Wednesday, February 7, 2024

Wednesday, February 7, 2024
Romans 8:28
And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.

The world is full of mistakes, tragedies, and grief, but it is not without hope. All throughout the Bible you can see God taking terrible situations and bringing abundant good out of them, so that nothing goes to waste. A lineage marred by betrayals, scandals, murders and sin was the very line that Jesus came from. The crucifixion of the perfect Son of God was the most terrible event in human history, and yet three days later, it became the best thing that ever happened to us. The Lord can work all things together for good, even the things that you wish never happened. Put your faith and your life into His hands, and watch Him grow gardens from your battlefields.

Tuesday, February 6, 2024

Tuesday, February 6, 2024
2 Corinthians 7:10
For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death.

When something isn’t as it should be, our hearts groan with grief. Worldly grief is disappointment that our circumstances aren’t right, but the “godly grief” Paul talks about is much deeper. It’s a terrible remorse for your mistakes, and a crushing realization that you are sinful and broken, beyond repair. Godly grief tells you that you are in dire need of a Savior, and this is the first step in coming to Christ. Don’t let your regrets drag you into despair and self-loathing; let them drag you to the feet of Jesus, who didn’t come to this world to condemn you, but to save you.

Monday, February 5, 2024

Monday, February 5, 2024
Philippians 3:13
Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead.

Paul had as much of a right to regret his life choices as anyone. Before Jesus got ahold of his heart, he hunted and persecuted the early followers of Christ, blatantly attacking the Savior that he later came to accept. We can only guess that Paul wrestled with regret, but he did not let it consume him. He recognized that the second chance He’d been given wasn’t earned, it was given to Him by God. Paul couldn’t undo the past, and neither can you, but Christ offers forgiveness and new life. Seize the present moment the way Paul did, forgetting what lies behind, and bravely pushing forward into God’s plan for your life.

Friday, February 2, 2024

Friday, February 2, 2024
Psalm 73:26
My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.

Temptations, fear, hopelessness, jealousy, pride… you and I live out every day with these things tugging on our hearts and flesh. You’ve lost to them many times, there’s no guarantee that you won’t stumble again in the future. The Lord hates sin, and it grieves His heart as it should grieve yours… but your mistakes do not separate you from the love of Christ. If you hate your sin and genuinely repent of it, God will never leave you nor forsake you; instead, He helps you, strengthens you, and molds your heart, if you’ll let Him. Flesh and heart may fail, but Jesus never did, and He never will.

Thursday, February 1, 2024

Thursday, February 1, 2024
1 Peter 2:24
He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.

The gateway by which death came into the world was a tree; the very tree that Adam and Eve ate from, cursing the earth with sin. And yet, from that moment, the Lord had a plan to rescue humanity from the curse. Thousands of years later, the beaten and bloodied Son of God would be nailed to a tree, and His blood would undo everything that sin had accomplished. When Jesus died, He took death down with Him, and when He came back to life, He brought life to us. Put your soul in His hands, ask for forgiveness, and by the wounds of Christ you will be healed; His blood was not spilled for nothing.

Wednesday, January 31, 2024

Wednesday, January 31, 2024
Matthew 11:28
Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

There is a peace and comfort that comes when your life is dedicated to Christ. It’s no longer about trying to measure up, or be good enough, or atone for the sins of your past. You’re no longer alone in the world, trying to solve all your problems by your own power, and wondering if your life has any meaning at all. Trusting Jesus as your Savior means putting your life back into the hands of the One who made you, and relying on Him to be powerful where you are powerless. Come to Him when you are burdened by worry, or heavy-laden with guilt, and the King with a crown of thorns will give you rest.