, Johnny Cash took the opportunity to say some things that he wanted to say.

Shortly before he died, Johnny Cash released one more album with Rick Rubin. For the title track he chose a song he had written entirely on his own, a song that reflected his Christianity and his reverence for God’s Word. The title of the song is When the Man Comes Around.

When the Man Comes Around is about judgment day. It’s about the return of Jesus Christ. Filled with biblical references and pictures, the song radiates with the certainty that the final day is coming, that Jesus will return, that time is short, and that the moment for serious reflection is right now.

And so, it is. This simple reality—the reality of Jesus’ return—gives urgency to our work of proclaiming sins forgiven through faith in Christ. And it gives each of us good reason to set aside our everyday busyness to consider what you and I possess in the only Savior this world is ever going to have.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, the Last Day is coming. You will return soon. Fill me with urgency and eagerness. Fill me with anticipation and joy. Amen.

The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!” He replied, “If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it will obey you.”
Luke 17:5,6

All It Takes Is a Little Faith

Daily Devotion – October 6, 2022

Devotion based on Luke 17:5,6

See series: Devotions

Have you ever tried doing what Jesus says here? Have you ever tried using nothing but your faith to uproot a mulberry tree and launch it into the ocean? Should be easy, right? All it takes is faith as small as a mustard seed!

If you haven’t been able to uproot a mulberry tree with your faith, what does that mean? Does that mean you don’t really have faith? If that’s the conclusion you’ve come to, don’t worry! That’s not the point Jesus is trying to make here.

Jesus is trying to show us the power of faith. He indicates that even with a little faith, great things can be done. That’s because, ultimately, it’s not our faith that does anything. It’s the one we’ve put our faith in who does the impossible.

God does the impossible. He takes away every single sin of every single person in the world through the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. He allows sinners like us to stand innocent in his presence. He allows us to talk directly with him in prayer. These things should not be possible for us but because of God’s love for us, they are possible.

If God found it necessary, he would allow you to uproot a mulberry tree and hurl it into the ocean. God could make that happen for you. But God probably doesn’t need you to do that. Instead, he has given you faith to be able to forgive those who sin against you, just as he forgave you. He has given you faith to persevere through difficult seasons of life and moments of great loss. He has given you faith that clings to Christ so that salvation and heaven are yours. What once sounded impossible has been made possible, through faith in the all-powerful Lord.

Prayer:
Lord, increase my faith. You work the impossible and so I put my trust in you. Amen.

“But who am I, and who are my people, that we should be able to give as generously as this? Everything comes from you, and we have given you only what comes from your hand.”
1 Chronicles 29:14

Generosity Made Possible

Daily Devotion – October 4, 2022

Devotion based on 1 Chronicles 29:14

See series: Devotions

Maybe you’ve heard people say the phrase, “Who am I that God would bless me so much?” But maybe you haven’t heard anyone say the phrase, “Who am I that God would allow me to be so generous?” Yet, that is what King David says in our Bible reading for today.

God had blessed David with a prosperous kingdom and amazing wealth. The people of Israel also gained the blessings of being part of David’s rich, powerful kingdom. David and his people turned some of the wealth back over to God as they donated supplies to build him a magnificent temple in Jerusalem. David knew that the only reason he and his people could be so generous in giving for God’s temple was because God had first been generous to them.

God has also given you a generous mountain of gifts. He’s given you his undeserved love in Jesus, forgiveness and peace with him, and a home in heaven. On top of all those generous gifts, God has also blessed you with earthly gifts: food, drink, comfort, and financial resources.

Because God has been so generous to you, he has now made it possible for you to be generous in return. You now have a heart that wants to be generous toward God with your time, talents, and treasures. After all, everything you have is a gift out of his hand! All you’re really doing is giving good gifts back to the one they belonged to in the first place.

Who am I that God would be so generous to me? Who am I that God would give me the ability to be so generous to him and others? I am someone loved by my Father in heaven. That’s who I am.

Prayer:
Thank you, heavenly Father, for generously giving me so many spiritual and earthly blessings. Work in me a generous heart that loves giving good gifts to others. Let me give back to you with my time, talents, and treasures. Amen.

Concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered to him, we ask you, brothers and sisters, not to become easily unsettled or alarmed by the teaching allegedly from us—whether by a prophecy or by word of mouth or by letter—asserting that the day of the Lord has already come.
2 Thessalonians 2:1,2

A Glorious Return

Daily Devotion – October 2, 2022

Devotion based on 2 Thessalonians 2:1,2

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There was confusion among the members of the church in Thessalonica. A report circulated that Jesus had already returned; his second coming had already taken place. This information had allegedly come from Paul himself, so these Christians were led to believe that it was true. The impact on their faith and life was obviously distressful. If Jesus had already come, then they were left behind. Their hope for heaven was shattered. They were haunted by the fear of what was going to happen to them.

But the message that Jesus’ second coming had already occurred was false. It did not come from Paul. God did not lead him to proclaim that kind of message because it would have contradicted the truth. The word of God that Paul and other holy men of God were inspired by the Holy Spirit to proclaim clearly testified the truth about the coming of the Lord. This great event will take place on the very last day of this world’s existence. Jesus will appear, all the dead will be raised, and “every eye will see him” (Revelation 1:7).

No one will miss out on the second coming of Jesus. The hope and anticipation that we have for his glorious return rest on his first coming. Humbly he came to bear the guilt of our sins and suffer the punishment we deserved. He came to forgive us and give us the gift of eternal life. And he will come again to take his faithful people home with him forever in heaven. No child of God will be left behind. That’s the truth!

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, fill me with the peace of your forgiveness that you accomplished when you came to this world as my Savior. Establish my hope in your glorious return when you will bring to an end all things here and receive me into the joys of heaven’s eternal home. Amen.

If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.
Luke 16:31

The Word is Enough

Daily Devotion – September 30, 2022

Devotion based on Luke 16:31

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My father is a man of few words, but he is also a man of his word. As a child, I learned that when he had something to say, I had better listen and obey.

I remember once, we were on a road trip, driving across middle America. I was sandwiched between my two sisters, and I was getting on their nerves. We bickered back and forth for a while. And then dad spoke.

“That is enough!”

And that was enough. Just like that, the argument was over. The fighting stopped. Peace was restored.

Jesus once told a story about a man whose soul went to hell after he died. Not wanting his still-living brothers to suffer the same fate, he asked that a dead man whose soul was in heaven be sent to earth to warn them. The answer he received is striking.

“They have God’s Word. That is enough.”

That Word is enough. This is because the Bible tells us all we need to know. It tells us all about Jesus and what he did for us. Jesus became earthly poor so that you might become eternally rich. He took on our debt of sin, paid for our guilt with his blood, and suffered our punishment with his death. And he rose from the dead to prove that he is our salvation.

Knowing these truths, recorded in the Bible, is all you need because it proves how much God loves you. No matter what you may be facing, you can go back to the Bible and be reminded again and again. This is why you do not need something more than the Word of God. You do not need something better than the Word of God. The Word is enough.

Prayer:
Dear Jesus, thank you for showing me your love in your Word. Amen.

Keep on loving one another as brothers and sisters.
Hebrews 13:1

A Strange Kind of Love

Daily Devotion – September 28, 2022

Devotion based on Hebrews 13:1

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Jesus had loved his disciples for the three years he was with them. Now that his death was near, Jesus showed just how much he loved them. Jesus got up and took off his tunic. Wrapping a towel around his waist, he washed their feet.

He stooped down and scrubbed the grime from between his disciples’ toes. One by one, he washed their feet—the feet of the one who was about to betray him, of one who would deny him, of one who would doubt him, of a skeptic, a tax collector, glory-seeking twins, a zealot.

The disciples thought this was strange. Washing people’s feet was a dirty job often given to servants. But here was their rabbi, showing them what love is by serving—a love that gives. But they were about to see stranger love than this. They would watch him give his head to thorns, his hands to spikes, his side to a spear, his life for ours.

It is a strange kind of love. Jesus’ love is foreign to this world. It is unlike anything that the human heart generates. His is not a love that acts only if he gets what he wants from us. He loves to help without expecting or demanding anything in return.

When he gives his help, he gives nothing less than his love. And because love is who he is, he gives us nothing less than himself. When we have him, we have his help. We have his love. We have everything we need to love as he has loved us.

That is what the writer of the book of Hebrews encourages us to do in today’s Bible reading—love one another the way Jesus has loved us. Love with actions–serving, sharing, helping. Look for opportunities to do this today.

Prayer:
God of peace, equip me with everything good to do your will and work in me what is pleasing in your sight. Amen.

[Jesus said to them] “There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day. At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores and longing to eat what fell from the rich man’s table.”
Luke 16:19-21

Looks Can Be Deceiving

Daily Devotion – September 26, 2022

Devotion based on Luke 16:19-21

See series: Devotions

There was a rich man whose life appeared perfectly fabulous in every way. He wore the finest clothes, and every meal was a feast.

There was a poor man whose life appeared perfectly miserable in every way. His clothes were dull. He never had enough to eat.

The poor man’s name was Lazarus. Though the world did not know him as anything special, God knew him well. And Lazarus knew his God well. It was in God that he trusted, in spite of his circumstances. So, while it looked like he had nothing, in God, Lazarus had everything.

When you look in the mirror, what do you see? Your eyes may see a nobody, someone overlooked or forgotten, but Jesus knows your name, and he has your number! Your eyes may see someone whose life is defined by countless bad decisions, but Jesus has already done all things well for you and purified you completely with his blood. Your eyes may see someone who is struggling, but you are more than a conqueror through Christ who loves you. It may feel, at times, like you have nothing, but in Jesus, you have everything.

Prayer:
Heavenly Father, open my eyes to see my wealth and my worth in Jesus, my Savior. Amen.