Today Daily Devotional

Scripture Reading: Romans 8:31-39 In all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. Romans 8:37 It seems to me that we often stop celebrating Christ’s resurrection too soon. Yesterday, as we celebrated Easter, many of us sang, or even shouted, with excitement, “Up from the grave he arose, with a mighty triumph o’er his foes,” and, “Christ the Lord is risen today! Alleluia!” What are we excited about today? Does our worship on the first day of the week motivate us...

Scripture Reading: John 20:1-23 The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord. Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you!” John 20:20-21 Can we even imagine the disciples’ state of mind? Many of Jesus’ followers had scattered, and his closest disciples were hiding behind closed doors in fear of the religious authorities. Their Rabbi (“Teacher”) had been crucified. They had believed in him as the Messiah (the “Anointed One”), their promised deliverer. Had it all been “too good to be...

Scripture Reading: John 19:38-42 Because it was the Jewish day of Preparation and since the tomb was nearby, they laid Jesus there. John 19:42 When people get older, they think about arranging for a burial place or making funeral plans. After all, we are mortal, and our bodies break down and die. Executed on a cross, Jesus had made no preparations for his burial, and most of his followers had scattered. Was his body simply to be dumped in a common grave for prisoners and debtors? The...

Scripture Reading: John 15:9-17 “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” John 15:13 Jesus spoke these words to his disciples just a few hours before he was arrested. And the next day, which we celebrate today as Good Friday, he laid down his life for us all. He gave up his life willingly on the cross to pay the price for our sin. Jesus clarifies his definition of ultimate love by adding, “You are my friends if you do what I command.” And that...

Scripture Reading: Luke 22:47-62 The Lord turned and looked straight at Peter. Then Peter remembered the word the Lord had spoken to him. . . Luke 22:61 Peter was one of Jesus’ closest followers. A natural leader, Peter was a doer who often spoke up and motivated others when it was time to get things done. But sometimes Peter spoke when he should have kept quiet. Brave Peter promised loyalty and then didn’t follow through. Earlier he said, “Lord, I am ready to go with you to prison and...

Scripture Reading: Galatians 2:20-21 I have been crucified with Christ . . . The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. Galatians 2:20 Today’s verses give a testimony of what it means to be a believer. Here Paul gets deeply personal about his relationship with Christ. He uses “I” several times to describe his own faith and trust in the Savior. Paul explains earlier that he was once a severe legalist. He believed he could...

Scripture Reading: Matthew 16:13-20 Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” Matthew 16:16 Whoever we are, the main question for each of us is the one Jesus asks in this passage: “Who do you say I am?” If we have faith in Christ as our Savior, our answer will be something like Peter’s. And, as Jesus told Peter, it is God who reveals this to us. The Spirit of God gives us the faith to believe. This is the gift to Abraham and to all who believe God’s...

Scripture Reading: Romans 4:16-25 [Jesus] was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification. Romans 4:25 Jesus was not caught by surprise. Riding a donkey into Jerusalem (John 12:12-15), he knew he would soon be arrested, sentenced, and executed, although he was innocent. And then he would rise to life again! Jesus had predicted all this to his disciples (Luke 18:31-33). As we think about these things, let’s remember that Jesus did all this for our...

Scripture Reading: John 12:12-19 “Do not be afraid, Daughter Zion; see, your king is coming, seated on a donkey’s colt.” John 12:15 Sometimes God’s plan may seem rather plain, but at other times we wonder what he is trying to say or do. Today is Palm Sunday, when we celebrate Christ’s coming as King. On this day Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a young donkey, and we may well wonder what that is supposed to mean. So it’s good to be reminded that God had a plan, whether we understand it or...

Scripture Reading: Romans 4:1-8 “Blessed is the one whose sin the Lord will never count against them.” Romans 4:8 Looking back to God’s covenant with Abraham, Paul shows there is no reason for us to do any boasting. Believing and accepting God’s gift is totally different from working for wages. Faith leads to righteousness, and this is credited to us as a gift. We could not possibly earn it or work for any part of it. The Canons of Dort explain: “All who genuinely believe and are...

Scripture Reading: John 10:11-21 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” John 10:11 When Jesus taught that he is the good shepherd, people had different reactions. Many said, “He is demon-possessed and raving mad.” But others said that didn’t make sense— and they asked, “Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?” The Bible’s teachings and Jesus himself still get different reactions today. We understand that we may have to send soldiers into battle to...

Scripture Reading: Isaiah 42:1-9 “A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out.” Isaiah 42:3 The Canons of Dort note that “our merciful God has promised not to snuff out a smoldering wick or break a bruised reed.” It says this to show God’s compassion and to encourage anyone who feels they are not doing very well in the new life they have in Christ. Anyone who is dealing with doubts or feeling like a failure should not despair and think they might lose...

Scripture Reading: Philippians 1:27-30 It has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe in him, but also to suffer for him. Philippians 1:29 In our Scripture for today, the apostle Paul is not sure whether he will be able to visit his readers in Philippi. But “whatever happens,” he says, “conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ.” Accepting the gift of faith in Christ means more than having a reservation in heaven. God calls us into an eternal...

Scripture Reading: Romans 10:16-21 Did they not hear? Of course they did: “Their voice has gone out into all the earth. . .” Romans 10:18 Once in a while my wife asks, “Didn’t you hear me?” As an aging retiree, I could probably use an excuse about hearing loss. But that’s not the kind of hearing Paul is talking about. In our verse for today, Paul is quoting Psalm 19, which speaks of the heavens declaring God’s glory. But, as we know, not everyone pays attention to that message. The same...

Scripture Reading: Romans 10:9-15 How can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? . . . “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!” Romans 10:14-15 I grew up in a family that went to church every Sunday. And I remember how my parents insisted that our Sunday shoes should always be clean and polished. As the youngest boy, I had the Saturday duty of polishing many pairs of shoes. When I preach, I still make sure my shoes...

Scripture Reading: John 3:16-21 God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him . . . This is the verdict: Light has come into the world. . . John 3:17-19 A message on a rancher’s barn by the highway said, “Jesus Is the Answer!” I wondered, “But do we know the question?” Even if people hear the words “Jesus is the Savior,” do they know what we need to be saved from? Or why it matters? The apostle John wrote, “The true light that gives...

Scripture Reading: Romans 3:19-26 All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. Romans 3:23-24 As the Canons of Dort say, “God would have done no one an injustice” if he had left all people “in sin and under the curse” of death. For “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” says Paul in our reading for today, and in Romans 6:23 Paul adds, “For the wages of sin is death. . ....

Scripture Reading: Genesis 6:5-22 The Lord saw how great the wickedness of the human race had become . . . But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord. Genesis 6:5, 8 Today’s story takes place many centuries after the time of Cain and Abel. Human nature hasn’t improved! The Canons of Dort expand on humanity’s corruption, saying, “All people are . . . inclined to evil, dead in their sins, and slaves to sin.” These are discouraging and upsetting words! Lamenting “the wickedness of the...

Scripture Reading: Genesis 4:1-12 “I don’t know,” [Cain] replied. “Am I my brother’s keeper?” The Lord said, “What have you done?” Genesis 4:9-10 In its opening chapters, the Bible makes clear that God created the world and all its creatures. And as the crown of his creation God made human beings—us!—in his own image. Back then we had a unique holiness. But it didn’t take long for us to experience a fall and corruption. (See Genesis 1-3.) Cain and Abel sadly illustrate the results of...

Scripture Reading: Romans 1:18-25 They exchanged the truth about God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Romans 1:25 Viewing a stunning panorama from a mountaintop, gazing up at a sky filled with stars, or admiring a glorious sunset, we are often filled with awe and wonder at our Creator. Even many people who don’t acknowledge the God of the Bible will exclaim, “Such beauty didn’t just happen by accident!” In Romans 1, the...