READ: 1 CORINTHIANS 3:11-15; 15:58; GALATIANS 6:9-10

The Cave of Echoes looked like any other cave, but people in the town nearby knew it was special. Like all caves, it was mysterious and beautiful, with dark, twisty corners whispering promises of secrets to those who dared to enter. But those familiar with its echoes ventured into its depths not for thrill or adventure, but something more.

Those who were new in town often scoffed at the stories they heard. Tall tales, they’d think, stories that have been circulating so long they mess with people’s minds. Some of those entering the cave for the first time would come out shaking their heads, their faces wielding satisfied smirks. “Didn’t hear a thing,” they’d say with a shrug.

But others would come out with wonder dancing in their eyes. They’d look around at the people sitting on the beach or loading cars in the parking lot as though they were gazing at immortals wrapped in light from another world. “Everything matters,” they’d say. “It really matters.” Then their eyes would narrow and they’d hurry over to help an overloaded mother heap beach toys into the back of her van.

What was it they heard in the cave, you wonder? Their own voices—echoes of the past. Prayers prayed; songs sung in worship; words of kindness, encouragement, and forgiveness spoken to others. Only their good moments reverberated off the cave’s walls, because the wrongs of those covered in the Blood had been silenced forever. But words and deeds rooted in love and faith would echo for all eternity. • Courtney Lasater

• Do you ever wonder if what you do in life really matters? It does. Today’s allegorical story illustrates how God does not remember the sins of those who trust in Jesus (Hebrews 10:17), but He won’t forget the good we do out of love for Him (Hebrews 6:10). If you’re a Christian, it’s the good things you do by the grace of Jesus and the power of the Holy Spirit that will be remembered for eternity, not your mistakes and failures. How might knowing that God remembers the good and forgets the bad give you comfort and hope, and maybe even change your perspective on the struggles you’re dealing with now?

• Though our sins are forgiven and forgotten by God, they can still produce negative effects in our lives now. Is there a sin in your life that you need to confess and let go of so you can replace it with something that will have lasting eternal value?

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