1 John 4:19 | We love because he first loved us.

We should be astonished at the goodness of God, stunned that He should bother to call us by name, our mouths wide open at His love, bewildered that, at this very moment, we are standing on holy ground. ― Brennan Manning

First Corinthians 13:4–7 tells us:

Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.

Love is the foundation that God has called us to construct our lives upon. After all, if we follow Jesus, perfect love already is the foundation of our lives. But we aren’t just called to love our Lord Jesus Christ. Second and “equally important,” says Jesus, is to love your neighbor as yourself (Mark 12:31).

I know what some of you are thinking: “But you haven’t met my neighbors, they’re crazy!” Or “But sometimes I just have a bad day. What then?” Although loving others might be hard to do sometimes, we need to remember that Jesus’ statement to love isn’t a request; it’s a command.

Ask yourself how you can be a representation of God’s love today. When God desired to show us His love, He sent Jesus to die on the cross for our sins (John 3:16). What an incredible act of service, selflessness, and sacrifice—all done to show a real and tangible representation of the invisible God. (It was actually the ultimate act. In John 15:13, Jesus tells us, “There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.”)

Love without sacrifice isn’t really love in the first place; it’s kindness. The greatest example of true sacrificial love can be found in the blood of Jesus Christ. That’s not just “kindness” or “being nice.” Jesus’ sacrificial love was and is the most important act of all time. Nothing else compares. His love spares us from a life separated from God, and it opens us up to eternal life spent resting in His perfection. Be an example of love, and let those around you know how much you really care.

Challenge:

Be honest with yourself in answering these questions: Are you loving others the way Jesus loves you? What steps can you take to be a visible, tangible, and reflective image of God’s love this year?

Devotional from YouVersion Bible App. Contact Pastor Rod Lindemann at RodL@TimothyLutheran.com on how to use the Bible App for additional readings and topics. We would like to thank the author(s) for providing this plan and they retain all rights.

John 1:14-17 | The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. (John testified concerning him. He cried out, saying, “This is the one I spoke about when I said, ‘He who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’ ”) Out of his fullness we have all received grace in place of grace already given. For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.

To secure one’s freedom, the Christian must experience God’s light, which is God’s truth. — Watchman Nee

Our world has this crazy notion that once we seek God, everything will be hassle-free. Now don’t get me wrong, having Jesus in our lives makes a world of a difference. But don’t be surprised if you hit obstacles the second you start to truly seek after God’s heart.

There are two things I know about Satan:

1. He doesn’t want me to be in a relationship with God.
2. He will do everything he can to distract me from the truth.

Looking back at my past, I realize how many times I let Satan get in the way of my relationship with God. The sad part is, I always allowed it to happen when things were beginning to look bright. (This is one reason why understanding our last word, “identity,” is so important!)

Satan will do everything he can to distract us from the truth because the truth of God is Satan’s weakness. The truth of God is found in His Word (the Bible). And if we aren’t willing to build upon that truth, then we aren’t willing to accept the love and hope He has to offer. Our lives should be so saturated with the love of God that we constantly yearn to read more, pray more, and praise more.

The truth of God is that all things must pass [away] except the things that are of Him. In other words, God is the truth, and anything that is not of God will not be left standing in the end. Truth is not defined by our own subjective standards; it is determined objectively by the source of truth Himself.

Ultimately, Jesus is not a concept or an idea; He is an eternal and unchanging truth. We might be free to reject a number of traditions, customs, and beliefs. However, we cannot make facts go away by ignoring their irrefutable truth. Whether we choose to believe, the fact remains that Jesus is Lord over all—believers and unbelievers alike.

Satan will try to distract you the second God’s truth starts to attract you. Stand strong. Be courageous. Have faith. He is our foundation. He is the way, the truth, and the life (John 14:6).

Challenge:

Journal about what God’s truth means to you. Then, share with one person this week how God’s truth has changed your life.

Devotional from YouVersion Bible App. Contact Pastor Rod Lindemann at RodL@TimothyLutheran.com on how to use the Bible App for additional readings and topics. We would like to thank the author(s) for providing this plan and they retain all rights.

Psalms 16:11| You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.

Joy is the infallible sign of the presence of God. — Pierre Teilhard de Chardin

Have you ever looked at the face of someone who just scored a winning touchdown, won first place at a competition, or just won the grand prize on a game show? Well if you have, you’ve noticed they look pretty happy. But I want you to realize that not one of those things has anything to do with joy.

Why?

Because joy isn’t a product of something you have your hand in. Joy is not affected by what we can do in our own strength. And joy is not something this world can truly offer us in the first place.

Most of us in today’s world have mistaken happiness for joy. But if we unveil the truth behind what joy in Christ is, it is something eternal and unshakable.

What would happen if the man who scored the winning touchdown didn’t get both feet on the field before the catch? What would happen if you took away the first place medal? And what would happen if the game show contestant had lost instead of won? Would those people be robbed of their joy? Nope, because true joy cannot be taken away or affected by circumstances that surround us.

Joy is eternal. Joy cannot be shaken. Joy cannot be earned.

I only know of one thing that’s eternal, unshakable, and unearned: life in Christ. No matter how much we achieve, accumulate, build, and create, all of those things eventually turn to dust. Jesus is the one thing that remains.

There’s a famous poem called “Ozymandias” by the English Romantic Poet Percy Bysshe Shelley; it highlights the futility of looking for satisfaction in things of the world. In the poem, a traveler comes across two giant stone legs in the desert. Next to the legs is the shattered head of the statue and a pedestal with the ironic inscription, “My name is Ozymandias, king of kings:/Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!” This once great king’s statue is now nothing more than a few crumbled shards. And his kingdom—likely once lush and green—is now a desert. Nothing remains.

Jesus is the one and only constant, the one and only source of true joy and fulfillment we can count on. Imagine a world built on joy and not the satisfaction of temporal happiness. Imagine if people found joy in simply living and weren’t desperately searching for happiness by trying to make a living.

Challenge:

Spend time thinking or journaling about the difference between happiness and joy and whether true joy can be found outside of Jesus. What changes do you need to make in your life this year to prioritize true, lasting joy?

Devotional from YouVersion Bible App. Contact Pastor Rod Lindemann at RodL@TimothyLutheran.com on how to use the Bible App for additional readings and topics. We would like to thank the author(s) for providing this plan and they retain all rights.

2 Corinthians 1:3-4 | Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.

Compassion will cure more sins than condemnation. — Henry Ward Beecher

Jesus rose from the dead and freed us from the bondage of our sins. And in doing so, He opened the door for anyone wanting to find a relationship with his Father in heaven. Jesus’ message has never changed. And to anyone who has never felt the warmth of compassion, His voice is calling out, wherever you might be.

Jesus’ great desire is that you would come to Him with all your faults, all your cares, and all your struggles. He doesn’t seek to harshly judge you but to gracefully and compassionately help you. He wishes to take hold of your pain and shower you with unfathomable love and grace.

He speaks with a voice of compassion and understanding. He will lift you from the lowest of lows and bring light to your darkened soul. He died for all your mistakes, and He brings healing to all of your wounds.

The word “compassion” comes from a Latin word that means “co-suffering.” It isn’t merely “feeling sorry for someone” or “putting yourself in someone else’s shoes.” No, having compassion means coming alongside someone and taking on his or her suffering with the hope of alleviating it. Jesus offers us true compassion—one of the highest expressions of love and care.

Open your heart to Him. Trust Him with your pain and sorrow. To the hurting and lonely He brings comfort. Jesus personally took upon Himself the grief of all people. He took our sicknesses and burdens, and He carried our sorrows upon His back. He proved Himself a true brother of love and character.

I think this can never be said too often: Jesus’ love, compassion, mercy, and grace are fully and totally available to you. Yes, you. No special requirements. No restrictions. Not a limited-time offer. He gives these things freely to you. He only wants you to love Him back and share His love and compassion with others.

Challenge:

Ask God to help you see this week (1) His compassion for you and (2) someone in need to whom you can show Christlike compassion.

Devotional from YouVersion Bible App. Contact Pastor Rod Lindemann at RodL@TimothyLutheran.com on how to use the Bible App for additional readings and topics. We would like to thank the author(s) for providing this plan and they retain all rights.

Psalm 96 | Sing to the LORD a new song; sing to the LORD, all the earth. Sing to the LORD, praise his name; proclaim his salvation day after day. Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous deeds among all peoples. For great is the LORD and most worthy of praise; he is to be feared above all gods. For all the gods of the nations are idols, but the LORD made the heavens. Splendor and majesty are before him; strength and glory are in his sanctuary. Ascribe to the LORD, all you families of nations, ascribe to the LORD glory and strength. Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name; bring an offering and come into his courts. Worship the LORD in the splendor of his holiness; tremble before him, all the earth. Say among the nations, “The LORD reigns.” The world is firmly established, it cannot be moved; he will judge the peoples with equity. Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad; let the sea resound, and all that is in it. Let the fields be jubilant, and everything in them; let all the trees of the forest sing for joy. Let all creation rejoice before the LORD, for he comes, he comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world in righteousness and the peoples in his faithfulness.

Without worship, we go about miserable. — A. W. Tozer

Worship is something that at first might seem a bit confusing, but in reality, it isn’t. It is within our human nature to worship something or someone. The Russian novelist Fyodor Dostoevsky (also a Christian) once said, “Man, so long as he remains free, has no more constant and agonizing anxiety than to find as quickly as possible someone to worship.” [1] It’s a fundamental part of what it means to be human—just like eating, drinking, breathing, and sleeping.

The act of worship is a demonstration of respect, honor, or homage toward a certain object or person. Regarding our faith as Christians, our worship is to be directed toward our Lord and Savior. Worship is a time when we pay deep, sincere, awesome respect, love, and fear to the One who created us.

Our worship not only honors and magnifies God but it is also for our own edification and strength. Worship helps us develop God-like and Christlike characteristics. When we worship God, we develop traits such as forgiveness, tenderness, justice, righteousness, purity, kindness, and love. All of these attributes prepare us for eternal life in heaven with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

Ultimately, the art of worship is something we cannot truly understand until we take part in it. And although the act of worship might seem conservative and dry, there are many ways to worship our God in heaven. Worship itself is not just an act but a lifestyle in which we can live.

As followers of Jesus Christ, we are to be living sacrifices (a form of worship) to the One above. Worship should cause us to reflect on the majesty and graciousness of God and Christ, contrasted by our own unworthiness.

Challenge:

Worship is more than singing or praying or listening to a sermon. It’s making God your focus in everything you do, from your job to your home and everything in between (Col 3:23–24). How can you worship God throughout your everyday life and not just while you’re at church?

Devotional from YouVersion Bible App. Contact Pastor Rod Lindemann at RodL@TimothyLutheran.com on how to use the Bible App for additional readings and topics. We would like to thank the author(s) for providing this plan and they retain all rights.