Monday, August 3 – “About three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, ‘Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?’ (which means ‘My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?’). (Matthew 27:46) These words of Jesus, from the cross, refer to Jesus’ first impression of the experience of sin. Sin is anything that separates you from God. And for the first time in his life, Jesus was separated from himself, because of the sin of the world. He became forsaken, so that you and I will never be forsaken.
Tuesday, August 4 – “All my longings lie open before you, Lord; my sighing is not hidden from you.” (Psalm 38:9) Until you’re real with God, God will never be real to you. That means let God have it, all of it. Whatever the it may be. No more masks. No more secrets. No more shoulda’s, woulda’s and coulda’s. Just you being you, all of you, right out in front of God.
Wednesday, August 5 – “But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed.” (Isaiah 53:5) Life has pain. Living has risks. And following Jesus has consequences. The good news is that all of your transgressions, all of your iniquities and any possible punishment that could befall your life, has been taken care of by Jesus. For “by his wounds we are healed”. I guess that maybe you needed to hear those words today?
Thursday, August 6 – “Now my soul is troubled, and what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour.” (John 12:27) Sometimes God’s silence is deafening. For sometimes God’s simply giving you the space to reason through things, for yourself. Not relying on what God is saying (or not saying), but on who you already know God is. You don’t know who God is? Well, now you have your mission, if you choose to accept it.
Friday, August 7 – “He stilled the storm to a whisper; the waves of the sea were hushed.” (Psalm 107:29) God can do all things. But God doesn’t always do all things. At least not all things to your liking. And it’s this “to your liking” that causes all of your problems with God. For you’re trying to put God into a box. But God created you and God even created the box that you’re trying to put them in today. Maybe, just maybe, God isn’t silent. Maybe God is simply giving you the room to be you.
Saturday, August 8 – “Yet you are enthroned as the Holy One; you are the one Israel praises.” (Psalm 22:3) The power of “yet”. Yet is a word of possibility. Yet is word of what is, but maybe hasn’t been experienced just yet. Yet is faith in God. Yet is faith in grace. Yet is faith in compassion, forgiveness and peace. Yet is the silence of God, in the midst of the noise in your life. Yet is why you’re reading this devotion. Yet is why you woke up today. And yet is why you’ll stick with God.
Tuesday, August 4 – “All my longings lie open before you, Lord; my sighing is not hidden from you.” (Psalm 38:9) Until you’re real with God, God will never be real to you. That means let God have it, all of it. Whatever the it may be. No more masks. No more secrets. No more shoulda’s, woulda’s and coulda’s. Just you being you, all of you, right out in front of God.
Wednesday, August 5 – “But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed.” (Isaiah 53:5) Life has pain. Living has risks. And following Jesus has consequences. The good news is that all of your transgressions, all of your iniquities and any possible punishment that could befall your life, has been taken care of by Jesus. For “by his wounds we are healed”. I guess that maybe you needed to hear those words today?
Thursday, August 6 – “Now my soul is troubled, and what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour.” (John 12:27) Sometimes God’s silence is deafening. For sometimes God’s simply giving you the space to reason through things, for yourself. Not relying on what God is saying (or not saying), but on who you already know God is. You don’t know who God is? Well, now you have your mission, if you choose to accept it.
Friday, August 7 – “He stilled the storm to a whisper; the waves of the sea were hushed.” (Psalm 107:29) God can do all things. But God doesn’t always do all things. At least not all things to your liking. And it’s this “to your liking” that causes all of your problems with God. For you’re trying to put God into a box. But God created you and God even created the box that you’re trying to put them in today. Maybe, just maybe, God isn’t silent. Maybe God is simply giving you the room to be you.
Saturday, August 8 – “Yet you are enthroned as the Holy One; you are the one Israel praises.” (Psalm 22:3) The power of “yet”. Yet is a word of possibility. Yet is word of what is, but maybe hasn’t been experienced just yet. Yet is faith in God. Yet is faith in grace. Yet is faith in compassion, forgiveness and peace. Yet is the silence of God, in the midst of the noise in your life. Yet is why you’re reading this devotion. Yet is why you woke up today. And yet is why you’ll stick with God.
You try to eat right. You drink plenty of water. you exercise. don't forget your spirit - feed it!
daily devotions
