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What an amazing situation!

As Jesus returns to Capernaum, a crowd gathers so tightly that no one else can get in. Four men bring their paralyzed friend, but instead of turning away, they go up to the roof, open it, and lower him down in front of Jesus.

It’s a striking scene. Determined friends. A desperate need. And then Jesus responds—but not in the way anyone expects.

He says,

“Son, your sins are forgiven.”

Before addressing the man’s physical condition, Jesus goes deeper. He speaks to the man’s greatest need, even if it wasn’t the most visible one. That tells us something important about Jesus. He is not only concerned with what we can see. He deals with what lies beneath it.

That statement immediately creates tension. The scribes begin to question Him. In their minds, they are right about one thing: only God can forgive sins.

And that is exactly the point.

Jesus responds by healing the man, but He makes clear why He is doing it:

“that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.”

The healing is visible proof of something invisible. Jesus is not just a healer. He has divine authority to forgive. What belongs to God alone, He does.

Then the scene shifts.

Jesus calls Levi, a tax collector, to follow Him. Levi leaves everything behind and does just that. Soon after, Jesus is eating in a house surrounded by tax collectors and sinners.

Again, people question Him. Why would He associate with people like this?

Jesus answers plainly:

“Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.”

This is another window into His mission. Jesus does not wait for people to clean themselves up before coming to Him. He moves toward those who know they are broken.

In this passage, we see two things clearly.

Jesus has authority to forgive sins. And He willingly draws near to sinners.

That is good news.

Because it means that forgiveness is not something we earn or fix for ourselves. It is something Jesus gives. And it means that coming to Him as we are is not a problem—it is the point.

Let’s pray…

Lord Jesus,

You have authority to forgive sins, and You come near to those who need You. Help me to trust in Your forgiveness and not hide my sin from You. Draw me to follow You with a willing heart.

Amen.

As part of your devotion time, I encourage you to also pray for at least some of the following:

• Your family
• Your local church
• Your pastor
• Some of your fellow church members
• The people on your B.L.E.S.S. list
• Your country and her leaders
• Your community

After praying for these people, you may want to finish your devotion time with the Lord’s Prayer…

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. They will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the kingdom and the power, and the glory, forever and every. Amen.

Have you ever looked up at the night sky and just stopped?

No phone. No noise. Just the sky. We don’t get a good sense of it here in the suburbs, but if you’ve been in the mountains or a rural area away from all the lights, it’s breath taking. The stars go on farther than you can see. The longer you look, the smaller you feel.

That’s where Psalm 8 begins.

David looks at the heavens—the work of God’s fingers, the moon and the stars—and asks a simple question:

“What is man that You are mindful of him?”

In other words:

Why would God care about us?

Compared to the vastness of creation, we feel small, limited, and temporary. And yet, Psalm 8 doesn’t end there. God does care about us.

“You have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor.”

That’s a surprising turn. Human beings are small, but we are not insignificant. God created us with dignity. and gave us incredible responsibility. He placed us in His creation to care for it and to reflect something of Him in it.

That’s how things were meant to be, but we know something is broken.

We don’t always use what God has given us rightly. We misuse authority and neglect responsibility. We turn inward instead of outward. Instead of reflecting God, we often try to replace Him.

So where does that leave us?

Psalm 8 finds its fullest meaning in Jesus.

Jesus is the true man. The one who lived as humanity was meant to live. He perfectly trusted the Father and perfectly carried out what was given to Him.

And while Jesus was certain crowned with glory and honor and had dominion over all things, He humbled Himself.

The One crowned with glory entered into weakness, suffering…even death.

But that was not the end.

In His resurrection and ascension, Jesus is once again crowned with glory and honor in a way that cannot be undone. All authority in heaven and on earth is His. And in Him, our old sinful self is buried and a new restored humanity is given back to us.

So when Psalm 8 speaks about humanity’s dignity and calling, it ultimately points us to Christ—and to who we are in Him.

Yes, we are small. But we are…

• seen
• known
• cared for by the God who made the stars.

And in Christ, we are not only remembered—We are restored.

Let’s pray…

Heavenly Father,

When I look at the world around me, I am reminded how small I am. And yet You care for me. Thank You for creating me with purpose and for restoring me through Jesus. Help me to live in the dignity and calling You have given, trusting in Your grace.

Amen.

As part of your devotion time, I encourage you to also pray for at least some of the following:

• Your family
• Your local church
• Your pastor
• Some of your fellow church members
• The people on your B.L.E.S.S. list
• Your country and her leaders
• Your community

After praying for these people, you may want to finish your devotion time with the Lord’s Prayer…

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. They will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the kingdom and the power, and the glory, forever and every. Amen.

There is a kind of relational distance that doesn’t always show itself right away.

On the surface, things can look fine. You go about your day, take care of responsibilities, maybe even spend time in prayer or in the Word. But underneath, there can still be a quiet sense that something is unsettled between you and God.

• You wonder if He is disappointed.
• You wonder if you’ve done enough.
• You wonder where you really stand.

It’s not always a loud fear. Often it’s just a subtle uncertainty that lingers in the background.

Paul speaks directly into that in Romans 5:

“Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Notice how he says it. Not “we are working toward peace,” or “we hope to have peace,” but “we have peace.” It is already true.

And it is not based on how you feel on the moment. It is based on what God has done for you in Christ.

To be justified means that God has declared you righteous; not because your life is flawless, but because Jesus has stood in your place. His righteousness is counted as yours. Elsewhere we are described as being robed in Christ’s righteousness. His standing before the Father is now your standing.

Which means the relationship is no longer uncertain.

You are not approaching God as someone trying to earn acceptance. You are not waiting to see if He will receive you today based on how things have gone. The distance has already been removed.

You have peace with God.

But what is peace? Sometimes we think of peace as “not fighting.” That’s only a small part of it. This peace is not just the absence of conflict. It is the presence of reconciliation. The barrier that once stood between you and God has been taken away. You are no longer at odds with Him. You are welcomed.

Think of an old friend you loved spending time with, but then you got into a fight. The peace we have with God isn’t like you just your friend ignores you now so there’s no fighting. It’s not even just that you said you’re sorry and they forgave you, but you don’t hang out anymore. Our peace with God is like you said you’re sorry, your friend forgave you, and you spend even more time together and have the time of your lives. The relationship is fully restored and very good.

Paul goes on to say that through Christ “we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand.”

That word matters—stand.

You are not slipping in and out of God’s grace depending on your performance. You are standing in it. It is the place you now live.

So when that quiet uncertainty creeps in again, when you begin to wonder where you stand with God, come back to what He has said.

• You are justified.
• You have peace.
• You stand in grace.

And all of it is through Jesus.

Let’s pray…

Heavenly Father,

Thank You that my relationship with You does not depend on my performance or feelings, but on Christ’s finished work. When I feel uncertain or distant, remind me that Jesus has already made peace.

Help me to rest in the truth that through faith I stand in Your grace, not moving in and out of it, but held securely in it.

Give me confidence to come before You today, trusting that I am welcomed because of You.

Amen.

As part of your devotion time, I encourage you to also pray for at least some of the following:

• Your family
• Your local church
• Your pastor
• Some of your fellow church members
• The people on your B.L.E.S.S. list
• Your country and her leaders
• Your community

After praying for these people, you may want to finish your devotion time with the Lord’s Prayer…

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. They will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the kingdom and the power, and the glory, forever and every. Amen.

How’s your life right now? Is everything going according to plan?

There are moments when life makes sense. And then there are moments when it doesn’t.

You make a plan, and something unexpected disrupts it. You try to do the right thing, and it doesn’t seem to work out. You look ahead and realize you don’t really know what the next step should be.

That’s where these words from Proverbs meet us.

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.”

It’s a familiar passage. But it’s also a difficult one, because it asks us to loosen our grip on something we rely on every day — our own understanding.

• We want things to make sense.
• We want clarity before we move forward.
• We want to see how it’s all going to work out.

But trust is needed where understanding reaches its limit.

That doesn’t mean thinking is unimportant. Proverbs actually values wisdom, learning, and discernment. It encourages careful decisions and teaches us to seek counsel and to pay attention.

But it also reminds us that our perspective is always partial. We don’t see or know everything. We certainly don’t control everything.

And that’s where leaning can become a problem. Not because understanding is bad, but because it isn’t enough to carry the weight we put on it.

It also reminds us that our understanding is corrupted by our sin. We may “understand” what God is saying, but not understand why He’s saying it…we may even be offended by what God is saying.

So what does it look like to trust?

“In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make straight your paths.”

Trust looks like bringing God into the decision, not just asking Him to bless it afterward. It looks like pausing long enough to remember that He sees more than you do and His wisdom and righteousness are perfect where yours is not. So, you trust what He has told us in His Word, even when you don’t understand why or have every answer—even when the world says the opposite of God—because you know who you are trusting.

You are not trusting blindly or carelessly but faithfully.

And here’s the quiet comfort in this passage: the burden is not on you to straighten your path. That’s God’s work.

Your part is to trust Good, to acknowledge Him, and to walk forward in faith, even when the road isn’t fully clear.

So if you find yourself in a place today where things don’t quite make sense, you’re not alone. That’s often where trust begins—Not when everything is clear, but when it isn’t.

It’s also where our understanding starts to grow. When we trust in the Lord and follow His ways when we don’t understand, we get to see how it plays out. Often, that leads to a deepening of our understanding and strengthening of our faith

I remember earlier in my life when I felt like God was asking me to give, even though I didn’t have enough for myself. I didn’t understand, but I trusted and God took care of me. The next time I felt like God was asking me to give sacrificially, it wasn’t so scary because God had taught me through the first time.

Let’s pray…

Heavenly Father,

There are so many things I don’t understand. I want clarity and control. I want to know what comes next. But You call me to trust You instead. Help me not to rely only on my own understanding. Teach me to acknowledge You in my decisions, my plans, and my uncertainty. Give me faith to move forward and trust Your Word, even when I don’t have all the answers, trusting that You will guide my path.

Amen.

As part of your devotion time, I encourage you to also pray for at least some of the following:

• Your family
• Your local church
• Your pastor
• Some of your fellow church members
• The people on your B.L.E.S.S. list
• Your country and her leaders
• Your community

After praying for these people, you may want to finish your devotion time with the Lord’s Prayer…

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. They will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the kingdom and the power, and the glory, forever and every. Amen.

The Second Commandment

How did you get your name?

• Were you named after a family member?
• Perhaps your parents chose your name because of its meaning?
• Maybe they gave you a name from someone in the Bible?

Names matter more than we sometimes realize. If someone uses your name carelessly—or worse, attaches it to something false—it doesn’t feel small. A name carries reputation, identity, and relationship.

So when God gives His name, He is not giving us a label. He is giving us access.

In the Old Testament, God reveals His name to His people so they can call on Him. They don’t have to guess who He is or wonder if He’s listening. They actually pray to Him, cry out to Him, trust Him.

That’s the gift behind the Second Commandment.

“You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God.”

At first glance, this sounds like it’s mainly about avoiding bad language. And it certainly includes that. But again, it goes much deeper.

We misuse God’s name when we attach it to things that are false—whether that’s empty promises, careless words, or using His name without faith or reverence. It also includes using God’s name for deception or evil.

But this commandment is not just about what we avoid.

It’s about what we are given.

God’s name is there to be used rightly. To call upon Him in every trouble. To pray, praise, and give thanks.

That means the opposite of misusing God’s name is not silence. It’s trust.

Think about how often we go through the day carrying burdens on our own. We worry, plan, replay conversations, and try to control outcomes. All the while, the name of the Lord is right there—given to us as a place of refuge. We don’t have to wonder if God is near.

In Jesus, God has put His name on you. In Baptism, you were marked as His own. The name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit is not distant from your life. It defines your life.

So today, don’t just avoid misusing God’s name.

Use it!

• Call on Him when you’re anxious.
• Thank Him when something goes well.
• Ask for help when you don’t know what to do.

His name is not fragile. It is a gift.

And it has been given to you.

Let’s pray…

Lord God,

Forgive me for the times I have used Your name carelessly or failed to call on You at all. Thank You for revealing Yourself to me and inviting me to pray. Teach me to use Your name rightly—in every need, in every joy, and in every moment.

Amen.

As part of your devotion time, I encourage you to also pray for at least some of the following:

• Your family
• Your local church
• Your pastor
• Some of your fellow church members
• The people on your B.L.E.S.S. list
• Your country and her leaders
• Your community

After praying for these people, you may want to finish your devotion time with the Lord’s Prayer…

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. They will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the kingdom and the power, and the glory, forever and every. Amen.

Ah, Cain and Able. The original sibling conflict.

The background to our passage is that Cain and his younger brother Able both offered sacrifices to God. Able’s was acceptable, but Cain’s was not. This made Cain angry, so he killed Able.

God spoke to Cain and asked where Able was. Cain said his famous sentence,

“Am I my brother’s keeper?” 

God responds. He knows what Cain has done and He issues Cain’s punishment.

“The voice of your brother’s blood is crying to me from the ground. And now you are cursed from the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand. When you work the ground, it shall no longer yield to you its strength. You shall be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth.”

Cain knows what he has done.

His anger has turned into violence. His brother is gone. The weight of it settles in, and now he hears the consequence: he will be restless, a wanderer, exposed.

And Cain is afraid.

“Whoever finds me will kill me.”

There’s no attempt here to undo what happened. No bargaining. Just fear of what comes next.

And then something unexpected happens.

The Lord puts a mark on Cain.

Not a mark for judgment—but for protection.

It’s a surprising moment. If anyone seems beyond mercy, it’s Cain. And yet, even here, God limits the damage. He does not erase the consequences of sin, but He restrains its spread. He preserves life where death has already taken hold.

This is difficult for us to process. We often want things to be simpler. Good people rewarded, bad people punished. Clean lines. Clear outcomes. But Scripture shows us something more complex—and more hopeful.

God’s mercy does not wait for people to deserve it.

Even in a world already fractured by sin, God is still at work to preserve and protect, to hold back the full weight of destruction. Cain bears the consequences of his actions, yes. But he also bears a sign that says: God is not finished showing mercy, even here.

That matters for how we see the world—and how we see ourselves.

There are places in life where we feel the consequences of sin, whether our own or others’. Things don’t always get reset neatly. Some wounds remain. Some situations don’t resolve the way we wish they would.

And yet, even there, God is still at work.

• Holding things together.
• Limiting what could be worse.
• Preserving life.

Sometimes His mercy looks like rescue. Sometimes it looks like restraint. But it is still mercy. The truth is, that we all deserve much, much worse for what we’ve done. If the consequence is less than death and hell, we are experiencing God’s mercy.

That mercy is shown most clearly in Jesus’ death on the cross. It was on the cross that Jesus took the punishment we deserve and paid it in full so that we could be forgiven and freed from the ultimate consequence of our sin.

Yet, God still is not done. One day, God will not just restrain sin—When Jesus will deal with it fully. Not by ignoring it (He already paid for it), but by eradicating it and all its consequences forever.

For now, we live in a world where both consequence and mercy exist side by side. And wherever you see life preserved, evil limited, or another day given, wherever you see another chance to repent and be saved…you are seeing the mark of God’s mercy.

Let’s pray…

Heavenly Father,

Your ways are deeper than I can fully understand. Even in a world shaped by sin, You continue to show mercy. Help me to see Your hand at work—even in difficult situations—and to trust that You are still preserving, still restraining, still caring. Thank You for Your mercy that reaches farther than I deserve.

Amen.

As part of your devotion time, I encourage you to also pray for at least some of the following:

• Your family
• Your local church
• Your pastor
• Some of your fellow church members
• The people on your B.L.E.S.S. list
• Your country and her leaders
• Your community

After praying for these people, you may want to finish your devotion time with the Lord’s Prayer…

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. They will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the kingdom and the power, and the glory, forever and every. Amen.

After leaving the synagogue, Jesus goes to Simon’s house. It is a simple, ordinary setting, a home. A family concern. Simon’s mother-in-law is sick with a fever, and they tell Jesus about her.

He goes to her, takes her by the hand, and lifts her up. The fever leaves immediately, and she begins to serve them.

It is a quiet moment, but it reveals something important. Jesus is not only present in public spaces or dramatic situations. He enters into the ordinary places of life and brings restoration there too. Nothing is too small to bring to Him.

By evening, the scene changes. Word has spread, and now the whole city gathers at the door. People are bringing the sick and those troubled by unclean spirits. One by one, Jesus heals and casts out demons. The scale is different, but the pattern is the same.

Jesus sees, He acts, and people are made whole.

Still, He does not let the moment define His mission. Early the next morning, while it is still dark, He goes to a desolate place to pray. When the disciples find Him, they tell Him that everyone is looking for Him. It would have been easy to stay, to continue the momentum, to build something centered on His growing popularity.

Instead, Jesus says,

“Let us go on to the next towns, that I may preach there also, for that is why I came out.”

His work is not driven by demand, but by purpose. He has come to bring the good news of God’s kingdom, and He will not be redirected from that. Jesus came not just to relieve temporal suffering, but to save and give eternal life.

Sometimes, we need to be reminded of that as well. We get frustrated when God doesn’t heal us or relieve our temporal suffering. However, Jesus gives something greater. If you are healed sickness will come again. If you have relief, suffering will return. However, Jesus promises a life in Christ which even now has great purpose and joy and, when Jesus’ returns, will end all sickness and suffering forever. Our hope is greater.

Then a man with leprosy comes to Him.

In that time, leprosy was more than a disease. It separated people from community and worship. To be a leper was to live on the outside, cut off and alone. Think back to Covid and you start to get a sense of what they went through, except for them it wasn’t a few months or a couple of years.

The man kneels before Jesus and says,

“If you will, you can make me clean.”

There is no doubt in his words about Jesus’ ability. The question is whether Jesus is willing.

Jesus responds in a way that would have surprised everyone watching. He reaches out and touches him.

That touch matters. It is not required for healing, but it is given anyway. Before the man is restored physically, he is met personally. Then Jesus speaks, and immediately the leprosy is gone.

“I will; be clean.”

This passage shows us something essential about Jesus.

He has power, but it is not distant or detached. His power is joined with compassion. He does not stand far off from those who suffer. He draws near.

At the same time, His mission is larger than any single moment. He heals, but He also moves forward, bringing the good news wherever He goes.

For us, this means we can bring both the ordinary struggles of daily life and the deeper burdens we carry. Nothing is too small, and nothing is too far gone.

And when we wonder whether He is willing to help, this passage gives a clear answer.

He is.

And we can also bring comfort and Christ into the lives of others, both in the big struggles and the small, daily struggles. Jesus is there for your neighbor as well.

Let’s pray…

Lord Jesus,

You see what is broken and You have the power to restore. Help me to trust Your compassion and to bring my needs before You. Keep me rooted in Your Word and Your purpose, knowing that You are both willing and able to help.

Amen.

As part of your devotion time, I encourage you to also pray for at least some of the following:

• Your family
• Your local church
• Your pastor
• Some of your fellow church members
• The people on your B.L.E.S.S. list
• Your country and her leaders
• Your community

After praying for these people, you may want to finish your devotion time with the Lord’s Prayer…

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. They will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the kingdom and the power, and the glory, forever and every. Amen.

Why do people push back against God?

I’m not just talking about out there in the world. But in here…in us.

We don’t like being told what to do. We don’t like authority over us. We want control. We want freedom on our terms.

Psalm 2 begins with a picture of rebellion.

Nations rage. Peoples plot. Kings take their stand. Rulers gather together. Against whom?

Against the Lord and against His Anointed.

It’s not just political. It’s personal. Humanity doesn’t just drift away from God. We resist Him and rebel. We push back and want to throw off His rule to decide for ourselves what is right.

That hasn’t changed. It started in the Garden of Eden. It’s written about in the Psalms.  You see it today in the world…You also see it in your own heart.

But then the scene in our Psalm shifts.

God is not anxious. He is not pacing, trying to figure out what to do. He sits…and He laughs.

He doesn’t laugh because rebellion is funny, but because it is futile. No amount of resistance will undo what God has already decided.

“I have set my King on Zion, my holy hill.”

It’s set. Not just to set someone in place, but like glue sets, to firmly fix it. God’s King is not up for election. He is not waiting for approval. He has already been established.

That King is Jesus. Jesus is God’s anointed.

At first, it didn’t look like it. Jesus was rejected, mocked, and crucified. The rulers of His day did exactly what Psalm 2 describes. They took their stand against Him.

But the cross was not an end, it was a throne.

And in the resurrection, God made it clear. Jesus is King forever. Not one option among many. Not one ruler among others.

Jesus is THE King.

This matters, because it means we are not left to figure life out on our own. It also means we don’t get to define truth for ourselves.

And that’s where this Psalm confronts us.

We don’t just need comfort. We need repentance, because we, too, have resisted God’s rule. We’ve wanted His blessings without His commands.

The Good News is that the King God has set in place is not a tyrant.

He is the One who went to the cross for rebels. Jesus doesn’t crush sinners who turn to Him.

• He forgives them.
• He restores them.
• He brings them into His kingdom.

So the question is not whether Jesus is King. He is. The question is whether we will resist Him or trust Him.

Ironically, trusting Him is not losing freedom. It’s finally finding it.

Let’s pray…

Heavenly Father,

You have set Your Son as King over all things. Forgive me for the ways I resist Your rule and try to go my own way. Help me to trust Jesus, my King, who rules with mercy and grace. Teach me to live under His reign with faith and joy.

Amen.

As part of your devotion time, I encourage you to also pray for at least some of the following:

• Your family
• Your local church
• Your pastor
• Some of your fellow church members
• The people on your B.L.E.S.S. list
• Your country and her leaders
• Your community

After praying for these people, you may want to finish your devotion time with the Lord’s Prayer…

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. They will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the kingdom and the power, and the glory, forever and every. Amen.

There is a way of thinking about the Christian life that sounds right at first, but slowly wears a person down.

It goes something like this: you know you’re forgiven, but now the real work is up to you. Try harder. Do better. Make progress. If you stumble, get back up and keep improving.

At first, that can feel motivating. Over time, though, it becomes exhausting. Because no matter how sincere the effort is, the old patterns are still there. Familiar temptations return. The same sins resurface or new ones show up. And it begins to feel like you are stuck fighting a battle you can never quite win.

In Romans 6, Paul doesn’t begin with what you should do. He begins with what has already happened to you.

“Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?”

That is not a metaphor meant to inspire you. It is a reality meant to ground you.

In Baptism, you were joined to Christ. His death was not just something done for you, but something you were brought into. Your old self—the one bound to sin, defined by it and unable to escape it and it’s consequences—was crucified with Him.

This means the struggle you feel is not the whole story.

Yes, sin is still present and the fight is real. But you are not who you once were. You are not trying to become a new person through effort. You have already been made new through Christ.

Let me say that again. You have been made new through Christ!

Paul goes on to say that just as Christ was raised from the dead, you too walk in newness of life. That life is not something you are slowly building. It has already begun.

This changes how you see the daily struggle.

You are not fighting as someone still enslaved, hoping to one day be free. You are fighting as someone who has already been set free, learning to live in that freedom.

You are not dragging your old self toward improvement. That old self has been put to death in Christ. And you have been raised with Christ.

So when you find yourself discouraged by the same sins and weaknesses or that every time you think you’ve beaten one sin another replaces it, remember where Paul points you, not first to your effort, but to your Baptism—Not to what you need to accomplish, but to what God has already done.

• You belong to Christ.
• You have died with Him.
• And now, you live through Him.

Let’s pray…

Heavenly Father,

Thank You for joining me to Your Son in Baptism. When I feel stuck in old patterns and discouraged by my sin, remind me that my old self has been crucified with Christ.

Teach me to live each day in the new life You have already given. Strengthen me in the struggle, not by my effort alone, but by the reality that I belong to You.

Help me to trust what You have done and to walk in that newness of life.

Amen.

As part of your devotion time, I encourage you to also pray for at least some of the following:

• Your family
• Your local church
• Your pastor
• Some of your fellow church members
• The people on your B.L.E.S.S. list
• Your country and her leaders
• Your community

After praying for these people, you may want to finish your devotion time with the Lord’s Prayer…

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. They will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the kingdom and the power, and the glory, forever and every. Amen.

What impactful statements do you remember from years ago?

A man once said a quick, sarcastic comment during a conversation. He didn’t think much of it. It was just a joke.

The other man went quiet. Conversation moved on. The day continued.

Years later, he would still remember that moment.

Words have a way of staying.

We tend to think of them as small. Temporary. Gone as soon as they’re spoken. But Proverbs says otherwise. It tells us that our words carry weight — real weight. They do something. They produce something very significant.

Our words produce life or death.

That sounds strong, but if you’ve lived long enough, you’ve seen it.

• A harsh word spoken in anger that lingers in a marriage.
• An offhand comment, positive or negative, that shapes how a child sees themselves.
• A sentence of encouragement that someone carries with them for years.

Words don’t just pass through the air. They land somewhere.

That’s why wisdom pays attention to them.

Not in a tense, anxious way, as if we have to get every sentence perfect. Rather, the wise person is aware of what they are saying. They are thoughtful with their words. Wisdom slows things down just enough to recognize what’s happening in the moment.

“I’m about to respond. What will this do?”

Sometimes the wise thing is to hold back. Not every thought needs to be spoken. Not every reaction needs to be expressed.

Sometimes the wise thing is to speak. To encourage. To tell the truth. To say the thing that needs to be said with care and clarity.

Both matter.

And over time, those moments add up. They form patterns and shape relationships. Those words bear fruit…of life or death.

This reminds me of an interaction between Jesus and His disciples in the Gospel of John. Jesus had been teaching some things that were hard to hear. Many people who had been following Jesus left. Then, Jesus turned to His disciples and asked if they were going to leave to.

Peter responds,

“Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.” (John 6:68-69)

God’s Word gives life. When we share God’s Word faithfully, we speak God’s words of life, eternal life.

So today, pay attention to your words.

• Notice if the words you are about to say may hurt or kill.
• Notice when you have the opportunity to encourage and speak life.
• Notice the small moments — because sometimes they aren’t as small as they seem.

“Death and life are in the power of the tongue.”

That means your words matter.

Let’s pray…

Heavenly Father,

You hear every word I speak. You know how quickly they come and how often I don’t think before I speak. May I use my words to confess today. Please forgive me for the times my words have caused harm. Slow me down today. Give me wisdom in the moment — when to speak and when to be silent. Help me use my words to encourage, to tell the truth, and to reflect Your love and share Your Word. Let my words bear good fruit.

Amen.

As part of your devotion time, I encourage you to also pray for at least some of the following:

• Your family
• Your local church
• Your pastor
• Some of your fellow church members
• The people on your B.L.E.S.S. list
• Your country and her leaders
• Your community

After praying for these people, you may want to finish your devotion time with the Lord’s Prayer…

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. They will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the kingdom and the power, and the glory, forever and every. Amen.