The Hellenistic Jews among them complained against the Hebraic Jews because their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution of food. . . choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will turn this responsibility over to them.
Acts 6:1,3

Service and Generosity of Believers

Daily Devotion – May 13, 2024

Devotion based on Acts 6:1,3

See series: Devotions

“I just can’t believe how many broken people are in my congregation.” That’s how one pastor evaluated the people under his care. Yes, some areas of the world or some congregations may seem more broken than others. But the fact that people are broken shouldn’t be surprising. Ever since sin entered, the perfect world that God designed has been broken. There are bad relationships. There is physical pain. There is hard work. There is death.

Early Christian congregations experienced the same. Relationships were strained. There was hunger and stress. And there was death. In a world void of social security or life insurance policies, this brought a whole new level of brokenness. For example, how would a widow pick up the pieces of her broken heart and her broken home to provide for those under her roof?

Maybe you’re in the same boat. Are you broken? Did you lose a loved one? Do you not know where your next meal will come from or how that medical bill will be paid? Jesus said he came into this world to heal those who were broken. While his primary purpose was to heal our spiritual brokenness through his perfect life and death on the cross, he also demonstrated his care for physically broken people. That hasn’t changed now that he has ascended into heaven. Jesus still fixes and helps the broken as he continues to provide for his people. One of the ways he extends his hands is through the hands of others. The early church realized this as they assigned capable people the responsibility of caring for the widows in their midst. Today, God continues to work through his people. Through the service and generosity of others, thank God that our ascended Lord helps us overcome a broken world. And who knows, maybe it will be your hands that God uses to help fix another person’s life.

Prayer: (Christian Worship: Hymnal – 695)
Take my hands and let them move at the impulse of your love. Amen.

Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God.
1 John 4:7

The Danger

Daily Devotion – May 11, 2024

Devotion based on 1 John 4:7

See series: Devotions

In the world of 21st Century philosophy, Charles Taylor is a pretty big name. According to thebestschools.org website, Taylor “has been influential in defining how we conceive of ourselves in the modern world.” In a book entitled, “Dilemmas and Connections,” Taylor makes a compelling observation about the secular mind and what motivates the secular mind to do good for other people.

A paraphrase of Taylor’s observation is as follows: People with a secular mindset do good for others because, among other things, it makes them feel good about themselves. However, cautions Taylor, the danger with this kind of motivation is that it can easily slip into feelings of superiority and even contempt for the very people you are trying to help. This can especially happen, says Taylor, when the people you are trying to help are not as responsive or grateful as you think they should be.

Let’s take the observation of Charles Taylor and turn it on ourselves. As you work to do good for others, how do you react when the people you are trying to help are not as responsive or as grateful as you think they should be? Does your attitude harden, even just a bit, into an attitude of superiority? Does it even darken into an attitude of contempt? Are there times when a bitter voice within you says, “After all I’ve done for them, this is the thanks I get?”

That’s why we need Jesus. Out of a kind of selfless love we will never fully comprehend, the Son of God lived a life of perfect service on our behalf. Then he took upon himself the guilt of all of our self-serving motives, our hidden agendas, our false humilities, and he paid the price in full at the cross. And now, as our living Savior, he comes to us in his Word, calling us to repentance, washing us clean, renewing our hearts, empowering us to love others as he has loved us.

What drives real love is not self-serving pride. What drives real love is Jesus’ love for us.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, forgive my self-serving agendas. Empower me to love others with your love for me. Amen.

No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and all his love is made complete in us.
1 John 4:12

A Clear Picture

Daily Devotion – May 9, 2024

Devotion based on 1 John 4:12

See series: Devotions

Do you ever wonder what God looks like? Perhaps we have an image of Jesus that comes to mind, but what about God the Father? What does he look like? Wouldn’t it be nice if he would just show himself? Frankly, that would make it easier for us all to believe in him. I mean, if God is really out there, why doesn’t he show himself to us?

In this world of pain and suffering, it is not difficult or uncommon to feel like God isn’t present. Or to feel like God doesn’t love us or care about us. Maybe there is a person in your life who has recently made similar comments to you. How in the world can anyone get to know God if they can never see God?

That’s where we come in. The Bible says that the world can get a glimpse of what God is like when we love one another. When we live as God’s forgiven children, that gives others a chance to get to know what God is like. Your friend or coworker may never see God, but she will see you every day. What picture of God will she get as she interacts with you?

If we keep the love of Jesus fresh in our hearts and minds—that will enable us to present a clear picture of God’s love for others. When we remember his sacrificial death, we can then be selfless for others. We can put others first. We can listen to their fears and worries without judgment. We can help someone in need and show compassion when so many others pass by uncaring. We can acknowledge a hurting soul and let them know that they are seen. We can show respect and honor in a world that is so quick to put down and condemn. God will be clearly seen when his children live in his love.

Prayer:
Dear Lord Jesus, thank you for your love and forgiveness for me. Give me strength today to let your love shine through in all that I do. Lead others to see your love through me. Amen.

Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.
1 John 4:8

Constant Love

Daily Devotion – May 7, 2024

Devotion based on 1 John 4:8

See series: Devotions

Would you describe yourself as a loving individual? If so, are you always loving toward others? We undoubtedly have our moments. Moments when we love our children and grandchildren and show up at their events and cheer for them. Moments when we are there for our spouses and family members to support them in a difficult time. Moments when we help a friend move or take care of their yard when they are out of town.

But then there are times when our love falls flat. Couples in our world fall in and out of love. Children fail to lovingly be there for mom and dad in their last years. Friends are too busy to provide a shoulder to cry on. Neighbors don’t always even make the effort to introduce themselves to each other. Love is one of those things: sometimes we have it, and sometimes we don’t.

God is different. God can’t not love. In fact, the Bible says that God is love. Our love comes and goes, but God’s love is constant. He can’t help it. It’s who he is. But God didn’t show that constant love for us in a way that we might expect. God doesn’t show us his love by turning a blind eye to our sin and giving us a free pass to do whatever we want or by tolerating anything and everything. That’s not what true love is.

Rather, God demonstrated his love for us through sacrifice. He gave up his one and only Son for us. He sent Jesus to die as a sacrifice on the cross to pay for all of our sins. Rather than wink at or ignore our sin, God paid the price our sins demanded. He gave Jesus to die so that we wouldn’t have to. That is true love. God selflessly looked to our needs rather than his own.

This amazing love of God is with you always because that’s who he is. God is love. And this love is something we always have through faith in Jesus.

Prayer:
Heavenly Father, thank you for your love for us in Jesus. Comfort me with your constant love and enable me to give that same love to others. Amen.

We love because he first loved us. Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen. And he has given us this command: Anyone who loves God must also love their brother and sister.
1 John 4:19-21

God’s Way To Love

Daily Devotion – May 5, 2024

Devotion based on 1 John 4:19-21

See series: Devotions

Most people would tell you love is an emotion. Sometimes love is there; sometimes it is gone. People think they can only show love when they feel like it. Before long, the feeling goes away. Love is gone, and so are any expressions of love.

The kind of love God talks about is much more stable and consistent than this human love. Christian love gives—it shows kindness, consideration, and patience. Through loving actions, we reflect that we are children of God. We follow God’s pattern.

For the Christian, love is not just an emotion that grows when it receives something in return. Rather, Christian love rests on the boundless love of God for us. John tells us that merely saying we love one another is not enough to demonstrate adequately what Jesus has done for us and that he is at work in us. We must show our love in tangible ways.

How do we do this? In our Bible reading today, John explains that we cannot see God. So we cannot go to him and give him some food, clothing, or other tangible, temporal goods. So what do we do? We show our love to those we can see. They give us tangible opportunities to show our love to God. If we withhold our love from them and refuse to share it—how can we claim to love God?

In other words John says, love the one who is right there with you, and you will be showing love to God. True, our brothers and sisters in Christ aren’t as kind and loving as God has been to us. But remember, God loves us and sent his Son to die for us, even when we were his enemies. Not having our love returned is all the more reason to show love, for then it is unconditional, just like the love Jesus has for us.

Prayer:
Lord, help me show love to those around me just as you have loved me, not just in words, but in action. Amen.

Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God and receive from him anything we ask, because we keep his commands and do what pleases him. And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us.
1 John 3:21-23

Love Pleases God

Daily Devotion – May 3, 2024

Devotion based on 1 John 3:21-23

See series: Devotions

God has not only made you the object of his love, but he has also made you the subject who gets to love others. Like an object placed in a sentence that receives the action of the verb, God has placed people in your life to receive the action of your love. God calls them another, which means the objects to whom you can show your love can be anyone besides yourself.

As we talk about the objects of our love, we could talk about humanitarian aid, civil service, or random acts of kindness, but perhaps we should start with the objects of love God has placed in your home, people closest to you, likely the people to whom you have already said, “I love you.”

You can show your love in many ways to these people, but if you want to make your love visible, try doing something new. Perhaps it is vacuuming the living room or doing the dishes. It might be packing a lunch for your spouse or drawing a picture for your mommy.

I bet they will be pleased by it. I know God will. When we show our love by doing these things for one another, the apostle John says we “do what pleases him (God).” When the objects of God’s love also become the subjects who love others, God is pleased.

Prayer:
Dear heavenly Father, thank you for making me an object of your love. Thank you also for putting people in my life to be the objects of my love. Help me to think of clever and creative ways to show others my love through the things I do. Amen.

Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.
1 John 3:18

Love Makes Sense

Daily Devotion – May 1, 2024

Devotion based on 1 John 3:18

See series: Devotions

Writing a good sentence is an art form. You can master that art by developing an awareness of what makes a sentence work. To be sure, there are nuances to sentence structure that may take a lifetime to master, but there are also some essential elements to every English sentence that even a toddler must master. One element that must be included in every sentence is the verb. The verb denotes action, occurrence, or existence. It is the verb that brings order and structure to what would otherwise be a collection of random and chaotic vocables. Without the verb, a sentence does not make sense and has no meaning. Even in simple sentences, the verb plays a crucial role. “See Jane.” “See Jane run.” “Run, Jane, run!” Without the verb, we wouldn’t know what to do with Jane.

A sentence doesn’t make sense without a verb, and a Christian doesn’t either. Actions are essential in the life of a Christian. You can tell someone you love them every single day, but if you never show it, your words make no sense and have no meaning. Like a sentence that doesn’t have a verb, the words “I love you,” when not connected to an action, are only a collection of random and chaotic vocables. Without action, love is senseless sentimentality and a meaningless emotion.

If you want your love to make sense and have meaning, do what Jesus has already done. Jesus loved you not so that you would be simply lovable but so that you would be loving. Jesus loved you so that you would be a person of action; be a person who is engaged in works of service and is willing to make personal sacrifices.

Words are appropriate for making promises and commitments of love. But it is an action that brings meaning to those words. So, “Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.”

Prayer:
Dear heavenly Father, a sentence doesn’t make any sense without a verb, and a Christian doesn’t either. Keep me from meaningless lip service. Make me instead a person of action so that my love has meaning. Amen.

This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us.
1 John 3:16

Love Is an Action

Daily Devotion – April 29, 2024

Devotion based on 1 John 3:16

See series: Devotions

What is love? Ask a doctor, and they will tell you love is a result of fluctuating testosterone and estrogen levels. Ask a poet, and they will tell you that love is an emotion or a feeling. Ask a philosopher, and they will tell you that love is a construct of your mind. What about you? How would you define love? How you answer the question likely depends on which season of life you are in. A young person may start stammering about sweating palms, a racing heart, and a fluttering feeling in their stomach. A mature person may engage in a sensible discussion about faithfulness, commitment, and responsibility. An older person may wistfully reflect on something that is both comfortable and familiar.

Doctors discuss it, poets sing about it, and philosophers analyze it. Young people are afflicted with it, the mature are obligated by it, and the elderly tolerate it. We do our best to define and describe it, but it doesn’t seem like we really know what love is.

Jesus Christ did not define his love for you with a discussion of hormones, emotions, or thoughts. He did not describe his love for you from a personal perspective, rather, Jesus showed you his love with his actions. He did something that personally cost him dearly but benefits you eternally. He laid down his life for you. He paid the price for your sins so that you could be in a right relationship with God. As the apostle John wrote, “This is how we know what love is.”

Prayer:
Dear heavenly Father, thank you for showing me that love is an action. As I think about my Savior, who laid down his life for me, I am no longer content to define or describe love. Lord, strengthen me as I show that I know what love is by my actions. Amen.

“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. . . I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me.”
John 10:11,14

I Am Your Good Shepherd

Daily Devotion – April 27, 2024

Devotion based on John 10:11,14

See series: Devotions

Jesus says to you and me: I am not your typical shepherd. I am not a hired hand that cares nothing for the sheep. I am not some fly-by-night outfit that will only care for you when it’s safe. I am not going to abandon my post—and you—and run when the wolves come.

No. I am the Good Shepherd. I am the Lord. I am the God who made you, cares for you, and protects you. I am the Good Shepherd who laid down his life for you. But when I laid down my life, it was my choice, no tragic accident. It was my choice to lay down my life for you on the cross. I willingly gave up my life to take away your sin and to forgive your wandering ways. And it was my choice to take up my life again on the third day. I conquered death—mine and yours.

Now, nothing can separate you and me. Nothing can snatch you out of my hand. Follow, listen to my voice, and trust my promises. I will never fail you. I will never leave you. I will never let you go. I know your hurts and doubts, your pains and problems, your fears and worries. And if not even death can snatch you out of my hand, neither can that problem you have with your job, your marriage, your health, your friends, your past, or your future.

I am your Good Shepherd. I laid down my life for you and took it up again. So you know: I won’t leave you now or ever.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, my dear Good Shepherd, with you I have all that I need. With you, my soul rests in peace. With you, my soul is restored and healed. With you, I am not afraid, even in the valley of the shadow of death. With you, goodness and love follow me all the days of my life, on my way to dwell in the house of the Lord forever. Never let me go. Amen.

[Jesus said] “I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me. . . I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd.”
John 10:14,16

Listen to the Good Shepherd’s Voice

Daily Devotion – April 25, 2024

Devotion based on John 10:14,16

See series: Devotions

When you hear different voices all shouting at once, which one do you listen to? Parents know what that’s like when all their children are crying at once. Teachers have been in a classroom where multiple students call out different answers to the same question. When so many voices are calling out, it’s hard to hear any one of them.

There are a lot of voices in the world clamoring for our attention. All of them are saying different things. There’s the voice of popular opinion—what people think is correct and acceptable. There are the voices of false teachings—this teacher says this, that teacher says that. There are voices of criticism calling the Christian faith outdated or unloving. Internally, we hear the voice of doubt and uncertainty.

But there is one voice that triumphs over all. The voice of the Good Shepherd calls us to listen to him. And as we listen to him, we come to know him better. The voice of your Good Shepherd calls out to you in every word of the Bible. He quiets the clamor of all the voices in the world. He calls us back from the dangers of sin and unbelief and speaks soothing words of forgiveness and reassurance. We listen to his voice to know what is true and good. We listen to his voice to have all doubt chased away so we can live confidently in God’s love.

Prayer:
Good Shepherd, quite the clamor of the world around me so I may always listen to your voice. Amen.

[Jesus said] “The hired hand is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me—just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep.”
John 10:12-15

The Good Shepherd Saves

Daily Devotion – April 23, 2024

Devotion based on John 10:12-15

See series: Devotions

Save the animal in danger, or save your life? Which would you choose? It seems like a no-brainer. As much as you care for a creature in danger, would you protect that creature if it cost you your life? A hired hand would protect his own life over the life of a sheep, and understandably so. But not the shepherd, especially not the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd protects and saves his sheep at the expense of his own life.

Of course, we’re not just sheep. God is our Creator, and we are his creatures—the crown of his creation! Humanity didn’t mindlessly wander away from the Lord; we sinned and rebelled against our Maker. It’s understandable that a hired hand would not spare his life to save a sheep. It’s even more understandable, humanly speaking, that our perfect God would take our life as punishment for our sins. Instead, he gave his life to save us from sin. Our Good Shepherd didn’t abandon his creatures who once abandoned him. He laid down his life for us.

You are more precious than a sheep. You are such a precious soul that your God and Maker valued your life at the price of his own Son’s life. Your Good Shepherd defied all human understanding by giving his perfect life to give you eternal life. He saved you from being abandoned and devoured by sin and Satan. He brought you into his fold, where you belong to the God who made and saved you.

Prayer:
Lord, I belong to you because you created me, and you saved me with the price of your own blood. Thank you! Amen.

“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. . . I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me.”
John 10:11,14

Too Good To Be True?

Daily Devotion – April 21, 2024

Devotion based on John 10:11,14

See series: Devotions

Almost daily, some advertisements make incredible claims: “This is the best product on the market.” “This is the most effective product.” “There is nothing that can compare with this.” These are just a few of the claims. Then, the offer becomes even more enticing: “Double the amount at an incredible savings.” Finally, there is the clincher: “A one-hundred percent money-back guarantee.” Almost immediately the thought ignites: “This is too good to be true.”

Too good to be true is often a reliable axiom. But not when it comes to the claims made by Jesus. In a very precious and picturesque way, Jesus proclaims, “I am the Good Shepherd.” What makes this claim believable is how he backs it up. Jesus gives more than a money-back guarantee. He even offers more than double the regular amount. He provides solid and unmistakable proof.

Just think about the claim Jesus makes as the Good Shepherd. When rejected because of failure and disappointment, the Good Shepherd calls us his own. When cries for help go unanswered, the Good Shepherd responds in the best way possible.

It almost sounds too good to be true. But it is true! Assurance comes from what Jesus did and what he does daily. His obedient life, his willing death on the cross, his precious shed blood, his victorious resurrection—here is indisputable evidence. Our Savior-Shepherd will always be there. He even gives his word: “I know you.”

Although this may sound too good to be true, it is the good news Jesus established through his innocent suffering and death. Jesus is our Good Shepherd. He knows us, and he loves us!

Prayer:
O precious Savior, because you gave your life for me, I am now your lamb. Be with me. Keep me safe in every danger. Guide me and give me peace in knowing, I am your sheep, and you are my Shepherd. Amen!

If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.
1 John 1:8,9

Full Forgiveness

Daily Devotion – April 19, 2024

Devotion based on 1 John 1:8,9

See series: Devotions

People love to minimize the real faults in their lives. They will admit to doing something wrong in the past, but they will quickly explain how it’s not as bad as what someone else has done. They claim to be improving, at least to the point where previous faults should not be brought up. They have thought through so many rationalizations that it becomes hard to pin them down.

God says that is a dangerous way to live. If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, plain and simple. Everyone has sinned and continues to sin. There is no one righteous, not even one. If you claim that, you are simply not telling the truth.

It is far safer and healthier to confess our sins. In fact, the healthiest practice is daily confession. You don’t have to fear that you are conceding something to God when you confess the bad things you have done, or the good things you have neglected. God has promised to forgive you and is faithful to all his promises.

Because of the work of Jesus, taking the punishment for your sins, God is even just when he forgives you. He cleanses you from all unrighteousness by his powerful word of forgiveness.

Prayer:
Holy God, gracious Father, have mercy on me, a sinner. Amen.

Repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations.
Luke 24:47

Marvelous Message

Daily Devotion – April 17, 2024

Devotion based on Luke 24:47

See series: Devotions

Jesus had some pretty interesting things to say. He found people who thought they were living their best lives, and he told them that it wasn’t good enough. They had to repent. He found people who were despairing that they would ever be able to live good lives, and he told them that their sins were forgiven.

Anyone could have said the things that Jesus did. People have talked about living better lives in a variety of ways, but you have to wonder whether their ideas are better than anyone else’s. People can assure you that you should feel better about your life for various reasons, but you have to wonder if those reasons are really valid.

Jesus said that his ideas about how to live were really what God wanted. Jesus said he would earn forgiveness of sins by sacrificing himself on the cross. Then Jesus rose from the dead to prove that what he said was really true.

Jesus told his disciples that the message continues to this day. He calls you to repentance, that is, to stop thinking that your own works can get you to heaven to be sorry for what you have done wrong. He calls you to faith, that is, confidence that your sins are really forgiven through the work of Jesus.

It’s a marvelous message.

Prayer:
Lord God, we give you thanks for clearly calling us to repentance and forgiveness through faith in Jesus. Amen.

While they were still talking about this, Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.”
Luke 24:36

Perfect Peace

Daily Devotion – April 15, 2024

Devotion based on Luke 24:36

See series: Devotions

In the Middle East, it is common to greet one another by saying, “Peace.” That was true already at the time when Jesus rose from the dead. So when he appeared to his disciples and said, “Peace be with you,” it could have been understood as a simple greeting.

But it was far more than that. The disciples were unsettled. They were not sure that Jesus had really risen from the dead. They were uncertain whether they had done the right thing at the time of his trial and crucifixion. They did not know where they stood with one another, much less where they stood with Jesus.

All those uncertainties made it important for Jesus to greet them by saying, “Peace be with you.” He needed to assure them that his relationship with them was good. Because he had died to take the punishment for their sins because he had risen from the dead to prove that his promise of forgiveness was true, he could calm a whole range of anxiety with those simple words, “Peace be with you.”

We also live with uncertainty. We wonder whether we have done the right thing. We don’t know how we stand with one another, and we waver in our confidence that Jesus loves us. Because Jesus died to take the punishment for our sins because he rose from the dead to prove that his promise of forgiveness for us is true, we rejoice to hear Jesus say it to us, too. “Peace be with you.”

Prayer:
Thank you, Jesus, for calming our anxiety by assuring us that we have perfect peace with you. Amen.