Daily Devotional Free

  Living in Colorado, I climb mountains. On summer weekends, I see casual hikers who have no idea what they are doing. In sandals, shorts, and T-shirts, carrying a single container of water, they start up a trail at mid-morning. They have no map, no compass, and no rain gear. My neighbor, who volunteers for Alpine Rescue, has told me stories of tourists rescued from certain death after wandering off a trail. Regardless of the circumstances, Alpine Rescue always responds to call for help. Not once have they lectured a hapless tourist, "Well since you ignored the rules of the wilderness, you'll just have to bear the consequences". Their mission is to rescue. They pursue every needy hiker, no matter how undeserving. The central message of the Bible is one of rescue. Paul points out that none of us "deserve" God's mercy and none of us can save ourselves. Like a stranded hiker, all we can do is call for help. Quoting the psalmist, he says, "There is none rig

  Dear Heavenly Father, good morning and thank You for the glory of the sun. And thank You for the health I have to get my duty done. I shall devote the hours of this golden day to You, by honoring Your Holy Name in everything I do. I will pursue my daily art without complaint or fear and spend my every effort to be friendly and sincere. I know there have been many days that I have whiled away. But this is one that I will try, to make Your special day, and please depend on me because I want to honor You for all eternity. Finally, let me go forth in thanks for the victory I have been given through our Lord Jesus Christ. May I be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, and always remembering that in the Lord our labor is not in vain. This I pray, in Christ's Name. Amen

Leslie and her two daughters were about to be evicted from their home. Although Leslie believed that God could help, so far He hadn't given a clue as to how. She wondered, Where is God? As she drove to the courthouse, she prayed for God's intervention. Then she heard a song on the radio proclaiming, "God is here! Let the brokenhearted rejoice." Could this be the assurance from God that she was longing to hear? Inside the courtroom, Leslie stood before the judge, heard his decision, and signed the legal documents, but still God had not given her an answer. As Leslie was walking to her car, a truck pulled up beside her. "Ma'am", said the driver, "I heard your testimony inside the courtroom, and I believe God wants me to help you". And he did. Gary helped Leslie get in contact with a woman from a local church who was able to work with parties involved to reverse the process so that she and her girls could stay in their home. When people ask, "

  Dear Lord, hallelujah to Your Name! The Lord God Omnipotent reigneth. And, You shall reign forever and ever. Grant me so to die daily to sin, that I may evermore live with him in the joy of his resurrection. Stir up in Your Church that Spirit of adoption which is given to us in Baptism. Renew both everything in my body and mind, so that I may worship You in sincerity and truth. Grant that I, who celebrate with joy the day of the Lord's resurrection, may be raised from the death of sin by Your life-giving Spirit. Send me into the world in peace, and grant me strength and courage to love and serve You with gladness and singleness of heart. Through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen

  If you visit the village of Capernaum beside the Sea of Galilee, you will find an exhibit of ancient olive presses. Formed from basalt rock, the olive press consists of two parts: a base and a grinding wheel. The base is large, round, and has a trough carved out of it. The olives were placed in this trough, and then the wheel, also made from heave stone, was rolled over the olives to extract the oil. On the night before His death, Jesus went to the Mount of Olives overlooking the city of Jerusalem. There, in the garden called Gethsemane, He prayed to the Father, knowing what lay ahead of Him. The word Gethsemane means "place of the olives press" - and that perfectly describes those first crushing hours of Christ's suffering on our behalf. There, "in anguish, He prayed. . . and His sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground" (Luke 22:44). Jesus the Son suffered and died to take away "the sin of the world" (John 1:29) and restore our broken re

    Dear Heavenly Father, who watches over Your children by night and by day; blessed Jesus, my food and my strength; sweet Holy Spirit, the light and guide of my soul; I thank You for this new day and pray that You will watch over me. May my thoughts, my words and actions reflect the Spirit that dwells within me. And may every minute of my life celebrate the gift of grace, earned by the blood of Christ. You hung upon a cross and died for me so that I might live for You; Your body was broken and Your blood shed so that I might be healed and made whole. You were faithful unto death so that I might be faithful unto life. Your last command was that we might love one another, one family together from every tribe and nation; a new creation united through Your sacrifice, redeemed by Your blood, healed by Your love, united by Your covenant of peace.  I pray to You for all the graces I need to know You, to love You and serve You faithfully unto death, and to save my soul. Give me a tender and

  I grew up in Oklahoma where severe weather is common from early spring through the end of summer. I recall one evening when the sky boiled with dark clouds, the TV weather forecaster warned of an approaching tornado, and the electricity went out. Very quickly, my parents, my sister, and I climbed down the wooden ladder into the storm cellar behind our house where we stayed until the storm passed by. Today "storm chasing" has become a hobby for many people and a profitable business for others. The goal is to get as close as possible to a tornado without being harmed. Many storm chasers are skilled forecasters with accurate information, but I won't sign up for a tornado tour anytime soon. In moral and spiritual areas of my life, however, I can foolishly pursue dangerous things God tells me to avoid because of His love for me, all the time believing I won't be harmed. A wiser approach is to read the book of Proverbs, which contains many positive ways to elude these sna

  Dear Heavenly Father, I strive to follow Jesus in my living and to trust Your power in my dying; I bow my head today to reflect upon the life that ended on a cross. Help me understand what Your Son endured for me. Help me appreciate the depths of love that would allow my Lord and Christ to be crushed for my wrongs and my rescue. I am humbled, honored and inspired by the deep love Christ extended to the world, and I hear with open ears the calling to be a member of the body of Christ. Forgive me when I disappoint and fail you, and guide me back to a place of trust and faithful living. Grant me the vision to see the world as you see it, with love and compassion for each creature and all of Your creation. May Your Word be planted deeply in my mind and heart. Help me not to walk away and forget it, but to meditate on it and obey it and so built my life on the rock of Your truth. I ask this in the name of Jesus, who taught us to pray to You for all things. Amen

  In 1602, Italian artist Caravaggio produced a painting called The Taking of Christ. This work, an early example of the Baroque style, is compelling. Created in dark hues, it allows the viewer to contemplate Jesus' arrest in the Garden of Gethsemane. Two main elements of the scene depicted in the painting demand the observer's attention. The first is Judas as he delivers the traitor's kiss. Immediately, however, the viewer's focus is drawn toward Jesus' hands, which are passively clasped together to show that He offered no resistance to this injustice. Although He possessed the power to create a universe, Christ gave Himself up voluntarily to His captors and to the waiting cross. Long before this scene took place, Jesus told His listeners that no one could take His life from Him - He would lay it down willingly (John 10:18). This heart of voluntary surrender was prophesied by Isaiah, who wrote, "He was led as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its

  Dear Lord, thank You for sacrificing Your life for our sins so that we might live. We're thankful that because you died and rose again. We can have assurance that one day, we'll be with You in a place of no more death. Keep me today from all evil and unruly desires, from all sins and temptations of the devil, from a sudden and unprovided death, and from the pains of hell. Enlighten my heart with the grace of Your Holy Spirit. Grant that I may ever be obedient to Your commandments. Grant that all who are dead in sin may hear Your voice and rise to new life. Son of the living God, you have allowed me through baptism to be buried with You; grant that I may also rise with you and walk in newness of life. Let the whole earth also worship You, all nations obey You, all tongues confess and bless You, and men and women everywhere love You and serve You in peace; through Jesus Christ our Lord, I pray. Amen

  This Holy Week, let us remember Jesus' death on the cross. It was prophesied in the Old Testament that the Son of God, who is Jesus, will come here on this world to die for our sins. The fact is, it was our pains He carried— our disfigurements, all the things wrong with us. We thought He brought it on himself, that God was punishing Him for His own failures. But it was our sins that did that to Him, that ripped and tore and crushed Him—our sins! He took the punishment, and that made us whole. Through his bruises we get healed. Let us reflect on His love for us. Thank Him for His unconditional and sacrificial love for us. Through His wounds, we will be healed and forgiven. Our sins will be set free because of Jesus' blood on the cross. 

    Dear Heavenly Father, I call to You and name You as eternal, ever-present, almighty, and boundless in love. Your wisdom leads us along the path of life. Help us to follow Your guidance today.  In the daily round from sunrise to sunset and to sunrise again, remind me again and again of Your holy presence hovering near me and in me. Free me from shame and self-doubt in expressing my faith. Help me to see You in the fleeting moments of possibility and be filled with Your courage and Your word.  The blessing of the Lord rest and remain upon all his people, in every land, of every tongue; the Lord meet in mercy all that seek him; the Lord comfort all who suffer and mourn; the Lord hasten his coming, and give us, his people, the blessing of peace, this day and always.

  Psalm 100 is like a work of art that helps us celebrate our unseen God. While the focus of our worship is beyond view, His people make Him known. Imagine the artist with brush and palette working the colorful words of this psalm onto a canvas. What emerges before our eyes is a world - "all the earth" - shouting for joy to the Lord (v. 1). Joy: because it is the delight of our God to redeem us from death. "For the joy that was set before Him", Jesus endured the cross (Heb. 12:2). As our eyes move across the canvass, we see an all-world choir of countless members singing "with gladness" and "joyful songs" (v. 2). Our heavenly Father's heart is pleased when His people worship Him for who He is and what He has done. Then we see images of ourselves, fashioned from dust n the hands of our Creator, and led like sheep into green pasture (v. 3). We, His people, have a loving Shepherd. Finally, we see God's great and glorious dwelling place - and

  Dear God, for each new morning with its light, for rest and shelter of the night, for health and food, for love and friends, for everything Thy goodness sends, I thank You. Thank You for life, for joy, for protection, and for promising us a future with You forever. Help us to live with thoughts of Your greatness always in our hearts and minds. Let me follow Christ’s example, never to inflate myself with pride of status, of opinion, or of any of the gifts You have bestowed upon me. Give me the grace to realize my ignorance, admit my mistakes, recognize my needs. Let me welcome good advice and sound rebuke, without defensiveness.  The light of Your truth bestows sight to the darkness of sinful eyes. May this season of repentance bring me the blessing of Your forgiveness and the gift of Your light. Grant this through Christ our Lord. Amen

  Just before kickoff at Super Bowl XLIII, Kurt Warner of the Arizona Cardinals received the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award - a tribute given to the player who had best combined on-field excellence with off-field community service. "I am humbled the Lord has given me such an amazing life to impact others", said Warner, a dedicated Christian. "Of all the awards given to NFL athletes, [this one] stands out. . . because of what it represents". It represents a commitment to giving and sacrificing for others. Paying homage to those who serve is not a new concept. Paul spoke of it when he reminded the Philippians to honor those who gave themselves in serving Christ. He told them of their friend Epaphroditus, who had nearly died (Phil. 2:30) because of his efforts for Christ in ministering to others - including the people at Philippi. How should they respond? Paul said, "Receive him therefore in the Lord with all gladness and hold such men in esteem" (v.

  Dear Lord, I pray that this day You will incline my heart to keep Your commandments, driving temptation from my mind. My prayer is simple: Your son, Jesus, suffered and died for me. I cannot feel protected from my many weaknesses until I turn to You for forgiveness and Your unalterable love.  Help me to share this strength, protection, and love with others. I know only that I cannot have real strength unless I rely on You. Guide my feet into the way of peace. And finally, may the grace of Christ our Savior, and the Father’s boundless love, with the Holy Spirit’s favor, rest upon me, and all of us, from above. Thus may we abide in union, with each other and the Lord, and possess, in sweet communion, joys which earth cannot afford. Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen

  Not long ago I developed a physical problem. My left shoulders and arm were aching. I had a painful rash on my forearm and thumb, and I struggled daily with fatigue. When I finally went to do the doctor, I learned that I had a case of shingles. The doctor put me on antiviral medication and said it would take several weeks for the disease to run its course.  Because of this illness, I had to force myself into a new routine. A short nap in the morning and one in the afternoon were necessary to give me the strength to be productive. Until I recovered, I had to learn to pace myself. At one point when Jesus sent His representatives out to teach in His name, they were so excited with all they were doing that they neglected to take time to eat and rest properly. When they returned, Christ told them: "Come aside by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while" (Mark 6:31). Everyone needs rest, and if we go too long without it, we will suffer physically and emotionally. We also w

  Dear Lord, the skies are telling of Your glory and the wonders of Your love. Thank You for making the sacrifice that has secured my freedom, salvation and eternal life. I look with hope to the day when my knowledge of your glory will never be hidden by the concerns of the world. Forgive me for all the time I spend with my face bent to the things of earth, Your Spirit ignored and forgotten. May I learn to love You in a way that honors the love You have shown me. Let me know you every moment of time, forever. I thank You for you are always there, willing to show yourself to me and guide me and comfort me. Burn your love on my heart. Let me be on fire in serving You and loving You. Amen