Today Daily Devotional

Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers . . . nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

— Romans 8:38-39

Most of the conquerors in history have been egotistical thugs. They established kingdoms by their own power and for their own glory, often killing many thousands of people to do so. But what we learn from Scripture is that Jesus, the King of kings and Lord of lords, has conquered all things by laying down his own life as a ransom for us. By doing that, he broke the power of sin’s hold on us. And that means no other power in all creation or even in the spiritual realms can separate us from God. Nothing can separate us “from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Sometimes the challenges we face are from circumstances and other people, but the root of all challenges to our faith comes from spiritual forces that are at war with God. Those spiritual powers would love to destroy us, but they cannot touch us because of God’s protection in Christ. Jesus has already won the battle. And because he won, we win! When Jesus rose from the dead, he overcame the ultimate weapon of the forces of evil—death. Never again can Satan and the powers of evil have a hold on us, because Jesus has brought us into everlasting life. With him, we are more than conquerors.

Jesus, you won. You won for us. Help us to stand firm against all influences that want to challenge our faith in you. Help us to live for you each day. Amen.

The creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God.

— Romans 8:21

Did you know that God’s plan of salvation includes more than the saving of human souls? For many Christians “Jesus saves” means that Jesus saves us from our sins, and that is true—but there is also much more. Jesus came to save the whole world, all of creation. So, when Jesus comes again, the world will not be obliterated—it will be renewed. The creation will no longer be subjected to the effects of human sin. It will be renewed, purified, and made whole.

At the time of our first sin, the ground itself became cursed. And throughout human history we have often been a curse to the ground and to the air and the seas as well. We often spoil and wreck God’s creation rather than protecting, guarding, and cultivating it. In this situation, creation “groans” under the effects of the curse of sin. All of creation longs to be set free from this cursed state. The universe longs for Jesus to return, for his enemies to be conquered, and for his children to be revealed as his own.

Then all creation will be set free, along with the children of God.

O God, thank you for your solution of setting the whole world free from the curse of sin. Help us to guard and cultivate the world you came to save. Amen.

“My father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you?”

— John 14:2

There is nothing like a good homecoming. Perhaps you enjoyed one recently. Family members return home. Children, grandchildren, and other relations gather around, delighted to see each other and renew relationships. Or maybe a reunion brought together old friends who hadn’t seen each other in a long time. If you were making preparations, didn’t you scurry with anticipation—planning, preparing food, and making sure that accommodations were made and rooms were ready?

Jesus is preparing for us to come home. He loves us so much that he wants all of us to be there. In fact, the whole reason he came to live among us was so that we could later join him in our Father’s house.

He came to rescue us from the curse of sin and death so that we can enjoy new life with him forever. Then he went back to heaven when his work here was complete. And now in heaven he is preparing a place for us.

I can imagine the kind of place being prepared—with wonderful food, glorious music, delightful friends—and all in a context of perfect peace. Wow!

If you have welcomed Jesus into your life, he waits, smiling and with outstretched arms, to welcome you into his Father’s home.

Jesus, thank you for coming to live among us. We look forward to the amazing homecoming that awaits us in heaven, thanks to your finished work here on earth. Amen.

Like living stones, [you] are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

— 1 Peter 2:5

Jesus came as the Savior to bring us into God’s family, providing us a home with God.

As Peter describes it, Jesus is also the cornerstone of our faith: “The one who trusts in him will never be put to shame.” (See also Psalm 25:3; Isaiah 28:16.) And “like living stones,” we “are being built into a spiritual house” to serve God with “spiritual sacrifices.”

Another way to say this is pictured in Ephesians 4:12-13: we are called to “works of service, so that the body of Christ [the church] may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God.”

All of this imagery reflects the fact that, through Jesus, God has brought redemption for all who believe him, making them his family, his chosen people. Again, as Peter writes, “you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.”

We become royalty when we are adopted into the family of God. We are built together on the firm foundation of Christ with the love of God through the Holy Spirit. No storm can shake this house. This “dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit” will stand forever (Ephesians 2:22).

Lord Jesus, you are our firm foundation. Hold us together in your holy church. Build us into a dwelling that is worthy of your name. Amen.

“Father . . . glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you. . . . Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.”

— John 17:1-3

Many years before Jesus came, the Lord God Almighty called Abraham and made promises to him—and Abraham trusted and followed (Genesis 12:1-8). At that time most people believed in many different gods, and all the nations claimed they had gods of their own.

The Lord, however, taught Abraham and his descendants that he is the only true God. And he often demonstrated that by overthrowing the false gods of other nations. For example, when God delivered his people Israel from slavery in Egypt, he sent ten plagues that showed his power over Egypt’s gods: the Nile god, the harvest god, the sun god, and so on (Exodus 7-12).

God showed that he is the creator and sustainer of the whole world. The God of Israel was not attached to one aspect of the world, but moved throughout the whole world and controlled the events of history.

Jesus came to reveal the one true God and his salvation for the whole world (John 3:16). And he calls everyone to believe in him as Savior. Jesus is also one with God and with the Holy Spirit (see John 14:8-21; 16:7-15).

Even today people worship other gods—wealth, sports teams, Shiva and Vishnu, and more. They will all pass away. None of them could ever direct history or provide salvation. Only the God revealed in Jesus can do that. Worship only him.

Dear Jesus, thank you for revealing the true God to us and for being our Savior. Amen.

“Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.”

— John 15:13

In our Scripture reading for today we see that Jesus calls his disciples “friends.” Friendship is based on mutual love. A friend is someone you can talk with about anything. A friend is someone whom you look forward to seeing. A friend is someone you care about.

Jesus is the best friend you and I have ever had. He laid down his life for us so that we could be freed from the curse of sin and death and receive new life with God. Jesus proved the extent of his love for us when he died in our place.

There may have been some people in human history who willingly died for someone else. But no one besides Jesus could possibly trade his life for the lives of millions and millions of his friends.

An old hymn says, “What a friend we have in Jesus!” Jesus is indeed our friend, and, amazingly, he sees us as his friends! He is our lifelong friend whom we can talk to about anything. He loves to hang around with us. He cares about us.

What is the result of this beautiful friendship? Joy! Jesus takes joy in us, his friends, and we take joy in him.

Lord Jesus, we enjoy your friendship. We know that becoming our friend cost you dearly. Thank you for paying that price and for truly being our best friend forever. Amen.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

— John 1:1

In John 1 the Greek term for “Word” is logos. John chose this word carefully. In Greek philosophy the word logos referred to divine reason, or the power that made order out of chaos. This idea fits well with the scriptural teaching that God—whose word is always faithful and true, and who created all things—has revealed himself in a new way through his Son, the Word of God, who “became flesh and made his dwelling among us.” God has long been communicating with us—through creation, the prophets, and the Scriptures. But with the coming of “the Word”—that is, Jesus—God revealed himself even more. Earlier forms of communication were less clear. Since the logos became flesh, however, we can see, hear, and know that we have met God. Jesus is the best and the only perfect representation of God. This contradicts the teachings of other religions that claim they have a better or additional revelation of God. Why would you want or need to hear more about God once you have heard from the Word himself? Jesus showed that God is love and “the light [that] shines in the darkness.”

We need to recognize that the true and complete Word of God has come into the world. That Word is Jesus Christ, “the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.”

Word of life, help us to trust in you for salvation and new life. Thank you for coming so that we can know the truth that sets us free from sin and death forever. Amen.

“Whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”

— John 4:14

Water is basic and fundamental to life. I once heard a biologist say that when God decided to create water, the rest of creation was details. This is not meant to minimize all the complexities of God’s creation, but it can help us to see how important water is.

When Jesus asked the Samaritan woman for a drink of water, he was breaking two social taboos. He was talking to a woman, and he was talking to a Samaritan. Jewish people thought of the Samaritans as half-breeds and heretics, and the Samaritans did not have much respect for the Jews. But by asking the Samaritan woman for water, Jesus wanted her to reconsider all the things she thought she knew.

She said, “You have nothing to draw water with and the well is deep. . . .” But Jesus wasn’t talking about H2O; nor was he talking about the kind of life that H2O makes possible. He was talking about himself—the water that brings eternal life.

Jesus offered the woman everlasting life. And when she drank in the living water of Christ—that is, the good news of eternal life in him—she was filled with new life.

Though we still have to drink enough H2O each day to keep our bodies going, we need only to drink the living water of Jesus to receive eternal life.

O God, thank you for the gift of new life in Christ. Fill us with your living water, that your good news may flow from us to all the world, for Jesus’ sake. Amen.

“I am the way and the truth and the life.”

— John 14:6

It is sometimes hard to face the truth, especially when the truth is that we have messed up. Instead we make excuses. We think we are exceptional: “I didn’t really mean it that way.” “I thought it would be OK if . . .” And so on. But the truth is the truth. And Jesus is the Truth. The worst thing we can do is to ignore or deny this absolute and final Truth—that Jesus is the one and only Son of God who saves sinners. Though the truth about God’s nature and presence is clear to all, people tend to suppress it (Romans 1:18-20). We are all guilty of doing this. When we recognize the truth, we don’t like what we see. So we think it isn’t true for us, or that it doesn’t matter. But the truth does matter. Lying to ourselves matters, and it matters most if we lie to ourselves about God.

Today we live in a media storm of falsehoods. Many, many voices today lie or bend the truth to suit their own views or preferences. But beyond all the deceptions in this world, the final authority is God in Jesus—the Truth himself. Believe what he says, and believe that he died and rose again so that you may have life everlasting.

Dear Jesus, forgive us for our lies. We lie to try to prove we are right. We lie to try to make ourselves look good. Forgive us especially if we lie about who you are and what you have done. Amen.

We ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption. . . .

— Romans 8:23

This passage in Romans says that we become adopted into God’s family through the finished work of Jesus Christ and the ongoing work of the Holy Spirit. This makes us “heirs of God and coheirs with Christ.” Amazing!

So, while blood relation can determine who is part of a family, so can adoption. And this involves love—unconditional love—as well as deep, lasting, faithful commitment. God’s love and commitment to us provide the best possible foundation for our lives.

It is indeed good news that we are adopted by God the Father through the work of Christ Jesus the Son and the Holy Spirit. Through Jesus and the Spirit, we become full sons and daughters in the family of God. Jesus, our older brother, brings us into the family. His commitment to us is so great that he gave up his life to free us from the curse of sin and death so that he could bring us into full life as children of God the Father.

In our adoption God says yes to us: “Yes, you are mine. Yes, I am with you. Yes, I love you forever.” God’s love and commitment are immeasurable. Thanks to Jesus and the guiding work of the Spirit, we are heirs to all of God’s promises and blessings.

Brother Jesus, thank you for making our adoption as children of God possible. We know that you are now seated at the right hand of the Father, claiming us as part of God’s family. We are no longer estranged, but beloved children. Amen.