But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.
Hebrews 5:14

Grownups

Daily Devotion – August 18, 2021

Devotion based on Hebrews 5:14

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Here’s some context for this Bible passage from Hebrews chapter 5. As the Hebrew Christians are reading this inspired letter, they are learning many wonderful truths. In this particular section of the letter, however, there is a loving—but sobering—reality check. God’s Word has just made a candid observation about their lives as Christians. While the readers of this letter continue to trust in Jesus as their Savior, many of them have neglected to keep growing and maturing in the teachings of Scripture. As a result, many of them, God’s Word frankly says, are like infants, still feeding on milk. The implication is clear. It’s time for them to grow up. It’s time for them to sink their spiritual teeth into solid food. It’s time for them to get back to the business of growing in their knowledge of the Word of God.

Allow that same candor from God’s Word to speak to you. Someone once said that, when it comes to growing in the knowledge of Scripture, there can be a tendency among Christians “to treat children like adults and to treat adults like children.” Meaning this—there can often be a serious effort to make sure that children thoroughly learn the basic teachings of the Christian faith. When those children reach adulthood, the drive to keep growing and maturing in God’s truth often comes to a halt.

Let’s confess to our Lord that it has often been easy to look upon our personal knowledge of God’s Word in much the same way we might look upon the history class or the literature class we took in high school. We remember some big things, but other things have gotten fuzzy, and in some ways, we have not moved forward at all. If Satan knows this (and he does), then he knows how vulnerable we are.

But this is where the Lord steps in. He calls us to repentance, washes us clean in his blood, and draws us closer to himself. And as he does, he empowers us to mature in his Word—to become grownups.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, send me your Spirit. Move me to grow and mature in your Word. Amen.

The angel of the LORD . . . touched him and said, “Get up and eat, for the journey is too much for you.”
1 Kings 19:7

Journey

Daily Devotion – August 16, 2021

Devotion based on 1 Kings 19:7

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His name is Elijah. In this moment, Elijah is depressed. He’s overwhelmed. He’s exhausted. He is discouraged beyond words.

Here’s the backstory. It’s about 800 years or so before the birth of Jesus. Elijah is a believer in the true God and a proclaimer of his Word. He works to share God’s Word among God’s Old Testament people. But these are dark times, toxic times. The worship of a fertility god called Baal is all the rage. And while many around Elijah may not come right out and renounce the true God, the practices of Baal worship have saturated the culture. As a result, to Elijah, it looks as though no one—no one—cares about the LORD anymore.

And so Elijah leaves. He leaves out of fear, disgust, and disappointment. Once he’s far into the desert, he sits down under a tree, prays a prayer of grief and defeat, and falls asleep.

And then this happens. As Elijah sleeps, the angel of the Lord gently touches him. Elijah wakes up to find food and water prepared for him. The angel says, “Arise and eat. The journey is too great for you.” Elijah does.

How’s your journey? At this moment in time, perhaps your journey is smooth. Perhaps it’s rough. Perhaps it’s exhausting and awful. Whatever it is, remember that the same Lord who tenderly refreshed Elijah is the same Savior who tenderly seeks to refresh you and me with his promise of his forgiveness and presence. The One who journeyed to the cross on our behalf to wash us clean is the same One who says, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”

The journey is too great for us. The Lord knows this. He gives us what we need. Thank God.

Prayer:
Lord, my journey is long. Move me to find refreshment in you. Amen.

Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.”
John 6:35

Never Go Hungry

Daily Devotion – August 14, 2021

Devotion based on John 6:35

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In the movie The Lion King, the lion named Scar wants to usurp the throne, and he’s recruiting the hyenas to be his henchmen. His sales pitch? “Stick with me, and you’ll never go hungry again!” That sounds pretty human, doesn’t it?

We are so easily focused on the things of this world, thinking that if we could satisfy earthly longings, that we could thereby be content: “If only I had more money in my retirement account, then I could be happy.” “If only I had a different job, then I could be happy.” “If only I could get that new car, house, clothes, shoes, furniture, television, then I would be satisfied.” It never works.

What we need most is food for our souls. We need to know that our sins are forgiven and that we are at peace with God. We need to know where we are going when we leave this world. We need to have an answer to guilt and a purpose in life.

And in Jesus, we get all of those things. Jesus paid for our sins and washed our guilt away. Jesus opened the gates of heaven for us. And in loving and serving Jesus, we are given purpose in life.

So do you never want to be hungry again? Then feast! Feast on God’s Word, feast on the good-news message of Jesus, your Savior. And you will never go hungry again.

Prayer:
O Savior, feed me! Lead me into your Word, that I might feast on the truths that my sins are forgiven, that I’m at peace with you, that I’m your eternal child. Use the Bible to bring eternal satisfaction to my eternal soul, that it might rest in confidence. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

For I do not want you to be ignorant of the fact, brothers and sisters, that our ancestors were all under the cloud and that they all passed through the sea. They were all baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea. They all ate the same spiritual food and drank the same spiritual drink; for they drank from the spiritual rock that accompanied them, and that rock was Christ.
1 Corinthians 10:1-4

Christ is Our Only Rock

Daily Devotion – August 12, 2021

Devotion based on 1 Corinthians 10:1-4

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In his first letter to his Christian friends in the city of Corinth, the apostle Paul mentioned some of the most famous moments in Israel’s 40 years in the desert. He talked about the pillar of cloud God placed over them, the time God parted the Red Sea for them, and the miraculous ways God provided food and water in the desert every day of their 40-year desert wandering. But he mentioned one other important thing. Four times in these four verses, he used the word “all.” All of Israel saw the same things. They all saw God going with them. They all saw God working for them. They all saw God providing for them all, even in impossible situations.

If you compare the people of Israel with the people of Corinth, they were incredibly different—different genetics, histories, skin color, economic situations, music preferences, entertainment, and styles of clothing. But there was one important thing they had in common that Paul wanted them to value above everything. They had the same God. The same rock. And “That rock was Christ,” he said.

The apostle Paul would say the same to you and me two thousand years after he wrote his letter to the Corinthian Christians: Jesus Christ is our rock. This means that: wherever you live in the world; whether your skin is pale white, dark as night, or anything in between; whether the people around you treat you like a celebrity or a nobody, whether you are dirt poor or phenomenally wealthy, whether your sins are well-known to everyone or only to you, you can rely on Jesus. He is your rock.

Prayer:
Father in heaven, establish my feet firmly on the work of Jesus Christ, my rock, and my Redeemer. Amen.

Then they asked him, “What must we do to do the works God requires?” Jesus answered, “The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.”
John 6:28,29

Bread That Will Always Satisfy

Daily Devotion – August 10, 2021

Devotion based on John 6:28,29

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When Jesus promised the crowd a bread that would always satisfy and never spoil—they asked him a very natural question. “What must we do to get it?” We all ask what must I do in many categories of our lives.

What must I do to live a long and healthy life?
What must I do to have a good marriage?
What must I do to make sure my children turn out well?
What must I do to find the results for which I’m looking?

Those are important questions, and we are wise when we apply the best-known answers to our lives. But when the crowd asked Jesus what they must do in order to never feel hungry again, Jesus didn’t tell them to do anything. Instead, Jesus told them, “The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.”

Jesus knows we cannot do the works that would make us worthy of eternal life. This is precisely why Jesus came into this world–to do the works for us that we could not do for ourselves.

That’s why Jesus didn’t tell the crowd to do anything but “believe in the one God has sent.” In other words, he wanted them to stop working so hard to find the acceptance, love, forgiveness, and approval from God that had already been given them in himself. Jesus tells us the same–trust that Jesus has done everything necessary for you to enjoy eternal life with him.

Prayer:
Father in heaven, thank you for sending Jesus, my Savior who never fails to satisfy my soul. 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, away from their native land.’” Then Amaziah said to Amos, “Get out, you seer! Go back to the land of Judah. Earn your bread there and do your prophesying there. Don’t prophesy anymore at Bethel, because this is the king’s sanctuary and the temple of the kingdom.” Amos answered Amaziah, “I was neither a prophet nor the son of a prophet, but I was a shepherd, and I also took care of sycamore-fig trees. But the LORD took me from tending the flock and said to me, ‘Go, prophesy to my people Israel.’”
Amos 7:10-15

Listen Carefully

Daily Devotion – August 8, 2021

Devotion based on Amos 7:10-15

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Remember when your mother sent you to tell your sibling that it was time to come in from playing outside, and your sibling said, “No, it’s not!” That’s a pretty good illustration of what was happening in the days of Amos the prophet. God sent Amos to warn the Israelites to turn from their sins. Amos assured them that “This is what the LORD says!” But, most of the people didn’t want to listen. Amaziah was a false priest who told Amos, “Get out of here! You’re a liar!” Amaziah didn’t like what God was saying.

Sometimes we don’t like what God says to us, either. We especially don’t like it when he warns us about our pet sins—our drunkenness, our materialism, our lust, our gossip. It hurts when God’s Word condemns our sins.

It may hurt to face the truth of our sins, but it will hurt much more and much longer if we ignore the reality of our sins. Instead, may God help us to confess those sins and then look to the cross of Christ where there is forgiveness. Because as serious as God is about telling us about our sins, he is just as serious about telling us about how he saved us from those sins. Let us listen carefully whenever God speaks to us through his Word!

Prayer:
Loving Father, thank you for your Word and for those who faithfully share that Word with me. Help me to listen carefully so that I might repent of my sins and find comfort in my Savior. Amen.

When they had all had enough to eat, he said to his disciples, “Gather the pieces that are left over. Let nothing be wasted.” So they gathered them and filled twelve baskets with the pieces of the five barley loaves left over by those who had eaten.
John 6:12,13

Jesus Gives More Than Enough

Daily Devotion – August 6, 2021

Devotion based on John 6:12,13

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Perhaps you have seen the picture that is a classic found on many dining room walls: a grandfatherly-type figure wearing a green flannel shirt. His hands are folded. His eyes are closed. And in front of him sits on fine china—a 16 oz. ribeye, baked potato, grilled asparagus, and an elegant tiramisu for dessert.

Ok, maybe that is not the classic picture. But the classic picture does have a grandfatherly-type figure wearing a green flannel shirt. And in front of him sits a bowl of soup and a baguette. That’s it. Yet his hands are still folded, and his eyes are still closed.

It would be nice to be so content! We live in a society that is constantly looking for more. And we get caught up in it. We need the newest phone, the trendiest clothes, the best latte. It’s easy to not be satisfied. But when we snap out of our materialistic mindset and stop comparing ourselves to others and start counting our blessings, we soon realize that the Lord has provided, and he’s provided us with plenty.

That lesson was not lost on the disciples at the feeding of the 5,000. After Jesus fed the crowd to the point that they had “as much as they wanted” (John 6:11), he turned the disciples into busboys to clear the grassy table. “They filled twelve baskets” (John 6:13) of leftovers. The people had more than enough, but so did the disciples.

But it’s not bread in our bellies that leads to contentment. The secret to contentment is not a what, but a who—that who is Jesus. Go back to the classic picture described above. I neglected to share one more item sitting in front of the grateful grandfather—besides the bowl and baguette was also the Bible. That’s what led him to fold his hands. That’s what led him to close his eyes in prayer. He had all this and Jesus, too.

Prayer:
Heavenly Father, open my eyes to see all the blessings in my life and give me a heart of contentment. Amen.

Another of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, spoke up, “Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?”
John 6:8,9

Jesus Can Use Any Means

Daily Devotion – August 4, 2021

Devotion based on John 6:8,9

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“Is it a keeper?” If your fishing partner has to ask you that about the size of the perch that you’re holding up to the measuring tape, the answer is usually, “No.” If it’s not obvious, it’s likely not a “keeper.” And yet, fishermen like to brag about the size of their catch, no matter how small they are.

Which is why I find it interesting that when fisherman Andrew presented one little boy’s lunch as the disciples were searching for food to feed the hungry crowd, Andrew didn’t just comment on the quantity of fish; he also commented on the size of the fish. “Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish.”

Have you ever said or felt something similar when you look at God’s providence in your life? You notice the number of gifts he provides, but you complain about the quantity or the size of those gifts. Your “five loaves and two fish” may be that you have a job, but you quickly qualify it by commenting on the “smallness” of that job, “Yeah, I’ve got a job, but it’s going nowhere.” Or maybe your “small fish” concerns your resident, “Yeah, I’ve got a house, but it’s small and needs a lot of work.” Or, “Yeah, I have my health, but my strength is nothing compared to what it used to be.”

What is the “small” fish in your life? When you throw those fish back because they’re not keepers in your eyes, remember what our God can do with “small” fish. He once used the smallest son of Jesse to become the greatest king in the history of his people. He once used a humble girl from the small town of Nazareth to be the mother of God. Look at Jesus himself. To the rest of the world, he looked like a small fish in a big pond of prophets. Yet, in reality, he was the only “keeper” when it came to be our Savior.

The means that God uses to provide for our lives may seem small. But be assured, nothing is small when those means are in the hands of our loving God.

Prayer:
Lord, give me confidence that no gift is small when it is used by you. Amen.

When Jesus looked up and saw a great crowd coming toward him, he said to Philip, “Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?” He asked this only to test him, for he already had in mind what he was going to do.
John 6:5,6

Jesus Has a Plan in Mind

Daily Devotion – August 2, 2021

Devotion based on John 6:5,6

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If you grew up hearing Bible stories from your parents or going to Sunday School, you may have fond memories about the miracle of Jesus feeding 5,000 people on the shores of the Sea of Galilee. That miracle recorded in John chapter 6 often makes the list of top Bible stories.

If you’re not familiar, read John 6:1-15. If you are familiar, can you list the details of the story? Five thousand people (actually 5,000 men, plus women and children), five loaves and two fish, and plenty of leftovers are just a few of the details that quickly come to mind. But do you remember what was going through Jesus’ mind that spring afternoon as the crowds gathered on the mountainside?

When Jesus asked Philip, “Where shall we buy bread?” he wasn’t wondering whether Philip would say, “Kroger, Albertsons, or Walmart.” Rather, “He asked this only to test him, for he already had in mind what he was going to do” (John 6:6).

Read that again: “he already had in mind what he was going to do.” Consider the comfort that detail brings to our daily lives. So often, we look for the miracle, or we wonder about the means. ‘How are we going to get through this challenge? Where am I going to get that necessity? How am I going to carry out this responsibility?’ Long before the miracle or the means becomes evident, our Savior already has in mind what he is going to do. At times he may make us wait before he acts. Jesus may test us prior to providing. But he always “has in mind” what he is going to do.

Treasure that thought today. If your life plans and activities don’t seem clear, know they are clear to your Savior. From before the creation of the world, he always had you in mind.

Prayer:
Lord, calm my heart of any uncertainties, assuring me that you always have a plan for me. Amen.

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

Needed Rest

Daily Devotion – July 31, 2021

Devotion based on Mark 6:30-34

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You need a vacation. You know you do. You wince when the phone rings, regardless of who it is. Trying to get everything done, you work right through meals. You wake up in the morning and feel like you haven’t even rested. Even if you are a people person, you know you need to retreat to a quiet, solitary place and get some rest.

Jesus sent his disciples out into the communities of Israel to call people to repentance and to tell them that the promised Savior had arrived. When they returned from that important work, they debriefed with Jesus. It was clear to him that they needed some rest.

Their attempt to seek a place for physical rest was thwarted by a large crowd of people. Rather than being frustrated, Jesus realized that those people needed rest as well. Their need for rest was spiritual, and Jesus met that need by teaching them many things.

When you have physical, emotional, and spiritual needs for rest, Jesus meets those needs by teaching you about himself. “Come to me,” he says, “and I will give you rest.” He calms your concerns about your work and your life by promising to be with you. He remedies your guilty feelings by promising to forgive you. He invites you to remember that everything is under his control and that he loves you.

Jesus sees that you are like a sheep without a shepherd. As the Good Shepherd, he leads you and feeds you with his words and promises. He gives you true rest.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, thank you for the rest you supply me, here and for eternity. Amen.

When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd.
Mark 6:34

Our Hero Sees With Compassionate Eyes

Daily Devotion – July 29, 2021

Devotion based on Mark 6:34

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You have had the week marked off on your calendar for months. You have been counting down the days until you are finally able to get on the plane and jet away to your favorite vacation spot. As the plane touches down, you finally exhale. You have arrived, and it is time to relax! As you enter the baggage claim area of the terminal, there is a welcoming committee. It is your boss, your clients, and a bunch of your coworkers! And they are not here to vacation. They have phone calls for you to answer, emails that need attention, demands, and deadlines that cannot wait. You thought you were getting a little rest and relaxation, but you ended up instead with work and more work.

Even though the example is a little over the top, it bears some resemblance to what happened to Jesus and his disciples in today’s Bible verse. They went away to rest—at Jesus’ suggestion—and when they arrived at their destination, their work was right there waiting to greet them. I know how I would have responded in that situation, and you probably do, too. That is what makes the way Jesus responded truly heroic.

Yes, his work followed him on vacation. But when he got off the boat, he didn’t see work waiting for him there. He saw people. People who needed him because they were confused and helpless, spiritually speaking. They were like sheep without a shepherd. And that pulled Jesus’ heart toward them.

Perhaps you can see in this scene on the shoreline shadows of something even bigger. The same Savior whose compassionate heart moved him to set aside rest here is the One whose compassionate heart moved him to set aside heaven itself in order to come and rescue us from the sins that would have condemned us.

Heroes sacrifice. Their hearts are pulled toward people in need, and they always make the time. They abide with the inconvenience. They reach out when others will not. That is what Jesus has perfectly done for us. Thank you, Jesus!

Prayer:
Jesus, my friend and hero, thank you for looking on me with compassion rather than condemnation. Thank you for rescuing me from my sin so I might spend my eternity with you. Amen.

Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, [Jesus] said to them, “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.”
Mark 6:31

Our Hero Knows We Need Rest

Daily Devotion – July 27, 2021

Devotion based on Mark 6:31

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Every year, countless people buy planners to help them map out their days, weeks, and months. Whether it’s paper or digital, a planner helps to get us where we’re supposed to be, when we’re supposed to be there. One recent trend finds our daily planners with a section called “Self-Care” (or something similar). The designers recognize if you don’t pencil in a time for rest and refueling, you’re not going to be as effective in all your other tasks. Sometimes, you just need to rest.

Jesus understood that the constant stream of people demanding his time and the disciples’ time was going to take its toll on them, too. Yes, sharing God’s kingdom was their mission. But they couldn’t carry out that mission if they were exhausted, burnt out, or sick. So Jesus put a pause on the “demands” and penciled into their collective planner the gift of time.

We might say, “I sure wish Jesus would do that for me today.” But, of course, he does. It’s important for us to recognize those times when Jesus gifts us a Saturday morning with nothing to do or weekday evenings when the calendar is clear. Let’s embrace a week at the lake or a trip with the family for what they are: our God presenting us with the opportunity to get some rest.

But don’t forget that he invites us to get a little rest for our souls as well. Every Sunday morning, there’s a time for us to retreat from the world to a quiet place and get rest from the world in the sanctuary of a church. And every day, there’s a time to retreat to a quiet place and do the exact thing you’re doing right now—meditating on God’s Word! Jesus knows that we need rest. I pray that’s exactly what this time has been for you!

Prayer:
Dearest Jesus, you give me rest. You are my rest. Continue to graciously present me with little retreats to quiet places, that I may find the rest I need for my body and soul. Amen.

Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
Psalm 23:4

Our Good Shepherd

Daily Devotion – July 25, 2021

Devotion based on Psalm 23:4

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King David knew the life of a shepherd because he grew up tending his father’s flocks. He was well aware of the dangers his sheep faced. We read in the Bible that David bravely defended his sheep from the attack of a lion and a bear (1 Samuel 17:34,35). And his only weapons were a wooden rod and shepherd’s staff.

David reminded himself of this picture as he thought about the dangers he was facing in life. Though danger was all around him, he was not afraid. Why? Because he trusted that the Lord, his Good Shepherd, was always with him to defend, rescue, and protect him.

Jesus is our Good Shepherd. He rescued us from Satan and the jaws of eternal death. Jesus defeated Satan by laying down his life for us, and he won the victory over death with his resurrection. Neither Satan nor death could overcome him. And in Jesus, who is our defender and protector, we can be confident that neither Satan nor death can overcome us. He crushed the power of Satan! He swallowed up death in victory!

Take comfort in the salvation that your Good Shepherd has accomplished for you. And be assured that Jesus is always with you to defend you from danger and guide you through every difficulty of life.

Prayer:
Dear Good Shepherd, allow me to focus on you when troubles come my way. My challenges may seem great, but I know you are greater. And whether you take my troubles away, or give me the strength to endure them, I know you will be with me and always watch over me. Amen.

And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory.
Ephesians 1:13,14

A Guarantee

Daily Devotion – July 23, 2021

Devotion based on Ephesians 1:13,14

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When a person agrees to purchase a home, it’s customary to put down a deposit. The seller wants to know that the buyer is really serious about closing the deal. A deposit serves as a kind of guarantee that the transaction will happen. If the buyer steps away from the deal, they lose their deposit.

We like promises to be kept. When reliable people give us their word, it provides a sense of certainty and peace about the future. If we know what’s going to happen, we can take a deep breath and relax.

That’s how our heavenly Father wants his people to feel about his eternal choice to save them. He doesn’t want them to fret and stew. He doesn’t want them to wring their hands, wondering anxiously whether or not he’s going to follow through on his plan. He wants them to have certainty and peace about their eternal future, planned from eternity.

So what did he do? First, he revealed his perfect love, forgiveness, and salvation for all people in the person and work of his Son, Jesus Christ. But now he has also sent his “promised Holy Spirit” to his people through his Holy Word, written down in the Bible.

For what purpose? To reassure them. The Holy Spirit is “a deposit,” Paul tells us, “guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession.” In other words, while God’s people await Jesus’ return on the Last Day—when he will take them to life everlasting—their heavenly Father continually sends and plants his Holy Spirit deeper in their hearts through his Word of promise. And why? So that they can be certain, confident, joyful, and at peace that eternal life is theirs—guaranteed!

Prayer:
Dear Jesus, help me daily to listen to your Word and to trust your promises without fail. Amen.

In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that he lavished on us.
Ephesians 1:7,8

A Secret Choice

Daily Devotion – July 21, 2021

Devotion based on Ephesians 1:7,8

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When you buy someone a special gift, you can hardly wait until they open it. When you know that you’ve made or purchased something your loved one has been longing to have, it makes the big reveal especially meaningful. You may have had and hidden it for weeks or months, but it doesn’t elicit the desired joy and excitement until it’s given, opened, and revealed.

When our heavenly Father chose to save the people of this world from their sins he made that choice secretly. But, of course, any gift that’s chosen and purchased in secret does the intended recipient absolutely no good if it’s not given and opened.

God knows this better than anyone. So what did he do with his gift of eternal life? He revealed his love and forgiveness for you and me through his Son, Jesus Christ. In the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, it’s as if God has ripped off the wrapping paper to reveal his astonishing gift!

That’s the important point the apostle Paul is making in Ephesians chapter 1. “In (Jesus),” Paul writes, “we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that he lavished on us.” Yes, Jesus is our only redeemer, the one who has bought us back from sin and death, “the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29).

God’s choice was secret, but now the gift is revealed through Christ.

Enjoy! Rejoice!

Prayer:
Dear God, thank you for revealing your eternal love and perfect salvation in Jesus. Amen.