Week of May 27, 2019
Photo by Austin Ban
MONDAY
Clean in God’s Sight
John 1:29 (NIV)
The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!”
In the Old Testament, making a sacrifice was the only way a person could wash away their sins.
When John the Baptist looked up and saw Jesus, he knew instantly who this was—God Himself had provided a Lamb to take away the sins of His people once and for all. This time, it was God making the sacrifice.
As the Lamb of God, Jesus came to remove your sins—every single point of shame, condemnation, and darkness inside your heart. He came to bring peace to your life and healing to your body. He came to give you abundant and eternal life and to make everything right between you and God.
Many of us feel like we aren’t good enough for God, that we don’t quite measure up, but that isn’t true—because of Jesus. He made a way for us to be completely clean in God’s sight. It is time to believe the truth!
Today’s prayer: Father, thank You for sending Jesus Christ so I can know You and be close to You. You have given me an amazing gift! Thank You for doing what I couldn’t do myself; You wiped away my guilt and shame and made me clean in Your sight. Please help me to really understand the truth of what You’ve done for me. In the name of Jesus, amen.
May your Monday be blessed!
TUESDAY
God’s Heart to Bless You
Luke 5:4–8 (NIV)
When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch.”
Simon answered, “Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets.”
When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break. So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them, and they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink.
When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’ knees and said, “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!”
That day on his boat, Peter realized who Jesus is and what He’s really like.
Just as Jesus revealed in this story, God wants to be a part of everything we do—our jobs, our relationships, our friendships, our homes. Sometimes it’s hard to understand how much He wants to bless us. Maybe we think we don’t deserve it, or maybe life has been really hard lately and we’ve given up hope for blessing.
But in this story, Jesus stepped in and blessed Peter extravagantly—the blessing was overwhelming!
Do you realize how much God wants to bless you, too?
Today’s prayer: Father God, I acknowledge Your heart of blessing toward me. I am sorry for putting You in a box and thinking of You in a way that is not true. Thank You for wanting to bless me beyond what I think possible. In the name of Jesus, amen.
May your Tuesday be blessed!
WEDNESDAY
Supernatural Strength
Isaiah 40:31 (NIV)
Those who hope in the Lord
will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint.
When things don’t go as we expected or planned, it can knock us off our feet. We quickly start to feel overwhelmed, and there are times when it seems like we’re helpless, like there’s nothing we can do.
Whatever worry you’re dealing with today, take it to the Lord because He’s the One who gives strength to the weary. If you’re feeling weary, be relieved—because you get His strength! He wants to show you who He is in your life.
Those who place their hope in the Lord have the ability to keep going. They are able to do impossible things because He is with them, and He is their hope.
Today, don’t try to control or wrestle down your problem on your own. Put your hope in God, so you can tap into His supernatural strength.
Today’s prayer: Father God, I just need Your strength. I choose to trust You with all my heart so I get to experience what Isaiah 40:31 really means. In the name of Jesus, amen.
May your Wednesday be blessed!
THURSDAY
Vision Restored
Mark 8:23–25 (NIV)
He took the blind man by the hand and led him outside the village. When he had spit on the man’s eyes and put his hands on him, Jesus asked, “Do you see anything?”
He looked up and said, “I see people; they look like trees walking around.”
Once more Jesus put his hands on the man’s eyes. Then his eyes were opened, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly.
Blindness is not just a physical issue—it can be spiritual, too.
Like the man in this story, we need to take Jesus’ hand so He can lead us away from the busyness of life—from the crowds, the naysayers, and all the negative voices. Then in a place of intimacy, He will put His hands on us and heal us, so we can see.
Where do you feel “blind” today? Is there an area in your life where you need God to come and save you?
Step away from everything else. Go be quiet with God, and ask Jesus to restore your vision.
Today’s prayer: Lord, I need You to take me by the hand and lead me out of darkness. Please renew my vision and guide me, so I can take the steps You want me to take. In the name of Jesus, amen.
May your Thursday be blessed!
FRIDAY
Trust in God
Psalm 33:17–18 (NIV)
A horse is a vain hope for deliverance;
despite all its great strength it cannot save.
But the eyes of the Lord are on those who fear him,
on those whose hope is in his unfailing love.
Relationships can be tough. You have to figure out the best ways to love the other person, how to listen to them, how to serve them, and how to put them first.
Whether you’re in a relationship or trying to prepare for one, don’t be afraid to put all your trust in your heavenly Father. He loves you and His love is inexhaustible.
It is better to trust in God than it is to trust in the world you see around you. We might have great strength or understanding according to the world, but that won’t save us in the end. God is the Rescuer, and He is always what we need.
Today’s prayer: Lord, I’ve tried many times to get ahead on my own, but today I want to put everything in Your hands. Please help me to lean on You for strength instead of the world. In the name of Jesus, amen.
May your Friday be blessed!
SATURDAY
Remember Who the Lord Is
Isaiah 11:2–3 (NIV)
The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him—
the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding,
the Spirit of counsel and of might,
the Spirit of the knowledge and fear of the Lord—
and he will delight in the fear of the Lord.
As we go about our lives, sometimes we get caught up in everyday things and start to forget who God really is.
Do you need wisdom? He’s the Spirit of wisdom.
Do you need understanding? He’s the Spirit of understanding.
Are you weary and in need of strength? He’s the Spirit of might.
The God you love and worship is powerful. He is stronger than the worst part of your circumstances today and bigger than your greatest fear.
If you’ve “forgotten” who God is, spend time with Him today and remember. This simple act of remembering will change your perspective and cause joy to bubble up within you.
Today’s prayer: Lord, thank You for who You are! Thank You for the way You love me, and I look forward to doing life with You today. In the name of Jesus, amen.
May your Saturday be blessed!
SUNDAY
Brave Worshiper
Habakkuk 3:17–18 (NIV)
Though the fig tree does not bud
and there are no grapes on the vines,
though the olive crop fails
and the fields produce no food,
though there are no sheep in the pen
and no cattle in the stalls,
yet I will rejoice in the Lord,
I will be joyful in God my Savior.
Sometimes God makes us wait to see the answer. When everything is falling apart, we have the opportunity to be joyful in Him anyway.
Even if you don’t see a change in your family, even if your income is still not enough to cover all your bills, even if a medical diagnosis remains unchanged, even if you have tried again and again and failed—don’t be afraid to keep believing.
Choose this day to echo Habakkuk’s words:
“I will not turn away from worshiping God! I will not stop—I will worship Him with all my heart! Even though my life doesn’t look the way I want it to right now, I will rejoice in the God who saves me!”
Keep going. Walk by faith and know with all your heart that God has not forgotten you.
Today’s prayer: Father God, though I have yet to see the results I want, I believe You will come and save me. I choose to worship You even in this time of waiting. In the name of Jesus, amen.
May your Sunday be blessed!
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