But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved.
Ephesians 2:4-5

God and gender: Identity crises

You’ve heard the saying and have probably been told, “Just follow your heart,” or “Do what makes you happy.” For someone who feels like a male trapped in a female’s body or a female trapped in a male’s body, that sounds like great advice. “How could my heart mislead me?” one might think or, “Of course God wants me to be happy and right now I’m miserable.”

There’s a problem with that line of thought though. God knows your heart better than you do. In Jeremiah 17:9 he says, “The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?” Or in other words, “Your heart is a liar. Don’t trust it.”

The Holy Spirit inspired the apostle Paul to explain why in Ephesians 2:1-3, “As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath.”

Reread that slowly. You were spiritually dead when you followed the ways of this world ruled by Satan. You did what your sinful heart craved following its desires and thoughts. What does that mean? Contrary to popular opinion and pop-culture, it means that wanting to change your gender is not a godly thought. It’s actually demonic. It’s an idea that comes straight from the devil himself.

The devil wants you to believe that your identity should be wrapped up in your gender or sexual orientation, as if that defines who you really are. That’s a lie spiritually dead people believe. Jesus Christ came to free you from that lie. He came to change your deceitful heart and bring you back to life.

Read what the apostle Paul writes next, “But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”

Previously, you were dead in your sins and deceitful thoughts, but Jesus Christ has made you alive. He’s forgiven you, saved you, and given you a position of honor! You are his handiwork! Like a sculptor painstakingly sculpts a beautiful statue, God sculpted every bit of you. He created you to do amazing things that are fueled by your real identity.

Through faith in Jesus Christ, you are a son or daughter of God. You didn’t do anything to earn that right. God gave you that status because of his indescribable love. That love is what makes you who you are. The more you lean into that truth, the freer you’ll be to live out your whole life as his son or daughter.

Prayer: Jesus, I was dead, and you made me alive. I used to follow the ways of the world, but now I get to follow you. Thank you for showing me the real me. Amen.

“Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues [what we would call churches], proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.”
Matthew 9:35-36

God and gender: What’s the truth?

When I was a teenager, one of the first things they taught me in computer class was you can’t believe everything you read, see, or hear on the internet. That was great advice! Sure, you can Google practically anything or ask Alexa to find something for you and get a response. But, as many facts as you can find on the internet, you can find just as many opinions, biases and straight up lies. It’s hard to know what’s true and what isn’t.

I’ve learned over the years that the only source of unaltered truth is the Bible, God’s Word. It tells it like it is. It doesn’t sugar coat sin. It reveals it. It also highlights God’s love and mercy like no other book ever written. That’s why we’re going to be studying the Bible for the next four weeks as we wrestle with the subject of transgenderism. It means someone who identifies with a gender different from their birth one. This is a big topic causing a lot of confusion among Christians and non-Christians alike.

It’s a confusing topic because people we look up to, like celebrities, movie stars, athletes, friends, and family members are all giving us conflicting messages. It’s hard to know what’s right and what’s wrong. It’s also easy to jump from one extreme to the other. One side will say, “Live and let live. It’s not for me to judge. You do you.” The other side will say, “I can’t believe anyone would think about changing their sex! What’s wrong with them?” Both extremes lack truth, and most importantly they lack biblical love.

That’s where I want to start today. Before we get into what’s right and what’s wrong, I want all of us, no matter our personal thoughts or opinions about transgenderism, to make sure we’re starting where Jesus wants us to start.

Matthew 9:35-36 says, “Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues [what we would call churches], proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.”

Every person Jesus ever saw, he loved. He had compassion on them because they were like sheep without a shepherd. Sheep without a shepherd don’t know which way is right and which way is wrong. They don’t know how to tell the difference between the truth and lies unless someone guides them. Jesus wants to guide them . . . gently and with compassion. He wants to guide you gently and with compassion so that you can do the same for others.

I want to emphasize that the next devotions will not be based on my opinions or biases or anyone else’s. They will be based on the timeless, changeless, and compassionate words of God.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, my Good Shepherd, thank you for being compassionate with me in my ignorance and lack of understanding. As I learn more about the topic of transgenderism from the truths revealed in your word, please help me to be compassionate towards others. Amen.

Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.
Ephesians 4:31-32

Confronting monsters: Bitterness

The monster we’re looking at today is the monster of bitterness. Bitterness is so sneaky. It can show up in our lives in ways we’ve never expected.

Perhaps all the time you’ve been spending with your family due to social distancing is making you bitter at your parents. It snuck up so quietly, and now, you realize that you’ve really begun to resent your mom or dad. Perhaps it’s a bitterness toward a sibling or even toward a friend.

Bitterness can show up in our lives in all kinds of negative ways. It starts in the heart as an attitude toward or about someone or something. Then, that attitude grows from a bitter root into unkind words, harsh actions, silent treatment, and cold shoulders.

As bitterness takes root in our hearts, it also destroys our happiness and steals our joy. It’s hard to be happy when you’re upset and bitter at someone or something.

So, what should we do about it? Paul tells us to get rid of it. But how? How do we get rid of bitterness? Confess it. Come clean about it.

Confess it to God. Confess that you’re struggling with bitterness and a bad attitude toward people in your life. Ask for his help to kill bitterness in your heart. We often think it is helpful to keep our feelings to ourselves. But it’s not. The silent treatment never really helps anybody. Bitterness will simply grow in our hearts.

Confess it to the person you’re bitter against. You will be amazed at how cleansing it is to simply confess your feelings to that person. Then, they can work with you to address whatever made you bitter in the first place. If they sinned, the two of you can work through your bitterness toward reconciliation.

Since you care deeply about the relationships in your life, bring this out into the open. Confess it to God and to the people you care about. With God’s help you will strangle the bitterness in your heart before it destroys you and your relationships. Together you will move into a new day of joy and gladness as you live in the forgiveness of our God.

Your God so deeply desired a relationship with you, he killed the justified bitterness, anger, and wrath he had towards you on the cross. Because of Jesus, God has no feelings of bitterness, anger, or frustration toward you.

Since God has done this for you, let’s do the same for each other and kill the bitter root in our hearts. “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you” (Ephesians 4:32).

Prayer: Lord God, I can feel a bitter root growing in my heart toward certain people in my life (Confess specific bitterness here.) Help me to bring this out into the open and kill bitterness in my heart so that I might live with joy. Amen.

Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?”
Mark 4:38

Confronting monsters: Fear

Fear is such a powerful emotion in our hearts and lives. When we’re scared of something, it very much controls and rules us. Fear can lead us to lash out at people who love us. Fear can lead us to hide away from the people who can help us.

That’s what we see with the disciples here. (Look up the whole account in Mark 4:35-41.) They were in a boat rowing against the waves, trying to get to the other side, all night long. Their boat was nearly swamped. Meanwhile, there was Jesus—asleep. He didn’t seem to care at that moment.

Keep in mind that Jesus had shown the disciples in many ways that he truly cared about them. Keep in mind that Jesus had proven his mighty power. Jesus had great power and deep care and concern for them.

Fear makes us do things we wouldn’t normally do. Fear can make us forget things that we already know. Fear magnifies the trouble of our lives and minimizes the care and the “can” of Jesus.

One of the biggest monsters we face today is fear. In this pandemic, it’s a natural response. We’ve never faced something like this in our lifetime, so it’s unknown and scary.

Instead of focusing on the thing that brings fear to your heart, in faith, “magnify” Jesus. Put the care, the power, and the work of Jesus under a magnifying glass and see that he truly does care, that he truly is powerful, and that he truly is at work in your life.

Your Savior does! He does care for you. His love for you is so wide, long, deep, and high that we can only begin to understand it. Put his care under the magnifying glass and begin to learn how big it is (Cf. Ephesians 3:16-19).

Your Savior can! He was right there as God at the creation of the world, making all things with his power and might. He is still holding it all together with his powerful word. But his power was most visible when he made everything right between you and God at the cross. Your Savior can! Put his power under the microscope, and you will learn that you can’t even begin to imagine what he is doing (cf. Ephesians 3:20).

And your Savior is! He is, right now, at this very moment, sitting on his throne and ruling over all things. All things are under his feet and he rules over them for your good (cf. Ephesians 1:18-23).

Your Savior does. Your Savior can. Your Savior is. Just as he calmed the storm and calmed the fears of his disciples, in the same way, he will calm you in this storm.

Prayer: Dear Jesus, there is so much that scares me right now. I pray, stop the storm! And if the storm must continue, calm my heart with your presence , your power, and your protection. Amen.

They asked each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?”
Luke 24:32

Filled with the Spirit

When you hear a good song with a good beat, you get filled with good feelings.

When you hear a motivational talk by your coach before a big game, you get pumped-up.

When you hear “I love you” for the first time from someone you love, you get a rush of happiness.

When you read a good book, you might get filled with peace, determination, or a sense of adventure.

When you hear God’s amazing promises in his Word, you get filled up.

You not only get good feelings, pumped up, a rush of love, a sense of peace, determination, and adventure—you get filled with the Holy Spirit.

That means you get more than just good feelings. You get a changed heart. And a changed heart is one filled with peace and joy. These verses for today talk about the biggest source of peace and joy—the fact that Jesus rose on Easter and is alive. That means we get life forever and his help here and now.

God’s promises found in his Word are the only things that truly change our hearts to rely on God more, trust him, live boldly, and live selflessly.

What’s your plan to let the Holy Spirit continue to change your heart through God’s promises? In other words, what’s your plan to get into the Bible more?

Make a plan today. Download a Bible app. Put your Bible by your bed. Don’t wait.

Prayer: Holy Spirit, thank you for changing my heart forever by giving me faith. Continue to fill me with your peace and joy. Encourage me to fill up on your Word more. Help me make a plan to get into my Bible more. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.

Peter, however, got up and ran to the tomb. Bending over, he saw the strips of linen lying by themselves, and he went away, wondering to himself what had happened.
Luke 24:12

Filled with hope

Peter ran to the tomb.

Don’t pass by that detail.

Peter and the other disciples had been told by some women that angels appeared to them at Jesus’ empty tomb and said he was alive.

“But Jesus is dead. These women are crazy.” That’s what they all thought. Peter even saw him die with his own eyes. He was confused and afraid. Luke 24:12 says he walked away from the empty tomb wondering to himself what had happened. He wasn’t fully convinced yet.

However, even in his doubt and fear, Peter had something else in his heart—a little bit of hope. “What if Jesus really is alive? Wow. That would change everything for us.” So he ran.

In the next weeks and months, Peter’s hope became rock solid as he remembered everything Jesus had said. Jesus’ resurrection changed him. It filled him with hope—not in himself or his circumstances—but in Jesus.

Today is the greatest day of the year because it’s a day to remind you of your rock-solid hope. Jesus is alive! He defeated death! He beat Satan and the power of sin!

Wherever you are today and whatever your circumstances, run to the tomb and be filled with hope!

That means to bring your fears and doubts from the challenges of life to Jesus. View your challenges in the light of his victory.

You are not a victim of your circumstances. You are a victor in Christ!

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank you for today! Thank you for rising from the dead. Today means I have a rock-solid hope. Let me bring my fears and doubts to you and let me leave them with you. Because of Jesus, I am not a victim of my circumstances but a victor in Christ! Amen.

Then you will call, and the Lord will answer; you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I. “If you do away with the yoke of oppression, with the pointing finger and malicious talk, and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday. The Lord will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail.”
Isaiah 58:9-11

Practice makes perfect

There is nothing cooler for a teacher than when a student gets the correct answer on a test after hours and hours of extra work together after class. There is nothing better for a coach than when the team runs the play to perfection to win the game after hours and hours of hard work in practice.

It took a lot of work, a lot of pain, a lot of effort, time, patience, mercy, and grace to make you the person that you are today, a child of God. God chose you before the beginning of time. Your Father has redeemed you. He sent his Son to die for you. He raised Jesus from the dead for you. He made you spiritually alive even when you were dead in sin. He adopted you into his family even when you were an enemy and hostile toward him. He has given you a new identity, eternity in heaven, hope, love, forgiveness, and comfort. The Father has a vested interest in you and your life!

Life is filled with a lot of work, pain, and effort. Isaiah knows you need these encouragements:

1. Call on God when you are in trouble. When you mess up, look to God for help. When anxiety creeps up into your world, cast it on him. He answers, “Here I am.”
2. Let your light shine. God has made you his own dear child. So, act like the child of God that you are. Be kind. Be loving. Put others before yourself. When you do this, you show the world who you are. He promises, “Your light will shine in the darkness.”
3. Be nourished. Come to the oasis of God’s Word in the desert of this world. Come to the hospital for your souls and find healing in his promises. Be the soul that is connected to God through his Word. Remember the baptism that changed your identity. Receive the Lord’s Supper and know that your sins are forgiven. In all these ways, the Lord will satisfy your faith and strengthen your resolve!

Remember who you are. Recall what God has done for you. During these pandemic days, continue to live your life for him.

Prayer: Lord God, you made all things. Continue to watch over the world that we live in. Keep people safe from all danger until that day when this world will be perfect again. In Jesus name we pray. Amen.

But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith. I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead.
Philippians 3:7-11

Take out the trash

Your phone is worthless. Your friends don’t matter. School is important, but not that important. Your job is not a big deal. Your video games are garbage. The sports you play are meaningless. Your social media accounts are unimportant. Like comparing a remote-control car to an actual Ferrari, all of these things are nothing when you compare them to knowing Christ.

Follow along with me:

• When you know Christ, you have faith in him.
• When you have faith in Christ, you are perfect in God’s eyes.
• When you are perfect in God’s eyes, you are guaranteed heaven.
• Therefore, those who know Christ have heaven! Nothing else really matters.

As you get ready to celebrate the death and life of Jesus, take out the trash and value knowing Christ above everything else. Clear away the trash, the things that aren’t as important, so that you can focus your heart on what is truly valuable. Focus on the sufferings of Christ that took on your sin. Think about his resurrection that gives you heaven and promises life forever.

Get ready to celebrate the death and life of Jesus by valuing in your heart what is truly most precious to you.

Prayer: Lord God be with the missionaries who bring the most precious gift of heaven to people all over the world. Bless their work so that more can share in this valuable treasure. Amen.

So then, just as sin entered the world through one man and death through sin, so also death spread to all people because all sinned. But the gracious gift is not like Adam’s trespass. For if the many died by the trespass of this one man, it is even more certain that God’s grace, and the gift given by the grace of the one man Jesus Christ, overflowed to the many!
Romans 5:12,15

Death and life

Whenever you prepare for an event, you will get so much more out of it. Let me illustrate. On the one hand, there’s the person with no Star Wars background going to see the newest Star Wars movie. They saw it and thought, “Meh, it had some good action scenes, it was ok.” On the other hand, there’s the person who watched all eight previous Star Wars movies. As they watched the final movie, they laughed, cried, cheered, and departed with a feeling of satisfaction. Why? Preparing to watch the movie allowed the person to enjoy it much more.

During the season of Lent (the six weeks before Easter), we take the opportunity to prepare ourselves for Holy Week. Don’t miss out. We prepare ourselves, so that when Good Friday and Easter Sunday come (the days we remember the death and resurrection of Jesus), we will better appreciate all that God has done for us. Why? Because the story of his death and life intersects our life and death.

Imagine taking a class in which failure was a guarantee. No matter what you did or how well you did in that class you fail. This is the story of our sin and death. Because Adam sinned, all people sinned—you sinned! Since all people are sinful, then all people are doomed to hell and eternal death.

Now imagine taking a class in which you were guaranteed an A+. Wrong answers wouldn’t matter because you would get an A+ in the end. Even though you are a sinner, you don’t have to be scared to die in hell. God has freely given you the gift of eternal life in through the death of Jesus. Why? Because the God of Lent and Easter LOVES you.

As you get ready for Easter and to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus from the dead, spend the time of Lent remembering the life and death of Jesus. It’s a story of God loving you. It will give you much more joy in your celebration.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, help us to focus our hearts on you as we prepared ourselves for Holy Week. Show us the depth of your love for us and the impact it has on our lives. In your name we pray. Amen.

Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.
Ephesians 4:29-32

So it didn’t work out

Do you like to “share time” with your significant other? Don’t get too enamored with one person. They may hurt you, but Jesus never will! #sharingtime #noheartache #keepitonmute

I use a unique phrase when I see people of the opposite sex hanging out in a social setting. When I see one of them on their own, I ask, “Are the two of you sharing time?” They have a quizzical look on their face as to what I mean. “You know dating, going out, going steady.” I prefer the thought of “sharing time,” because it seems a lot less exclusive and possessive. And if you are not exclusive or possessive, then there are no break ups because you are only “sharing time.”

Part of the fun of being young and dating is learning about yourself and other people. As you do this in the dating world, you may come to the realization quickly that you have very little in common with the other person; certain things drive you up the wall. Or, the person you may be infatuated with may not have the same feelings toward you. That is okay … because you are just “sharing time.”

Sometimes it hurts your feelings. The natural reaction is to lash out, spread false rumors, try to sully their reputation. But Paul teaches to forgive the hurt that you feel. Don’t tear others down but keep silent.

The Bible tells us that you are not your own; you were bought with the price of Jesus’ blood. As God’s chosen people, when your heart gets broken (and that may happen several times), do not lash out. See it as a learning experience … remember, you were just “sharing time.” Dating is the time to learn who we are and what is important to seek from a companion in this life.

Relax, my young friends! Take this whole dating thing slow. Don’t give your heart away to just anyone or everyone; give it to Jesus and trust him. It didn’t work out with that boy or girl? No big deal … it was just sharing time! Keep sharing time with your best friend, Jesus!

Prayer: Dear God, you wire us in unique ways to appreciate others and their companionship in our lives. Help us to be thankful for the opportunities to learn and grow in appreciation for the way you made us. When things don’t work out like we plan, help us chalk it up to experience and move on in a loving and forgiving spirit toward those who may hurt us. We will keep our eyes on you because you never hurt us. Amen.

One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?”
“The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.”
Mark 12:28-31

Follow your heart to Jesus

Have you ever made the “prom-posal”? Dating shouldn’t seem so difficult! Follow Jesus first; and all other relationships will fall into place! #letJesusguideyourheart #matchmadeinheaven

“Will you go to the dance with me?”

If I was interested in someone, I just used those eight words face to face. Sometimes I liked the answer I received; most of the time I did not. Now I see many of you (from your mom’s Facebook post!) putting hours of effort into the perfect date invitation or “prom-posal”. Yikes…that’s a lot of construction paper, glue, candy, and flowers just to see if someone will return your interest in them!

What leads you to ask someone on a date? I would imagine looks, sense of humor, smart, lab partner, honest, sporty, fashionable, and great hair (check some out from your parent’s teenage years!) are all a part of the mix. Does being a “Jesus lover” ever enter into the equation? If not, now may be the time to get past the simple crush phase of life and take a look at who guides your heart and the heart of those who attract your eye. Jesus has made you his own, so do not take for granted how much he loves you!

As great as your boyfriend or girlfriend may be, your God is greater. And he does not want only a part of our affection and our love. When we love him the most, he will bless us with rational and reasonable feelings about others and help us identify people who share love for Jesus. The truth is, not all people who date in school are going to live “happily ever after”.

Jesus loves us and wants us to be his own. When we love him and follow him, we will find true happiness. That is truly “a match made in heaven”!

Prayer: Dearest Jesus, help me to always make you number one in my life. As I become interested in others, may they never take your place. Guide my heart to see your love for me. Help me to always remain faithful to you so that I can live happily ever after in your presence. Thank you for loving me first! Amen.

For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
Ephesians 2:10

20/20 Vision: See Purpose Better

There’s something admirable about wrestlers. Not WWE style wrestling, but wrestling with the mats, the protective headgear, and the singlets (that’s the tightfitting uniform).

The strength and stamina of wrestlers in competition is amazing. They are willing to do nearly anything within reason and wisdom to make weight. For the sake of the team, for the sake of personal performance, and for the sake of their success in the sport, these wrestlers go to great lengths to achieve their purpose.

Here’s the point: When you know your purpose, you will do just about anything to achieve it.

The flip side is also true. If you lack purpose, you struggle to do just about everything. Ever had a morning where you didn’t really want to get out of bed? Ever had a day when you wondered why you were here? It’s tough to get moving if you don’t know your why—your purpose.

This is why Paul’s words are so powerful for our lives even when we’re not sure of our purpose or why we’re here. Paul makes some powerful declarations about our life; more powerful than any other positive affirmation. This is God’s affirmation of you.

You are God’s handiwork. This is a statement about your identity. You are a creative work of your holy, mighty, and merciful God. He made you and shaped you just as you are. Then he perfected you in Christ by canceling your sin on his cross and changing your status as his son/daughter at your baptism!

You are created for good works. You don’t have to go looking for them. God is going to put them right in front of you. God has a purpose for your life. In fact, he has already prepared opportunities for you to live for him today, this week, and this year.

A new challenge for this week: Take note of your day. At the end of each day, pay attention to all the opportunities to do good that your God gives you. Write down the opportunities you have to share an encouraging word. Take notes about the opportunities God gave you to help someone in need. Pay careful attention to the simple ways you get to do good works in your home, school, and community.

When you know your purpose, you will do almost anything. There is no higher purpose than the purpose given by your God who called you.

Prayer: Lord God, give me eyes to see the good works you have prepared for me to do, and give me strength to carry it out. Amen.

“But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you will come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.”
Matthew 2:6

20/20 Vision: See Jesus Better

It’s 2020! The old year is gone. The new year is here. Happy New Year!

What is your take on your 2019? Was it a year of successes or a year of failures? Was it a year to be burned, or was it a year for the history books?

What is your hope and dream for 2020? One year from now, who do you hope to become and what do you hope to accomplish so that you can say: “This was a good year!”

Most, if not all people in this world, want to make a difference, a measurable difference. We want to matter and be significant. We want to be valued and valuable. We want to do big things.

Did you know there is a new way to significance, importance, and to see your value? This new way to significance is in Bethlehem. Bethlehem seemed like such a small, insignificant place. It was a little town, not a main town. But in this little town, the Ruler of the nations was born. In this town was born the One who would shepherd his people.

He is the One who gives you significance. Why did he leave his heavenly throne to come to this little town? Because you were so important to him. He couldn’t bear the thought of spending an eternity apart from you. He came because you were that important to him.

Jesus is the One who makes an eternal impact in your life. He is the One who says that you are important, valuable, and loved—and this has nothing to do with what you do or do not accomplish. He is the One who calls you to a purpose that is bigger than you and gives a divine power that is at work inside of you (more on this in the coming weeks).

This year see Jesus better. He came to an insignificant place in a simple way because we are significant in his sight. What an eternal impact that makes in our lives this new year!

Prayer: Dear Jesus, you made yourself lowly and came in a lowly way because you wanted to lift me up and exalt me in God’s sight. Help me to see you as the One who gives me true significance and value in this world. You valued me! That’s all that matters. Amen.

“Surely this is our God; we trusted in him, and he saved us. This is the LORD, we trusted in him; let us rejoice and be glad in his salvation.”
Isaiah 25:9

Jesus is worth the wait

If something is worth the wait, we’ll wait for it. We’ll wait 10 minutes at Starbucks for a $10 cup of coffee. We’ll wait even 20 minutes in the drive through at Chick-fil-A. We’ll grind through four years of high school to get to graduation. We put in months and months of diligent time and energy to get that ‘A’ or make the varsity basketball team. We wait for friends to be there for us when we need them. Because if something or someone is worth the wait, we’ll wait.

But any kid at Christmas time can tell you how hard it is to wait when eyeing up those gifts under the tree. Waiting demands patience. Waiting also demands trust—trust in that product or the person you’re waiting for—trust that they are worth the wait. If they’re not, we’ll take our business elsewhere. We’ll buy a different smartphone or pursue a different career. We’ll find new, more reliable friends. Because if something is not worth the wait, we won’t wait for it anymore.

What about Jesus? Is Jesus worth the wait?

It’s hard to wait when we don’t know how long we have to wait. It’s hard to wait when things seem urgent and desperate, when we hurt, or when we are teased and ridiculed for our faith. It’s hard to wait when things are out of control and we can’t see God’s plan. The more we have to wait, the more we start to worry. Is Jesus really worth the wait?

Jesus—the promised Messiah has come into the world, suffered the punishment that brought us peace, and risen from the dead. He has defeated sin, death, and the devil. And he will deliver you. Our God fulfills his promises. His people never wait in vain. The same God who shows us today our standing in salvation history, showing us his guiding hand as he carries out his saving work—the very God who gave you life and breath—is the same God who took on human flesh to give up his life so that not even death itself can separate us from God. That Savior is the God we trust in. That Savior is worth waiting for always.

Prayer: Gracious God, you alone are our rock and our redeemer. Help us trust in you and your gracious promises as we wait for you to take us home to heaven. Amen.

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

A light has dawned on our darkness

The year was 1940. The situation for England looked rather dark. On the European front, Nazi Germany had already invaded and conquered Poland, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, and Belgium. In just 46 days, Germany conquered all of France. Hitler then set his sights on England, and with France out of the fight, the darkness of the Third Reich was just across the English Channel. The Prime Minister of England, Winston Churchill, had two options: negotiate terms of peace with Hitler or face imminent invasion. Churchill would call this dark time in English History “the darkest hour,” not to imply that there was no hope for England, but because—as the saying goes—“it’s always darkest before the dawn.”

Maybe you’ve paged through this chapter of world history already at school. Thing is, we don’t have to page back to 1940 in any history book to see the darkness in our world. Hitler is long gone, yet we still see abundant proof that we still live in a sinful, dark world. We see it on our phones. We hear about it at school. We read it in our newsfeeds. We experience it personally in our own lives. Maybe it’s when you’re bullied. Maybe it’s after someone breaks into your house. Or maybe it is that sinful habit you’re struggling with? Maybe it’s anger or jealousy? Maybe you struggle to be patient with your classmates? Maybe there’s guilt in your heart from something you said, something you thought, or something you did. You have a hard time looking at yourself in the mirror when you get ready in the morning. The darkness around you seems so deep, you start to doubt whether God’s light could possibly make any difference. “There’s no way God can fix someone this broken. There is no way God can forgive me—that God could love someone like me. Could God’s light really shine on my darkness?”

The answer is yes! A light has dawned: Jesus. Jesus—the light of life—healed the sick, raised the dead, preached forgiveness of sins and life eternal to every nation dwelling in darkness. Jesus took on human flesh to live in our dark world, to be tempted, to hunger, to thirst. Our God took on flesh so the very face of his love and compassion was seen weeping at the funeral of a loved one. To pull us out of our darkness, out of death and suffering, our Savior himself suffered and died—not as a victim of darkness, but as the hero who ran into the mouth of the beast and conquered it! For you. So that you would have life and life to the full. Because he lives, we also will live. Darkness has no hold on us! Not sin. Not guilt. Not Satan. Not death. For Christ, the light of life, has shined on our darkness.

“It is always darkest before the dawn.” I’d modify that saying. “For those in darkness, a light has dawned.” That light is Jesus.

Prayer: Dear Jesus, thank you for shining on my darkness. Thank you for preaching and proclaiming your Word to me, for bringing me to faith, and making me your child. Amen.