Tag: savior

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Judges Devotionals

Our true light

True light

…you will conceive and give birth to a son..and he will begin to save Israel from the power of the Philistines. (Judges 13:5)

Samson’s name meant “little sun.” But he was only a dim reflection of the Light that was to come.

Samson began to save his people, but because of his many flaws, he never truly completed the job.

Israel’s true light was yet to come. (John 1:9)

But 2000 years ago, another angel appeared to a man named Joseph and said,

[Mary] will give birth to a son, and you are to name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” (Matthew 1:21)

That’s what I’m thanking God for today. Our Light has come!

Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD shines over you. (Isaiah 60:1)

Categories
Genesis Devotions

When God visits

Genesis

Now the Lord was gracious to Sarah as he had said, and the Lord did for Sarah what he had promised. (Genesis 21:1, NIV)

The NIV translation is very interesting when it says, “the Lord was gracious to Sarah.”

Most translations say “The Lord came to Sarah” or “The Lord visited Sarah.”

After a little digging, what I found was that in the Old Testament, the words “The Lord came” or “The Lord visited” often has the nuance of the Lord coming either to bless or to curse.

And in this case, he came to bless Sarah, just as he had promised, giving her a son.

Hundreds of years later, the Lord would visit another woman named Mary. And in doing so, he kept another promise: to send a Savior to save us all.

And as John tells us, from Jesus, we have received “grace upon grace.” (John 1:16)

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again,

Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift! (2 Corinthians 9:15)

Categories
Psalms Devotionals

Our King, our Savior, our Intercessor

Psalms

In a lot of ways, Psalms 20-21 are connected. In Psalm 20, you see the king asking for God’s help. In Psalm 21, you see the king praising God for the help he was given.

Obviously, David was thinking of his own experience as he wrote these songs.

But in them we can also see Jesus in whom these words were ultimately fulfilled.

By raising Jesus from the dead and giving him life eternal (Psalm 21:4), we see that the Father remembered and accepted the sacrifice Jesus gave on the cross. (Psalm 20:3)

The Father has crowned him as King, and conferred on him majesty and splendor. (21:5)

And when Christ returns, he will rule over all. (21:8-12)

But one thing that strikes me is this word:

You have given him his heart’s desire
and have not denied the request of his lips. (21:2)

This matches with the earlier prayer found in Psalm 20.

May he give you what your heart desires
and fulfill your whole purpose. (20:4)

One of the wonderful truths that we have as Christians is that Jesus as our high priest intercedes for us. And when he prays for us, the Father always answers yes.

He answered yes concerning our salvation. And he will answer yes to Jesus when he prays for us in our struggles as Christians. (Hebrews 7:25-26)

So as the writer of Hebrews says,

Therefore, let us approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in time of need. (Hebrews 4:16)

Categories
Jonah Devotionals

Reluctant savior. Willing Savior.

Book of Jonah

As I was reading Jonah today, I thought about how Jesus compared his death and resurrection to Jonah going into the belly of the fish for three days and three nights. (Matthew 12:39-40).

So as I read today, I thought about how the stories of Jonah and Jesus were both similar and different.

Jonah was the son of the “faithful one.” (“Ammitai” means faithful.)

Jesus was the Son of our faithful God.

Jonah was given a mission to save…and ran away.

Jesus was given a mission to save…and he came willingly in love.

The sailors were unwilling to cast a guilty man into the sea.

The Jews shouted of an an innocent man, “Crucify him.”

It pleased God in both cases to sacrifice one to save the many. And when the man was sacrificed, his wrath ceased.

Through the sacrifice of Jonah, the sailors were saved and worshiped God.

Through the sacrifice of Jesus, we are saved, and came to worship God.

And as Jesus said, as Jonah was in the belly of the fish for three days and three nights and then came out alive, Jesus was in the grave for three days, and came out alive.

The sailors cried out to Jonah, “Maybe this god (of yours) will consider us, and we won’t perish.” (6)

God did consider us, and because he sent his only Son, everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16)

That’s what this Passion week is all about. So as the sailors did, let us fear God, worship him, and give our lives to him.