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Treasure in Clay Jars

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  Scripture: 2 Corinthians 4:7–10 (ESV) But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies. Devotion: In the ancient world, clay jars were the plastic containers of daily life: cheap, common, easily chipped, and thrown out when cracked. No one admired the jar. Valuables were sometimes hidden in them precisely because no one thought to look there. Paul says that is exactly where God has placed His greatest treasure. In the verse just before, he names it: "the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ" (v. 6). The gospel itself, the glory of God shining in Christ, has been entrusted to ordinary, fragile, sinful people. Why this ...
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Rejoice, Be Glad

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Scripture: Psalm 118:24 (NIV) The LORD has done it this very day; let us rejoice today and be glad. Devotion: Many of us learned this verse as "This is the day the Lord has made," and we quote it as a cheerful reminder that every morning is a gift. That is true. But the psalmist has something more specific in view, and the NIV draws it out: "The LORD has done it this very day." Done what? The verses just before tell us: "The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; the LORD has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes" (vv. 22–23). The day of rejoicing is the day God overturns men's verdict and exalts the one they cast aside. The psalm is sung by one who was surrounded by enemies, pushed back and about to fall, yet rescued by the Lord's right hand (vv. 10–14). He goes up to the temple gates in triumph, and the people take up his song. The New Testament shows us whom this Rejected Stone truly is. Jesus applied these words t...
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The Road Home

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  Lamentations 3:40 (NIV) Let us examine our ways and test them, and let us return to the LORD. Devotion: Lamentations is a book written in the ashes. Jerusalem has fallen, the temple lies in ruins, and the prophet weeps over a city once full of people. Yet at the heart of the book, like a lamp set in a dark room, stands the confession that the Lord's compassions never fail and his faithfulness is great (3:22–23). Our verse grows out of that hope. Because God is faithful, his people can face the truth about themselves. Notice the order. The prophet does not begin by blaming Babylon or questioning God. He has already acknowledged that nothing comes to pass unless the Lord has decreed it (3:37), and that the living have no ground for complaint when punished for their sins (3:39). So, he turns the searchlight inward: "Let us examine our ways and test them." And notice the pronoun. He does not say "you." He stands among the guilty and says "us." ...
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Drawn by the Father

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  John 6:44 (NIV) "No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them, and I will raise them up at the last day." Devotion: Jesus spoke these words to a crowd that had eaten the loaves only the day before. They had followed him across the lake, but now they were grumbling. They wanted bread, not the Bread of Life. Their complaint exposed a deeper problem, one Jesus names plainly: "No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them." This is a humbling word. It tells us that the natural heart, left to itself, will not come to Christ. The problem is not that the invitation is unclear or that the Savior is unattractive. The problem is in us. Our wills are bound by sin, and we cannot free ourselves. The word "draws" is a strong one. John uses the same verb for hauling in a net full of fish (21:11), and Luke uses it for dragging Paul and Silas before the magistrates (Acts 16:19). The Father does not merely suggest or nudge. Ye...
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Turn to God

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  Isaiah 45:22 (NIV) "Turn to me and be saved, all you ends of the earth; for I am God, and there is no other." Devotion: In the ancient world, every nation had its gods, and every god had its territory. The people Isaiah addressed lived among wooden idols that had to be carried from place to place (45:20). Into that crowded marketplace of deities, the Lord speaks a word that leaves no room for rivals: "I am God, and there is no other." This is more than a statement of monotheism. It is the ground of an invitation. Because there is only one God, there is only one place to turn for salvation. The idols cannot save; they cannot even move themselves. The Lord who forms the light and creates the darkness, who raised up Cyrus to do his bidding, is the only one with power to rescue. And he does not wait to be sought. He calls. Notice how wide the call reaches: "all you ends of the earth." Spoken first to Israel, the invitation runs outward to the nati...
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The Priest Who Knows

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Hebrews 4:15–16 (NIV) For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. Let us then approach God's throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. Devotion: Under the old covenant, few dared to enter God's throne room. Once a year the high priest passed behind the curtain into the Most Holy Place, carrying blood and trembling lest he be struck down. The mercy seat was near, but the people stood far off. The writer to the Hebrews tells us that everything has changed. God has not become any less holy. What has changed is that we now have a better High Priest. Jesus, the eternal Son, took to himself a true body. He knew hunger in the wilderness, weariness at the well, sorrow at Lazarus's tomb, and anguish in Gethsemane. The Greek word behind "empathize" means literally to suffer with...
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Get Wisdom

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Scripture: James 1:5 (NIV) If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. Devotion: Ask Without Shame There's a particular shame in not knowing what to do. You can feel it in your chest when a crisis lands, and you have no idea how to respond—when grief, a hard decision, or a relationship gone sideways leaves you standing there with no wisdom of your own to offer. Most of us would rather look competent than admit we're lost. James assumes we'll be lost, and tells us exactly where to go. This verse doesn't arrive out of nowhere. James has just told his scattered, suffering readers to "consider it pure joy" when they face trials, because the testing of their faith produces perseverance, and perseverance, allowed to finish its work, makes them mature and complete (vv. 2–4). It's a staggering command. And James seems to know it will leave people asking: but how? How do...
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