And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge.

Devotion based on Ephesians 3:17-19

Ten-year-old Aiden loved everything about the ocean, as anyone who met him would know.

“Did you know that the earth’s oceans are just one huge body of water covering seventy-one percent of our planet?” Aiden would ask out of nowhere. “That’s one hundred thirty-nine million square miles!”

“My favorite is the Pacific Ocean. It’s massively huge! The biggest thing on the planet—bigger than all the continents put together! And it’s incredibly deep. The average is maybe twelve thousand feet, but there’s this place called the Mariana Trench, and the guy who made the Titanic movie went down there in a submersible and made videos, and it was seven miles down! It’s so cool!”

If you let him, Aiden could talk for hours about his passion. But here’s the thing: Aiden’s family lived far from the coast, and he had never visited the ocean in person. He never experienced its vastness or heard its waves. Instead, he soaked up every book and video from the library that would reveal more details about his favorite subject.

The apostle Paul was just as passionate in the way he talked about Jesus Christ. He wanted others to share his love and to discover what a wonderful Savior we have in Jesus. Unlike Aiden and the ocean, though, Paul did personally encounter Jesus. He knew his love firsthand. Previously, Paul had been violently persecuting Christians, dragging them to prison. But Jesus had mercy on him, forgave him, and called him to proclaim his saving grace to the world.

The love that Christ has for you is more than you can ever fully know. You can spend a lifetime exploring its heights and depths and never reach its limits. But it is worth the investment of your time. Join with the rest of God’s people who share this passion in learning what it means to be loved by him.

Prayer:

I pray that out of his glorious riches [God] may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith.

Devotion based on Ephesians 3:16,17

In Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope, Luke Skywalker finds a mentor in Obi-Wan Kenobi. The old Jedi master patiently teaches young Luke the ways of the Force, encouraging him to embrace his potential and the responsibility that comes with it. Before they complete his training, however, Obi-Wan allows himself to be cut down by the villainous Darth Vader, so that Luke and others might escape with their lives. Later in the film, when all depends on Luke making a one-in-a-million shot to destroy the Death Star, he hears the voice of his departed mentor guiding him to victory through the Force.

Since 1977, the year the first Star Wars movie came out, people have pointed out parallels between Obi-Wan Kenobi and Jesus Christ. Both sacrificed themselves to save others and still provided guidance to their disciples even after death. But what a pale reflection that is! For as big of a dreamer as Star Wars creator George Lucas was, his epic tale of galactic proportions doesn’t come close to the awesome reality we find in Christ. Luke, Han Solo, and Princess Leia escaped the clutches of Darth Vader that day, but death would take them all by the end of the last movie.

Jesus, however, redeemed all mankind by his death, and his physical resurrection back to life guarantees our own on the Last Day. The movie ghost of the fallen Jedi master came alongside Luke Skywalker, urging him to find the strength within himself to do what needed to be done. Meanwhile, the risen Lord Jesus is more than by your side; he lives in your heart through faith. Through the proclamation of his love and forgiveness in his Son, Jesus Christ, God the Father sends his Holy Spirit to powerfully transform your inner being. The God of eternal love, who created the galaxies both near and far, far away, and who died that you might live forever, takes up residence in your heart; he alone is your strength and salvation.

Prayer:

For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name.

Devotion based on Ephesians 3:14,15

The Parable of the Prodigal Son is one of the most well-loved stories told by Jesus. In it, a young man takes his share of the family inheritance generously given by his father and in short order, wastes it all on reckless living. The young man, now penniless and at rock bottom, finally comes to his senses. He realizes that he brought shame on his family’s name and squandered his father’s wealth. He couldn’t imagine that he could ever be reconciled to his father. Resolved to return and beg for an entry-level job in his family’s business, the young man barely begins his rehearsed apology before his father runs up and interrupts. With a flurry of affection, the father welcomes him home and loudly calls for a celebration of his lost son’s return.

Some may hear that story and think, “Does a father like that even exist, one who is so loving and forgiving?” The point of Jesus’ parable is that you certainly have such a father—the Almighty God who created all things is Father of us all. He has given you a share in his beautiful creation along with every other person on this planet. Sadly, we have proven to be prodigals ourselves—recklessly and selfishly wasting what God has given to us on things with no true lasting value. How dare we ask him for anything more? But before we could even ask, our heavenly Father came to reconcile us to himself through his one true Son, Jesus Christ. Our older brother Jesus is everything that we were not—faithful, loyal, and loving to his Father and to us, his brothers and sisters. Jesus intercedes for us, reminding his Father—and ours—that our debt has been fully paid by him through his holy blood shed on the cross.

Whoever you are, whatever you’ve done or left undone, you have a Father who loves you more than you can imagine and more than you could have asked for. A heavenly Father who hears and answers your prayers.

Prayer:

For your ways are in full view of the LORD, and he examines all your paths.

Devotion based on Proverbs 5:21

What if you had someone following you around all day with a continuous video camera? The camera would record everything you said and did. Not one second of the day would be unrecorded. Would that make you uncomfortable?

God is like a continuous video camera. He sees all our ways and examines all of our paths. Not only does he see every word and action, but he also sees every thought that enters our minds. He sees even the deepest and darkest. That makes us uncomfortable! We don’t want to watch a home movie of our hurtful words and actions. We don’t want God or anyone else to watch that, either.

Thankfully, our Savior washed away every sin from our hearts, mouths, and bodies. He has cleansed us from ALL our sins. With Jesus in the picture, God’s continuous video camera is a blessing. You can be sure that everything you have done has been in full view of God, and you can be sure he still loves you very much. He has examined all your paths and declares in certainty, “You are forgiven for everything.”

What a blessing to have a Savior who knows all and forgives all!

Prayer:

But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy.

Devotion based on Titus 3:4,5

“Nobody loves me!” Very few phrases are more heart-wrenching than to hear someone say that no one loves them. Many of us have felt this way at one time or another—the teenager whose friends all seem to have abandoned her, the single person who cannot find that special someone, the divorcee whose world has collapsed, the widow who is suddenly all alone. But God has comfort for everyone who has ever felt unloved. He loves us.

God does not love us because we are lovable. In fact, Paul says, “when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done.” If God’s love for us depended on our being lovable, none of us would stand a chance. The things we have done are not lovable. They are unloving and cruel and hurtful. They are sins.

But God saved us from those sins, not because of what we’ve done, but despite what we’ve done. “He saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy.” God looked at us and said, “What poor, miserable creatures! Over and over again, they deny me and disobey me. They certainly don’t deserve anything from me. But I love them. And I am going to save them from the eternal punishment they deserve.” The fact that God saved us when we didn’t deserve it proves his love for us.

Do you think no one loves you? Look at that man on the cross. Jesus loves you. He loves you as much today as the day on which he was nailed to the cross for you. What wondrous love!

Prayer:

He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit.

Devotion based on Titus 3:5

On November 19, 1854, the legendary Texas general, Sam Houston, was baptized. He was known as a brutish man, a rabble-rouser, and a heavy drinker. Apparently, his wife, Margaret, had been praying for fourteen years that he would get baptized. As the story goes, after Sam Houston came up from the baptismal waters of a river in Texas, one of his friends said, “Well, General, all your sins have been washed away.” Houston replied, “If that be the case, God help the fish downstream…”

We could technically all say the same thing. At our baptisms, a whole lot of filth got washed off of us. Every sin we’d ever committed and every sin we’d commit in the future received a cleansing on that day. That’s a lot of sin. But it’s gone now. It’s washed downstream. This washing by the Holy Spirit has saved you. By your baptism, you’ve been tied into the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus. You died with Christ and now also live with Christ.

The two words Paul uses in this verse to describe your baptism are “rebirth” and “renewal.” To be “reborn” means to be given new life. At baptism, the “old you” was washed downstream. That “old you” was a slave to sin, but you’ve been set free now. It’s like you get to start your life over now as someone born into God’s family.

You’ve also been “renewed.” You see the word new in that word. At baptism, you were given a “new self.” This new self wants to please God and live in harmony with him. The old self of sin wants to rebel against God, but in your baptism, that old self is drowned. The new self now rises each day to live with Christ.

So, live every day as the reborn and renewed child of God that you are. You’ve been washed clean!

Prayer:

And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.”

Devotion based on Luke 3:22

Deep down, virtually every child wants to please their parents. When they’re still little, they want to hear their parents say, “Good job!” or “Wow, you are so big!” As they grow older, children crave to hear their parents say, “I’m so proud of you” or “You mean the world to me.” Children crave their parents’ approval and praise.

God the Father is well pleased, positively delighted, with his Son, Jesus. That’s good news for us who want to please our Father in heaven, too because Christ shares God’s delight with you. By faith in Jesus, you also gain access to God’s delight. The sins that make you look like worthless chaff are blown away. God sees you as good wheat to be stored with him. God is positively delighted with you because he’s positively delighted in what his Son has done and who he is—the substitute for sinners.

If you want further proof that you are God’s delight, look to your own baptism! Baptism is your connection to Christ and his saving work. In baptism, your sinful identity, your chaff-like appearance, is put to death, and your sins are hidden in Jesus’ tomb. But even as your sins are washed away in baptism, you are also being raised with Christ to walk in his footsteps, bringing delight to God. In baptism, God the Father’s voice calls out to you like it did for Jesus, “You are my son, my daughter, whom I love. With you, I am well pleased. You are my delight.”

Prayer:

John answered them all, “I baptize you with water. But one who is more powerful than I will come, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.”

Devotion based on Luke 3:16

There seems to be an interesting flip-flop of expectations for Jesus between the Jewish people of his day and us today. The Jewish people of that time wanted a fiery figure like John the Baptist, one with power who would bring heat on the elite. Jesus seemed too ordinary, humble, and uninterested in being a powerful leader.

But now it’s flipped. It seems that more and more people today would prefer to have a hippie Jesus who’s cool with whatever we feel like doing or whoever we feel like being. A Jesus who always throws up peace signs and “hang loose” signs. Many want a Jesus who doesn’t confront sin and doesn’t come to separate the chaff from the wheat and bring judgment like John was talking about because that sounds too harsh and unloving.

While it’s true that Jesus is the greatest expression of God’s love, he also wasn’t just some pushover hippie. Jesus brought fire to those who thought they were secure in their own righteousness. He came because there was a serious problem to address—our sin. And Jesus didn’t back down from talking about it and calling it out.

So, is Jesus harsh or a hippie? He’s neither. He is just and powerful yet also humble and merciful. Jesus didn’t come to say, “You’re all good just the way you are.” Instead, he came to prove, “I’ve made you good by my perfect life, innocent death, and powerful resurrection.” Jesus was harsh in his answer against sin, death, and the devil. He showed his full power in defeating our enemies. And he has shown his overwhelming grace in loving us who didn’t deserve God’s mercy because of our sin.

We thank our God that he’s given us a mighty Savior who is mighty in power and even mightier in love.

Prayer:

So Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the presence of his brothers, and from that day on the Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon David.

Devotion based on 1 Samuel 16:13

When was the last time you anointed something? Do you get up in the morning and say, “I shall now anoint this pan with oil before I scramble my eggs for breakfast”? Or do you go to the beach and say, “Before sitting in the sun, I shall anoint my skin with SPF 50 sunscreen”? We don’t talk about anointing things or people. It’s not a thing we do. Anointing sounds like something reserved for kings and Old Testament prophets, but nothing to do with you or me.

Anointing is kind of a big concept in the Bible, though. It comes up frequently. The name “Christ” even means “The Anointed One.” And really, it’s because of Christ, that “Anointed One,” that you also get tied into an anointing of your own. That’s essentially what your baptism is—an anointing by the Holy Spirit.

At your baptism, the Spirit of the Lord rushes on you with power from that day forward, echoing what happened to David when he was anointed by Samuel. At your baptism, the Holy Spirit stirs and strengthens his gift of faith in your heart. At your baptism, you’re anointed with the cleansing forgiveness of sins. At your baptism, you’re anointed into Christ and his redeeming work on your behalf. At your baptism, you’re anointed into office—the office of the priesthood of all believers, as you now take up the role of being a messenger of good news for broken sinners.

That’s the anointing we still take part in today. At your baptism, you’re anointed—not just with water but with the Holy Spirit. God knew we humans are creatures who rely on our senses, and so he connects his grace, power, and blessing to something we can see—visible and concrete: the anointing waters of baptism.

Prayer:

Jesse had seven of his sons pass before Samuel, but Samuel said to him, “The Lord has not chosen these.” So he asked Jesse, “Are these all the sons you have?” “There is still the youngest,” Jesse answered. “He is tending the sheep.”. . . He sent for him and had him brought in. [David] was glowing with health and had a fine appearance and handsome features. Then the Lord said, “Rise and anoint him; this is the one.”

Devotion based on 1 Samuel 16:10-12

The prophet Samuel had come to Bethlehem so that God could choose the next king of Israel. The king would be one of the sons of Jesse. So, Jesse had seven of his sons pass in front of Samuel. Right away, Samuel noticed Eliab, who likely had a tall, kingly stature. Samuel thought to himself, “Surely this man will be the one God chooses.” But God wasn’t choosing Eliab, Abinadab, Shammah, or any of the other four sons Jesse had with him that day.

Samuel said, “Are all your sons here?” Jesse replied, “Well, there’s still the youngest.” Jesse didn’t even think it was worth bringing his youngest son, David, in from the field for the prophet’s visit. He was an afterthought. But David was not an afterthought to God. He was the next king of Israel.

God doesn’t always operate the way we think he would. He doesn’t choose or prefer only those who have high earthly standing. He cherishes the lowly, the afflicted, the humble. The afterthoughts of the world are not afterthoughts to God.

No matter who you were or where you stood in the pecking order of life, at your baptism, God lifted you up as his own. He claimed you as his child. Even if you feel like an afterthought to the world, you are God’s treasured possession and an heir of his kingdom. You’re never an afterthought for God!

Prayer: