DEVOTIONS THAT MATTER

 John 13:14 “If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another’s feet.”During the Last Supper, Jesus performs a surprising act. He kneels down and begins washing the disciples’ feet. In the ancient world, foot washing was considered the task of the lowest servant in the household. Roads were dusty and sandals offered little protection. Washing feet was not a...

John 13:1 “Having loved his own which were in the world, he loved them unto the end.”John introduces the story of the Last Supper with these remarkable words: “He loved them unto the end.” Jesus knows exactly what lies ahead. He knows betrayal is coming. He knows suffering and the cross await Him.Yet His love for His disciples does not waver.In fact, the events of the evening will demonstrate the ...

Mark 12:30 “And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength.”When a teacher of the law asks Jesus which commandment is the greatest, Jesus responds by quoting a foundational declaration from Deuteronomy known as the Shema. Every faithful Jew would have known these words.  “You shall love the Lord your God with all you...

Matthew 21:13 “And said unto them, It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves.”When Jesus entered the temple courts, He encountered something troubling. The place meant for prayer had become a busy marketplace. Merchants and money changers filled the courtyard, selling animals for sacrifices and exchanging currency for temple offerings.While t...

Luke 19:41 “And when he was come near, he beheld the city, and wept over it.”As Jesus approaches Jerusalem for the final time, the crowd celebrates His arrival with shouts of praise. Yet amid the excitement, Jesus pauses and begins to weep.He looks over the city and sees what others cannot see. Jerusalem has been given countless opportunities to recognize God’s presence, yet many remain blind to t...

John 12:24 “Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.”As Jesus approaches the final days before the cross, He uses a simple but powerful agricultural image. A grain of wheat must fall into the soil and die before it can produce a harvest.  At first glance, this process appears like loss. The s...

Matthew 20:26–28 “But it shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister; And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant: Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.”The disciples often struggled to understand the nature of Jesus’ kingdom. Like many people in their culture...

Matthew 16:16 “And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.”At Caesarea Philippi, Jesus asks His disciples a question that echoes throughout history: “Who do men say that I am?” The disciples share various opinions they have heard—some believe He is John the Baptist, others Elijah or another prophet. Then Jesus asks a more personal question: “But whom say ye t...

John 11:25 “Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live.”These words are spoken during one of the most emotional moments in the Gospel story. Jesus arrives in Bethany after His friend Lazarus has died. Martha meets Him with grief in her voice, saying, “Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died.”Her words rev...

John 10:11 “I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.”In the ancient world, shepherds lived closely with their flocks. They guided sheep to safe pastures, protected them from danger, and searched for them when they wandered.Sheep were vulnerable animals, easily lost and easily threatened by predators. A faithful shepherd stayed close to the flock, watching carefully ...

 John 8:12 “Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.”Light changes everything. When light enters a dark room, it immediately reveals what was hidden. Jesus uses this powerful image to describe Himself.During the Feast of Tabernacles in Jerusalem, enormous lamps were lit in the temple co...

 Luke 15:20 (KJV)“But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him.”The story of the prodigal son is one of the clearest pictures of God’s grace in the entire Bible. A young man demands his inheritance early, leaves home, and wastes everything in reckless living. Eventually he finds himself alone, hungry, and ashamed.In desp...

 John 6:35 “And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger…”After Jesus miraculously feeds a crowd of thousands, the people eagerly follow Him. They are impressed by the miracle and hope to receive more bread. But Jesus understands their deeper need.  He declares, “I am the bread of life.” Bread in the ancient world represented survival. It was the basic ...

“But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him.” Luke 10:33The parable of the Good Samaritan begins with a wounded man lying on the side of the road. A priest and a Levite—both respected religious leaders—pass by without helping him. Then a Samaritan arrives.To Jesus’ listeners, this detail would have been shocking. Samaritans and Jews h...

Mark 8:34 “And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.”When Jesus spoke these words, the cross was not a symbol of faith—it was a terrifying instrument of Roman execution. Everyone who heard Him understood what it meant. The cross represented suffering, humiliation, ...

In chapter 8 of the Gospel of Mark, Jesus asks his disciples, “Who do you say I am?” The crowds were discussing among themselves what they believed about Jesus. Many had witnessed miracles and healings, so conversations were swirling about who this man was. However, Jesus was more concerned with how his closest companions, his disciples, would respond to this question, so Jesus asked:“Jesus and hi...

The Valley of Dry BonesEzekiel 37:4-10:"Then he said to me, 'Prophesy to these bones and say to them, ‘Dry bones, hear the word of the Lord!  This is what the Sovereign Lord says to these bones: I will make breath enter you, and you will come to life.  I will attach tendons to you and make flesh come upon you and cover you with skin; I will put breath in you, and you will come to life. Then you wi...

"Praise the Lord. Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty heavens. Praise him for his acts of power; Praise him for his surpassing greatness. Praise him with the sounding of the trumpet, praise him with the harp and lyre, praise him with timbrel and dancing, praise him with the strings and pipe, praise him with the clash of cymbals, praise him with resounding cymbals. Let everything ...

"Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” About 15 years ago, I remember standing in a resource room at a large church cleaning up following a week of Vacation Bible School. I leaned down to pick up a large tub of...

oday, spend some time studying 1 Kings 18 and 19.Elijah witnesses the work of his Lord over the prophets of Baal and sees firsthand the power of the God he serves. However, when he hears Jezebel's threats, he flees into the desert wilderness, afraid. When we are afraid, we are unable to think clearly and rationally. Fear draws us away from the very one who gives us breath and life. Remember, Adam ...