Today’s reading is John 9:1-10:42.

“My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand” (John 10:27-29).

I’ve spent so much of my time trying to explain what this passage doesn’t mean that I’ve often lost the great comfort it does mean. If I’m one of Christ’s sheep, hearing His voice, and following Him, I can’t be lost. I won’t stray. No one can snatch me out of His hand.

I don’t have to fear that somehow Satan is going to pull a fast one on me, trick me right at the end, get me out of Christ’s hand, then kill me. I’m a sheep of the great Shepherd. He is protecting me.

Of course, I’m not saying I’m perfect right now and nothing will keep me from being perfect. Rather, I’m saying that I’m growing in Christ and I don’t have to fear that Satan is going to stop that as long as I continue to follow the Shepherd. I don’t have to live in fear today that somehow Satan is veiling something from me or that somehow the people around me will keep me out of the fold. I can trust in the Good Shepherd who so wanted to save me that He laid down His life for me. I can put my eternal life in His hands. Where He leads is the way to go. I’ll just follow Him.

Today, I need to simply follow the Shepherd’s lead. I can’t possibly be lost if I do that.

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC

PS. What struck you in today’s reading?

Today’s reading is 1 Timothy 4:1-5:25.

“For to this end we toil and strive, because we have our hope set on the living God, who is the Savior of all people, especially those who believe” (1 Timothy 4:10).

Why can I strive and toil today? Because my hope isn’t based on my striving and toiling. If it was, I’d be in trouble. But, my hope is set on the living God. He is the Savior of all who will be saved. He has the ability to save. He has the love to save. He has the plan to save. He wants to save me. He will save those who believe.

Because he is worthy of my hope, I can do my part today by striving and toiling for Him. I know that through His power, my striving and toiling will actually accomplish something. I know that He will accomplish something in me and through me.

Today, I want to focus on godliness, reverence toward God, because I know by God’s power it will actually be helpful to my eternity.

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC

PS. What struck you in today’s reading?

Today’s reading is Hebrews 7:1-8:13.

“Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them” (Hebrews 7:25).

Jesus didn’t have to sacrifice for His own sins. He was perfect. Therefore, His sacrifice can save me. I need to remember that. Sometimes I get so distracted by my own weaknesses and sins I get to thinking that Jesus can’t help me. I’m too bad. But the Hebrew writer reminds me that Jesus can save even me to the uttermost.

So what is my responsibility? I need to draw near to God through Jesus. Today, instead of trying to demonstrate I’m worthy of saving because I’m so good, I want to work on drawing near to God through Jesus.

What do you do to draw near to God through Jesus?

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC

PS. What struck you in today’s reading?

Today’s reading is Hebrews 3:1-4:16.

“Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God. But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called ‘today,’ that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin” (Hebrews 3:12-13).

I must take care that I do not fall away from the living God. I must do that. But, I can’t help but see that I don’t have to do it alone. Instead, we must do it together. We must encourage one another. We must exhort one another. We must help one another. Otherwise we will be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.

I need others. I need others to encourage me. I need others to build me up. I need others to exhort me. But, of course, if I will gain this from others, I have to open up to them. Certainly, the general nature of encouragement can be helpful. But I do know I receive a lot more help from those who know what I deal with in specific rather than just the general. I’m so glad I’ve got brothers who know me and still are willing to encourage me.

Thank you, God, for brethren.

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC

PS. What struck you in today’s reading?

Today’s reading is Matthew 27:1-28:20.

“But the angel said to the women, ‘Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here, for he has risen…’” (Matthew 28:5-6).

Is there any greater news on which to base our day? There is an empty tomb outside Jerusalem. No amount of searching is going to find the body of Jesus. Despite the lies of the guards, no one ever produced the body of Jesus. No DNA research will ever find Jesus.

I can live today, because Jesus lives today. I serve a risen Savior, not a dead prophet. I serve a risen Savior, not an imaginary god. I serve a risen Savior, not some mythical concept. I can turn to Jesus for strength and help. I can face today and tomorrow because He lives.

He is risen. Praise God.

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC

PS. What struck you in today’s reading?

Today’s reading is Matthew 25:1-26:75.

“And he also who had the two talents came forward, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me two talents; here I have made two talents more.’ His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. enter into the joy of your master’” (Matthew 25:22-23).

The two talent man is my hero in this story. Obviously, the one talent man bombed. Certainly, the five talent man accomplished more. But the two talent man accomplished real victory. Instead of whining because he didn’t have has much as the five talent man, he just did his work. Instead of cowering in fear because he hadn’t accomplished as much as the five talent man, he just offered his work to God. He didn’t vaunt himself above the one talent man for doing better. He simply did his job.

Who knows where I sit in the spectrum of talents God has granted all his children. Perhaps there are some with less than me. That doesn’t make me better than them. No doubt, there are many with more than me. That doesn’t make them better. This just means we are different. This gives me hope. I don’t have to be better than you today. I only have to use what God has given me to bear fruit for his glory.

Today, I’m going to quit looking around at what everyone else is doing or getting. I’m simply going to look up and see how I can glorify God.

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC

PS. What struck you in today’s reading?

Today’s reading is 2 Corinthians 6:1-7:16.

“…We are treated as impostors, and yet are true; as unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and behold, we live; as punished, and yet not killed; as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, yet possessing everything” (2 Corinthians 6:8-10).

What great contrasts. People accused Paul of being an imposter, belittled him as unknown, threatened him with death and punishment, pitied him as sorrowful, mocked him as poor and having nothing. Yet, in reality he was a true apostle of God; he was well known to God and God’s people; he was alive and not killed; he was full of rejoicing in Christ; he was blessed with spiritual riches and in Christ possessed everything he wanted and needed.

I take comfort in knowing I am not what the world thinks of me. I am not what false brethren think of me. I am not what anyone thinks of me. I am only what God thinks of me. When I am in Christ, God think very much of me. I can take comfort today knowing that the world me see me as poor, powerless, penniless, and pitiful. In Christ I am rich, influential, wealthy, and to be envied. Of course, this is not because of me, but because of Jesus.

I don’t have to be concerned what the world thinks. I’m doing okay for myself because I’m in Jesus Christ.

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC

PS. What struck you in today’s reading?

Today’s reading is 1 Corinthians 8:1-9:27.

“Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it” (1 Corinthians 9:24).

I’ve always read this as a contrast. In a foot race, only one receives the prize. If I want to win an Olympic race, I have to be better than everyone else in the race. However, in the spiritual race with Christ, it is not only one who receives the prize. It is anyone who surrenders to Christ and allows Christ to discipline them to victory.

What a joy. I don’t have to be better than you to win the prize. I don’t have to compete with you. I don’t have to be more spiritual than you to be alright with God. All I have to do is submit to Him. All I have to do is run with the proper aim and submit to God’s discipline. I need to practice what I preach, lest I be disqualified. I don’t have to prove myself better and you worse.

This is a race we can both win. So, instead of me trying to be better than you and vice versa, perhaps we can help each other win the race together. That sounds so much better to me.

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC

PS. What struck you in today’s reading?

Today’s reading is Mark 15:1-16:20.

“And he said to them, ‘Do not be alarmed. you seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen; he is not here. See the place where they laid him’” (Mark 16:6).

What more encouragement do I need today than to know the tomb was empty. Many go on pilgrimages trying to find the tomb. Why? He is not there. How much better to find Jesus and let Him live in my heart than to find a tomb where He no longer resides.

I can serve with faith today because that tomb was and still is empty.

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC

PS. What struck you in today’s reading?

Today’s reading is Mark 13:1-14:72.

“And Jesus said to him, ‘Truly, I tell you, this very night, before the rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times.’ But he said emphatically, ‘If I must die with you, I will not deny you.’ And they all said the same” (Mark 14:30-31).

How many times have I told Jesus I will not commit some sin ever again? How many times have I done it again? But I am not alone. Even Peter, the great apostle, did the exact same thing.

Of course, this doesn’t give me permission to go out sinning today. It simply reminds me that if Peter did this and Jesus accepted Him, providing Him with progressive victory and growth, Jesus will do the same thing for me. I must not revel in my failures. They are not a badge of honor, but a cloak of humility. However, I do not have to linger in despair over them either.

I will still make my commitments to overcome. But, when I falter, I will not turn away from Jesus but turn back to Him. 

Thank you, God, for you grace in Jesus Christ.

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC

PS. What struck you in today’s reading?