Daily Devotions For The Deaf: Recent Episodes
Deaf Missions
Daily Devotions For The Deaf are daily Bible devotions produced by Deaf Missions and presented in American Sign Language. For more information, please visit www.deafmissions.com.
On June 15, 2012, Nik Wallenda walked across Niagara Falls on a tightrope. The distance across the falls is an 1800-foot gap between the United States and Canada. That is a long way to walk on a tightrope! But Nik was confident that the rope would hold him and would not break.
Ever since Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden, there has been a gap between people and God. People have tried many ways to get across that gap by their own good works. But we cannot cross that gap by ourselves. The only way we can come close to God is through Jesus.
In our Bible Reading today, Paul told Timothy how people can get across that gap. Verse 5a says, “There is only one God, and there is only one way that people can reach God. That way is through Christ Jesus.”
The devil will try to keep you from reaching God. But stand strong on God’s Word and let Jesus lead you through life.
I rode my bicycle to a special place in the country. I sat beside a small creek, listening to the birds and enjoying the beauty of God’s creation.
Usually the creek flowed calmly over the rocks. But that day, it rushed by me, moving sticks and dirt in its path. I knew that in a few days, the water would once again become calm and peaceful.
Often our lives are like that small creek. Sometimes things are calm and peaceful in our lives. And then we face “storms” like sickness, death or family problems. During those times, Jesus helps us be calm — just like He calmed the stormy waters in our Bible Reading today. “Then he stood up and gave a command to the wind and the water. The wind stopped, and the lake became very calm” (verse 26b).
When bad times come, we don’t need to be afraid or worry. We just need to trust Jesus. He will help us face our problems and bring us peace.
In our Bible Reading, Jesus was in a garden with His followers. He knew that soon He would die. Jesus also knew that some of His special followers would reject Him.
These verses tell us that Jesus’ followers could not even stay awake while He prayed in the garden. Soon after this, Judas gave Jesus to the Jewish authorities and Peter denied Jesus three times. Jesus must have been very disappointed that even His twelve special followers failed Him.
Jesus knew that when He left the earth, these followers would be leaders of the new church. The spread of the Good News would depend on these men. Maybe Jesus wondered if He could trust them to lead others to salvation.
We are all sinners. And we all disappoint Jesus. But He still loves us and wants us to do our best to follow Him. Ask God to forgive you and help you serve Him.
Our Bible Reading today talks about when Jesus was ready to teach the Good News about salvation. He asked John the Baptizer to baptize Him. John did not think that he should baptize Jesus. John said that Jesus should baptize him instead. Jesus explained why He wanted John to baptize Him. “’Let it be this way for now. We should do whatever God says is right.’ Then John agreed” (verse 15b).
Jesus’ baptism was a special time in His life. God, His Father, was very proud of Him. “A voice from heaven said, ‘This is my Son, the one I love. I am very pleased with him’” (verse 17). When we are baptized, God is pleased with us, too. Baptism is a way we can show that we want to die to our old life of sin and trust Jesus to give us new life.
After Jesus’ baptism, He began His ministry of teaching about God and His kingdom. I hope that you have new life in Jesus. Are you ready to share the Good News about Jesus with others today?
Yesterday we read what Jesus said about loving and forgiving our enemies. Today we will read what Jesus did when His enemies were hurting Him.
Our Bible Reading tells us the terrible things that people did to Jesus. Was Jesus guilty of doing something wrong? No, He was innocent. He never sinned. But His enemies beat Him, mocked Him, spit on Him, put a crown of thorns on His head, and nailed Him to a cross.
What did Jesus do? Did He curse those people or ask God to kill them? No! Verse 34 tells us what Jesus did. “Jesus said, ‘Father, forgive them. They don’t know what they are doing.’” Jesus loved and forgave the people who killed Him.
Today there may be people who make fun of you because you are a Christian. What will you do? Will you be loving and forgiving like Jesus?
While Jesus was on earth, He taught a lot about love and forgiveness. In our Bible Reading today, Jesus talked about loving and forgiving our enemies.
In these verses, Jesus mentioned several things that we should do for our enemies. First, we should love them and do good things for them. Then, we should pray for them and ask God to bless them.
It may be hard for us to do those things. Often we want to hurt people who are hurting us or say bad things about those who criticize us. But in verse 35a Jesus said, “I’m telling you to love your enemies and do good to them…If you do this, you will receive a great reward. You will be children of the Most High God.”
Are there people who hate you or try to do bad things to you? God wants you to love and forgive them. “Give love and mercy the same as your Father gives love and mercy” (verse 36).
My car broke down one summer day. My only choice was to walk and find help. After a while, I was tired, thirsty and hungry. Finally a car stopped. The people in the car were going the same direction I needed to go and said they would take me. After I got in the car, they gave me a drink and a snack. I was so thankful that I had a ride and also some food.
In the first part of John, chapter 6, Jesus fed more than 5000 people. In our Bible Reading, those same people asked Jesus some questions. Probably they wanted Jesus to feed them again. Jesus said (verses 32b-33), “…my Father gives you the true bread from heaven. God’s bread is the one who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.”
Jesus told the people that He was the true bread and that He was the only One who could satisfy their spiritual hunger. Do you want the peace and contentment that Jesus gives? Turn to Him and let Him give you eternal life.
Our Bible Reading today gives us a wonderful description of what heaven will be like. There are two things that I think will be interesting about heaven: 1) What it will look like, and 2) What will not be there.
What will heaven look like? Verse 11 tells us that it will be shining bright “like a very expensive jewel.” There will be 12 gates and the city is built on 12 foundation stones. These foundations stones will have expensive jewels in them. And the streets of the city will be pure gold!
What will not be in heaven? There will be no death, sadness, crying or pain. There will be no temple or sun or moon in heaven. “The Lord All-Powerful and the Lamb were the city’s temple…the glory of God gave the city light” (verses 22b-23a). Also, verse 27b says “no one who does shameful things or tells lies” will be there.
Heaven will be the most amazing place we could ever imagine! I am looking forward to living there forever. I hope you are, too!
More than a year ago, I had some extra cash. So I put it in an envelope and hid it in a book. Later my wife asked me about the money. I didn’t even remember hiding the money. Then a few months later I was looking through my books and I found the envelope and the money.
Even though I had forgotten about the money, it was always in the same place. And it was always available for me to take. God’s promises are the same way. We may forget about them, ignore them or doubt them, but God’s promises are always there for us to accept.
God has given us many promises in the Bible. Our Bible Reading reminds us about one promise. God has promised to be our “protection and source of strength” (verse 1a). That promise is always there for us to remember and hold onto.
Don’t forget God’s promises today! He loves you and wants to bless you.
I was only a few miles from the Deaf Missions office this morning when I noticed road construction signs ahead. I could see that the workers were stopping traffic and making them wait in a long line. I knew that if I waited, I would be late for work. So I decided to turn off the highway and go another way to the office.
Sometimes in life we need to stop and go another way. Maybe we see that our friends are leading us away from Jesus. Then we need to find new friends who follow Jesus. Or maybe we realize that our time on the computer is keeping us from studying the Bible. So we need to limit our time on the computer and make time to read and study God’s Word.
Our Bible Reading today reminds us that when we are following people who do wrong things, we should “turn around and go another way” (verse 15). Then we will be on the way that leads to salvation and eternal life in heaven.
Today is Resurrection Day. This is the day we remember that Jesus rose from the dead. Some people call this day Easter.
Recently I was paying for my groceries. An older couple behind me put toys and candy on the counter. They said those things were for their grandchildren for Easter. The man said, “That’s what Easter is all about.”
It is sad that for many people around the world, today is just a time to have a family dinner and hunt for Easter eggs. The true meaning of Easter is found in our Bible verses today. Jesus died on the cross for our sins. And then He arose and gave us the promise of eternal life with Him.
How will you celebrate today? Will you give thanks for Jesus’ resurrection and share this Good News with other people?
Herod sent Jesus back to Pilate. Pilate did not want to say that Jesus was guilty. So he did something, hoping Jesus would be released.
Every year at Passover time, it was a custom for the governor to release one prisoner. Pilate asked the Jews if he should free Jesus or Barabbas. Barabbas was “a man in prison who was known to be very bad” (verse 16b).
The crowd shouted for Pilate to release Barabbas and crucify Jesus. Pilate was afraid there would be a riot, so he freed Barabbas. Then he told the soldiers to beat Jesus and hang Him on a cross.
Pilate did not care about Jesus. He only cared about himself and his riches. There are many people in the world like that today. We should not care about money or possessions. We should focus our lives on Jesus and His wonderful gift of salvation.
Take time today to think about Jesus and what He did so that you can live forever with Him.
Now Jesus appeared before Herod. It is interesting that our Bible verses tell us that Herod was happy to see Jesus. Why? Because Herod had heard about Jesus and wanted Him to do a miracle.
But Jesus knew how Herod felt, and He did not reply to Herod’s questions. “Jesus said nothing” (verse 9b). The Jewish religious leaders were there, too. They shouted bad things about Jesus. “Herod and his soldiers laughed at him. They made fun of him by dressing him in clothes like kings wear” (verse 11a).
It is hard for me to read about the terrible things that these people did to Jesus. Jesus is God’s Son and the King of Israel. But the people hurt Jesus and mocked Him.
What will you do with Jesus today? Will you make fun of Him and reject Him? Or will you love and serve and honor Him as your Savior and Lord?
Jesus was next taken to the Roman governor’s palace. The Roman governor was Pilate. The time was still early in the morning.
Pilate probably was like other Romans. He looked down on the Jews and didn’t want to have anything to do with them. But Pilate still talked with Jesus. Jesus told Pilate (verse 37b), “You are right to say that I am a king. I was born for this: to tell people about the truth. That is why I came into the world. And everyone who belongs to the truth listens to me.”
Luke 23:5-7 tells us that Pilate had a plan to have someone else listen to Jesus’ case. Pilate was the governor over Judea. Jesus was from the area of Galilee. The ruler over Galilee was Herod. Herod was in Jerusalem that day, so Pilate sent Jesus to him.
The Jews and the Romans were not willing to pay attention to God’s truth. And they didn’t even want to associate with God’s Son. What about you today? Are you ready to pay attention to God’s truth in the Bible and follow His Son?
It was now early morning. Jesus was led before the Sanhedrin, the highest court of the Jews. According to Jewish laws, the Sanhedrin should decide whether Jesus was innocent or guilty.
But the Jews had a problem. They said Jesus was guilty because He said He was God’s Son. That charge would not be accepted in a Roman court. They needed to charge Jesus with a crime that could be punished by death according to Roman law. So they said that Jesus called himself a king and wanted to overthrow the government.
When we look at Jesus’ trials, we can see that they were very unfair. People lied about Jesus, beat Him and mocked Him. But through all this, Jesus never sinned. He remained humble and obeyed God.
Sometimes people are unfair to us, too. When that happens, we should remember Jesus’ example of humility and obedience.
Next, Jesus was led to the house of Caiaphas, the high priest. Remember that it is still nighttime. So this trial is also illegal according to Jewish law.
Our Bible Reading tells us about the witnesses who testified against Jesus. “Many people came and told lies against Jesus, but they said different things. None of them agreed” (verse 56).
Then Caiaphas asked Jesus (verse 61b), “Are you the Messiah, the Son of the blessed God?” What was Jesus’ answer? “Yes, I am the Son of God” (verse 62a). When Jesus said that, Caiaphas became very angry. Then “everyone agreed that Jesus was guilty and must be killed. Some of the people there spit at him. They covered his eyes and hit him with their fists” (verse 64b-65a).
The Jewish leaders felt that their laws and traditions were more important than accepting the truth. I hope you are following the truth that Jesus is God’s Son, the Savior of the world!
Jesus was arrested, and a group of soldiers took Him to Annas. Annas had been a Jewish high priest in the past.
We need to remember that the Jewish religious leaders and Jesus did not get along very well. Often Jesus called these men hypocrites because they did not really love and serve God. John, chapter 2, tells that Jesus went into the temple. He drove out people who were selling animals and exchanging money. The Jewish religious leaders did not like this. They wanted to be in control of everything that happened in the temple. They also wanted to receive money for themselves from the money exchangers.
So Jesus stood before Annas, who hated Him and wanted Him to die. After asking some questions, Annas sent Jesus to Caiaphas, who was the high priest at that time. Tomorrow we will talk more about that trial.
Be sure that you are not like the Jewish leaders. Love and serve God every day.
Did you know that Jesus was arrested, went through six trials, was beaten, mocked and crucified in less than 24 hours?
Our Bible Reading today tells us what happened when Jesus was arrested. He was in a garden with His disciples. The men who came to arrest Jesus were led by Judas, one of Jesus’ twelve apostles. When Judas kissed Jesus, it was a sign for the men to arrest Him.
According to Jewish law, Jesus’ trials were illegal. No arrest or trial could happen at night. Jesus was arrested and tried at night. After hearing the testimony, the Jewish judge was supposed to wait two days and then come back and hear the testimony again. That didn’t happen with Jesus’ trials. Also, trials could not be held during the celebration of the Passover. Jesus’ trials happened during the Passover week.
For the next six days we will look at each of Jesus’ trials. We will learn how Jesus suffered so that we might have eternal life through him.
Tomorrow is a day many Christians call “Palm Sunday.” On this day they remember the time when Jesus rode into Jerusalem like a king.
Our Bible verses today tell us that Jesus borrowed a young donkey. He sat on it and rode it into Jerusalem. Jesus was the King of Israel and the King of the entire universe. He could have ridden a golden chariot with fancy horses. Instead, Jesus was humble and rode a donkey.
Later, Jesus returned to heaven. Now He sits at the right hand of God. Jesus has all the glory and honor He deserves. But He left us a wonderful example of humility. “In whatever you do, don’t let selfishness or pride be your guide. Be humble, and honor others more than yourselves” (Philippians 2:3).
This coming week, think about Jesus and His death. Remember what He did for you on the cross. Then be humble, praise Him and thank Him.
Recently I bought some light bulbs. The box said that the bulbs would last a year. I was excited to think that the company who made the bulbs promised they would last a year. I put the bulbs into a hanging lamp on my porch.
Every time I turned on the porch lamp, I thought about how many more days the bulbs would last. A couple of months later, I turned on the lamp. There was no light. The manufacturer had not kept his promise.
Our Bible verses today tell us that Jesus is different than my light bulbs. He said that He is the light of the world. Jesus is shining now and will continue for all eternity. People who choose to follow Jesus “will never live in darkness. They will have the light that gives life” (verse 12b).
Do you let Jesus’ light shine in all areas of your life? Ask Him to lead you and keep you in His light every day.
Sometimes we face “low” times in our lives. These are times when we have physical, emotional, financial or spiritual problems.
The writer of Psalm 116 was facing a “low” time in his life. “Death’s ropes were around me. The grave was closing in on me. I was worried and afraid” (verse 3). But the writer knew where he could find help. “Then I called on the Lord’s name. I said, ‘Lord, save me!’ The Lord is good and merciful; our God is so kind. The Lord takes care of helpless people. I was without help, and he saved me” (verses 4-6).
Wow! God gives us peace and lifts us up when we are sad and discouraged. He blesses us and helps us find answers to our problems. When God does this, what should we do? We should thank Him and praise Him.
Think about how God has helped you with your problems. Thank Him and then tell someone how God has protected and blessed you.
Crowds are everywhere! People shop in crowded stores. They sit in crowded airports and train stations. Many church buildings are crowded with people on Sunday mornings.
Our Bible Reading today tells us some things about Zacchaeus — he was wealthy, he was a tax collector and he was short. I am only five feet tall. Sometimes I feel very small when I am in a crowd. Zacchaeus must have felt that way, too.
When Jesus came to town, Zacchaeus wanted to see Him. But he was too short to see over the crowd. “So he ran to a place where he knew Jesus would come. Then he climbed a sycamore tree so he could see him” (verse 4). Jesus went to Zacchaeus’ home, and Zacchaeus changed his life.
There are many people in the world who are like Zacchaeus. They are sinners who do not know Jesus. Reach out to those people today. Help them change their lives and follow Jesus.
I went for a walk one winter day. It had been warmer, so I thought the ice along the streets would be gone. Soon I realized that I was wrong. Because I am blind, I could not see the ice. But my guide dog helped me walk around some slippery places.
Then we reached a big patch of ice. I thought I knew which direction I was walking, but I slipped and became disoriented. I told my dog what to do, but I was pointing him in the wrong way. A kind neighbor came and helped us get on the right path.
That experience made me think about how we sometimes go the wrong way in our lives. Other people’s advice may seem good. But it may not be what God wants us to do. We may think we are doing right, but we are really not following God.
Jesus reminds us in our Bible Reading today that He is the only right way in life. Follow Him, and He will lead you to blessings on earth and eternal life in heaven.
While Jesus was on earth, He taught many things to His followers. Jesus taught people how to get along with each other so they could have a happy life. He also taught people to love each other, to be patient with each other and to encourage each other.
The night before He died on the cross, Jesus wanted to teach a special lesson. Jesus and His disciples were eating a Jewish meal called Passover. After they finished eating, Jesus stood up and took off His robe. He got a towel and wrapped it around His waist. Jesus poured some water in a pitcher. Then He washed the feet of His disciples.
Jesus’ disciples did not understand why Jesus washed their feet. Jesus told them that it was an example for them to follow. In verse 15 of our Bible Reading Jesus said, “I did this as an example for you. So you should serve each other just as I served you.”
I hope that you want to serve people like Jesus did!
When we read about Jesus’ birth, we can see some people who had great faith.
Mary must have had a strong faith in God. The angel told her that she would have God’s Son. Mary said (verse 38a), “I am the servant of the Lord God. Let this thing you have said happen to me!” Mary trusted God to take care of her and to help her raise His Son.
Mary’s husband, Joseph, also had great faith. Matthew 1:18-25 tells us that an angel told him Mary would have a baby. Joseph trusted God to help him be a good earthly father for Jesus.
The shepherds who went to see baby Jesus had faith, too. They believed what the angel told them. “So they went running and found Mary and Joseph. And there was the baby lying in the feeding box” (verse 16).
God wants us to have faith in His Word and His promises. Trust Him today.
I have many jobs to do every week — grocery shopping, doctor’s visits, cleaning house. Some of these jobs are not always fun to do. And they take up a lot of my time.
When Jesus came to earth, He had a job to do. My jobs are small, but Jesus had a big job to do. His job was the most important job anyone has ever had to do.
Jesus describes Himself and His job in verses 2-3 of our Bible Reading. “You gave the Son power over all people so that he could give eternal life to all those you have given to him. And this is eternal life: that people can know you, the only true God, and that they can know Jesus Christ, the one you sent.” Jesus did the job that God sent Him to do. Jesus willingly gave up His life so you and I can have our sins forgiven and live with Him forever.
Jesus brought us forgiveness and eternal life. I hope you have accepted this wonderful gift.
When Jesus lived on earth, He treated men and women the same. Jesus believed that both men and women were important and valuable people.
In the New Testament, we can read that Jesus healed women, had conversations with them, ate with them and fellowshiped with them. Our Bible Reading today tells us that women were the first people to learn about Jesus’ resurrection.
Verses 5-6a say, “The angel said to the women, ‘Don’t be afraid. I know you are looking for Jesus, the one who was killed on the cross. But he is not here. He has risen from death, as he said he would.’” In verse 7, the angel told the women to tell other people that Jesus had risen. The angel gave the women the important responsibility of sharing the news about Jesus’ resurrection.
God’s plan of salvation is for both men and woman. And He can use all people to spread the Good News about Jesus.
In today’s Bible Reading, Jesus told a story about two men — a Jewish religious leader called a Pharisee and a tax collector. Both of these men were sinners.
The Pharisee and the tax collector both went to the temple. The Pharisee prayed, “O God, I thank you that I am not as bad as other people...I thank you that I am better than this tax collector” (verse 11b). It is sad that the Pharisee was a proud man and refused to admit he was a sinner.
When the tax collector prayed, he said (verse 13b), “O God, have mercy on me. I am a sinner!” This man admitted he was a sinner. Jesus said that this man “was right with God” (verse 14b).
Jesus’ story shows us that all people are sinners. But He does not want us to be proud. Jesus wants us to be humble and admit that we need God’s help.
In today’s Bible Reading, Jesus told a story about two men — a Jewish religious leader called a Pharisee and a tax collector. Both of these men were sinners.
The Pharisee and the tax collector both went to the temple. The Pharisee prayed, “O God, I thank you that I am not as bad as other people...I thank you that I am better than this tax collector” (verse 11b). It is sad that the Pharisee was a proud man and refused to admit he was a sinner.
When the tax collector prayed, he said (verse 13b), “O God, have mercy on me. I am a sinner!” This man admitted he was a sinner. Jesus said that this man “was right with God” (verse 14b).
Jesus’ story shows us that all people are sinners. But He does not want us to be proud. Jesus wants us to be humble and admit that we need God’s help.
Nahum was an Old Testament prophet. His message is written in the book of Nahum. When we read this book we learn that God was angry with the city of Nineveh. Why? Because the people of Nineveh were murdering, telling lies and worshiping false idols.
Verse 3 of our Bible Reading says, “The Lord is patient, but he is also very powerful! The Lord will punish the guilty; he will not let them go free.” Later God destroyed the city of Nineveh. God did exactly what He said He would do.
Every person on earth today is a sinner. We have all disobeyed God and deserve to be punished. The good news is that when Jesus died on the cross, He accepted the punishment for our sins. When we believe in Jesus as our Lord and Savior and obey Him, we receive His wonderful gift of forgiveness and eternal life.
Follow Jesus today and accept His free gift of salvation.
When my daughter, Jean, first learned to use a pencil, she wanted to hold it in her left hand. I didn’t have a problem with her being left-handed, but her grandmother did not think that was the right way. She tried to persuade Jean to use her right hand instead.
Sometimes we think that our way of worshiping God is the only right way. When some Christians worship in a different way, we may criticize them. Or we may disagree with other Christians about how they should dress or act. But we must remember that Christians need to accept each other and work together.
Our Bible verses remind us that we should be “patient and accept each other with love” (verse 2b). Why? Because Christians are “joined together with peace through the Spirit” (verse 3a).
Don’t criticize other Christians and quarrel with them. Work together to bring people to Jesus!
When we pray and ask God to heal us or to help our friends, God may choose to do those things. Or, God may choose to do something different in our lives.
The Bible is filled with examples of this. God freed Peter from prison, but John the Baptist was put in prison and beheaded. God rescued Paul from stoning, but Stephen was stoned to death. God deals with each of us personally. He answers our prayers by doing what is best for us.
Our Bible Reading today tells us that Lazarus was sick. Lazarus’ sisters wanted Jesus to heal Lazarus. But Jesus did not heal Lazarus. Instead, Jesus allowed Lazarus to die, and then He raised him from the dead (John 11:38-44).
God knows what is best for you. Sometimes He does not answer your prayers the way you want. Then you need to be patient and trust Him. God will always do what is right.
How do you feel when someone who cheats or lies seems to be successful? Do you feel jealous? Do you wish you could do those wrong things and not get caught?
God doesn’t want you to feel like that. He wants you to focus on doing what is right. Verses 3 and 4 of our Bible Reading today say, “So trust the Lord and do good. Live on your land and be dependable. Enjoy serving the Lord, and he will give you whatever you ask for.” That means if we trust and obey God, He will bless us. How will God bless us? He will give us success and rewards that last forever!
When someone does wrong things to earn success, that success ends when they die. True success happens when we believe in Jesus as our Savior and live for Him. That success goes on forever.
Do you want to be successful? Trust God to lead you every day.
Matthew 1:23 is a quotation from the book of Isaiah. “‘The virgin will be pregnant and will give birth to a son. They will name him Immanuel.’ (Immanuel means ‘God with us.’)”
This verse is talking about God’s Son, Jesus. Jesus came to live on earth. This was God’s way of coming to earth and living with people. Jesus lived here on earth for about 33 years. Then He was killed, arose from the dead and went to live with God.
But before Jesus left this earth, He reminded His followers that He would always be with them. In verse 20, Jesus said, “You can be sure that I will be with you always. I will continue with you until the end of time.”
It is wonderful to know Jesus is with us every day. He is with us through every situation we face. Jesus loves us and shares our joys and sorrows. Thank God that He will be with you every minute of today!
One day someone gave me a big bag of clothes. When I got home, I couldn’t wait to open the bag and look at the clothes.
As I looked through the clothes, I saw a really cute shirt. I planned to wear it the next day. After I put the shirt on the next morning, I noticed a small symbol on it. I knew this was something my parents would not let me wear.
But I really wanted to wear that shirt! I kept saying to myself, “Should I wear it? Maybe my parents won’t even notice!” Finally I decided to ask my dad. He said that I should not wear the shirt.
At first, I was upset. Then I realized that I had done the right thing. I knew that God would be pleased with me. Verse 31 of our Bible Reading today reminds us that we should do everything for God’s glory.
I hope you will choose to obey God and do right things today.
In our Bible Reading today, God told Abram to leave his country and travel to a new place. Abram did not know where the new place was. But God said He would bless Abram and make his name famous.
Abram had great faith. He believed that God would keep His promise. So Abram took his family and his possessions and set out for the new land.
When I read this story, I remember that I need to be like Abram. I need to pay attention to God and obey His commands. Abram’s life changed a lot when he decided to obey God. Since the day I was baptized, my life has not been the same. I try every day to obey God’s command to go into the world and tell people about Him.
God wants you to obey Him today. Be a person who brings light into the dark world of sin. Share the Good News with people who need to know Jesus.
Today we will continue to talk about the time Jesus was at the temple. The religious teachers were amazed at how much Jesus knew. “Everyone who heard him was amazed at his understanding and wise answers” (verse 47).
Jesus said it was important for Him to “be where my Father’s work is” (verse 49b). His words make me wonder what is important to us. What do we do with our time? How much time do we spend learning about God? If it is important for us to learn about God, we need to make it a priority in our lives.
People who are learning how to be a doctor or a lawyer spend many years studying. If God and His Word are important to us, we need to spend time reading the Bible. We can read the Bible alone or join in a group Bible study.
What is important in your life today? How much time will you spend learning about God?
When I was a child, our church had Vacation Bible School (VBS) during the summer. For two weeks, I had classes in the morning where I learned about God and Jesus. I liked going to VBS. Sometimes we made a craft item. We also had workbooks and sang lots of happy songs.
Our Bible Reading today tells us that when Jesus was twelve years old, He sat in the temple with the religious teachers, “listening and asking them questions” (verse 46). This is a good example for us. We need to learn more about God and Jesus — no matter how old we are.
As I get older, I learn more about God and Jesus every time I read the Bible. The more I study and learn, the more I love them. I also become more aware of how God works in the world.
I hope that you will continue to learn more about God and Jesus every day. Then you can share what you have learned with people who do not know about Jesus.
A farmer is very careful when he plants a vine. He makes sure that the soil has enough water. The farmer protects the small vine from wind and storms. And he trims the branches on the vine so that they will grow strong.
In our Bible verses today, Jesus compared Himself to a vine. And He said that people who follow Him are the branches connected to the vine. “If you stay joined to me, and I to you, you will produce plenty of fruit. But separated from me, you won’t be able to do anything” (verse 5b).
If a tree branch is connected to a tree, it will stay strong and make fruit. But if the wind blows it down, it will die. In the same way, when we stay connected to Jesus, we will be able to grow and bring others to Him. But if we do not stay connected to Jesus, we will die spiritually.
Stay connected to Jesus today. Read the Bible and learn more about Him. Then share the Good News about salvation with everyone you meet.
Our Bible verses tell us that some men came to Jesus with a man who was paralyzed. The men tried to take the man to Jesus, but “there were so many people that they could not find a way to Jesus. So they went up on the roof and lowered the crippled man down through a hole in the ceiling” (verse 19a).
First, Jesus said to the man, “Friend, your sins are forgiven” (verse 20b). Then Jesus told the man, “I tell you, stand up! Take your mat and go home” (verse 24b).
The man immediately stood up, picked up his mat and walked home. What else did the man do? Verse 25 says that he praised God. All the people were amazed, and they praised God, too.
You should be like the crippled man. Think about what God has done for you today. Has God given you food and a place to live? Praise Him! Has God given you strength and comfort? Praise Him! Has God given you salvation through Jesus? Praise Him! When you praise God, others will praise Him, too.
Every season of the year has some special smells. It is spring now. In the spring, I love the smell of lilac bushes. In summer, I enjoy smelling freshly-cut grass. The bonfires of fall are a welcome smell for me, and I like the scent of evergreen and pine trees in the winter.
Maybe you have been in a room with someone who was wearing a very nice perfume. The smell of the perfume filled the whole room. In verse 14b of our Bible Reading today, Paul says that the Good News about Jesus is a “sweet-smelling perfume” that Christians spread everywhere. When other people are with us, they should see that we are Christians and want to follow Jesus, too.
So what should you do? Your “offering to God is to be the perfume of Christ that goes out to those who are being saved and to those who are being lost” (verse 15a). Tell someone about Jesus’ plan of salvation today and help them receive new life in Him.
Proverbs 3:5 says, “Trust the Lord completely, and don’t depend on your own knowledge.” It is good for us to remember these words, especially when we are facing difficult situations.
What does it mean to trust God completely? Jesus explained this in our Bible Reading for today. He said, “Whoever hears these teachings of mine and obeys them is like a wise man who built his house on a rock. It rained hard, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against the house. But it did not fall because it was built on a rock” (verses 24-25).
If we want to trust God completely, we need to build our lives on Jesus. We need to know His Word and obey it. Jesus never changes. He is always the same — yesterday, today and tomorrow. When we depend on Jesus, the problems we face in life will not defeat us.
Don’t depend on yourself today. Trust in God completely
A year ago, I had surgery to remove a tumor. Then I fell down and broke my hip. Soon after that, I lost my sense of taste and my fingers became numb.
During all these bad things, I felt peaceful. I was at peace because people were praying for me, and I knew God was with me. This whole experience made me think about other people and their problems. I began to listen to people talk about their bad times. I encouraged them and helped them work through their problems. I was able to help people, and in turn, these people helped me.
Helping people is one way we can save treasures in heaven. That’s what Jesus was talking about in our verses for today. He said, “Do not save treasures for yourselves here on earth…Instead, save your treasures in heaven, where they cannot be destroyed by moths or rust and where thieves cannot break in and steal them” (verses 19-20).
Do you want to save treasures in heaven? Look for ways today to help other people.
Our Bible verses tell us that Jesus went to the temple to teach. Some Jewish leaders brought a woman to Jesus. This woman had been “caught in bed with a man who was not her husband” (verse 3b). The Jewish law said that this woman should be stoned to death. But the leaders did not care about the Jewish law. “They were saying this to trick Jesus. They wanted to catch him saying something wrong so they could have a charge against him” (verse 6a).
Then Jesus did something strange. He started writing on the ground with His finger. We do not know what Jesus wrote. Finally Jesus stood up and said, “Anyone here who has never sinned should throw the first stone at her” (verse 7). The men walked away. Why? Because they all knew that they were sinners, too.
In this story, Jesus gave us a wonderful example of compassion. Instead of condemning people, we should love them and help them find salvation through Jesus. Show compassion to people you meet today.
John, chapter 4, tells us about a woman from Samaria who met Jesus. Most Jews would think it was strange for Jesus to have a conversation with this woman. First, she was a Samaritan, and most Jews did not associate with Samaritans. Second, she was a woman. And third, she was a sinful woman.
But Jesus did not condemn this woman. Instead, He accepted her as she was. Jesus shared with her about God’s plan of salvation. The woman believed that Jesus was God’s Son, and she told many people about Him.
All people need to feel accepted by someone. Maybe there is a person or group of people who will not associate with you. Even when people refuse to accept us, we can know that Jesus is always willing to forgive us and help us become God’s child.
Are you feeling alone today? Do you need someone to accept you and love you? Turn to Jesus. He will forgive you and fill you with His peace.
Our Bible Reading tells us that Jesus met a woman who had been crippled for 18 years. “Her back was always bent; she could not stand up straight” (verse 11b). Jesus laid His hands on the woman, and she was able to stand up straight.
Jesus healed this woman on the Sabbath day. This was a day of rest and worship for the Jews. Some of the Jews criticized Jesus because He had healed the woman on the Sabbath. Jesus answered these leaders by saying (verse 16b), “Surely it is not wrong for her to be made free from her sickness on a Sabbath day!”
When I first read this Bible story, I was living with arthritis throughout my body. I understood how the woman must have felt. This made me realize that God is with me when I am in pain, too. And I also realized that someday I will be free from my pain and live forever with Him.
No matter what you are facing today — pain, sickness, family problems — God will give you hope and comfort.
Today’s Bible verses are a sad story with a happy ending. While Jesus was traveling, He saw “some people carrying a dead body. It was the only son of a woman who was a widow” (verse 12b).
This was a terrible situation for the widow. First, her husband died, and now her son died, too. This woman did not have anyone to support her or take care of her. Jesus felt sorry for the woman and told her not to cry. Then in verse 14 Jesus said, “Young man, I tell you, get up!” The boy was alive again. He sat up and started talking.
When my husband died suddenly, I did not know how I would live. I asked God to help me. Soon many people brought me money and food and helped me with paperwork and things that needed to be done around my house.
Just like the widow, I was so thankful for God’s help and protection. No matter what you are facing today, you can turn to God. He will always love you and help you!
At first, God’s plan of salvation was only for the Jews. Most Jews hated the Gentiles, people who were not Jews. But in our Bible Reading today, Jesus helped a Gentile woman.
As Jesus was traveling, a woman from Canaan came to Him. She said, “My daughter has a demon inside her and she is suffering very much” (verse 22b). At first, Jesus did not answer her. Jesus said, “God sent me only to the lost people of Israel” (verse 24b).
Then the woman bowed down to Jesus and said (verse 25b), “Lord, help me!” Again Jesus told the woman that He came to help and save the Jews. But the woman reminded Jesus that He was her master, too. Jesus told the woman that she had great faith. Then He healed her daughter.
Jesus responded to the woman’s humility and faith. When we are humble and show our true faith, God will work through us and answer our prayers.
When Jesus lived on earth, women did not have much value. So it is interesting that there are stories in the New Testament about Jesus helping women. Starting today, we will look at some of those stories.
In our Bible Reading, we learn that a woman came to Jesus. She “had been bleeding for twelve years” (verse 43a). Because of this, she was unclean according to Jewish law. This woman came behind Jesus and touched the bottom of his coat.
Then two things happened. First, the woman’s bleeding stopped — she was healed! Second, Jesus knew that someone had touched Him and been healed. Jesus said, “Someone touched me. I felt power go out from me” (verse 46b). Jesus told the woman that she was healed because she believed.
When we pray and ask for help, we should have faith that God will take care of us. He always knows what is best for us, and He will do what is right. Have faith as you pray today.
When I was young, my family and I traveled from southern Pennsylvania to visit my grandmother in Illinois for Christmas. After Christmas, we began the long journey home. We arrived back in Pennsylvania after it was dark. We were on the Pennsylvania Turnpike in the mountains, and it began to snow. The speed limit signs changed to warn us to only drive 35 miles per hour.
As my father was driving through the snow, I began to worry. My mother sensed my fear and said, “Don’t worry. Your father is a good driver.” I knew that my father was a good driver, but I needed my mother to comfort and encourage me.
Our Bible verses today tell us to give our worries to God. We can know that He is in control of our lives and that He will help us take care of our worries.
Do you have worries today? Give them all to God. He will give you peace and comfort.
A widow and a man met at my church and got engaged. They asked me to give the message at their wedding. They said most of the people at the wedding would be Christian relatives and friends. So I prepared a Christian marriage sermon. But I also prepared a second message that included an explanation of God’s plan of salvation.
When I arrived at the wedding, I saw many people I did not know. The man told me that several non-Christian relatives and friends decided to come. I was so happy that I was prepared so I could share the Good News about Jesus with these people.
Our Bible Reading today is the familiar story about David facing the giant, Goliath. David knew that God would be with him and help him. But David still gathered five stones to use against Goliath.
Remember to always be prepared to share the Gospel with other people. God will help you and bless you.
When Jesus lived on earth, He was always very busy. Our Bible verses today tell us that Jesus taught people about God, healed sick people and forced demons out of people. Other Bible verses tell us that Jesus stopped storms, fed large groups of people and raised people from the dead.
But there was one other important thing that Jesus did. He always took time to pray. Verse 35 tells us, “The next morning Jesus woke up very early. He left the house while it was still dark and went to a place where he could be alone and pray.”
It is fine to pray when other people are around, but sometimes it is good to just be alone with God. That’s what Jesus did.
If you don’t have a special quiet place, you might want to find one. It can be in your bedroom, outside in your yard or in a park. Find a place where you can be alone and share a time of prayer with God.
Last year right before Christmas, I went to the post office to buy stamps so I could mail some letters. When I arrived at the post office, I saw a large sign on the door and another sign inside the building. These signs said that there were no stamps in the post office. The post office had other things to sell — boxes, tape, money orders — but no stamps. I couldn’t imagine a post office that didn’t sell stamps!
This experience reminded me of what happens to some Christians. They go to church, do good things, read the Bible and even memorize some verses. But something is missing in their lives. What is missing is the Holy Spirit and His power.
Our Bible verses today encourage us to be filled with the Holy Spirit. When we are filled with God’s Spirit, we will do what God wants us to do. We will encourage other Christians and sing and praise God.
Allow God to fill you with His Spirit. Then live for Him every day.
Many people in our world live at a very fast pace. They are always busy. These people work and play and never rest. They forget that eventually they will burn out. When that happens, these people may become very tired or sick.
Jesus is our source of rest. Verse 28 of our Bible Reading says, “Come to me all of you who are tired from the heavy burden you have been forced to carry. I will give you rest.”
Jesus wants His followers to have both physical and spiritual rest. When we rest physically, our bodies become stronger. When we rest spiritually, we allow Jesus to accept our burdens and help us. Often Jesus withdrew from His ministry and went to a place where He could be alone and pray to God. That is a good example for us.
I encourage you to rest in Jesus today. Find a quiet place where there is no TV, Internet or electronic devices to distract you. Share your burdens with Jesus, and allow Him to give you rest.
What happens when a light bulb in your house burns out? You can say, “I won’t replace that bulb. It is only one little light.” Or, you can put in a new bulb so you can have light again.
Sometimes we do not think that we can change anything in the world. We may say, “I am nobody special. What difference can I make?” But in our Bible Reading today, Jesus reminds us that we can make a difference in the world.
As Christians, we can be lights that shine in the dark world of sin. Verse 16 says, “In the same way, you should be a light for other people. Live so that they will see the good things you do and praise your Father in heaven.” When we follow and obey Jesus, we are bright lights for people who do not know Him.
You can be a light for Jesus today. Do good things and serve other people. And don’t forget to tell everyone you meet about Jesus and His wonderful gift of salvation.
My husband and I moved to a new house. When our Internet service was connected, my husband set up my computer. I filled the shelves with my Bibles, books and files. I sat down to write a devotion. Then I realized that I did not have the data sticks where I store information from my computer. I searched, but I could not find them. I became frustrated and worried.
Jesus told an important story in our Bible verses today. These verses tell about a woman who lost something, too. This woman had ten coins, and she lost one. What did she do? “She will take a light and clean the house. She will look carefully for the coin until she finds it” (verse 8). I was worried, but I decided to keep looking and trust God to help me find the sticks. The next morning I remembered where I had put them.
I know that I can trust God to help me — with both the big things and small things in my life. Depend on Him today. God will never fail you!
When you water a plant, you should pour the water slowly. Why? Because the soil needs time to absorb the water. If you pour the water too fast, it may run out the bottom of the pot. It is best for the plant to water it slowly.
Sometimes we may think, “Why does God allow bad things to happen? Or why doesn’t God fix all the bad things in the world right now?” Our Bible Reading today reminds us about God’s great wisdom. Verse 25 tells us, “Even the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom. Even the weakness of God is stronger than human strength.”
We may not understand why God does the things He does. We just need to trust His great wisdom. God knows that often He needs to move slowly in our lives so we can learn to accept His decisions and plans. Everything God does is timed perfectly to help us grow.
Trust God and His plan for your life today!
A little child understands love. Even before he can talk or sign, a child feels his parents’ love and accepts it. A child does not need to understand why his parents love him. He just needs to feel their love.
Our Bible verses today give us a simple lesson from Jesus. In verse 3, He said, “The truth is, you must change your thinking and become like little children. If you don’t do this, you will never enter God’s kingdom.” This does not mean that we need to act like children. It means that we should have a child-like faith. We should love and follow God and His Word, the Bible.
This lesson from Jesus is so simple that many people refuse to believe it. These people think that they need to understand everything about God. But we cannot completely understand God. So, we need to have faith and be willing to receive God’s love and goodness.
Be humble today. Accept God’s love and salvation through Jesus.
Prayer is a wonderful gift from God. We can pray to Him anywhere or any time. When we pray, we can praise and thank God. And, we can ask God to bless other people and to bless us, too.
Our Bible verses tell us about a man named Jabez. He was a very good man. We don’t know much about Jabez, but we do know that he prayed and God blessed him. Verse 10 says, “Jabez prayed to the God of Israel and said, ‘I pray that you would bless me and give me more land! Be near me and don’t let anyone hurt me! Then I will not have any pain.’ God gave Jabez what he asked for.”
Sometimes when we pray, we ask God for things. God may give us those things right away or in the future. Or, God may not give us those things at all. God knows what is right for us, and He will always give us what is best.
Thank God today that He has given you the wonderful gift of prayer
In February of 2012 my wife and I were in a church meeting. We were discussing supporting mission organizations in other countries. Someone mentioned a deaf orphanage in Kenya. My wife and I were interested in this. Later that year, we were part of a mission team that went to work at a deaf orphanage in Kenya.
Our experience in Kenya was awesome! We worked with 14 deaf orphans. We could not understand their language, but they were thrilled to have us play with them and teach them. These orphans just wanted people to love them.
Verse 27 of our Bible Reading tells us, “The worship that God wants is this: caring for orphans or widows who need help and keeping yourself free from the world’s evil influence. This is the kind of worship that God accepts as pure and good.”
Do you want to truly worship God? Then look for ways to serve and help other people.
I am a deaf man from the country of Chad. I am now a student living in Cameroon. I am part of a church for deaf people. There are hearing people in the church, too.
One day a hearing woman gave birth to a baby girl. Later the woman found out that her daughter was deaf. This woman was very upset. She blamed God that her daughter was deaf. After that, the woman did not pray or come to church any more.
Verse 17a of our Bible Reading today says, “Everything good comes from God. Every perfect gift is from him. These good gifts come down from the Father who made all the lights in the sky.” Everything that is good is from God, but God does allow bad things to happen to us. These bad things happen because our world is not perfect. Because of sin, there is sickness, suffering and death in the world.
Remember that only good things come from God. Don’t blame God for the bad things that happen to you. Instead, praise and thank Him. Then let God use you to show good to other people.
The other day I made myself a sandwich. I ate a few bites of the sandwich and then the phone rang. The call was for my husband, so I went outside to get him. When I came back to the table, the top of my sandwich was gone!
What happened to my sandwich? Our one-year-old puppy was in her kennel, and I did not know that the door of her kennel was open. While I was gone, she came out and ate my sandwich. I learned that I always need to be careful and make sure that her kennel is shut.
Our Bible verses today remind us that we need to be careful. Why? Because the devil is always looking for ways to tempt us to sin. If we are not paying attention to God’s Word, we may not realize that the devil is tempting us. Then we will disobey God.
Peter says we should “refuse to follow the devil. Stand strong in your faith” (verse 9a). I hope you will be careful today. Pay attention to Peter’s words when you are tempted to sin.
Imagine that it is your birthday. Many people are invited to your party. Decorations are hung and food is prepared. The people come to your birthday party, but no one pays attention to you. That would be very strange!
That’s exactly what happened when Jesus came to live on earth. Verses 10b-11a of our Bible Reading say, “The world was made through him, but the world did not know him. He came to the world that was his own. And his own people did not accept him.” It is sad to think that Jesus, who made the world, was rejected by His own people.
Maybe some people were jealous of Jesus. Or maybe they just didn’t want to accept Him as God’s Son. Jesus deserves our honor and obedience. He is the One who loves us and died for us.
What do you think about Jesus? Is He just another good man? Or is Jesus the only true Son of God?
Our Bible Reading tells the same story that we read yesterday from the book of Mark. Today I would like to focus on verse 58. “Jesus did not do many miracles there, because the people did not believe in him.”
The people in Nazareth were not willing to accept Jesus as God’s Son. They did not believe what Jesus said. These people were not willing to let God work in their lives. Because the people did not have faith in Jesus, He only did a few miracles there.
Often we are like these unbelieving Jews. Maybe things are not going well, and we think that God is not helping us. We ignore things we read in the Bible and stop communicating with God. And we begin to doubt that He can do wonderful things in our lives.
Do you want God to bless you and use you to make His kingdom grow? Trust Jesus and His words in the Bible. Then share your faith with other people so they can know Jesus, too.
Our Bible verses today tell us that Jesus went to His hometown of Nazareth. The people there did not believe that He was the Messiah or their Savior. They only saw Him as a boy who had grown up in Nazareth.
Isaiah, chapter 53, is a prophecy about God’s Son. This prophecy said that people would reject Jesus and that He would suffer and die. Many Jews thought that God’s Son would come to earth and reign as a king. They did not think He would be a servant and a person who suffered.
Sometimes today people have wrong ideas about Jesus. Maybe they accept some of Jesus’ miracles but refuse to believe in His resurrection. Or they think that Jesus was only a man and not the Son of God.
Be sure that you understand who Jesus really is. Read the Bible and learn about Him. Then believe in Jesus as Savior and Lord of your life.
We have been talking about resurrection and other things that seem impossible to us. When these things happen, people are amazed.
But the most amazing thing is yet to come. Some day Jesus will come back and take His followers to live with Him forever. Those Christians who have died will be resurrected. All Christians will have a new life and never die again.
In our Bible Reading today, Jesus was talking to a large group of people. He called Himself the “bread that gives life” (verse 35b). Then Jesus said that it was God’s will that He come to earth. Finally, Jesus said, “Everyone who sees the Son and believes in him has eternal life. I will raise them up on the last day. This is what my Father wants” (verse 40).
God wants every person in the world to follow and obey Him. He wants all people to have the opportunity to be part of the resurrection. Praise God today for His promise of eternal life.
Yesterday we talked about Jairus’ daughter. The people in the room with the little girl thought that it was impossible for her to be alive again. But Jesus raised her from the dead!
The Bible is full of things that people thought were impossible. Abraham and Sarah did not think it was possible for them to have a child, but their son, Isaac, was born when Abraham was 100 years old. Gideon and the Israelite army did not think it was possible to defeat the Midianites, but God made it happen.
In our Bible Reading today, Jesus told his followers, “God can do things that are not possible for people to do” (verse 27b). Many people think that it is impossible for one man to die and accept the punishment for billions of people. But Jesus did that when He died on the cross.
Let God use you in His kingdom today. He can do great things through you!
Our Bible Reading today is a combination of the verses from the past two days. If you read these verses again, you may notice that Jesus did not see things the same way as other people.
The people who were with Jairus’ daughter said that she was dead. But what did Jesus say? “This child is not dead. She is only sleeping” (verse 39b). Jesus knew that He was God’s Son. In John 11:25a, Jesus said, “I am the resurrection. I am life.” Jesus knew that He could bring Jairus’ daughter back to life.
When we have problems or worries in our lives, we may only see the problems. But Jesus sees that these problems are a way for us to grow and learn. We may only see things to worry about. But Jesus sees opportunities for us to trust Him more.
Try to see things today as Jesus does. As you go through the day, don’t just see problems and hard times. Instead, look for ways to grow and trust Jesus more.
Yesterday we read about Jairus and his daughter. Our Bible verses today tell us the rest of this story.
Jesus was on His way to Jairus’ house. Some men came to tell Jairus that his daughter was dead. Imagine how Jairus felt! First, he was sad because his daughter was sick. Then, he was happy because Jesus said He would heal her. And now he was sad again because his daughter had died. What did Jesus say to Jairus? “Don’t be afraid; just believe” (verse 36b).
Sometimes we feel like Jairus. We are afraid about some situation in our life. We decide that our situation is too bad and Jesus can’t take care of us. We need to remember that Jesus’ words are for us, too. We don’t need to be afraid. We can trust Him.
Jairus believed in Jesus, and He raised his daughter from the dead. Jesus will help us, too. We just need to believe that He is truly God’s Son.
Everywhere that Jesus went, He brought hope to people — people who were sick, lonely, poor or without a Savior.
Our Bible Reading today tells us about Jairus. He was a ruler in the place where the Jews met to pray and discuss God’s Word. Jairus’ daughter was dying. There was nothing Jairus could do to help his daughter. He was without hope.
Then Jairus saw Jesus. He said to Jesus, “Please come and lay your hands on her. Then she will be healed and will live” (verse 23b). Jairus had probably heard about Jesus healing sick people. Now, Jairus hoped that Jesus would heal his daughter.
Jesus is our hope, too. He fills us with His love, joy and peace. Through His death and resurrection, He gives us the hope of eternal life with Him. Thank God for the hope you have through Jesus, and share this hope with other people today.
We all want to have happy families. But sometimes family members can be selfish and only care about themselves. Maybe a son or daughter runs away from home. The parents love their child and wonder what has happened to him.
That’s what happened in our Bible Reading today. The father had two sons. The younger son was foolish. He asked his father for money and left home. But the son soon lost his money and his friends. He decided to go home. Verse 20a says, “So he left and went to his father.” Meanwhile, the father had been waiting for his son to come home. He was always watching to see if his son would return.
Sometimes we are like that rebellious son. We wander away from God. But God is always waiting for us to repent and return to Him. God is willing to forgive us and keep us close to Him.
Have you wandered away from God? Repent of your sins and return to Him today!
Our Bible Reading tells us that Jesus and His followers were in a boat on the lake. “A very bad wind came up on the lake. The waves were coming over the sides and into the boat, and it was almost full of water” (verse 37).
Where was Jesus when the wind was blowing so hard? “Jesus was inside the boat, sleeping with his head on a pillow” (verse 38a). Jesus’ followers were afraid that they would drown, so they woke Jesus. Then Jesus stood up and commanded the wind and water to be quiet. “Then the wind stopped, and the lake became calm” (verse 39b).
Sometimes we may feel like the disciples in the boat with Jesus. We are facing troubles, and we feel overwhelmed. Instead of trying to solve our problems alone, we need to trust Jesus to help us.
What troubles are you facing today? Lost your job? Too many bills? Car broken? No matter what troubles you have, you can depend on Jesus. He will help you and give you strength.
Jesus chose twelve men to follow Him. Jesus worked with these men for several years. Three of these men — Peter, James and John — were especially close to Jesus.
In our Bible verses today, we learn more about John. We do not know which of Jesus’ disciples were there when He died on the cross. But verse 26 mentions “the follower he loved very much.” That follower was John. John was there with Jesus when He died. When Jesus saw John, He told John to take care of Mary, His mother.
John may have been the youngest of the twelve disciples, but Jesus respected and loved him. John became a leader in the early church. Later John served Jesus by writing the New Testament books of John, 1 John, 2 John, 3 John and Revelation.
Jesus loved John. And Jesus loves you, too! Be like John and serve Jesus today.
Our Bible Reading today talks about helping other people. In these verses, Jesus told a story about a king and two groups of people. One group of people gave food, water and clothing to people and visited them in prison. The other group did not do those things.
In verse 40, Jesus said, “Then the king will answer, ‘The truth is, anything you did for any of my people here, you also did for me.’” Jesus was saying that when we do nice things for other people, we are really doing those things for Him.
When we help other people, we receive two rewards. First, we feel good after we help someone. That is a temporary reward. Second, we receive an eternal reward. Verse 34b tells us, “Come, my Father has great blessings for you. The kingdom he promised is now yours. It has been prepared for you since the world was made.”
Look for ways to help other people today. When you help them, you will be helping Jesus.
Once I visited the Statue of Liberty. While I was there, I took a picture of the buildings in New York City. Two weeks later, terrorists hit the World Trade Center. When I took the picture, the twin towers were standing strong. But by the time I developed the picture, the towers were gone.
The people who were working in the World Trade Center that day were doing their work as usual. Maybe that morning they said good-bye to their family. They never dreamed that would be the last time they would see each other on earth.
In our Bible verses, Jesus is talking about the time He will come and take His followers to live with Him forever. He said, “So always be ready. You don’t know the day your Lord will come” (verse 42a).
Make sure that you are ready for Jesus to return. Read the Bible, pray and obey His commands. Then you will be ready for Jesus.
In our Bible Reading today, Jesus tells us what Christians need to do. Verse 23b says, “Any of you who want to be my follower must stop thinking about yourself and what you want. You must be willing to carry the cross that is given to you every day for following me.”
So what did Jesus say we need to do? We need to give up the wrong things we are doing. We need to stop being proud. We need to be willing to face the bad things that happen to us because we follow Him.
Verse 24 says, “But you who give up your life for me will save it.” Jesus is saying that if we follow Him, we might have to face death. But that’s okay, because following Him is the most important thing in the world.
Don’t be ashamed of Jesus. Be willing to stand strong even when people are doing bad things to you. Follow Jesus today and every day.
An athlete wins a race after many hours of exercise and running. A violinist plays a concert after many years of practice. A person taking a test chooses the correct answers after much studying. Any victory requires a lot of preparation!
Our Bible Reading today is about two sisters, Mary and Martha. Verse 3 tells us that their brother, Lazarus, was dying. So “Mary and Martha sent someone to tell Jesus, ‘Lord, your dear friend Lazarus is sick.’”
The Bible does not tell us that Mary and Martha complained about Lazarus being sick or felt sorry for themselves. Instead, they asked Jesus to help them. Why? Because they knew that Jesus had the power to help Lazarus.
We need to be like Mary and Martha. We can be prepared to face problems by reading the Bible, praying, and fellowshiping with other Christians. Then when times of crisis happen, we will be ready to trust God to help us have victory over our problems.
When I am driving a car, I have blind spots. These are areas of the road that I cannot see while looking forward or into the mirrors.
In our Bible Reading today, Jesus was talking to some Jewish religious leaders. He called these men “hypocrites” and said that they had blind spots. Jesus said that these men kept themselves clean on the outside, but inside they were dirty. The Pharisees refused to see the wrong things they were doing. They were blind to their own sins.
We must be careful. We must not have blind spots in our Christian lives. We need to study the Bible and know what God wants us to do. We need to find sins in our lives, ask God to forgive us and then try not to do those sins again.
Ask God to help you find the sins in your life today. Then trust Him to forgive you and make you clean.
Verse 1 of our Bible Reading says, “God created the sky and the earth.” Today we will talk about the Hebrew word that is translated “created.”
The word translated “created” means “made out of nothing.” Genesis, chapter 1, tells us all of the wonderful things God created from nothing! Sometimes I go outside at night and look at the stars. I remember that the earth is only a very small part of the universe. I like to think about how wonderful creation really is. But it is hard for me to imagine that God made everything from nothing!
I am excited to experience God’s creation by feeling, seeing, tasting and touching things. I also need faith to believe that God made all these wonderful things.
Even though we may not understand how God created the world, we can praise and thank Him for all the wonderful things He has made for us.
Today we will talk about another Judas. This man is usually called Judas Iscariot. He was known as a thief and a traitor. Judas was the one apostle who did not stay faithful to Jesus.
In our Bible Reading today, Jesus was talking with His apostles right before He was arrested and crucified. In verse 21b Jesus said, “Believe me when I say that one of you will hand me over to my enemies.” Jesus was talking about Judas.
Then Jesus took some bread and dipped it and gave it to Judas. Verse 27 tells us that when <“Judas took the bread, Satan (the devil) entered him. Jesus said to Judas, ‘What you will do — do it quickly!’”
Then Judas went out and betrayed Jesus. He had already planned with the Jewish leaders to turn over Jesus so they could arrest and kill Him. Later Judas hanged himself.
The story of Judas is so sad. He followed God’s Son, but he gave it all up so he could serve the devil. Who will you serve today?
Judas, son of James, is called Thaddaeus in Matthew 10:3. The only other information about him is found in our Bible Reading for today.
Jesus was with the twelve apostles. He was telling them that He must die. The apostles did not understand. They were still expecting Jesus to set up an earthly kingdom. Jesus explained to them that He must die and then be raised from the dead.
Judas asked a question in verse 22, “Lord, how will you make yourself known to us, but not to the world?” Jesus told Judas that only those people who follow Him will live forever with Him. Jesus told the apostles that He would send the Holy Spirit to help them.
We have the promise of the Holy Spirit, too. When we become a Christian, the Holy Spirit comes to live in us and guide us (Acts 2:38). I am so thankful that I have the Holy Spirit. I am thankful that Jesus has prepared a place for me to live with Him forever.
We have already talked about Simon Peter. Today we will talk about another apostle named Simon.
Simon is often called “the Zealot.” A Zealot was a person who was part of a Jewish political party. Zealots wanted to overthrow the government and be free from them.
The Bible does not tell us anything else about Simon. But our Bible verses today show us that Simon continued to meet with the other apostles after Jesus went back to heaven. Verse 14b tells us that Simon was one of the people who was “constantly praying with the same purpose.”
This is a wonderful example of how we should live. We should be praying, like Simon and the other apostles. We should pray for other people. And we should pray that God will give us opportunities to share the Good News about Jesus.
Will you use your time today to pray to God?
The New Testament does not tell us much about James, son of Alphaeus. Some Bible translations call him “James, the less.” This may mean that he was younger than the other apostle named James.
Many people believe James’ mother was Mary, a faithful follower of Jesus. Mary was one of the women standing at the cross when Jesus died. She also saw the empty tomb after Jesus’ resurrection. In Acts 1:13-14 James is listed as one of the apostles meeting in the upstairs room.
Even though James is not mentioned much in the Bible, we do know that he was a faithful follower of Jesus. James was one of the twelve men who were chosen to start God’s church.
Maybe you feel that you are not important in the church. Maybe you think you have no special talents. But don’t forget that God knows you and sees everything you do. He will reward you for your faithfulness.
Thomas was not in the room when Jesus appeared to the apostles after His resurrection. When the other apostles told Thomas that they had seen Jesus, Thomas did not believe it. He wanted to see proof. Thomas said he wouldn’t believe until he could see and touch the nail holes in Jesus’ hands. Because of this, Thomas is often called “doubting Thomas.”
A week later, Thomas saw Jesus. Jesus was not angry with Thomas. He showed Thomas His hands. When Thomas looked at Jesus’ hands, he said (verse 28), “My Lord and my God!”
Thomas’ doubt was changed into belief.
Thomas wanted to know the truth. When he saw Jesus, he believed. Today we cannot see Jesus in person. We cannot touch the nail holes in His hands. But we can read and study the Bible. If we have doubts, we can find answers in God’s Word.
The next apostle we will look at is Matthew. He was also called Levi. Matthew was a tax collector. Tax collectors were usually very greedy. Most of them collected money from the people and kept some for themselves. Tax collectors worked for the Roman government, so most Jews did not like tax collectors.
Our Bible Reading tells us that one day Matthew was collecting taxes. Jesus came to Matthew and asked him to be His follower. So Matthew “left everything, and followed Jesus” (verse 28b).
Matthew was excited to follow Jesus. He had a great dinner to celebrate. Many tax collectors and sinners were at the dinner. Jesus knew that all people needed to love and follow Him.
Your friends need to know about Jesus, too. Take time today to share the Good News about salvation with some of your friends.
When we first started talking about Jesus’ apostles, we read Luke 6:12-16. One apostle in that list was Bartholomew. Most people believe that he is the same person that John calls Nathaniel in today’s Bible reading.
Nathaniel was sitting under a fig tree when Philip told him about Jesus. Maybe that was where Nathaniel sat to study the Old Testament Scriptures. Nathaniel went with Philip to see Jesus.
When Jesus saw Nathaniel, He said, “This man coming is a true Israelite, one you can trust” (verse 47). Nathaniel must have been a man who truly followed God. Then Jesus told Nathaniel, “I saw you when you were under the fig tree, before Philip told you about me” (verse 48). This convinced Nathaniel that Jesus was really God’s Son.
Nathaniel was a good man who followed God. We should be like Nathaniel. We should study God’s Word, the Bible, and then obey it.
We can learn a lot about Philip by reading the book of John. Our Bible Reading is about the first time Philip met Jesus. Jesus said to Philip (verse 43), “Follow me.” Immediately Philip followed Jesus. Later Philip brought his friend, Nathaniel, to Jesus.
John 6:5-11 tells us about another time Philip was with Jesus. Jesus was teaching a large group of people, and it was time to eat. In verse 5, Jesus asked Philip, “Where can we buy enough bread for all these people to eat?” Philip did not know how they could feed so many people. Jesus did a miracle and fed more than 5000 people. Philip learned a great lesson about Jesus that day.
Sometimes we are like Philip. We worry about food or clothes or where we will live. Instead of worrying, we need to depend on God. He will take care of us.
Don’t worry today! Depend on God to help you with your needs and your problems. He loves you and wants to take care of you.
John was the brother of James. John was at the cross when Jesus died. Jesus told John to take care of His mother, Mary. Later John preached to the Jews about Jesus. He also wrote five books in the New Testament.
John was sent away to the island of Patmos. Why? Because he was preaching about Jesus. While John was on the island, God gave him a special message to share. This message is written in the book of Revelation.
God told John what heaven will be like and who will be able to live with Him forever. John must have been excited to learn more about heaven. Our Bible verses today tell us some of the things that John saw.
We should be excited that Jesus will come back someday and take His followers to live with Him. God has wonderful things prepared for Christians who are faithful to Him! Be sure that you continue to follow and obey God every day.
Three apostles were very close to Jesus — Peter, James and John. These three men were able to see and hear special things with Jesus. In Mark 3:17, James and his brother, John, are called “Sons of Thunder.” This may mean that James and John were quick to become angry.
In our Bible verses today, some people in Samaria would not accept Jesus. James and John said (verse 54b), “Lord, do you want us to call fire down from heaven and destroy those people?” Verse 55 says that Jesus criticized James and John for saying that.
At that time, James and John needed to learn about patience and forgiveness. Jesus helped them both change. James and John became bold preachers for Jesus.
Sometimes people make us angry. We should not want to do bad things to those people. We should follow Jesus’ example of forgiveness. Let Jesus control your life and change you today.