So Abraham called that place, “The LORD Will Provide.” And to this day it is said, “On the mountain of the LORD, it will be provided.”
Genesis 22:14

The Lord Provides

It started as the worst day of Abraham’s life. His precious son—his only child—had been a source of great joy. God had promised that Abraham and his son would be ancestors of the most important person in the history of the world—Jesus, God himself.

But then God threw Abraham a curveball—a big one. He asked Abraham to sacrifice his son to him. It didn’t make sense AT ALL. God created life, he loves life, and he protects life. God loved Abraham and his son deeply. Why would he end Isaac’s life so soon? How would he ever become a great-great-great-great-(fill in a lot more ‘greats’)-grandfather of Jesus? Isaac was only a boy; he hadn’t had any children yet.

Yet, Abraham trusted God and his promises. Analyzing it all, Abraham concluded that God must be planning a resurrection of his son from the dead (Hebrews 11:17-19). That was the only way, he thought, that God could fulfill his promise of blessing the whole world through the Savior that God promised would descend from Abraham through Isaac. So he marched up the mountain with his son, ready to do what God commanded because he knew he could count on God’s unchangeable promises.

The Lord stopped Abraham before he harmed his son. He also provided a substitute sacrifice—a ram. What a breathtaking blessing! Being able to sacrifice the ram instead of his son! Abraham gave the special place a name. He didn’t call it “The worst day of my life” or “The day I almost lost my son.” No, not a self-centered name. Instead, he called it “The LORD Will Provide.”

The Lord has provided for us, too. He sacrificed his Son to die the death we deserved as sinners. As sinners, we don’t deserve to have the favor of the Lord, yet in Christ, we do. We don’t deserve his forgiveness, yet in Christ, it is ours. The Lord has provided a substitute for us. Jesus died to free us to live with the Lord forever.

Prayer:
Dear Savior, thank you for being willing to take the fall for what I have done. What a heartwarming privilege it is to know that you paid for my sins in full, so I don’t have to. Amen.

And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. For what we preach is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ.
2 Corinthians 4:3-6

Veiled Hearts to Transfigured Lives

If you’ve ever tried walking around wearing a blindfold, you know it’s not easy. Even familiar places, like your house or room, are suddenly shrouded in darkness. You gingerly take small steps with arms out in front of you, trying not to walk into anything.

The apostle Paul wrote about a different kind of blinding, a spiritual blinding. The god of this world, the forces of sin and unbelief, veil the gospel of Jesus. They do not want anyone to see the radiant light of Christ. Everyone begins life in this darkness, trapped under the veil of unbelief.

But there is hope. This hope doesn’t come from inside of you or from what you do. This hope isn’t even a thing; it’s a person. His name is Jesus. It’s why Paul constantly emphasized Jesus in his preaching and teaching. Jesus is the light. Jesus is the image of God. Jesus takes the veil of darkness away with the gospel, the good news of sins forgiven. Jesus has defeated the god of this world and all the forces of darkness.

You don’t have to walk around blinded by sin and veiled by unbelief. The Holy Spirit takes away the blindfold and puts faith in your heart. He illuminates your life through the preaching and teaching of Jesus.

Jesus changes you. Walking in his light gives you confidence and boldness. You know where you stand with God because Jesus has made things right between you and him. When you live without the veil, you can truly serve God in peace and joy.

Prayer:
Dear Jesus, thank you for taking away my darkness. Help me serve you always. Amen.

Suddenly, when they looked around, they no longer saw anyone with them except Jesus. As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus gave them orders not to tell anyone what they had seen until the Son of Man had risen from the dead.
Mark 9:8,9

Down From the Mountain

Today is Ash Wednesday, the beginning of the Christian season of Lent. Christians begin Lent by remembering the cost of their sins. Some churches will smudge ashes, in the form of a cross, on people’s foreheads as a symbolic reminder that they are dust and to dust they will return because of their sins.

It’s a stark difference between the mountaintop Transfiguration experience and Ash Wednesday. Like the disciple Peter, it’s easy to want to stay on top of the mountain, skip the parts of Jesus’ story that make us sad, and just enjoy the radiating brilliance of Jesus. We don’t like to think about our sins or the awful price it cost to take them away.

But Jesus came down from the mountain. He knew there was still work to be done. Before Jesus could fully enjoy his rightful kingly crown again, he was going to first endure a crown of thorns. Before he climbed a mountain of glory again, he would climb a hill called Golgotha, the Place of the Skull—the spot where Jesus was crucified. Instead of being flanked by Moses and Elijah, Jesus would be killed between two common criminals. Instead of the brightness of the Transfiguration, there would be the darkness of death and damnation as God the Father turned his back on his one and only Son.

Lent can be an overwhelming season when we think about the guilt of our sins. But that is not the goal of this season. The goal is to get us to look at Jesus and all he did to save us from those sins. Let that be your focus and comfort this Lenten season.

Prayer:
Heavenly Father, give me joy in Jesus this Lenten season. Amen.

After six days Jesus took Peter, James and John with him and led them up a high mountain, where they were all alone. There he was transfigured before them. His clothes became dazzling white, whiter than anyone in the world could bleach them.
Mark 9:2,3

See Jesus Clearly

I had a problem when I was in third grade. I was a decent student, but my grades were slipping. Thankfully, I had a caring and observant teacher, and it didn’t take her long to realize the problem. I kept squinting at the blackboard. My vision had changed, and I could no longer see clearly.

That meant a trip to the eye doctor. He asked me to identify letters on a distant wall. Then he set before me an intimidating-looking machine. I didn’t know it then, but it’s called a phoropter. The doctor worked the lenses on the machine and asked me which was better, “One or two, three or four?” I noticed that I could start to identify the letters on the wall. Instead of being blurry, the letters became clearer and clearer. Finally, I could even read the tiny letters at the bottom.

Jesus took his disciples, Peter, James, and John, up the mountain because Jesus wanted to clarify to them who he really was. They had seen his miracles. They had heard Jesus preach and teach with authority. But Jesus still looked like one of them. He was the son of a carpenter from insignificant Nazareth. Jesus was human in every regard the disciples could see.

But up on the mountain, something changed. Jesus was transfigured before them. He no longer looked like a mere human but divine. The disciples’ view of Jesus was no longer blurry but clear. Standing before them was God himself. They had seen glimpses through the miracles and Jesus’ teaching, but now there was no doubt.

The more time you spend with Jesus as he reveals himself in the Bible, the clearer you will see him. Like an eye doctor cycling through lenses, Jesus reveals more and more of himself to you, helping you see him clearly as your Savior—both true man so that he could die and true God so that his sacrifice could count for your sins and everyone else’s.

Prayer:
Dear Jesus, thank you for revealing yourself as true man and true God. Help me see you clearly as my Savior. Amen.

Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.
Isaiah 40:30,31

Renewed Strength

Little children like to run everywhere. It doesn’t matter how short the distance. It can simply be from one side of the room to the other. The three-year-old is more than likely going to run that distance.

Part of the reason they do this is that they have short legs and need to take way more steps to cross the room than fully grown people. But they also run because they just have lots of energy.

Yet even those children with seemingly endless energy grow tired after a while. Eventually, they grow into adults, and their levels of energy decrease, and weariness sets in more quickly.

What a beautiful promise from the Lord that he will give us renewed strength! To “run and not grow weary”—it sounds too good to be true. Yet, it’s a promise from the Lord, so we know it is true.

Those who know that Jesus is their Savior, who treasures the forgiveness that is theirs because of his death on the cross, can walk with an extra spring in their step. The pressing weight of sin and guilt does not slow them down. They know that their relationship with God is defined by his love and will last forever.

When that relationship is enjoyed inside the gates of heaven, then their youth will truly and fully be renewed. None of the physical problems, none of the aches and pains that seem to grow more severe with age will be present there. Knowing that day will come gives the believer in Jesus a little extra energy in life as well.

Prayer:
Heavenly Father, you know that I am tired. Keep my eyes focused on the eternity in heaven that your Son, Jesus, won for me through his death on the cross. There I know that my strength will be renewed and will never grow weary again. Until I get there, give me strength and energy as you have promised. Amen.

Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.
1 Peter 5:7

Cares

There had been an ice storm, but I had agreed to meet my friend at a restaurant and didn’t want to disappoint him. I arrived first, and the server was glad to seat me. I was the only customer, so we chatted as we waited for my friend.

“Did you have any trouble getting to work today?” I asked.

“Oh, yes,” she answered. “My husband had to bring me, and we went very slowly, but there were still times when we slid on the road. We were both pretty anxious.”

As we talked, I realized she was a Christian and sensed that I could offer some reassurance. “You know, don’t you, that the Lord sends his angels to care for us in these difficult situations.”

“Yes, I know,” she answered. “Every night, I take my little bundle of worries and lay it at the foot of the cross.” Then after a pause, she added, “The problem is that every morning, I go back and pick it up again.”

Everyone I meet has some anxieties and worries and cares. It just seems to go along with modern life. I want to reassure them, and I always have to start by reminding myself to leave my cares at the foot of the cross of Jesus. He has taken care of my eternal life and promises to take care of my everyday life as well.

When I am tempted to return to my cares after turning them over to God, he reminds me that he cares for me as his own dear child and that he will never leave me to deal with my anxiety alone.

Prayer:
Lord God, keep me safely in your hands because of your Son, Jesus Christ my Lord. Amen.

Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings.
1 Peter 5:8,9

Resist the Devil

Temptation can come from looking at the world around you. So many things seem more important than the Word of God, and there is always someone who will validate those worldly things.

Temptation can also come from inside you. Sometimes, you aren’t even aware that a strong desire is wrong. Sometimes, you know a thought is wrong, but you have no idea how to resist it.

Your enemy, the devil, loves it when his work of temptation is done by the world or your sinful flesh. He is always looking to send people into despair because they realize their sinfulness.

Resist him. How? Stand firm in the faith. What does that mean? It means clinging to what Jesus has done for you as the truth, as the definition of who you are, and your confidence in the face of accusations from the devil.

When the devil throws your sins in your face and declares that you deserve death and hell, tell him, “I admit that I deserve death and hell. So what? I know the person who suffered and made satisfaction on my behalf. His name is Jesus Christ. He is the Son of God. He is in heaven now, and that’s where I will also be!”

The great sixteenth-century religious reformer Martin Luther said those words. You can say them too. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. The family of believers throughout the world is confessing that same truth.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, thank you for sharing in our humanity and dying to break the power of the devil. Amen.

Lift your eyes and look to the heavens: Who created all these? He who brings out the starry host one by one, and calls them each by name. Because of his great power and mighty strength, not one of them is missing.
Isaiah 40:26

Depending on Our Great God

Have you ever wondered when Michaelangelo finally knew that the Sistine Chapel was done? How did Leonardo da Vinci know Mona Lisa’s smile was just right? At what point did Rembrandt know he had finished a masterpiece?

Now try to grasp our God creating the universe and concluding that one more star would be too many, and one less would be not enough. Think about the fact that he called them all into existence and named each one of them.

It is valuable to feel small and insignificant in the presence of our great God. We are reminded how blessed we are to be dependent on him. This great God has given his Son to pay for our sins. This great God assures us that we can rest securely in his protective care. This great God comes to us in his Word and tells us how much he loves us.

Prayer: (Psalm 108:3-6)
I will praise you, LORD, among the nations; I will sing of you among the peoples. For great is your love, higher than the heavens; your faithfulness reaches to the skies. Be exalted, O God, above the heavens, let your glory be over all the earth. Save us and help us with your right hand, that those you love may be delivered. Amen

Therefore, holy brothers and sisters, who share in the heavenly calling, fix your thoughts on Jesus, whom we acknowledge as our apostle and high priest.
Hebrew 3:1

Authority Worthy of All Honor

Moses was a great prophet. Jesus is greater.

God sent Jesus to share God’s message. He showed the world that sin is not just something we do. We are sin-sick. Sin so thoroughly stains our hearts that even the good we do is filthy in God’s eyes. But it is to sin-sick people like us that God sent Jesus. He shared with the world that God takes no delight in the death of anyone. He is our Savior who wants everyone to be saved.

That is why Jesus came into this world—to save sinners. He did not save us because of our good behavior. He saved us by the sacrifice of himself on the cross. He did it without our asking or pleading. By the sacrifice of his Son and the work his Spirit through his Word, God sets us apart for salvation. He makes us his sons and daughters and gives us a share in the glory of heaven.

For giving us what we do not deserve, Jesus deserves our highest honor. God told Moses that honoring Jesus means listening to him. But listening to him means more than just hearing what he has to say. Listening to Jesus means doing what he says.

Fix your thoughts on Jesus—and you will freely forgive as God in Christ has forgiven you. Fix your thoughts on Jesus—and you will find freedom in living a pure and decent life in word and action. Fix your thoughts on Jesus— and you will delight to serve others and consider their needs more important than your own. Fix your thoughts on Jesus—and you will never lose confidence or hope in the future glory Jesus is preparing for you.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, praise, glory, wisdom, thanks, honor, power, and strength belong to you forever and ever. Amen.

I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their fellow Israelites.
Deuteronomy 18:18

Humble Authority

God chose Moses to lead the Israelites out of four centuries of slavery. Moses stood face to face with the Pharaoh of Egypt and won. He oversaw millions of people, handling their complaints, leading them through the wilderness, and judging their toughest disputes. Moses was important. He was the man. But he wrote of himself: “Now Moses was a very humble man, more humble than anyone else on the face of the earth” (Numbers 12:3).

Isn’t that ironic? It certainly does not seem like a very humble thing to say. Until you consider what author C.S. Lewis wrote, “humility is not thinking less about yourself but thinking about yourself less.” That certainly was Moses. Moses did not care about rank or reputation. He put the needs of the Israelites ahead of his own and brought them to the Promised Land.

As humble as Moses was, his sin barred him from entering the Promised Land. And his humility could not save all the Israelites who died in unbelief in the wilderness.

It was the humility of another like Moses that got Moses into heaven. Jesus is the prophet God chose to lead his people out of spiritual slavery. As God, Jesus has absolute authority over everyone and everything.

Yet Jesus did not use that authority to his own advantage. He put our needs ahead of his own and gave his life on the cross. He used his humble authority to pay our sin debt with his blood. Victorious over the grave, Jesus is the way through the wilderness. All who believe in him have eternal life in the land that God has promised.

Prayer:
Dear Lord Jesus, give me humility like yours so I can be confident in my salvation and share your salvation with those in need. Amen.

The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your fellow Israelites.
Deuteronomy 18:15

A Prophet Like Moses

The prophet. When you hear those words, who comes to mind? If you are of Arab descent, you think of Muhammed, the founder of Islam. If you live in the western United States of America, you probably think of Joseph Smith, the founder of the Mormon Church. If you are connected to Orthodox Judaism, you think of Moses.

There were many prophets that God commissioned in the Old Testament. But none like Moses. God himself sent Moses to the Israelites. God made Moses their leader, and he was their deliverer. Moses led God’s people out of slavery in Egypt. He performed miracles and wonders. And God spoke face-to-face with Moses, giving him the laws that governed the Israelites for over a thousand years.

As great as Moses was, God raised up a greater prophet—Jesus.

The law was given through Moses, but the Israelites could not fulfill it. Grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. We cannot fulfill God’s law either, but Jesus graciously kept the law in our place. Jesus is the fulfillment of all the laws that God gave Moses.

The truth is we all deserve to die for our sins, but Jesus graciously died in our place. Jesus is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the entire world. We have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins. By his resurrection from the dead, Jesus has opened the way to eternal life with God in the Promised Land of heaven.

Jesus is the way for all who follow him in faith.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, my Prophet, Priest, and King, teach me your way, forgive my sins, and govern my heart by your grace and truth. Amen.

God made him [Jesus] who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
2 Corinthians 5:21

A Substitute

On June 2, 1925, Wally Pip, the starting first baseman for the New York Yankees, was hit in the head by a pitch in pre-game batting practice. The manager put a substitute in to play for Pip that day. Pip never started another game at first base for the Yankees because his substitute went on to play in 2,130 straight games—a record that stood for many years. What a substitution! You probably never heard of Wally Pip. Even if you aren’t a baseball fan, you probably heard of Pip’s substitute: Lou Gehrig. He’s in Baseball’s Hall of Fame!

The Bible tells us about a substitution that was even more spectacular. Over 2,000 years ago, God put a substitute on Calvary’s cross for all sinners. Our substitute’s name was Jesus Christ. Although this God-man was perfect, he willingly took our sins and imperfections upon himself and was punished in our place. He experienced the agony of hell and the righteous anger of a holy God for you and me! By his wounds we are healed. Our sins are paid for. We are righteous in God’s sight because of our substitute.

Because of a substitution, Lou Gehrig is in baseball’s Hall of Fame. Trusting in the substitute that God appointed for you—Jesus Christ, you will be in heaven’s Hall of Fame, forever!

Prayer:
Heavenly Father, I confess that I often sin and deserve to be separated from you and all your blessings. But in love you sent your Son, Jesus Christ, who bore the guilt of my sin for me and died to set me free from the condemnation I deserve. Thanks and praise to you for Jesus, my substitute! Amen.

For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again. . . God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
2 Corinthians 5:14,15,21

A Life Lived for Jesus

You may have encountered the slogan “WWJD?” It is shorthand for “What Would Jesus Do?” The goal of that acronym is to get people to live like Jesus. Although its intent is noble, it has one major flaw: it gives an incomplete view of Jesus and his work.

The problem is that it presents Christ primarily as an example to follow. Today’s Bible passage, however, destroys the notion that Jesus is just an example for Christians to follow on their walk with God.

Have you ever heard better news than these three verses? Jesus died for all of our sins in our place as our substitute. And when Jesus died, it was as if everyone who has ever lived, is living, or will live had died. He died for all so that you will never know the horror of hell.

This means that when God saw his Son on the cross, he saw all of the sins and sinners, and Christ was punished for each sin of all sinners. More than that, Jesus gives sinners what he alone has—his perfection and righteousness. The love behind that great exchange is what compels Christians to live, not for themselves, but for the One who had died for them.

All this means that Christianity is not about what you should do. It’s about what someone else did for you. A better acronym would be “RWJD,” shorthand for “Remember What Jesus Did.” In other words, we don’t live like Jesus; we live for Jesus.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, let your life, death, and resurrection for me empower my life lived for you. Amen.

As Jesus walked beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.” At once they left their nets and followed him.
Mark 1:16-18

A Lofty Charge

The Bible makes it clear that there is a vital chain of events that leads to salvation for sinners. In order to call on the Lord and be saved, people must first believe in him. In order to believe in him, they must first hear about him. In order to hear about him, someone must preach to them. In order for someone to preach to them, that person must first be sent.

This brings us to today’s Bible passage, where Jesus calls Simon and Andrew to be links in the chain that connects sinners to Christ. But why does God use people—even simple fishermen!—to spread his Word? Why doesn’t God speak from heaven, or why doesn’t he send angels to do this important work?

Well, read the Bible and you will discover that when God spoke directly to the people, they begged him to stop. When angels delivered messages, the recipients were often terrified. Sinners cannot stand in the presence of God’s holy perfection.

So, God sends ordinary people like Simon and Andrew to spread his Word. God wants one sinner to tell another the greatest words ever spoken: “Jesus has done it all for you! Repent and believe the good news!”

Jesus has not called you to be an apostle; like these men. He may not have called you to be a pastor or teacher in his church. But every Christian gets to declare “the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light” (1 Peter 2:9).

What a lofty charge! What joy to know that the God in whose presence you cannot stand brings himself into your presence by his Word; that the God who called you, sought, and bought you forges you as a link in that vital chain of events that leads to salvation for sinners.

Prayer:
God of salvation, help me to speak your Word and fish for people. Amen.

After John was put in prison, Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God. “The time has come,” he said. “The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!” As Jesus walked beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.” At once they left their nets and followed him. When he had gone a little farther, he saw James son of Zebedee and his brother John in a boat, preparing their nets. Without delay he called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men and followed him.
Mark 1:14-20

Come, Follow Me

Jesus is a king who has a kingdom, and he calls us to follow him as our leader. We are usually suspicious of people who claim to be great leaders, especially political leaders like kings. We wonder if they are gathering a following so they might use their power over us. So, we are cautious about following those who claim to be great leaders.

But that is not what happened in Galilee 2,000 years ago. Jesus came proclaiming that he was a king who had a kingdom and that all people should follow him. Remarkably, men like Simon Peter, Andrew, James, and John did. They left everything to follow Jesus.

They were willing to follow Jesus because he was a different kind of king with a different kind of kingdom. Instead of taking from people, he gave great blessings to people. Instead of gathering a following to control, he gathered a following to set them free. He didn’t rule to take the lives of others. He came to give up his life to rescue people from sin and death. That is why the first disciples were willing to give up everything and follow Jesus.

Now what about you? Are you willing to follow this King? Jesus’ kingdom is one of freedom and forgiveness. It is a kingdom of good news—the good news of eternal salvation.

Repent and follow Jesus your King!

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, you are my King. I repent of all my sins before you. I ask you to wash them all away. And now teach me to follow you in all my ways that I might bring glory to your name! Amen.