Today Daily Devotional

Jesus Christ . . . has gone into heaven and is at God’s right hand—with angels, authorities and powers in submission to him.

— 1 Peter 3:21-22

Years ago, I attended an air show. A military jet flew low over the runway and then turned its nose skyward and flew straight up until the clouds hid it from sight! The sound of its engines faded when we could no longer see the jet. But we all knew it would come back! And it did.

The disciples were gathered with Jesus when suddenly he rose up from the ground, and “a cloud hid him from their sight.” While the disciples were staring up intently, two angels assured them—and us—that this same Jesus would one day return in the same way.

Where is Jesus now? He is seated at God’s right hand, reigning over all creation.

Before he left, Jesus promised his followers that he would send his Holy Spirit to be with them. In the power of the Spirit they would bring the good news of Jesus to the nations and teach people what it means to live as followers of the Lord. And one day he will return, and we will live with the Lord forever in a renewed creation!

Right now, Jesus, in his resurrected human body, is in heaven, and in his divinity he fills the entire universe. As the King of kings and Lord of lords, he is building his kingdom, preparing for the day when he will return.

Heavenly Father, we thank you for the joy, peace, and comfort we have in knowing that your Son, our Lord, is reigning over all creation. Help us to carry out the work you give us as loyal followers of Jesus. Amen.

Suddenly Jesus met them. “Greetings,” he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him.

— Matthew 28:9

Can an event that took place two thousand years ago benefit humanity today? When Jesus was crucified, died, and was buried, his body lay in a stone-sealed tomb. And then . . . he took a breath; his body stirred; God raised him from the dead. And before some of his followers came to visit the tomb, an angel rolled away the stone so that they could see Jesus had risen.

What difference does that make for us today? Well, whatever I am doing today, I know that my Lord and Father will see me as his child clothed in the righteousness of the risen Christ. The Bible teaches us that, as God’s children, we have been crucified and have died with Christ, and we have been buried with him and have risen to new life with him. And we experience this new life in amazing ways as we grow in faith, serve the Lord, and meet with others in Jesus’ name—in our churches, neighborhoods, college campuses, workplaces, and more.

We are also assured that when Jesus returns, the bodies of all who have died believing in him will be raised to live with him. Just as Jesus left the tomb in his resurrected body, I will rise from the grave with mine!

Yes, an event that took place two thousand years ago offers us a world of comfort and joy!

Lord, even as we begin to enjoy new life in you today, we look forward to our own resurrection, when we can live, body and soul, with you! Amen.

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.”

— Matthew 7:21

It takes me just a second to say “Jesus is Lord.” Lord means “owner” or “master.” I also believe that God raised Jesus from the dead. Does this mean I am saved? The answer is “Yes . . . if”: “Yes, I am saved, if I truly mean and believe what I say.”

If you declare or confess that Jesus is Lord, that he is your owner and master, and that God raised him from the dead because he died to pay the price for your sin, to bear your guilt and shame, and to take your punishment—then, yes, you will be saved.

Well, almost.

There is only one way to know if we truly mean it when we say, “Jesus is my Lord!” Jesus teaches us, “If you love me, keep my commands” (John 14:15). And in 1 John 2:4 we read, “Whoever says, ‘I know him,’ but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in that person.”

As Lord, Jesus has the right to instruct us how to live our lives, and all who are saved are happy to live out his instructions.

Jesus, our sinful nature died and was buried with you when you paid for our sin. And we have risen with you to a new life. You bought us with your blood. You are our Lord, and we love you. By your Spirit, guide us each day to follow you and honor you. Amen.

If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

— Romans 10:9

When one of our daughters was young and we told her to do something, her response was sometimes swift: “You’re not the boss of me!”

The idea of having an owner or master, even if it is Jesus, does not come naturally to us. In fact, the notion of being independent from God is what led humanity into sin.

But is having a divine Master or Owner really so bad? My bicycle “lives” in my garage. It is not rusty from sitting in the rain, and the rubber grips are not degraded from extended exposure to the sun. Though I have owned it for years, it still looks new. Every summer I see “ownerless” bikes. Some lay at the bottoms of creeks and rivers. They are coated with mud and rust.

Which bicycle has a better life? The bike lying in a creek never has to work! But no one rides it, either. My bike gets a good workout in nice weather—and it doesn’t mind! It was created to be ridden.

The outcome is similar for horses and dogs and other domesticated animals that live longer and healthier lives under the care of a good master than they can in the wild.

The simple truth is that we will never truly be independent. We are created to live for God, and we will either be servants of Jesus or servants to sin. Being a servant to sin leads to death. But Jesus is the perfect Lord, who loves us—and living for him brings perfect joy!

Jesus, you are Lord. You love us and care for us. Help us to find our true joy and purpose in living for you. Amen.

His mother Mary . . . was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit.

— Matthew 1:18

There are lots of misunderstandings about what may happen to us after we die. Many people think that babies who die become angels, for example, and it’s common to see artwork about souls playing harps in the clouds.

Reflecting on Jesus’ incarnation can help us think more biblically and clearly, however. The eternal Son of God took on human flesh about 2,000 years ago in the womb of Mary. While remaining fully God, he became fully human as well.

He lived a perfect life, without sin. Then, giving up his life to pay for the sin of all who would look to him for salvation, he died. His human body was laid in a tomb. And on the third day his body rose to life again and walked out of the tomb. Several weeks later his human body ascended to heaven, where he is seated at God’s right hand. And one day he will return in the flesh to welcome all of God’s children to full life with him in the new creation.

Matthew 28 tells us that some of Jesus’ followers met the risen Lord on the morning of his resurrection. Two of the women kneeled on the ground, grasped his feet, and worshiped him! One day, in our own resurrected bodies, we too will meet Jesus in the flesh to worship him.

Body and soul are created to be together, and so it will be in eternity!

Lord and God, our hearts stir within us as we long for the day when we too can meet you in the flesh and worship you! By your Spirit, move us to love and obey you today and every day! Amen.

The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth. . . .

— Colossians 1:15-16

Who is Jesus? Many different answers are given to this question. The truth is that Jesus is the eternal Son of God. From all eternity God has existed in three persons—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

Every human being, except one, did not exist before being conceived and born. By coming into existence, people become sons and daughters, and their parents become fathers and mothers. But there was never an event in which God the Son came into existence. God the Father and God the Son have an eternal relationship of Father and Son that has always existed. (“Firstborn” in Colossians 1 does not mean “born first”; it means “most exalted”—see Psalm 89:27.)

At a point in time, God the Son took on humanity in the womb of Mary, a virgin (Matthew 1:18-25; Luke 1:26-38). He was born in Bethlehem and received the name Jesus. Jesus is fully God and fully human. He is one person with two natures—human and divine. Each of us is also one person, but with only one nature—human.

Jesus lived a perfect life. He was without sin—though he was tempted and can sympathize with our struggles (Hebrews 2:17-18; 4:14-15). And he laid down his perfect, sinless life as payment for the sin of all who would repent and trust in him for salvation. What a Savior!

Jesus, you are our God, our Savior, our Brother, and our Lord. By your Spirit, guide us to honor and praise you each day! May we never cease to love you! Amen.

We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

— Romans 8:28

Life can be hard, even brutal. Wars rage; diseases kill; disasters strike; accidents maim and take lives; loved ones betray. The list goes on, and questions arise. Where is God? Does he know? Does he care?

Sufferings and struggles are often described in terms of what we call the problem of evil. “And if God is all powerful and all loving,” people ask, “why do suffering and evil exist? An all-powerful and all-loving God should be able to prevent suffering and evil, right?”

Well, we need to recognize that sin, evil, and suffering entered the human experience through human disobedience. And suffering and evil are often connected to the choices people make. But God, who is all powerful and loving, has provided a way for us through Jesus to have eternal life with him—where suffering, sorrow, and evil will be no more. In the meantime, though, there is still trouble in the world, and that can make life hard.

Why does God allow this? Because he is patient with us, “not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9). All good things in life come to us from God (James 1:17). And, thankfully, God limits the extent to which evil can harm us. If he didn’t, things would be far worse. In addition, God can use suffering and evil—for which he is not to blame—to bring about good. And this can lead people to find comfort and salvation in his loving arms.

Father God, in this broken, suffering world, we thank you for your love and mercy. Amen.

See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!

— 1 John 3:1

It is a stunning truth: God the Father is not only the Father of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, but he is also the Father of each one who trusts in the sacrifice of Jesus for their salvation.

Ponder this glorious truth for a moment. The God who, out of nothing, created the heavens and the earth and everything in them and who upholds and rules them is not simply my God, but he is also my Father! God the Spirit testifies to our spirits that he is our “Abba, Father.” Abba is an Aramaic word that children would use to call on their father; in English the equivalent for this could be “Daddy” or “Papa.” Marveling at the fact that the Almighty God is our “Abba, Father” is good for our faith.

If you are able to travel out into the countryside at night, leaving the glare of city lights behind, look up at the star-filled sky. When I can do that, I often marvel and think, “My Father made all of this.” God has a name for every star, and he knows if any go missing! Though he is so powerful and mighty, God also loves me so much that he gave his Son to die for me.

Our almighty Father loves us so much that we can trust him to provide whatever we need for body and soul. And he will turn to our good whatever troubles may come our way in this world (see Romans 8:28).

Lord and God, we stand in awe that you are our Father and that you love us more than any earthly parent could. Help us to grow in our love for you and our trust in you. Amen.

God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky . . . and over all the creatures that move along the ground.”

— Genesis 1:26-27

Around the world there are many different religions and many different views about who or what God is. Some people believe there is one God, some believe there are many gods, and some believe there is no god at all. Some people say that God is whoever or whatever you want him or it to be, so it doesn’t matter what you believe.

While it may be fashionable to view God in a way like that, neither the Bible nor logic will allow it. The Bible teaches that there is one God who created the heavens and the earth. The one God has revealed himself to us as God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. And while the Father is God, the Son is God, and the Holy Spirit is God, there are not three Gods but one God. This teaching is sometimes described with the word Trinity, and we can think of this in terms of “tri-unity.”

Some people argue that this is a human-made teaching. But in Genesis God says, “Let us make mankind in our image,” referring to a plurality in the Godhead. And Jesus commanded his followers to “make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 28:19). The truth of God in three persons is found throughout the Bible. And the one, true God is completely wise, just, and good!

Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, thank you for your love and grace. Help us to truly know you, love you, and honor you. Amen.

By grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God. . . .

— Ephesians 2:8

The Bible teaches that when Adam and Eve—the parents of all humankind—sinned against God, their human nature became corrupt. And this corruption has been passed along to every generation. This means that we all have a sinful nature and that we all sin.

But Jesus Christ, God’s Son, became human and provided us the remedy for sin, and the Bible states clearly that the remedy must be received through faith. As Paul says, “It is by grace [we] have been saved, through faith”!

Believing that we are sinners and that only Jesus can save us is the faith that brings salvation. And we are responsible to live wholeheartedly for the Lord, doing the good that he has prepared for us to do. In fact, we are eager to do that out of gratitude for all that God has done for us in Christ. We can be tempted, however, to get lazy in our life of faith, so we do well to test whether our faith remains true.

One way to do that is to examine our relationship with God. Throughout the Bible God uses a picture of marriage, in which he is the husband and his people are the bride. When the people’s affections shift from God to other things, God compares that to adultery. So, to test if our faith is genuine, we can ask ourselves if we are faithful in our relationship with God, if God is our deepest joy, and if our deepest love is for the Lord rather than for anyone or anything else.

God, grant us the wisdom and the will to test our faith regularly. May we truly love and be faithful to you in all that we think, say, and do. Amen.