Today’s reading is John 3:1-4:54.

“Jesus answered her, ‘If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, “Give me a drink,” you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water’” (John 4:10).

Have I ever asked Jesus to give me living water? Or am I, like the Samaritan woman, so focused on the material and physical day-to-day aspects of life that I can’t think past my own stomach? How many times have I read this passage and gotten into arguments about what the living water really is but missed the all-important point? If I knew the gift of God and who Jesus really is I would ask Him to give me living water and He would do it, “a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”

“Lord Jesus, give me the living water that I might have eternal life.”

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC

PS. What struck you in today’s reading?

Today’s reading is 1 Thessalonians 1:1-2:20.

“…and to wait for his son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come” (1 Thessalonians 1:10).

What an interesting perspective on Jesus and the wrath to come. Most of the time, I think of the wrath to come as something Jesus is going to bring on me because of my sinful actions. But Paul grants us a different perspective. The picture here is not that Jesus brings wrath. Rather, wrath is where I’m heading all on my own. Jesus doesn’t have to bring that wrath, I’m walking headlong into it.

Instead of bringing wrath, Jesus is bringing deliverance from wrath. He is bringing peace, safety, reward. He is not bringing wrath to punish my way, rather, my way just leads to wrath. He is bringing forgiveness so that I don’t have to face the wrath I deserve. He is showing me a new way so I can avoid wrath. Why would I go any way but His, if He is offering that victory and deliverance?

My way is leading to wrath. I think today, I’ll choose Jesus’ way. I’m sure it will work.

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC

Today’s reading is 2 Corinthians 4:1-5:21.

“For we know that if the tent that is our earthly home is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this tent we groan, longing to put on our heavenly dwelling” (2 Corinthians 5:1-2).

So often I’m filled with fear about my physical future. My mom died at 35 because of heart issues. My dad died at 49 because of pancreatic cancer. My father-in-law died at about 60 because of mesothelioma. With that kind of stuff going on around me I can easily begin to think, I’m next. My body can be easily ravaged by disease. Within the past two months, I’ve heard of two young people, children of brethren I know killed in car wrecks. As a friend of mine says, we are only seperated from death by a thin yellow line.

But Paul says I have no need to fear. Why? Because I won’t die? No. Because if this earthly tent is destroyed, I have a much better house prepared for me. No, this isn’t talking about a mansion over the hilltop in heaven (a scripturally suspect idea). This is talking about the body God has prepared for my eternity. I don’t fully understand what it is going to be. But I do get that what I have now is only a tent, but what I’ll have then is a house, a heavenly dwelling.

Sure, there are things that bother me about dying, like no more time with my family. But I look forward to eternity with them. What is there to fear, I have a house to look forward to once this tent is destroyed.

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC

PS. What struck you in today’s reading?

Today’s reading is Mark 7:1-8:38.

“For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel’s will save it” (Mark 8:35).

The depth of scripture is astounding. The layers in one verse amazing.

Those who preserve their physical lives by stepping off of God’s path will lose their eternal lives. Those who so surrender to God even to the point of physical death will be granted eternal life.

Those who want to hang on to their lives by hanging on to their goals, wants, desires, plans, possessions at the expense of God’s goals, wants, desires, plans, possession will lose the life that matters. Those who give up their own ends for God’s will gain an abundant life they cannot imagine.

But today I recognized a third layer. Those who believe they can save themselves by their own strength, power, will, self-discipline, strict adherence, will lose their lives. Only those who understand they cannot save themselves and therefore give control of their life to Jesus (cf. Galatians 2:20) will gain eternal life. As long as I think I will save me by doing God’s will good enough, I will never make it. Once I concede I won’t do God’s will good enough and just give myself to Jesus, then God will grant me the grace, by faith, to overcome and be victorious.

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC

PS. What struck you in today’s reading?

Today’s reading is Philippians 3:1-4:23.

“Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own” (Philippians 3:12).

I’m in good company. I’m not perfect, which means I’m a lot like Paul. This passage provides me some of the most comfort I’ve had in a long, long time. This apostle who claims imperfection is the very same apostle who in Philippians 1:21-23 claimed that death would be better for him because it meant going to be with Jesus. He was going to be resurrected and spend eternity in the presence of His Savior.

WOW! He wasn’t perfect yet. That is, he still sinned. But, he was perfected by Jesus Christ (cf. Hebrews 10:14). But if he died that day, he was convinced he was saved. I’m so glad to hear that. I’m not perfect yet, but I have been perfected by the sacrifice of Jesus. If I die today, I don’t have to fear. I will be saved.

No, this doesn’t mean sitting on my backside. Because Paul knew this, he continued to press on. So will I. But it is sure a comfort to know that my imperfection doesn’t have to scare me anymore. I am free to keep pressing on because my mess ups don’t destroy my salvation.

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC

PS. What struck you in today’s reading?

Today’s reading is Romans 5:1-6:23.

“Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him” (Romans 6:8).

But that is the problem for me, isn’t it? I doubt whether or not I will also live with him. Since I am so wrapped up in how I act and behave and live, even though I died with Him in baptism, I am rarely convinced that I will live with Him. But Paul says I can be convinced. I died with Jesus. I surrendered my life to Him. Yes, I mess up along the way, but I’ve put myself to death and am letting Him live through me. I am going to live with Him eternally.

No, this doesn’t mean I can pursue sin and still have this confidence. But why would anyone think I’m saying that? I don’t want to sin. I came to Jesus to get rid of sin and get out of my sins. That is what He is doing for me. I have died with Him, I can have confidence that I will live with Him.

Today, I’m not going to live in doubt, wondering if I’m going to make it. I’m going to live knowing that I’m going to make it because of Jesus. Praise God!

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC

PS. What struck you in today’s reading?

Today’s reading is Acts 7:1-8:40.

“And the patriarchs, jealous of Joseph, sold him into Egypt; but God was with him and rescued him out of all his afflictions and gave him favor and wisdom before Pharaoh, king of Egypt, who made him ruler over Egypt and over all his household” (Acts 7:9-10).

But that took 13 years (cf. Genesis 37:2; 41:46), over 1/3 of Joseph’s life to that time. Then it was at least another 7 years before seeing his family again. What were those 13 to 20 years like for Joseph? While enslaved did he wonder if God was with him? When his enslavement ended in imprisonment, did he begin to think that maybe God had forgotten him? I don’t know about him, but that is the kind of thinking I do. If my afflictions aren’t resolved in a matter of months, weeks, and even days, I begin to wonder what on earth God is doing up there in heaven.

I learn from Joseph that God is with me during my afflictions, not that God is with me if I’m kept out of affliction. Some afflictions may even last for quite some time. But I can trust God to see me through to the other side. If there is no great “victory” in this life, there will be eternal life in the next.

I can have confidence that whatever affliction I’m facing today, no matter how long it lingers with me, God is with me and He is stronger than the affliction. In His good time, He’ll get me through it to glory and victory on the other side.

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC

PS. What struck you in today’s reading?

Today’s reading is Luke 19:1-20:47.

“The scribes and the chief priests sought to lay hands on him at that very hour, for they perceived that he had told this parable agaisnt them, but they feared the people” (Luke 20:19).

How sad. Jesus had not told this parable “against them” to attack them, but to warn them. It could have saved their eternal lives. Instead of letting it save them, they fought against it and let it be a means to condemn them.

But that leaves me with a question. How do I respond when God’s word says something “against me”? Do I listen humbly and let the warning and direction save my life? Or do I turn against the messenger somehow? Do I figure out why that part of the Bible doesn’t really apply to me?

I have two choices today. I can either surrender to Jesus and what He warns me and directs me or I can keep fighting against Him. But where will that second option take me? Better to just give up the fight and gain the victory.

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC

PS. What did you get out of today’s reading?

Today’s reading is Jude 1:1-25; 1 Corinthians 1:1-31.

What a great reading today. Through Jude, God has told me four things I need to put on my checklist today and every day.

“But you, beloved, building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life” (Jude 1:20-21).

1. Build yourself up in the most holy faith.

What am I going to do today to build my faith? For starters, I’m spending time in God’s word. I think I’ll talk to some other Christians today and seek encouragement in the faith. I’m going to spend some time praying. I think I’ll write a gratitude list to remind me of the many blessings God is showering in my life.

2. Pray in the Holy Spirit

I don’t think this is a reference to prayer through some miraculous gift of the Holy Spirit, but rather a parallel to Romans 8:26-27, recognizing that in my weakness I don’t always know how to pray or for what to pray. However, as long as I’m hanging on to God, the Spirit intercedes with groanings too deep for words. When I pray today, I’m going to do so with confidence in the work of the Holy Spirit to intercede for me in my weaknesses.

3. Keep yourself in the love of God.

That also sounds like Romans 8:31-39. Nothing can separate me from God’s love. However, if I choose, I can walk out of His loving hands. Today, I’m going to work on drawing closer to God through His love. Instead of going my own way, I’m going to consider what God’s love suggests for my life. What would God have me do? I know He loves me and therefore His way will be best for me. 

4. Wait for the mercy of the Lord Jesus.

No matter what good or bad things happen in my life today, I’m going to remember that I am turning to God’s love, praying in the Spirit, building up my faith because I’m hanging on to an eternal hope. I love God not because He is giving me a good day or a good week. I love God because He has saved my soul for eternity. That is where my inheritance and reward are: in eternity. I won’t be turned aside from that hope no matter what happens today. I want to keep my mind firmly focused on heavenly things and eternity. 

Well, I guess my plate is full for today. How about yours?

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC

P.S. What struck you in today’s reading?

Today’s reading is Philippians 3:1-4:23.

I’m glad to read Philippians 3:7-11 today. It reminds me of what is most important for me today. It is not most important that I make money today or that I sell any books today. It is not most important that I rub elbows with some important person today. It is not most important that I pass on some great knowledge and education to my children today. It is not most important that I solve some great problem facing our world. What is most important is that I get to know Jesus just a little bit better today. If that means I have to give up something else, then so be it. 

Only by knowing Jesus will I attain the resurrection and have my lowly body transformed to be like his glorious body. 

I think I’ll go spend a little bit more time reading His word and praying. Perhaps I should spend some time with His other brethren. I will probably also take some time to do some meditating on what I learn of Him through the word. All of these things can help me know Him better and draw me closer to Him. That is what is most important today. Maybe God will use me to do some other things today as well, but most importantly, I need to know Jesus.

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC

P.S. What struck you in today’s reading?