Matthew 5:10-11

April 7, 2026 by Leave a Comment

“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account.” (‭‭Matthew‬ ‭5‬:‭10‬-‭11‬)

This is another Bible passage that doesn’t feel right. Who wants to be persecuted? Who wants to be reviled and have all kinds of evil uttered against them? Who would sign up for those things?

Yet, Jesus said those who experience those things because of their faithfulness to him are blessed. Interestingly, the Chicago Bulls recently released a recently acquired first-round draft pick because he was critical of the NBA’s promotion of Pride Month. Jaden Ivey’s complaint? He says the league is promoting unrighteousness. And he is correct!

Since his release, he has remained firm that all the fame and money are nothing compared to Christ. As one might imagine, the pressure against him has grown. Yet, he remains steadfast in his position. He is a contemporary example of what Jesus is talking about.

Father, please help me to be so satisfied with you that the affirmation of this world is meaningless in comparison. Amen.

Filed Under: courage, devotional thoughts, discipleship, Faith, fear, Gospels, Jesus Said, Life in Christ, Matthew, New Testament Tagged With:

Matthew 3:7-9

April 5, 2026 by Leave a Comment

“But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bear fruit in keeping with repentance. And do not presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father,’ for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children for Abraham.” (Matthew‬ ‭3‬:‭7‬-‭9‬)

John the Baptist was not “seeker-friendly.” His words are relevanttoday: “And do not presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father,’ for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children for Abraham.’”

John is warning the Pharisees and Sadducees not to depend on their family tree for righteousness. While it is a mercy of God to be raised in a believing family, we must bring our own fruits of repentance. Too many times, I have heard a person mention their grandma’s or parents’ faith when asked about their faith. This is akin to the Pharisees or Sadducees saying, “We are children of Abraham.” We can not stand before the Lord with a basket of someone else’s faith; only ours.

Father, please help me to build my own faith and not depend on the faith of others. Amen.

Filed Under: devotional thoughts, Evangelism, Faith, Gospels, John the Baptist, New Testament Tagged With:

Matthew 1:24-25

April 3, 2026 by Leave a Comment

“When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him: he took his wife, but knew her not until she had given birth to a son. And he called his name Jesus.” (Matthew‬ ‭1‬:‭24‬-‭25‬)

I think Joseph is a great model of faith and obedience. Imagine the shock of being told that your betrothed is pregnant, and you know that you are not the father. Now, imagine that you are told that the Holy Spirit is the father of the child.

Without divine revelation, the latter is impossible to believe. Joseph responded naturally by resolving to divorce Mary. However, as he was considering these things, he received divine revelation. The angel of the Lord appeared and told him not to be afraid to take Mary as his wife because she was, in fact, pregnant by the Holy Spirit. The angel of the Lord reminded (or informed) Joseph of Isaiah 7:14, “‘Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel’ (which means, God with us).”

And when Joseph woke up, he was faithfully obedient to the revelation he had received. And, not only did he keep Mary as his wife, he kept her a virgin until after this child, Jesus, was born.

Father, please help me to faithfully receive and obey the revelation that you have given me. Amen.

Filed Under: devotional thoughts, Faith, God's Word, Gospels, Holy Spirit, Jesus Said, John, New Testament Tagged With:

John 21:19

April 2, 2026 by Leave a Comment

“(This he said to show by what kind of death he was to glorify God.) And after saying this, he said to him, ‘Follow me.’” (John‬ ‭21‬:‭19‬)

Two things stand out to me in this verse. First, Those who follow Christ closely may experience martyrdom. Since Peter walked closely with Jesus, his denials notwithstanding, many may expect that Peter would be exempt from experiencing bad things in life. Among many others, this verse demonstrates the error of such thinking.

Second, believers are required to keep tracking with the Lord if/when they experience hardship. The faulty belief that Christians should not experience hardship often causes people to walk away from Jesus when life gets tough. But, hardship does not offer us such a pass.

We were recently speaking with the mother of a child who had brain cancer in the 3rd or 4th grade. Although she has been declared cancer-free, the cancer and treatments caused a traumatic brain injury. This injury has affected her motor skills and information processing. Her life has been impacted significantly. Yet, her mother said, “She hasn’t lost her belief in God.”

Father, please help me remember that I am not better than Jesus, and I, too, may face difficult circumstances. Help me to remain faithful. Amen.

Filed Under: devotional thoughts, Faith, heart matters, Jesus Said, John, New Testament, Suffering

John 9:2-3

March 21, 2026 by Leave a Comment

“And his disciples asked him, ‘Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?’ Jesus answered, ‘It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him.’” (John‬ ‭9‬:‭2‬-‭3‬)

For so many reasons, this is one of my favorite stories in the Bible. Today, my focus is on the meaning of suffering. In general, we see suffering as a bad thing, and no one wants to suffer.

In this story of the man born blind, we recognize, to some degree, the hardships that his blindness would bring…to the man. However, I think most readers never think about the broader effects beyond the man. His circumstances surely affected his immediate family. Extra time and attention are just some of the broader effects of his blindness. Many family decisions must surely have taken into account his circumstances.

The broader implications of his blindness are where my thoughts go in this story. Not because I don’t care or want to minimize the man’s personal suffering. Rather, I think a broader consideration of the suffering adds weight to what Jesus said.

Here’s the setup: Upon seeing a man born blind, his disciples asked Jesus why he was born this way. Misunderstanding the situation, they offered Jesus the option of blaming him or his parents for the blindness. Jesus chose neither A nor B.

John writes in verse 3, “Jesus answered, ‘It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him.’” Did you catch Jesus’ explanation of why he was born blind? That the works of God might be displayed in him! What? All of the years of blindness-related challenges he and his family experienced so that the works of God might be displayed in him? In other words, God appointed this man’s suffering for God’s glory. That hits hard for those who seek to avoid every hardship in life. And for those who have a very narrow and finite view of God.

This matter of suffering is often the stated reason people deconstruct or abandon their evangelical faith. The existence of suffering just doesn’t square with their view of God. Incredulously, they (we) demand to know, “How could or why would God use suffering for His glory?” Let’s not forget that the Father appointed that His own Son would endure immeasurable suffering for our good and His glory.

This is not to suggest we should attempt to increase human suffering rather than reduce it. We should see any relief in suffering as God’s grace and a foretaste of glory where all tears will be wiped away, and all things will be made right (Revelation 21). We should also seek to recognize God’s glory in all circumstances (1 Thessalonians 5:18), which might be demonstrated exactly in how well we suffer, hoping in the promise of God. We might also recognize God’s glory through God’s servants who selflessly minister to those who suffer.

The world is broken, but let’s not let its brokenness turn our hearts away from God. Rather, in the midst of brokenness, let’s look for His glory being displayed.

Father, help me to suffer well and to effectively encourage those who are suffering…for my good and your glory. Amen.

Filed Under: devotional thoughts, Faith, Jesus Said, John, New Testament, Suffering, Supremacy of God
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