Today Daily Devotional

“And the second [greatest commandment] is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

— Matthew 22:39-40

Maybe you’ve heard that one of the first steps a person takes toward becoming a murderer is to dehumanize their victim. By viewing others as less than human, killers tend to free their consciences to take other people’s lives.

The second table of God’s law (commandments 5-10) guards us from viewing and treating others as less than human. All of us are created in the image of God. Loving our neighbors prevents us from simply viewing and using others as stepping-stones toward advancing our own sinful causes. In addition, loving others is the best way to experience the deepest purposes and joys of life.

Loving others begins when we are young. We learn to honor our parents, our teachers, and all who are in authority over us, including our governments. We also learn to love our siblings and other family members, our friends, our neighbors, and more. Jesus calls us to love even our enemies and to pray for people who mistreat us (Matthew 5:43-48). He also teaches that the place for sex, including thoughts about it, is within marriage. He teaches us to be givers rather than takers, and he calls us to build one another up and to celebrate others’ victories instead of tearing people down.

Living on the path of love, we honor God, bless others, and find joy and satisfaction in life. How do we do all this? By treating others as we would like to be treated (Matthew 7:12).

Jesus, help us to be like you, loving and treating others with care, dignity, and respect. Amen.

“‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment.”

— Matthew 22:37-38

My wife and I recently attended a symphony. Seventy-five musicians on the stage gave their best. The star of the show was a young violinist playing a 1699 Stradivarius violin. At the end of the performance, with the crowd on their feet applauding, the young man left the stage. The applause continued, and he reappeared and bowed. The applause increased, and he returned a second time.

Was this violinist an egotistical young man? No. Giving the audience the opportunity to express their gratitude and amazement for a beautiful performance added to the listeners’ joy. If the violinist had simply walked off and not returned, the audience would have felt shortchanged. Expressing appreciation is an important part of enjoying a great performance.

The first table of God’s law to his people (commandments 1-4) calls them to love the Lord with all their heart, soul, and mind. God wants us to honor and glorify him in all we think, say, and do. The first table of the law is designed to enable us to truly appreciate God’s beauty and glory.

Calling for our love and respect in this way is not egotistical. Rather, it is a sign that the utterly amazing and loving God wants us deeply to enjoy the best life, blessings, and hope possible.

Lord God, thank you for your law, which teaches us to see and enjoy your amazing, beautiful love for us all. Help us to think and act and live in your ways always. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.

— Galatians 5:25

On our first visit to the Grand Canyon we made our way to the guardrail and peered down to the Colorado River some 5,000 feet below us. Considered to be one of the natural wonders of the world, the Grand Canyon is stunning. It can also be dangerous. People who do not follow safety guidelines risk their lives. Over the years many have fallen to their death. Years later we returned to the canyon and safely hiked pathways down to the river and back up again.

God created a world that was good. But there is a right way and a wrong way to use the things of this world. Because of sin, our tendency is to use and experience the things of this world in wrong ways.

God gave us his law to teach us the right way to relate to him and the things of this world. And when the Holy Spirit opens our hearts and minds to understand right from wrong, and we are given the grace to repent of our sin, and the faith to follow Christ, we experience what is called conversion.

For all who are in Christ, God’s law functions like a guardrail and a path. It keeps us from thinking and acting in wrong and sinful ways. When we come to love God’s law rather than resenting it, we know our conversion is genuine and our faith is real.

Heavenly Father, thank you for your law and your grace. Help us to embrace your ways as we seek to honor you in every part of our lives. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?

— Romans 6:1-2

We have been saved by grace and not by works. But does that mean we do not have to do good? The answer is clear and decisive. Grace and good works are not competitors. They go hand in hand in the lives of God’s children (see Ephesians 2:8-10).

When we come to faith in Christ, our old sinful nature dies. The old nature is crucified and buried with Christ, and we rise to new life in Christ. “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” (2 Corinthians 5:17).

Being raised with Christ means living a life in which good works (or “good fruit” in the words of Jesus—John 15) become natural to us. Bearing good fruit is a sign that our faith and conversion are true and genuine. Good works are a natural expression of thankfulness.

While doing good becomes “second” nature to all who have new life in Christ, we still need to work at it. Though the old nature has been crucified, it still rises up from time to time to try to reassert itself. It is no longer the driving force in our life, but it remains a force to fight against. Wanting to produce good fruit assures us that we are indeed saved, and that is a powerful witness to people who do not yet know Jesus.

Jesus, thank you for dying for us to purchase our salvation. We commit our lives to thanking you by striving to live for your honor and glory. Amen.

“Do not make light of the Lord’s discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines the one he loves. . . .”

— Hebrews 12:5-6

Jesus teaches that there is a broad road that leads to destruction and a narrow road that leads to life (Matthew 7:13-14). And because God wants us to experience full life rather than destruction, he disciplines his children who are taking the wrong road.

How does God discipline the ones he loves? Sometimes God causes a godly fear to fall on his people. For example, this could be a fear that reminds us, “If I do not mend my ways, I will separate myself from God.” Sometimes God uses our fellow believers to call us back to the right road. Sometimes God uses the church to call us back to faithful living. Sometimes God uses challenging situations in life to discipline his people.

Discipline never seems pleasant at the time, and it can be painful. However, God designs discipline to produce a harvest of righteousness (Hebrews 12:11).

When it comes to Christian discipline, we do well to pray that God will give us the grace to receive his discipline—and that he will give us wisdom, humility, and compassion when we are called to speak a word of correction to others.

Loving God, we thank you that you discipline the ones you love rather than simply letting us stray down pathways that lead to destruction. Grant us grace and mercy in the face of discipline so that we may grow to love you more and more. Amen.

Is not the cup of thanksgiving for which we give thanks a participation in the blood of Christ? And is not the bread that we break a participation in the body of Christ?

— 1 Corinthians 10:16

It has been said that the Lord’s Supper, or holy communion, is a “visible sermon.” It is hard to imagine a better one!

The bread that is broken reminds us of the body of Christ, which was broken for us—not only on the cross but also in the hours leading up to Jesus’ crucifixion. The wine (or juice) reminds us of the blood of Christ, shed for the payment and forgiveness of our sins. Holding the broken bread, holding the cup, and hearing Jesus say, “This is my body. . . . This is my blood. . . .” has the power to evoke deep, godly sorrow and to awaken a love and sense of gratitude that goes beyond words.

And there is more. As surely as we eat the bread and drink the cup, and as surely as we are nourished by those calories and vitamins, we receive the crucified Christ in the depths of our souls—to nourish us spiritually for this life and the life to come. While the sacraments do not save us, God works his grace through them to grant us joy and peace as we grow in faith.

The sacraments bring us into deeper communion with God and with the body of Christ. We celebrate the sacraments as a community destined for eternal life in God’s glorious kingdom.

Lord, thank you for the Lord’s Supper. May it always strengthen our faith in you, testifying of your sacrifice for us. Amen.

In Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.

— Galatians 3:26-27

In the church we have two sacraments given to us by Christ: baptism and the Lord’s Supper (holy communion).

Baptism symbolizes the dying of our old sinful nature and its being buried with Christ, as well as our rising to new life in Christ. Just as we use water to wash our bodies, the waters of baptism represent the washing away of our sin by the blood of Jesus. And just as water is necessary for life, the water of baptism represents the new life we have in Christ through the Holy Spirit.

In addition to these beautiful pictures, baptism stands as a sign and seal of God’s faithfulness to his promises that salvation comes to all who repent and believe in Jesus. Though people are prone to break promises, God is not. Baptism assures us that we belong to the faithful God, who has adopted us in Christ to be his children forever.

Does baptism save us or guarantee our salvation? No, baptism does not nullify the need for faith. But God guarantees us that if we trust in him, we will never be put to shame. And baptism is a glorious reminder and guarantor of that promise.

In baptism God declares that we belong to him and are part of his church and kingdom. His command is clear and simple: trust me and live with me forever!

Lord, thank you for the gift of baptism. Thank you for using baptism to signify that you claim us as your own. Help us to live with you in joy and faithfulness. Amen.

“For you who revere my name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its rays. And you will go out and frolic like well-fed calves.”

— Malachi 4:2

On the dairy farm where I grew up, it was always fun to watch young calves when they were first released into the pasture. For a few seconds the freedom seemed to paralyze them. Taking in the bright sun and the unfamiliar sights and smells, they stood motionless. Then suddenly they would leap into the air and race around! Soon exhausted, they would stop to rest—and then do it all over again and again.

About four centuries before Jesus came, Malachi prophesied about God’s people living joyfully, even frolicking “like well-fed calves.” Today the kingdom grows under the watchful eye of the reigning King Jesus, and when he returns, it will be established permanently and perfectly. With “no more death or mourning or crying or pain,” we will have life to the full, and we may even frolic like young calves! With paradise regained, we will reign with Jesus in resurrected bodies for eternity.

But life is often hard for us now. And growing old, as people say, is not for the faint of heart! But one day we will be released from the struggles of this life and freed to live with the Lord forever. In Christ, death has become like a doorway to eternal life with God and the promise of the new creation. Whether we are dead or alive when Jesus returns, the new creation awaits us!

Father, we long for the day when we are released from our present struggles to enjoy life with you and in the new creation forever. Strengthen our faith as we begin to experience eternal joy even now, in Jesus. Amen.

God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body. . . .

— Ephesians 1:22-23

Maybe you have heard someone say, “I don’t need to go to church to be a Christian.” This is true. Many Christians have been jailed for their faith and have been prevented from going to or attending church worship services.

But the church is not a place where we “go.” The church is the body of Christ. Wherever God’s people meet for worship and fellowship, the church is present. The church is found not only in buildings that we call churches but also in prisons, on college campuses, on remote mission fields, in homes within countries that have outlawed Christianity, and more.

The Bible likens the church to a human body and says that we are each a part of the body (1 Corinthians 12). Being a Christian and being part of the church are synonymous. Every part of the body is important, and every part contributes to the overall well-being of the entire body.

While it may be true that we don’t need to “go to church” to be a Christian, the parts of the body can die if they are disconnected from the whole. A foot, finger, eye, or kidney, for example, cannot live if it is not connected to the body. Only when we minister to others, and are ministered to, can we grow in our faith and flourish!

Lord, thank you for the church, your body, in its many different shapes and forms throughout the world. Thank you for joining me to the church. Help me to serve and to be served as a part of it! Amen.

“If you love me, keep my commands. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever—the Spirit of truth.”

— John 14:15-17

One Friday each month, the college where I serve as campus minister celebrates “Spirit Day.” On Spirit Day students, staff, and faculty are encouraged to wear black and gold, the college colors, and to attend the college sports games.

In our culture we often emphasize having a strong school, work, and team spirit. Many of us develop a strong national spirit as well. As a result, we can tend to view the Holy Spirit more as a power than as a person. But there is much to gain when we realize that the Holy Spirit is God himself living in us (2 Timothy 1:14), along with God’s power being present in our lives.

Jesus calls the Holy Spirit “the Advocate,” or “Counselor” (John 14:26), and he tells us that the Spirit will convict us of sin and guide us into all truth (16:7-15). The Spirit will make known to us what belongs to the Father and the Son. There is comfort and joy in knowing that God himself lives within us to lead and guide us.

Paul tells us that our bodies are “temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in [us]” (1 Corinthians 6:19). What an amazing blessing it is to have God living in us! When we ask God to lead and guide us, and when we actively follow him, a whole new life of comfort and joy opens up for us. The Holy Spirit living in us changes our lives and the lives of the people around us.

Spirit of God, we are honored to have you living in us. Lead us into the truth each day! In Jesus, Amen.