One truth shared: Focused worship understands what God does for us in worship and his Word and sacraments—he serves us with his grace.

As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!”

“Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”
Luke 10:38-42

Focused Worship Seeks Service from Jesus More Than Service for Jesus

“Sydney, you wanna sleep over tonight? It’s been a minute since we’ve pulled an all-nighter and binge-watched shows!”

“Let’s do it! . . . Although, I feel kinda bad. I also haven’t been to church in a minute either. I probably should show my face there sometime soon.”

“It’ll be OK, Syd. God knows you love him, and he wants you to enjoy your friends, too. You can, ‘Remember the Sabbath Day’ next week for him. This week is for me, girl!”

It happens so quickly, doesn’t it? One thing comes up, then another. Good things. Fun things. Even blessings-from-God things. But quickly those good things become “god things” and push the true God to the background. And when God is pushed to second place (or even much further down the list), it’s amazing how our view of worship and the Word quickly changes, too.

Did you catch it in Sydney’s conversation with her friend? To them going to church was just a chore or an obligation, as if it’s putting in time to earn brownie points with God. It’s like worship was a service they would do for God to make him happy.

It was much the same in the story of Mary and Martha. Martha was very focused on a good thing. She and her sister were hosting Jesus and Martha was working hard to serve him. How important it was to make Jesus happy with a clean house and a great meal! Yet that good thing became a “god thing” to Martha, so Jesus had to correct her. It was Mary who chose the one thing that was better—being served by Jesus.

This story really helps us to flip upside down our view of church, Bible studies, devotions, and personal Bible study time. We don’t do these things to put in our time for God. “Well I guess I should do this to serve the Lord and show him I love him.” Rather, the miracle of God’s grace is that when we go to worship or the Word, it is Jesus who is actually serving us! Jesus gives us his grace, his forgiveness, his comfort, his peace. Jesus assures us that our sins our forgiven because his life, death, and resurrection are credited to us. Jesus teaches us about the hope that we have in an eternal life with him in heaven.

When we understand what God gives us and does for us—how he serves us—in worship and his Word, how could it not be a priority? What else could be more important? Where else would we want to be other than joining with Mary and sitting at Jesus’ feet?

Know how Jesus serves you, and you too will choose the one thing needed, the one thing that is better and that will last.

Prayer: Dear Lord, help me to prioritize my life properly. You give so many good things to me, and I have many obligations and responsibilities with those good things. But help me to put time with you in worship and your Word first, so that you can serve me with the goodness of your grace. Amen.

One truth shared: The ministers that God sends to us are the mask by which he proclaims his Word to us. It is good for us to put ourselves under them. They are a gift from God to us.

In the same way, you who are younger, submit yourselves to your elders. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.”
1 Peter 5:5

God’s Gift to You

He didn’t look like much. He wasn’t all that impressive. He was dressed in a gunny sack with a leather belt around his waist. He ate locusts and wild honey. And he preached in the wilderness. He didn’t look like much, but God sure used him. I’m talking about John the Baptist.

They didn’t look like much either. None of them had a whole lot of training, but still they had left everything to follow Jesus. They didn’t look like much, but when they went out Satan fell like lightning from heaven and demons submitted to them. Jesus used them; he spoke to people through them! I’m talking about the seventy-two disciples whom Jesus sent out as missionaries.

He doesn’t look like much. His clothes may not be trendy, and his speech might be old fashioned. He might try too hard to be cool when he’s around young people. He might make things really awkward; but really, are adults supposed to do anything less when they are with young people? He doesn’t look like much, but God sent him for you. Your pastor is God’s gift to you.

• God gave him to you to pray with you when you are overwhelmed and stressed.
• God gave him to you to listen to you when you are trying to make sense of your life.
• God gave him to shepherd you, to care for you, and to lead you to Jesus.
• God gave him as an example for you that you might learn from him and seek to imitate his faith.

He isn’t perfect, but he is forgiven. He may not be cool (let’s be honest, he probably isn’t!), but he is God’s gift to you to care for you. This is the call God has given him.

It will be good for you to hear him even if he isn’t cool. It will be good for you to confide in him. He is given by God to you to walk with you in faith and in life until you reach your eternal good.

Prayer: Jesus, thank you for the pastors you have given to me. They aren’t perfect, but they are from you. Help me to honor them as I honor you. Through them, help me to lean on you. Amen.

One truth shared: The moment you can’t see or understand God’s direction for your life may be the very one God knows we need to grow in faith.

Soon afterward, Jesus went to a town called Nain, and his disciples and a large crowd went along with him. As he approached the town gate, a dead person was being carried out—the only son of his mother, and she was a widow. And a large crowd from the town was with her. When the Lord saw her, his heart went out to her and he said, “Don’t cry.”

Then he went up and touched the coffin they were carrying him on, and the bearers stood still. He said, “Young man, I say to you, get up!” The dead man sat up and began to talk, and Jesus gave him back to his mother.
Luke 7:11-15

“Young man, I say to you, GET UP!”

There’s an old German word for certain feelings and the times you feel those feelings: Anfechtungen (take your time to say it—an-fech-tung-en). There are moments when you can clearly see God’s divine direction for your life, but other times you can’t find him. It’s as if God is playing hide ‘n seek so well that he’s successfully hidden himself from you. That’s Anfechtungen. Something rocked your world and assaulted everything you thought you were certain about. There’s a little inner voice echoing, “Is God compassionate or cruel? At the moment, I don’t know.”

Hear out what you are about to read next: The next time you feel Anfechtungen, embrace it.

Anfechtungen was hanging in the air and in the hearts of today’s Bible reading. It was a funeral procession. On the shoulders of six men is the reason for their grief: a cold body on a wicker stretcher. Cradled in the casket is the corpse of a young man. Such a sad sight. But even more heart-wrenching was the look on the face of the young man’s mother heading the procession just behind the coffin. She recently walked the same road when she buried the body of her husband. Then, her son walked beside her. Now she walks alone. She’s the one who’ll have to go home later that night and sleep in an empty house. She’s the one who’ll sit at a table alone after making dinner for one and conversation with none. Death stole her family. Might she be saying to herself “What did I do to deserve this? Does God have it in for me?”

Then, she meets Jesus. When Jesus saw the mother, his heart broke for her. How shocked she must have been to hear him say, “Don’t cry.” Don’t cry? Who would say that at a funeral?!

Only God can. Jesus said, “Young man, I say to you, get up!” People gasped as the dead stirred back to life. Cold, wooden fingers flexed. Gray-pale cheeks turned rosy again. The dead man sat up and began to talk. “What’s going on here? Why am I here? What’s this crowd about? Why am I all wrapped up in a bedsheet?”

Here we see what kind of God we have. We have a God who is so touched by our sorrow and our needs, he feels our hurt and is full of compassion. Like the young man we’re all destined to die. Like the dead young man, we can do nothing to seek the Lord. The procession of life led by Jesus must find us and stop the procession of death. Jesus glared at the angel of death that hovered over the body of the boy. “Not this time. This boy is mine.” Jesus has given us life. He rained on death’s parade by pouring over us the waters of baptism and declared, “Not this time. This child is mine.” Jesus has given us life.

This is what it means to have Jesus in your moments of Anfechtungen. Even as you experience a spiritual assault so vicious it is robbing you of comfort and personal peace, you still have Jesus. To have Jesus means to depend on him with all your heart no matter how you presently feel. Jesus really cares for you. His care is perfect and wise and always for eternal good.

When you don’t know where else to go, may the mercy and power of God lead you to the one who now says, “I say to you, GET UP!”

Prayer: Dear Jesus, there is so much going on around me that brings me down. In those moments when I feel down and question your goodness, remind me how you stared down the power of death for me. In my down moments, may I trust in your power and be encouraged by your command to get up and live by your grace! Amen.

One truth shared: The Holy Spirit works both in us and through us according to God’s Holy Word.

Jesus replied, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. Anyone who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me.

“All this I have spoken while still with you. But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”
John 14:23-27

The Spirit Marches Victorious Through the Word

Shortly before his suffering and death, Jesus encouraged his disciples saying, “My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am” (John 14:2-3). He did suffer. He did die. He did come back to life. And—forty days later—he ascended into heaven.

That’s not the end of the story, however. A week and a half after ascending, we see God send his Holy Spirit on Christ’s followers, equipping them for the work that lay ahead for them.

That truth is what we celebrate on the Day of Pentecost. While living at a different time and place, this same Holy Spirit equips us for the work our gracious God has given us to carry out. It was not just to the Twelve, but also the massive crowds of all who call on the name of Jesus as Savior that he said, “But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.”

The Holy Spirit does indeed work both in us and through us according to God’s holy Word. His means of grace—the Gospel found in Scripture and the Sacraments—are the tools that have been given us to both come and see the goodness of God and then to go and tell of this goodness to others.

Doing all that can be hard work. Sharing Christ with others can present challenges and pitfalls. In the midst of all of these things, we hear Jesus say to us, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid” (vs. 27).

What a promise these words bring! What assurance! As we close out this series titled “Victorious,” we realize that this is exactly who we are and what we have in Christ Jesus. We need look no further to find this truth than in God’s holy Word, which the Holy Spirit uses to march victorious each and every day of life and for all eternity.

Prayer: Come Holy Spirit. Come into my heart and guide me through my life. Fill me with your holy Word and strengthen me to take on the challenges of this world with the good news of Jesus, my Savior. Amen.

Easter joy reigns supreme over our present circumstances in life.

The twelve gates were twelve pearls, each gate made of a single pearl. The great street of the city was of gold, as pure as transparent glass.

I did not see a temple in the city, because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp. The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their splendor into it. On no day will its gates ever be shut, for there will be no night there. The glory and honor of the nations will be brought into it. Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life.
Revelation 21:21-27

Joy Marches Victorious Over Circumstance

Have you ever tried to picture heaven? If you can color or draw or paint, do you know how you would depict it?

Perhaps it’s because of the majesty of our eternal home or because our current circumstance is anything but “heavenly,” but sinful human beings often find it difficult to picture or describe what heaven will exactly be like.

That struggle, though, does not mean our anticipation of being united with our God isn’t the excited hope of every Christian. That’s especially true when the apostle John paints such an amazing picture of what it will be like in the last book of the Bible, Revelation.

Each person reading this devotion has different strengths and weaknesses. We have different likes and dislikes. One’s life might be filled with joy right now and another’s a day-to-day struggle just to get by. Whatever situation you find yourself in, these words written by John through inspiration of the Holy Spirit are for you.

And why is that? Because no matter what you have going on in life, your eternal home is in the heaven described here through faith in Christ. The One who suffered and died made that possible for you. The One who burst forth from the tomb proving his sacrifice was sufficient for the Father to call us his own has made this our reality by grace alone.

Easter joy reigns supreme over our present circumstances in life. Don’t take my word for it, though. Listen to Jesus, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). None of us will ever live a trouble-free life. All of us will suffer setback and sadness. Jesus says so. But he also continues, “But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

We live in a world of darkness, my dear friends. But this world does not define us. In fact, this world cannot even steal the joy we have Jesus. The joy we have, the purpose we live with, the confidence that drives us is not based on our current circumstance. No, it is found today and always with the certain hope that while we live on earth, our home is in heaven—for all eternity!

Prayer: Thank you, Jesus, that despite whatever I have going on in life, you are there. In good times and in bad, your love for me reigns supreme and your victory over death and the devil is mine as well. Grant me strength today and always to do your will for my life, finding my strength in you and the desire to serve you alone. Amen.

One truth shared: We can trust everything that our Savior says to us in his holy Word.

Then came the Festival of Dedication at Jerusalem. It was winter, and Jesus was in the temple courts walking in Solomon’s Colonnade. The Jews who were there gathered around him, saying, “How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly.”

Jesus answered, “I did tell you, but you do not believe. The works I do in my Father’s name testify about me, but you do not believe because you are not my sheep. My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand. I and the Father are one.”
John 10:22-30

Promises Kept March Victorious Over Empty Words

There are some teachers in school for whom students hang on every word spoken and it all seems to make sense. There are others for whom this is not the case.

There are some parents whose spoken word is taken to heart by their children, because their kids know they will never let them down. There are others where this is not the case.

There are some friends that always have your back and are much more part of the solution to your issues instead of the problem. There are others… Well, you get the point.

The Pharisees had enough of Jesus infringing on their popularity and purpose. While he had preached and taught openly in their midst for some time, they finally confronted him and asked, “How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly” (v. 24).

Jesus had already made this known. He had already pointed to himself as the One who was to come to save mankind from their sins. He had already revealed his deity and love for those he came to die for.

Jesus had not only come to talk the talk, though. He came to walk the walk. He came to preach the good news and teach a message of salvation by grace alone. But he had also come to serve as the atoning sacrifice for the sins of a world which did not receive him or deserve the gift he was about to give.

The Pharisees were all about empty words and promises. Jesus was all about doing what he set out to do and following through on what he said. That’s why we worship him. That’s why—as sheep—we recognize the Good Shepherd’s voice and follow him wherever he leads us. Listen again, “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand.”

People will let us down in life. But that is why the assurance of our salvation isn’t found in how others treat us or how good of a friend we are. Instead, we look to Jesus—the One who never lets us down and never will.

Prayer: Thank you for your Holy Word which we have for our nourishment, strength, and salvation, O Savior. Not only did you become the Word made flesh, but you share with us the very words of eternal life in your Gospel. Fill us today and always with this good news which gives us hope in this hopeless world. Amen.

One truth shared: The reality of Easter brings victorious celebration instead of reserved restraint.

On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jewish leaders, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord.

Now Thomas (also known as Didymus), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord!” But he said to them, “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.”

A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.”

Thomas said to him, “My Lord and my God!”

Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”
John 20:19,20,24-29

Witness Marches Victorious Over Restraint

“You’re not going to believe what I just saw” is a phrase that has been enthusiastically shared by many people over the course of time, said by those who have witnessed something so amazing, so incredible, that they feel compelled to share their experience with those not fortunate enough to be present.

That had to be the disciples’ mindset on that first Easter evening! Jesus, their Savior—the One they had seen arrested, beaten, and crucified—was standing before them in the flesh. He was alive! He was victorious over death! He was exactly who he had told them he was all along.

But Thomas was not there for some reason. So what did the others do when he came back? They together exclaimed, “You’re not going to believe what we just saw!” And he didn’t. In fact, Thomas vowed not to believe it unless Jesus also appeared to him and proved that he had risen; he had risen, indeed.

Of course, Jesus did just that. He erased all doubts. He also used the appearance to Thomas to teach us a lesson on what faith truly is, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed” (v. 29).

Being present that first Easter Sunday night would have been the most incredible event of any of our lives to witness, as the perfect Son of God who just a few days before was dead was now alive in the flesh. The celebration atmosphere would have been evident. The excitement intense. Two thousand years later, it doesn’t have to be any more muted.

Christ has died, dear friends. Christ has risen. Christ will come again. We weren’t physically there at Calvary’s hill or that locked room, but the Scriptures—through the tireless efforts of the Holy Spirit—convinces us that it all happened. In fact, everything that is shared with us in God’s Word is written so that “you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name” (v. 31).

We believe Christ died. We believe he came back to life again. That’s what allows us with eyes of faith to look ahead to the time when he will come again to take us with him. Witnessing this truth of our salvation, we confidently move forward to share this truth with others—excited and confident to share what we know and believe!

Prayer: Dear Jesus, while we have not seen you face to face, you have revealed your triumph over the grave to us in your witness of Scripture. Fill our hearts and lives with celebration of this timeless truth and give us a spirit of confidence as we share with others the fact that because you live, we also shall live. Amen.

One truth shared: The apostle Paul describes the humility of Jesus and encourages us to imitate it.

In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:

Who, being in very nature God,
did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;
rather, he made himself nothing
by taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
by becoming obedient to death—
even death on a cross!

Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
and gave him the name that is above every name,
that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.
Philippians 2:5-11

Palm Sunday: His Humility, Our Hope

It has been said that humility is “thinking of yourself less, not thinking ‘less of yourself.’” Humility can be difficult to learn, and sometimes it is easier to get stuck in a line of thinking that is self-deprecating and unhealthy.

What is true humility? Why is it important? Let’s look at Jesus.

Jesus is God. He is perfect and came down to Earth and became a human. He was still 100% God, but he humbled himself to be born in human form. He did many things that most people would consider to be “below them.” He washed his disciples’ feet. He ate with prostitutes, tax collectors, and people who were looked down on in society. Verse 8 of today’s Scripture says that he humbled himself even more by taking our place on the cross.

Our value comes from his love, which he demonstrates with humility. When the world tells us we are nothing, remember Jesus, who emptied himself so that we could be glorified. When we focus on Christ, everything falls into perspective for us as Christians. No longer do we need to feel hurt if we are not acknowledged as we thought we should be. Nor do we need to feel the desire to put others down to make us feel better about ourselves. Instead of focusing on self, let’s build others up and remind them of what God thinks of them. And should we forget, if we get caught up in the day-to-day minutia that clouds our thinking and judgement, we know our record is still spotless in God’s sight because of what he has done. There is no fear or shame to come to the Lord asking for forgiveness, because has already died for those sins. It has been said that “The biggest sins we can’t forget, God cannot remember.”

Be like Christ. Be humble. Serve others. Let the love of God flow through you and around you. Be content, knowing what the Lord has in store for you. Your hope is grounded in his undying faithfulness. And if you must boast, boast in the Lord!

Prayer: Gracious and Almighty Lord, when I fall or my ego gets knocked down, forgive me and ground me in your Son. Help me to think of myself less, not less of myself. My value is found in your love and your life that was given for me. Keep me always mindful of the hope that is found in your humility that achieved my victory. Give me strength for today and every day until I see you and spend forever with you in glory. Amen.

One truth shared: When the weight of our sin makes us fearful of God’s condemnation, he reveals his grace yet again.

Jesus continued: “There was a man who had two sons. The younger one said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property between them.

“Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.

“When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants.’ So he got up and went to his father.

“But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.

“The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’

“But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate.”

Luke 15:11-24

Our Condemnation Is Crushed by God’s Grace

Luke chapter 15 is commonly called, “The Story of the Prodigal Son.” Prodigal is not a common word in our modern vocabulary. Today, we would use words such as extravagant or lavish. When this word is applied to humans, it is usually not a compliment. In the story, the younger of two sons asks his father for his inheritance. At that time and in that culture, this was like the son telling his father that he wished he was dead so he could have the only thing that mattered to him—the only thing that his father was good for to him—money. He got what he wanted and lived a lavish, extravagant life with it. Now, we might say we would never go that far, but in some ways we do. We live in a world that says, “If it feels good, it must be good,” and, “Do what makes you happy.” But what made the prodigal son happy didn’t keep him happy for long, or healthy. Neither do the sinful choices we make.

It is sadly natural to rely on one’s own intuition and reason. Just like the prodigal son, we come up with plans and focus on them to get what we desire. 1 Corinthians 1:25 says, “The foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength.” How often do we find our weakness is our own wisdom? We often go to great lengths to justify what we think and do. Sometimes, only in hindsight, we look back and see how we went down a path that did not trust God—but revealed a misplaced faith. Perhaps we over relied on human wisdom.

What is faith from the perspective of human wisdom? What society often calls “faith” may better be called “speculation.” The hunger for “hopeful speculation” is driven by the need to feel “okay” with ourselves and to feel we are not alone. So we start creating excuses for ourselves, for our mistakes, and for the ever-present problem of suffering that accompanies our lives. Faith is said to be “an idea that I have come up with—in which I can hope. It really doesn’t matter what the idea is; it just matters that I hope in it.” In other words, “Have faith in your faith.” What we are trying to do is justify ourselves, all the while wondering if we have ever done enough. What a travesty! It replaces Christ as the object of faith. Christ alone makes faith valuable.

But know this: we have a prodigal God. He is extravagant and lavish—particularly when it comes to his forgiveness. Led by the Holy Spirit to the cross, we confess our sins. At the cross we see the wildest act of wastefulness—an innocent man, completely without fault, no guilt, no filth, no dirt, no shame being treated like a wretched sinner. There our condemnation is crushed, and we see just how lavish, just how extravagant, just how reckless the love God has for us is—we see it through Christ. We see that salvation is not merit-based, but grace-given, something that sounds foolish to human ears.

Let this be your takeaway: while today’s story is about a prodigal son, it is really about a prodigal father and his amazing grace toward a son that didn’t deserve it. Now it’s our story. When you feel lost and beyond return, may the extravagant and lavish grace of our Lord Jesus always find and restore you!

Prayer: Heavenly Father, I too easily get lost in my own thoughts and feelings. Thank you for never giving up on me. Thank you for your free and extravagant love that finds and forgives me every day. Help me to rely on you and to freely forgive others as you have forgiven me. Guide me and lead me in your ways. Keep me faithful and give me the constant assurance of your love. Amen.

One truth shared: Jesus was determined to continue down the path he was on for us and our salvation. He did not take any shortcuts.

At that time some Pharisees came to Jesus and said to him, “Leave this place and go somewhere else. Herod wants to kill you.”

He replied, “Go tell that fox, ‘I will keep on driving out demons and healing people today and tomorrow, and on the third day I will reach my goal.’ In any case, I must press on today and tomorrow and the next day—for surely no prophet can die outside Jerusalem!

“Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were not willing.

Look, your house is left to you desolate. I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.’”
Luke 13:31-35

Shortcuts Are Crushed by Determination

“Are we there yet?!”—Almost every TV show that has a road trip with a kid in the backseat has used this line. And honestly, we are often just as impatient on long family trips to see relatives or when going on vacation. Maybe it is because of the “fast-food culture” we live in or perhaps just impatience, but many feel the same way—they want to be at the end and to have the prize, all while skipping the boring parts and hard work. But the journey comes before the destination.

What if life were like that—if there was a shortcut or you could fast forward through the parts you don’t like? What if you could be in shape without having to exercise? Or be at the ideal weight without having to worry about what you eat? Wouldn’t that be nice? But consider this: Something gets lost if you never have to work hard for something. Maybe we need to think more about the journey and consider why God allowed us to be on this “journey” called life.

Consider the journey that Jesus lived while on earth. When the Pharisees came to Jesus, they tried to warn him that Herod wanted to kill him. It wasn’t as if Jesus hadn’t already been warned about Herod’s wicked intentions, Herod had recently cut off the head of John the Baptist at a dinner party. And it wasn’t as if the Pharisees were on Jesus’ side—ever—so why should he heed their warning? One could argue, “Because it’s true.” But if Jesus avoided what was going to happen, if he took a shortcut to avoid his coming death, he couldn’t be the promised Savior. So Jesus tells the Pharisees, “On the third day, I’m going to reach my goal.” Jesus was determined to crush any shortcut around the cross. By dying but living again the third day after, he won our salvation.

Jesus is just as determined for us to follow him in faith as the Way, the Truth, and the Life. There are no shortcuts to heaven. “How often I have longed to gather your children together… and you were not willing.” Proverbs 14:12 warns, “There is a way that appears to be right, but in the end, it leads to death.” Any shortcut around Jesus can be disastrous. If they think they know “a better way” or a way that is more suited “for me personally,” they are misleading themselves, this shortcut leads to death.

Because Jesus took the hard way, the long way, the way of suffering, the way of an innocent death—he has earned safe passage for those who follow behind him. When this world tells you there is a better or easier way, or when you feel you’ve lost your way, remember that Jesus already went the way before you and crushed your sin and guilt at the cross. He still loves you. He’s determined to be with you until the day he answers your question, “Are we there yet?” by welcoming you personally to eternal life with him.

Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!

Prayer: Lord Jesus, you have gone through so much for me. Thank you for your determination that wanted me so much that you ignored every tempting shortcut around the cross. Help me to be like you, fill me with your strength and endurance. And forgive me when I fall short. And keep me always mindful of your love for me that never fails. Amen.

One truth shared: All of the surprising truths about our Savior Jesus and about life in his kingdom are uncovered alone by his Spirit.

Whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away.
2 Corinthians 3:16

Uncovered by the Spirit

The sky was torn apart, and a voice boomed from heaven. The Spirit descended on Jesus as a dove. John the Baptist must have thought, “I didn’t see that coming.”

“Well, I didn’t see that coming.” How often did that thought occur during the life and ministry of Jesus?

Another time, Mary the mother of Jesus asked him to help at a wedding because they were out of wine. Jesus turned water into wine. How many wedding guests thought, “I didn’t see that coming”?

Jesus called uneducated, untrained fishermen to be his first disciples. They would be the first missionaries of his in the world. Who could have seen that coming?

Jesus warned that a life of following him would not be easy. Rather, the blessed life is enjoyed by those who weep and those who are poor. Jesus called his followers to love enemies and pray for the good of those who persecute them. It’s an upside down, radical, unexpected life. Did you see that coming?

What did the disciples expect when they went with Jesus to pray on that day his outward appearance was changed before them? (We call this his transfiguration.) Surely they didn’t expect to see the glory of the divine Christ or Moses and Elijah, famous leaders of the past.

How could they expect this path of the divine Christ to lead to a cross of death but back to life again at an empty grave? How could you? The entire life of Jesus is unexpected and surprising in every way. He never does what we would do. It never happens the way that we’d imagine.

If you believe these things, it means God’s Spirit has removed the veil from your eyes so that you can see. If that’s not you yet, ask God’s Spirit to help you see Jesus as he is in all his surprising ways. Ask for God’s Spirit to help you see more, to understand better, and to believe more deeply all that he has done. And this is the promise of Jesus: “You will see greater things than these” (John 1:50).

Prayer: Lord Jesus, send me your Holy Spirit so that I can see higher, brighter, and deeper all the things you have done for me and for the world. Fill my heart with longing to see what you will do next. Amen.

One truth shared: The wisdom of the world is turned upside down, and the one we are to trust is uncovered.

But blessed is the one who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in him. They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.
Jeremiah 17:7-8

Uncovered Blessings

It is all upside down.

We show up at school, and they try to make us smarter and give us more wisdom. They tell us that this will ensure our success in the future. “Just graduate from high school,” they say. “Just get a degree,” they tell us. “That’s the way to success.”

We’re told to surround ourselves with good counselors and advisors. We’re told to seek out trustworthy people to put in our corner. We’re encouraged to save up as much as we can for our financial future, have a strong security plan, and so on. We must make ourselves safe and sound.

That’s what we’re told by the people around us. But then God’s says something rather upside down. He tells us that it’s no good to trust in people or to draw our strength in flesh and blood. He says that this is the sure way to ensure we will not see prosperity.

Truth is, there’s nothing wrong with wisdom and learning, but we can’t count on it to protect us. There is nothing wrong with making good plans for our future, but those things dare not be our security. To lean on these things as if they were the ultimate thing is only to set us up for a downfall.

That’s why Jeremiah turns the tables for us so that we know where to find our blessing. He shows us that only when we trust in our God can we be sure that we will never face a downfall. Only when we trust in him are we rooted and grounded. Only when we trust in him are worries erased.

He is our Rock. He is our Savior. He is immovable. He assures us that when we trust in him, we cannot and will not lose. In him, all things are right again.

Prayer: Lord God, thank you for turning my attention to you. You are my Rock. You are my Savior. You are immovable. Help me to turn to and trust in you above all other things. Amen.

One truth shared: Jesus had an agenda for his life. He was not haphazardly going about his business, but in everything he was focused on the agenda given by his Father. As Jesus uncovers his agenda, he uncovers the agenda he wants for our life.

But [Jesus] said, “I must proclaim the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns also, because that is why I was sent.” And he kept on preaching in the synagogues of Judea.
Luke 4:43-44

Uncovered Agenda

It is true. Jesus was not rejected in every place to which he traveled or preached. He had some measure of success. After being thrown out of Nazareth, he traveled to Capernaum and was met with wild success. After an amazing day of preaching and healing, the disciples roused Jesus from prayer and said, “Everybody is looking for you!”

That town would have loved if Jesus would have stayed and kept serving them right there. But Jesus had a clear agenda, “No. I have to keep going into other towns with the gospel.” So, he did. He went from town to town, Sunday after Sunday (actually, Sabbath after Sabbath), preaching and teaching his good news in their gathering spaces.

Jesus had a clear agenda, and that agenda included you! He wasn’t going to let a little rejection stop him. He wasn’t even going to let some wild success distract him. He was going to keep on going with the gospel until the whole world would hear.

Even after he died, rose, and then ascended into heaven, Jesus continued with this agenda. He uses his Christian agents to carry out his agenda.

He used the apostles. He has used countless Christians including people that you know, people who told you about this good news about the kingdom. Who has he used in your life? A parent? A pastor? A friend? A teacher? Who is it? (Send them a text message to say, “Thank you!”)

Jesus refused to stop and set up shop in one town because he had a clear agenda for an entire world. Because he didn’t, you have heard of him, and you believe in him.

Aren’t you glad he didn’t stop?

Prayer: Lord Jesus, you didn’t stop. You kept going with the gospel during your time on earth. You sent other people after your time on earth so that I would hear and know and believe. Thank you, Jesus, for your relentless pursuit of me. Amen.

As children of God, we have access to God through our prayers. What is the power of those prayers? Better yet, what power does God have in answer to our prayers?

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever! Amen.
Ephesians 3:20-21

Uncovered Prayer Potential

Prayer works. It really does. It truly makes a difference. Do you believe that?

It can be hard to believe that, can’t it? We say that prayer is a conversation of a believer with their God. But it’s often not much of a conversation. We speak and God listens. But what does he say back? This seeming silence makes prayer difficult.

Sometimes the way that God seems to respond to our prayers also makes it difficult. We pray for someone to be healed, but they don’t get better. We pray for blessing, but it never seems to come. God’s answer to our prayers makes prayer difficult, especially when he seems to say, “no.”

Paul wants to encourage us to pray with confidence. Why?

We pray because God so loved us that he sent us his Son. His love was born in manger and nailed to the cross. We can barely begin to understand how long and wide and deep and high God’s love for us is. This truth alone inspires prayer. How can you not speak with One who loves you so much that he left heaven to be with you on earth?

We pray because God knows stuff. Like the best kind of father, God knows exactly what is good for us. He knows how that one thing isn’t good and how that other thing is eternally good.

We also pray because he has power, so much power! “Imagine!” That’s what Paul encourages us to do. God has power to do more than we could even ask for, more than we could even imagine. Not only does God delight in doing good things for us, but he has the power and the ability to do it.

Fathers love their children and like to do good things for them. But even fathers are limited in what they can do. God our Father has no such limitations. Imagine! Then pray away!

Prayer: Lord Jesus, help me to know the power of praying to you. You have opened yourself up to me so that I can pray to you at any time. Help me to pray with confidence. Amen.