September 17, 2020


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Today's Bible Verse
"That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world."
Ephesians 2:12 KJV



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Today's Bible Study
In this verse, even though Paul is referring to the Gentiles, we see a picture of ourselves before we knew the Lord. We were aliens from the Kingdom of God and strangers to His promises. We had no hope beyond that which we found in ourselves, and there wasn't much hope there!

Think about your life before you came to know Jesus. What were you like? What sins did you frequently fall into? You were living without the hope that Jesus offers each of us, but today you live a different story. Think about the ways that knowing Jesus has changed your life. He offers us so much -- confidence in Him, not being afraid, peace in all moments, and assurance of eternity with Him.

In our natural, fallen state, we could never have had a relationship with the Lord. Our unholiness made it impossible for us to approach the Lord, but we could never make ourselves holy or cleanse ourselves of our own sins. Jesus's death was the perfect sacrifice that paid for our sin in full. By living a life that no one else could, He made it possible for us to live the lives that He had for us.





Jesus's death was costly. We know from Luke that He sweat blood and asked God to take the cup away from Him. In the end, though, Jesus went to the cross willingly. He was abandoned and alone -- even God the Father forsook Him -- and subject to one of the most painful types of execution ever invented.

But Jesus did it because He loved us. He did it because He did not want us to be hopeless strangers … because He wanted us to be surrounded by His love and mercy. Today, the best response to Jesus's death is not mourning, but rather, rejoicing in His resurrection three days later and the transformation that He has brought into our lives.
Today's Prayer
Dear Lord, thank you for transforming my life through the Gospel. Thank you for reaching down into the depth of my being and making me see your love for me. Thank you for not letting me remain an alien, but instead making me into someone who gets to walk in sweet fellowship with you. In Jesus's name, amen.
Yesterday's Devotional
September 16, 2020
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Yesterday's Bible Verse
"My son, give me thine heart, and let thine eyes observe my ways."
Proverbs 23:26 KJV



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Yesterday's Bible Study
In this verse in Proverbs, we are told to give the Lord our hearts and to observe His ways. The Lord wants us to do this not so that He feels good, but rather, that we may experience fullness in Him. He knows that our best lives happen when we totally surrender to Him. This begins with giving our hearts to Him as we watch His ways.

What does it mean to give our hearts to the Lord? I think, on a basic level, it means that we love the Lord above all things and above all people. When we make the decision to love the Lord more than anything, we make knowing Him the primary purpose of our lives.





In this verse in Proverbs, we are told to give the Lord our hearts and to observe His ways. The Lord wants us to do this not so that He feels good, but rather, that we may experience fullness in Him. He knows that our best lives happen when we totally surrender to Him. This begins with giving our hearts to Him as we watch His ways.

What does it mean to give our hearts to the Lord? I think, on a basic level, it means that we love the Lord above all things and above all people. When we make the decision to love the Lord more than anything, we make knowing Him the primary purpose of our lives.

Yesterday's Prayer
Dear Lord, thank you for being so kind to me and loving me so deeply. I give you my heart, Jesus, knowing that you are so loving and good. Open up my eyes so that I can learn about you and see your ways. I love you, Jesus. In your name, amen.
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