The apostles gathered around Jesus and reported to him all they had done and taught. Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.” So they went away by themselves in a boat to a solitary place. But many who saw them leaving recognized them and ran on foot from all the towns and got there ahead of them. When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he began teaching them many things.
Mark 6:30-34

Take a Break with Jesus

Daily Devotion – July 21, 2024

Devotion based on Mark 6:30-34

See series: Devotions

Everyone needs a break from people, even those who regularly serve people. A doctor cannot always be with patients. A teacher cannot always be with students. Even Jesus took time away from the crowds of people who were coming to see him. He did this to be with his disciples. He did this to show his closest followers some one-on-one attention. Jesus said, “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.”

Jesus makes the same invitation to you. Take some time to be alone with Jesus and his Word in your Bible. It will remind you that God loves you. It will remind you how Jesus died on the cross for you and rose from the dead to guarantee your forgiveness and a place in heaven with him. Go with Jesus and get some rest.

And then go back and serve the people God has brought into your life, just as Jesus did. “When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he began teaching them many things.”

May the moments you spend with Jesus in the Word strengthen you in your service to others.

Prayer:
Compassionate Lord, may the love and attention you have shown me, help me to show love and attention to those I meet today. Amen.

He must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it.
Titus 1:9

Faithful Pastors

Daily Devotion – July 19, 2024

Devotion based on Titus 1:9

See series: Devotions

If you could design the perfect pastor, what would he be like? He would probably be a man who was wise, eloquent, and clever. A go-getter who would run the church like an expert CEO. People would come from miles around to hear him speak. Because of him, members who hadn’t come to services in years would return by the truckload, and the church’s offerings would increase by two hundred fifty percent. He would be someone who could single-handedly save your church.

While there is nothing wrong with eloquence and crack management skills, there is one characteristic that every pastor must have, and we often take for granted. In his letter to a young pastor named Titus, the apostle Paul makes it clear that the Lord wants pastors who firmly hold to the trustworthy message as it has been taught in the Bible. In other words, God doesn’t want men who single-handedly save the church. He wants men who proclaim the Savior of the Church.

Is there any other better characteristic to have? The Bible’s trustworthy message is centered on God’s incomprehensible love for us. It is beyond understanding that the Son of God became flesh and made his dwelling among us (John 1:14). It’s even more beyond understanding that the enfleshed Son of God became obedient to death on a cross for your sins (Philippians 2:8). It is a mystery that he rose from the dead, and it is beyond our comprehension how he will raise us, too, but he will!

There’s no such thing as a perfect pastor. What we need are faithful pastors who use that trustworthy message to encourage those who need to hear it and refute those who oppose it. Christ answered for all our sins on the cross and rose from the dead, and faithful pastors deliver that sound doctrine to us so that we have no doubt where we stand with God.

Prayer:
Lord of the Church, help pastors stay faithful to their calling and to love your Word and your people. Amen.

Then Amaziah the priest of Bethel sent a message to Jeroboam king of Israel: “Amos is raising a conspiracy against you in the very heart of Israel. The land cannot bear all his words. For this is what Amos is saying: ‘Jeroboam will die by the sword, and Israel will surely go into exile.’”
Amos 7:10,11

What They Need to Hear

Daily Devotion – July 17, 2024

Devotion based on Amos 7:10,11

See series: Devotions

The Prophet Amos lived about 800 years before Christ. The twelve tribes of Israel had been a united country under their first three kings, but then there was a civil war, and they split into two separate countries: Israel in the north and Judah in the south.

By the time Amos came along, the divided kingdom had been going on for almost two hundred years. In the northern kingdom, things were going well. The economy was roaring, their territory was increasing, and the people of Israel appeared very religious.

But there was a problem: It was all fake. Yes, there was prosperity, but there was also social injustice and oppression. Their country had a veneer of piety, but it was not in service to the true God. They worshiped God in ways that he had forbidden, and they also worshiped false gods along with him.

Enter Amos. Amos was from the southern kingdom, but God sent him north to preach. He pointed out the nation’s sins and warned them that if they did not return to the Lord, they would be exiled to a foreign land.

His message was not well received. He was accused of being a political revolutionary and reported to the king. But what was Amos supposed to say? If they were sorry for their sin, God would tell Amos to forgive them. But they were not sorry, so he couldn’t. They needed to hear the consequences of their actions. God pleaded with them to stop walking down the road that led to hell.

It’s a lesson worth remembering: when it comes to sin, you may not always be able to tell people what they want to hear, but you can always tell them what they need to hear. Sin has serious consequences, and we have a serious Savior who took those consequences upon himself to forgive us. Like Amos, we can proclaim, “Repent and believe the good news!”

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, give me strength when I tell people what they need to hear about their sin. Amen.

Calling the Twelve to him, he began to send them out two by two and gave them authority over impure spirits. . . They went out and preached that people should repent.
Mark 6:7,12

Are You Up to the Task?

Daily Devotion – July 15, 2024

Devotion based on Mark 6:7,12

See series: Devotions

It is easy for Christians to look at the world around them and become discouraged. Sin is spreading, hostility toward biblical truth is intensifying, and lies about the nature of God and humanity are spreading like wildfire. So many people unknowingly follow the devil, who wants only to devour them (1 Peter 3:8). What should we do about it?

To answer that question, look at what Jesus did. He had been teaching and preaching all over Galilee. Wherever he went, he encountered spreading sin, hostility to the truth, and lies about God. So, what did he do? He sent out the twelve apostles with special authority to tell lost sinners who were unknowingly following Satan to turn away from their sin and believe in Jesus as their Savior.

That is the task Jesus gave the Twelve, and it’s the same one he gives to you. It’s the only solution to the problem. Are you up to the task?

Maybe you’re thinking, “Absolutely not! The Twelve had special training from Jesus, but I’m just an ordinary person.” Jesus may not have given you authority over impure spirits, but he has given you the gospel, which is “the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes” (Romans 1:16).

That good news is as powerful today as it was when Jesus first sent out the Twelve. The gospel declares that Jesus lived perfectly for you, sacrificed that perfection on the cross, and rose from the dead to declare you perfect in God’s sight. That message is the only thing that can stop sinners from following the devil and follow Christ instead.

It’s the solution to the problem, and every Christian has it! Every Christian has the authority to speak in Jesus’ name and to tell sinners to repent and believe the good news (Mark 1:15). Jesus does not send you without first equipping you, and he has already given you everything you need for this task.

Prayer:
Son of God, my Savior, thank you for entrusting me with the gospel that forgives me and equips me to serve you. Amen.

“Isn’t this the carpenter? Isn’t this Mary’s son and the brother of James, Joseph, Judas and Simon? Aren’t his sisters here with us?” And they took offense at him.
Mark 6:3

No Confusion

Daily Devotion – July 13, 2024

Devotion based on Mark 6:3

See series: Devotions

Many people today are confused about Jesus. Was he only a great man or really God? Did he have a family? Can we know anything about him for sure, with so many legends floating around?

If you’re confused, you have good company. The neighbors who watched Jesus grow up and the kids who played with him were confused. Was Jesus really a miracle worker? How could he be? He was just an ordinary man. Where did he get off claiming miracles? They were confused and offended by his claims.

Jesus wasn’t confused about who he was. He was the son of Mary. He was also the Son of God—not in a metaphysical or allegorical sense, but in a real, true sense. Jesus was man and God. The Bible makes this very clear.

Jesus wasn’t confused about what he came to do. He came specifically to live in our place and die in our place. He came to provide forgiveness of sins for all people—whether they accepted him or not, whether they recognized their sins or not. He had come to save the human race.

He included you in his plans. He is your God. He became a human being to live and die for you. God accepts you because of Jesus. One day, you will get to meet Jesus face-to-face. There won’t be any confusion. You’ll be looking at your God, who gave his life for you!

Prayer:
Jesus, don’t let me fall for any untruths that try to make me believe you’re only a human being or that your life is just a myth. While your free forgiveness sounds too good to be true, strengthen my faith to know it is reality until I can see you with my own eyes! Amen.

Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, descended from David. This is my gospel, for which I am suffering even to the point of being chained like a criminal. But God’s word is not chained.
2 Timothy 2:8,9

God’s Word Unchained

Daily Devotion – July 11, 2024

Devotion based on 2 Timothy 2:8,9

See series: Devotions

Joseph. Samson. Jeremiah. John the Baptist. Peter and John. Paul and Silas. What do all these figures from the Bible have in common?

Answer: they were all imprisoned at some point. This seems to be a recurring theme in the Bible. God’s people keep ending up behind bars, chained up. By the time the apostle Paul wrote this letter, he’d been in prison numerous times. But Paul isn’t worried about his chains. Yes, the gospel message of Jesus’ resurrection had put him in chains. But the gospel freedom he had in Christ was greater than his chains. Paul knew that even though he was chained up, God’s Word was not chained. And it never would be.

Followers of Christ can be imprisoned and chained up. But God’s gracious promises can’t be snuffed out or chained up. His Word will never pass away. In fact, God’s Word has always tended to spread even faster when his followers were persecuted.

Imprisonment of God’s people may be a recurring theme in the Bible but so is the theme of freeing the captives. Jesus spoke these words from Isaiah chapter 61 in Nazareth, “the Lord has anointed me…to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners.” Freeing prisoners and breaking chains are the Savior’s specialty. It’s what he came for. The world will never be able to chain up his Word of the gospel.

So, no matter what you’re facing right now or what situations leave you feeling imprisoned by sin or despair; remember that God’s Word is not chained. And the gospel of Jesus has the power to break you free of your chains too.

Prayer:
Chain-breaking Lord, I thank for proclaiming freedom for me and releasing me from the dungeon of darkness and sin by your Word of grace. Amen.

Join with me in suffering, like a good soldier of Christ Jesus.
2 Timothy 2:3

Be a Fellow Suffering Soldier

Daily Devotion – July 9, 2024

Devotion based on 2 Timothy 2:3

See series: Devotions

“Onward, Christian soldiers, marching as to war, with the cross of Jesus going on before.” That’s the first line of a hymn written in the 1800s. In that hymn, God’s Church on earth is compared with an army. Not an army bent on conquest and destruction, but an army bent on breaking down the gates of hell and freeing souls with the message of Jesus’ cross. God’s Church has a mission to advance with the gospel to every corner of the earth.

The apostle Paul also briefly takes on the imagery of an army and soldiers in today’s Bible reading from the book of 2 Timothy. He urges Timothy to join him as a fellow suffering soldier for Christ. Soldiers follow orders. Soldiers leave their quiet lives as a citizens behind to go on a mission. Soldiers on active duty may have to go hungry and sleepless as they engage the enemy.

This reminds us that our time as God’s people on earth isn’t a cakewalk. As followers of Christ, we take on this calling to be suffering soldiers for Christ. It’s not supposed to be easy if we’re following behind our commander, Jesus. He’s going to bring us into the places that are hardest hit by sin and despair. He puts us on the front lines in our communities, planting us among people who need hope and forgiveness. Taking on the ministry of God’s Church in the world will take a toll on us. It will likely leave us feeling like a discouraged soldier pinned down under enemy fire at times.

But God doesn’t leave us to be suffering soldiers alone. We have a commander who has gotten down into the front lines with his troops. God, in Jesus, made himself a fellow suffering soldier in our war against sin, death, and Satan. Jesus, God-in-the-flesh, fought on the front lines, led the charge, and took all the enemy fire away from us by going to the cross in our place.

The next line in that old hymn says, “Christ, the royal master, leads against the foe; forward into battle, see his banners go!” So now we can join in as suffering soldiers in God’s army along with Paul and Timothy and our leader, Jesus.

Prayer:
Dear Lord, help me bear up under suffering as I follow your mission to bring good news to the world. Amen.

The people to whom I am sending you are obstinate and stubborn. Say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says.’
Ezekiel 2:4

God, Please Talk to Me

Daily Devotion – July 7, 2024

Devotion based on Ezekiel 2:4

See series: Devotions

Wouldn’t it be wonderful to talk with God? If we could only call him on the phone and hear his voice, or send him an e-mail and get a reply from [email protected]. He could give us answers to our questions. He could help us to know what to do and what direction to take in our lives. By hearing his voice, we would be assured he is with us and will help us. Yes, it would be wonderful for God to talk with us.

God is not so far removed from his world that he is out of touch with us. God does talk with his people. In times past, God talked directly to some of them. Ezekiel, a prophet who lived about 580 years before Jesus was born, heard the voice of God. Over a long period of time, God gave this man important messages to speak to the people. He faithfully repeated those messages and assured his audience that, “this is what the Sovereign LORD says.”

There were other prophets and specially chosen men to whom God also spoke in times past. They, too, heard the voice of God, and as they were moved by the power of the Holy Spirit, they wrote down God’s word. Through that written word, recorded in the Bible, God still speaks to us today. As we read it, we can be confident that this is what the Sovereign LORD says.

He’s not available on the phone or accessible with the computer. But you can open up your Bible, and God will talk to you today. He has some important things for you to hear.

Prayer:
God, speak to me through your Word. Assure me that you are my Savior from sin and Lord of my life. Amen.

When he saw Jesus, he fell at his feet. He pleaded earnestly with him, “My little daughter is dying. Please come and put your hands on her so that she will be healed and live.” So Jesus went with him. . . Some people came from the house . . . “Your daughter is dead,” they said. “Why bother the teacher anymore?” Overhearing what they said, Jesus told him, “Don’t be afraid; just believe.”
Mark 5:22-24,35,36

Trust Through the Tears

Daily Devotion – July 5, 2024

Devotion based on Mark 5:22-24,35,36

See series: Devotions

He lies in the dirt, clutching Jesus’ feet. Tears stream down his cheeks. “Please, Lord. It’s my daughter. I don’t want to lose her.” Jesus takes him by the hand and helps him up. “Let’s go.” But they don’t make it in time. Some of his friends meet them along the way: “It’s too late. She didn’t make it.”

Does your heart break with his? Have you been there? Overcome with pain, desperate for help. With the pain come the questions: Why? Why do I hurt so much? Why do I have to suffer? And where is God in all this?

Notice how Jesus answers that last question here. When this desperate man comes looking for help, Jesus goes with him. There is no “I don’t have time right now.” There is no questioning to see how deserving the man might be or what he has already done to try to help his daughter. Jesus just goes.

We don’t have to wonder where God is in our pain. When we come to Jesus with tears in our eyes and pains in our hearts, he gives us his undivided attention and care every single time. He shares our pain, and he cares deeply.

Now, some might think it’s foolish to ask Jesus for help. Do we sometimes even think that? He’s too busy. It’s no use. He won’t be able to do anything about it.

That’s what the messengers from that father’s house suggest. But Jesus says, “Don’t be afraid; just believe.” Don’t fear that I can’t help. Don’t fear that I don’t care. Don’t fear that you’ve wasted your time. Trust me. Rely on me.

And Jesus goes to his house and raises his daughter from the dead. His trust was in the right place—in the only one who saves.

When life is filled with tears, trust him. You won’t be disappointed.

Prayer:
Dearest Jesus, help me to trust you in life and in death. Amen.

We have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.
2 Corinthians 4:7

Treasure in Jars of Clay

Daily Devotion – July 3, 2024

Devotion based on 2 Corinthians 4:7

See series: Devotions

Clay jars were very common in Bible times. They were also fragile. If they were dropped or knocked over, they would break, chip, or crack. There was no super glue, so the only thing to do with broken pottery was to throw it away.

Today’s Bible verse compares Christians to jars of clay. By ourselves, we are nothing special. We don’t live squeaky-clean lives. We have our faults and weaknesses, just like everyone else. We crack or break under pressure.

When the Bible describes us this way, here’s the point: It’s not about us. It’s not about our strength or success. It’s not about how good we look before other people. It’s what’s in the clay jars that matters, not the jars themselves.

What’s in us is a priceless treasure—the beautiful, powerful message called the gospel, the message of Jesus Christ as Lord, the message of light shattering the darkness of sin and life overcoming death because Jesus died and rose again for us sinners.

That amazing treasure makes clay jars anything but ordinary. The message of God’s forgiveness through Jesus repairs our cracks and chips and retouches our blemishes. In the treasure of Baptism, we are scrubbed clean inside and out. In the treasure of Holy Communion, we are filled with the body and blood of Jesus, along with the forgiveness that God promises that we receive with them. We, jars of clay, now stand perfect and beautiful before the heavenly potter who has formed us, lumps of clay, into works of art for his purposes.

Sometimes, people hide valuable things in plain cardboard boxes because no one would think to look there. But that’s not what God wants to happen with the treasure we have. He poured his precious message of life and love and forgiveness through Jesus Christ into clay pots like us so that we can pour it out into the lives of others. We hold the treasure, but we don’t hide it. We value the treasure, but we don’t keep it to ourselves. As ordinary as we are, we have an extraordinary purpose.

Prayer:
Jesus, pour out the treasure of your grace in me and through me. Amen.

Because of the LORD’S great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning.
Lamentations 3:22,23

Unfailing Compassion

Daily Devotion – July 1, 2024

Devotion based on Lamentations 3:22,23

See series: Devotions

In an abandoned city, Jeremiah the prophet can only stare in horror at what he sees. Ruin, destruction, death, and desolation. Nothing is left. Tears well up in his eyes. A numbness settles over his heart.

They deserved it. The people of Israel turned away from the Lord. They made their heathen neighbors their allies and worshiped their gods. God’s prophets warned them, but they didn’t listen. The Babylonian army attacked Jerusalem, broke down its walls, burned down its temple, and hauled many of its citizens off to Babylon.

But, staring at the judgment that he knows he and his people deserve, Jeremiah finds hope. His confession is so beautiful. He says: “Because of the LORD‘s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail.” The Lord has not given up on them. His love for them is that great.

When everything around us is destroyed, the Lord’s great love is not destroyed. Even when our rebellion comes between us and the Lord, the Lord’s great love is not destroyed. Because of the Lord’s great love, we are not destroyed. His love is a shield and refuge for us in life and death.

And his compassions never fail. Just as you can count on the sun coming up every day, so can you count on God’s love and compassion day after day. God’s compassion is new for you every morning. New to heal the new wounds in your heart and life that each day brings. New to remove the new guilt that burdens your soul. New to soothe the new pains as well as those aches that just won’t go away.

Jeremiah’s mindset was not just a glass-half-full attitude that said, “It could be worse.” It was joy-filled confidence that rejoiced in a living and loving God. In his great love and unfailing compassion, God uses every trouble and tragedy to draw us back to him so that he can calm our hearts, dry our tears, and restore our relationship with him. And because God loved us enough to die for us, he has even overcome death so that we will experience his great love forever.

Prayer:
Lord, thank you for your great love and your unfailing compassion. Amen.

That day when evening came, [Jesus] said to his disciples, “Let us go over to the other side.” Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. . . A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. 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?” He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm. He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?” They were terrified and asked each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!”
Mark 4:35-41

Is Jesus Sleeping in Your Boat?

Daily Devotion – June 29, 2024

Devotion based on Mark 4:35-41

See series: Devotions

The disciples supposed that Jesus did not care if they drowned. They did not trust his love for them, nor did they have faith in his power to control wind and wave. Jesus exposed their lack of faith asking, “Why are you so afraid?”

Jesus exposes our lack of faith with the same question, “Why are we so afraid?” Do we think he is sleeping through the problems and troubles of our lives and doesn’t care? Do we think he cannot stand up in the middle of danger and disaster and say, “Be calm and be still!”

Yet there he is with his disciples in that boat on the lake in the middle of the storm. Sleeping on a pillow in back of the boat and believing God would take care of them. He spoke words filled with such power that the sea became calm and the winds stopped howling. Perfect calm.

This miracle helped the disciples learn the answer to the question, “Who is this Jesus?” “Even the wind and waves obey him.” This miracle displayed Jesus’ infinite power and teaches us how to respond to Jesus. We join the wind and waves in obeying his every word.

But this miracle also rebukes us when our weak faith wonders, “Does Jesus care?” This miracle demonstrates the boundless, limitless, and infinite love of Jesus. The quieted winds and the calmed waves testify, “Yes, he cares for you!”

Prayer:
Dear Lord Jesus, help me wait patiently when you seem to sleep. Help me worship joyfully when you rise to save. 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

Don’t You Care?

Daily Devotion – June 27, 2024

Devotion based on Mark 4:38

See series: Devotions

“Don’t you care?”

Jesus had spent all day caring for the needs of others. The disciples had watched him heal people who were diseased or demon-possessed. Even as night fell, people were still bringing their sicknesses to Jesus. Exhausted, Jesus told his disciples to take him across the lake where he could get some rest.

As they made their way across, a furious storm kicked up. In an instant, waves were threatening to capsize the boat. The situation was so bad that even the disciples, who were expert fishermen, feared for their lives. Jesus, however, was fast asleep.

Frantic, the disciples woke Jesus and asked, “Don’t you care about us? Save us.” They knew he could save them, but they wondered why he wasn’t.

It’s a question we easily ask, especially when we experience some sudden, unexplainable, seemingly insurmountable situation. We’ve seen others overcome similar circumstances. We expect that if God is good, he should be good to all in equal ways. But when relief doesn’t come, the frightened questions do. “God, don’t you care?”

Of course, he does. The Bible is filled, from the first page to the last, with examples of God’s loving heart and powerful hands. But nowhere is his care more evident than on the cross. Because Jesus is God, the Father counted Jesus’ death as the full payment for our sins. Jesus died to save us from death. Because he lives, he gives eternal life to all who believe in him. Just because bad things happen doesn’t mean God doesn’t care.

If God didn’t hesitate to sacrifice himself for us, is there anything he wouldn’t do for us? He will do anything to spend forever with us in the paradise he is preparing for his people. Whether in good times or bad, in plenty or want, healthy or sick, storms or calm, we are always in God’s constant, loving care. There is nothing to fear.

Prayer:
Dearest Jesus, I believe you saved me from death, help me believe that you will always care for me in life. Amen.

Then the LORD spoke to Job out of the storm. He said: “Who is this that obscures my plans with words without knowledge?”
Job 38:1,2

Who Do You Think You Are?

Daily Devotion – June 25, 2024

Devotion based on Job 38:1,2

See series: Devotions

“I can do it myself!” the toddler insists.

The teenager broods, “You have no idea what I’m going through.”

“I could do it better,” the twenty-something insists.

Maybe the toddler can grab food off the stove. But does he know the stove is hot? Maybe the teenager’s parent has never experienced what the teenager is going through. But does she have her parent’s knowledge that this too shall pass? Maybe the twenty-something could do the task better. But does he realize there is an important reason why it is done this way?

We all think we know better than those with more wisdom. And what you would like to say to those who question your wisdom probably sounds something like what the Lord said to Job. It’s what God would say if he answered us when we question his wisdom.

“Who do you think you are?”

God is not being a jerk. He’s lovingly helping us remember who he is, what he has done, what he is capable of, and what great and good plans he has in store for us that can only come by the storms through which we must sail.

God knows the plans he has for you. From eternity, he knew how to save us from sin. He laid out the details over thousands of years. And, when the time was right, when everything was in place, he sent his Son to fulfill all of God’s plans as proof that God knows what he is doing. And then he appointed the exact time and place where you should be to hear the good news and receive eternal life.

That’s his plan for you. So, you can be sure, even now, come what may, God knows what he’s doing. He is working all things for good to you who love him.

Prayer: (Romans 11:33,36)
Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out! For from him and through him and for him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen.

Then the LORD answered Job out of the storm. He said: “Who is this that darkens my counsel with words without knowledge? Brace yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall answer me. “Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation? Tell me, if you understand. Who marked off its dimensions? Surely you know! Who stretched a measuring line across it? On what were its footings set, or who laid its cornerstone—while the morning stars sang together and all the angels shouted for joy? “Who shut up the sea behind doors when it burst forth from the womb, when I made the clouds its garment and wrapped it in thick darkness, when I fixed limits for it and set its doors and bars in place, when I said, ‘This far you may come and no farther; here is where your proud waves halt’?
Job 38:1-11

Questioning God

Daily Devotion – June 23, 2024

Devotion based on Job 38:1-11

See series: Devotions

Have you ever been tempted to question, accuse, or challenge God? Job and some of his friends did. Throughout the latter chapters of the book of Job, we hear challenging questions and statements made against God. In chapter 38, God responds.

God’s rhetorical questions put things back into perspective. By his wisdom and power, he laid earth’s foundation and set the borders for the seas. You and I were not around when God created the world. Dare we question and challenge his ways?

There are times when things don’t go very well. Too often, we get caught up in our own little world. We make this life comfy and cozy. Challenging or blaming God, as if he did something wrong, is not the answer. Realizing that we live in a sin-filled world, surrounded by sinful people and betrayed by our sinful nature, is the place to start. Repentance followed by trusting in Jesus as our Savior from sin is the way to go.

Instead of questioning and challenging God, let us thank God for his faithfulness in sending Jesus, who has earned forgiveness of sins by his death for us. Remembering this truth puts all things into perspective. Amidst sickness, job loss, and difficulties of all kinds, we can unquestionably trust that God’s loving will for us is sure and certain in Jesus our Savior.

Prayer:
Lord God, creator of the universe, give me a faith that trusts your love for me and wisdom for my life. Amen.