Devotion Archive
-
Devotion for January 20, 2021
“He taught them many things by parables, and in his teaching said: ‘Listen! …’” (Mark 4:2-3) Our lives are filled with distractions, and often we like it that way. Many of us also like background or white noise that can help to distract us from distractions! With all the noise that fills our environments, it…
-
Devotion for January 19, 2021
“He appointed twelve that they might be with him and that he might send them out to preach and to have authority to drive out demons.” (Mark 3:14) It is understandable that large crowds followed Jesus with enthusiasm. He had healed many, and word had gotten around. Jesus had come to call followers, but he…
-
Devotion for January 18, 2021
“However, to the man who does not work but trusts God who justifies the wicked, his faith is credited as righteousness.” (Romans 4:5) There are only two ways you can become “righteous”. The first is through trying, and the second is through trusting. When you try to earn God’s approval by your performance, you can…
-
Devotion for January 17, 2021
“God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” (2 Corinthians 5:21) Here’s an amazing and life-changing truth. The God who made His sinless Son to “be sin” takes unrighteous people like us and makes them “righteous”. How does it happen?…
-
Devotion for January 16, 2021
“Jesus said to the man with the shriveled hand, ‘Stand up in front of everyone.’” (Mark 3:3) When you don’t use a muscle for some time, it weakens. Something had happened to this man’s hand so that he could not use it, and it had become virtually useless to him. For all practical purposes, the…
-
Devotion for January 15, 2021
“If you are willing and obedient, you will eat the best from the land.” (Isaiah 1:19) In the eleventh century, King Henry III of Bavaria became tired of his responsibilities as king, the pressures of international politics, and the mundane worldliness of court life. He made an application to Prior Richard at a local monastery…
-
Devotion for January 14, 2021
“Many tax collectors and sinners were eating with him and his disciples, for there were many who followed him.” (Mark 2:15) Tax collectors in those days were often despised because they overcharged people and kept some of the tax money for themselves. As a result, many tax collectors grew rich at the expense of others.…
-
Devotion for January 13, 2021
“A man with leprosy came to him and begged him on his knees, ‘If you are willing, you can make me clean.’” (Mark 1:40) During a pandemic, such as we are presently in, people are desperate for a cure and vaccines, and we praise the research being done to achieve those results. These take care…
-
Devotion for January 12, 2021
“A voice came from heaven: ‘You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.’” (Mark 1:11) We might think that the world-changing and history-making beginning of Jesus’ ministry would begin with a major announcement. We might expect that this would come out as a big deal — like when a nation’s…