“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.”
TO PONDER
Paul has spent this chapter writing to people from all walks of life, Jew, Gentile, Slave, Master, etc, reminding them they are united in Christ, He reminds them how to live in community and unity. He talks about submission, love, obedience and sincerity in all things. And he finishes the chapter with encouragement. When we serve Jesus, we ask him for direction, guidance, we work with his plans, not ours. And we give that our best shot. I grew up with Luther’s ‘priesthood of all believers”. We are are called, to serve and be served, to love and be loved.
And what is our inheritance, our reward? Not just the next adventure when we die, but we live the starting point of that adventure here on earth, every day in the mundane, the small, the large, the exciting, the repetitive and sometimes …..the unexpected surprises Jesus dumps on us when we stop, listen and hold out our hands.
PRAYER
Jesus, my master, fill my hands and heart with work that is fitting for me, your child. Give me humility, courage and faith to see, accept and do your will. Amen
Today's devotion written by Barb Niczynski, LifeWay Illawarra.
“My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death,” he said to them. “Stay here and keep watch.”
TO PONDER
There are two things I find deeply comforting in these words of Jesus to his disciples on the night he was handed over to be crucified.
Firstly, Jesus understands suffering and sorrow. It is often helpful to me when I find myself upset or distressed about something to remember that Jesus understands this kind of experience. Now granted, I am not usually staring down the circumstances of my own death as he was when we get this scripture, but I have always found it good to remember that even Jesus found himself overwhelmed with sorrow at times.
Secondly, Jesus goes to two places for help. He does take himself off to pray and receive comfort from the Father, but he also asks his friends to keep watch or vigil with him in his grief. Jesus Christ, the Son of God, completely human and also completely divine, sought comfort from humanity. Sometimes when we are feeling grief, we can tend to isolate ourselves and wallow in our grief. That is certainly one of my strategies. Yet here in the face of His own overwhelming sorrow, he turns to his friends for support. I mean if it was good enough for Jesus, then it ought to be good enough for me. And although Jesus' disciples did not manage to stay awake and do what he asked, I still believe that their presence with him made a difference.
Sometimes when we are helping others through grief we can feel like we are messing it up horribly. Just remember, sometimes your presence is all that is necessary.
PRAYER
Heavenly Father, thank you for the gift of friends and community, from which we can receive comfort and support in times of grief and despair. Remind us always that we have a God who understands our grief and sorrow intimately and who will always be with us, even in the deepest valleys. Amen
Today's devotion by Mathew von Stanke, LifeWay Newcastle
My eyes fail from weeping, I am in torment within;
my heart is poured out on the ground because my people are destroyed,
because children and infants faint in the streets of the city.
TO PONDER
We sometimes gloss over parts of the Bible that sound like this. After all, it doesn't paint a good picture really, does it? Surely this is not the kind of attitude good Christians ought to have even in the face of difficult times. Yet there are multiple times throughout the Bible, in Exodus, in the book of Psalms, Job, Lamentations, Isaiah and Jeremiah when God's people, even His own messengers and prophets like Isaiah and Jeremiah lament and grieve over the situations they find themselves in or which they see happening around them.
We see a lot of things that I'm sure cause most of us that kind of grief when we turn on the news. War in Ukraine, the destruction of floodwaters, the devastation caused by earthquakes, mounting tension with China, rising living costs, and a general breaking down of the long held moral code of the communities in which we live. The point of these kinds of passages of scripture is that they allow us to see that feelings of despair and grief are ok. God doesn't want us to rejoice about these things, they are a result of sin and a broken world.
However, God does invites us to rejoice in spite of these things, because we know that no matter how bad things may get in this life, he has assured those who trust in him, that he will one day come and take us to be with him where there will be no more, crying or death or pain. Praise God for that!
PRAYER
Heavenly Father, help me to always remember that I can come to you with my grief and my concerns and that even when I cannot see you at work in the darkest parts of this world, that you do still work for the good of those whose faith and trust is in you. Amen
Today's devotion by Mathew von Stanke, LifeWay Newcastle
But you, God, see the trouble of the afflicted; you consider their grief and take it in hand. The victims commit themselves to you; you are the helper of the fatherless.
TO PONDER
The problems of life are all around us. We see trouble in our world, in our neighbourhoods, our families, in poverty and in sickness. You might be feeling some of these afflictions today?
Our verse today reminds us that He sees the troubled, the weak, the poor or disadvantaged and takes their grief and concerns in His hands. We need to take comfort in knowing that God knows all of our troubles. He doesn’t stand at a distance. Instead we must trust that He sees, cares and will send help at the right time.
Today, reach back and take His hand. Accept the grace He offers and believe His promises. He is a good Father. Your Father, who cares so much for you.
PRAYER
Dear Lord, I know You are a God who heals all kinds of sickness and illness through the power of Your Holy Spirit. I ask that You would send healing and wholeness to all who are suffering at this time. Father, fill them with your Holy Spirit so that in this time of difficulty they will have comfort, strength and the courage necessary to endure. In Jesus' precious name, Amen.
Today's devotion written by Josi Weiss, LifeWay Epping
In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials.
TO PONDER
For many of us, the word grief is often associated with death. While it is natural to grieve the passing of a loved one, grief is not always exclusive to death. It is also about loss, and this comes in many different forms, from financial or worldly losses to life-changing illness or injury, to estrangement to name just a few.
Peter reminds us in today’s verse that it is normal for us to suffer grief in all kinds of trials while we are here on earth. However, our faith in Christ allows us to rejoice, as there is an inheritance being kept for us in heaven that can never perish, spoil or fade (v4). But why as Christians do we still have to face these trails of life? Paul goes on to explain in verse 7 ‘These [trials] have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith …. may result in praise, glory and honour when Jesus Christ is revealed.’
Are you facing a trail in your life right now? Are you suffering from grief? It can be easy to get caught up in our own problems and at times we let them take hold of us. May you be reminded today that the trials you face in this life are only temporary. May the Spirit help you overcome whatever you are facing, and turn that feeling of grief into praise, glory and honour for Jesus. Take heart in knowing that your amazing eternal inheritance is waiting for you!
PRAYER
Dear Lord, Please give me the endurance I need to get through the times of trial and grief in my life. Thank you that you are keeping an inheritance for me in heaven which gives me assurance that what I am facing on earth is only temporary. All praise, glory and honour goes to you Lord. Amen.
Today's devotion written by Elysia McEwen, LifeWay Epping
He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death, or mourning, or crying, or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.
TO PONDER
Do you regularly sit down and read the daily paper or watch the news on TV? War, murder, domestic violence, natural disasters, it just seems to be one sad story after another being reported.
In our verse for today the Lord declares that He will wipe away every tear, and He is working to bring an end to all pain and suffering.
Today we can live with hope knowing that our every sorrow and sadness will one day be turned into joy and laughter. And if there are any tears in heaven, we can be sure they will be tears of joy.
As we place our trust in Him, we can know that a new Kingdom with Him awaits…one that makes every moment until then, worthwhile!
PRAYER
Lord, You are the God who makes and will make everything new. I pray that You wipe away my tears and make me new. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen
Today's devotion written by Josi Weiss, LifeWay Epping
For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him.
TO PONDER
Do you remember the feeling as a child of having a parent or loved one’s arms embrace and hold you tight? Whether it was a simple hug hello, or a comfort for when you were sad, that feeling of warmth and safety was something you couldn’t get anywhere else. Reading today’s verse reminds me of that feeling. I imagine that to ‘fall asleep in Jesus’ as a child of God, will feel a lot like that comforting hug – or probably even better!
These words from Paul bring such a sense of peace don’t they? To be assured that anyone who believes that Jesus died and rose again will be brought to heaven. It’s not just wishful thinking, it’s God’s promise, and we can be confident in that. May you live in that confidence today and always.
PRAYER
Dear Jesus, Thank you for all that you have done for me, so that I may live in confidence knowing that one day I will be taken to be with you forever. Help me to share that confidence with those around me so that they too can one day fall asleep in you. Amen.
Today's devotion written by Elysia McEwen, LifeWay Epping
Very truly I tell you, you will weep and mourn while the world rejoices. You will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy.
TO PONDER
Can you recall a difficult time in your life?
It may have been a time when you experienced an illness, difficult challenges in a relationship, broken dreams, or the loss of someone close? How did it make you feel….angry, fearful, sad, grief, loss? Did you have a sense of the presence of God with you or did you feel lost, alone, and afraid?
In our verse for today, Jesus is telling his disciples that difficult days will be ahead for them. Times when they will weep, mourn, and grieve. But, there will be times when their grief is transformed into joy. Jesus uses the image of a woman who after the birth of her child forgets the pain she endured and rejoices in the new life she holds in her arms!
Jesus doesn’t promise us that our lives will be free from hardship, pain and sorrow or that following Him means that all will be a ‘breeze’ in life. Instead, He wants us to know that if our eyes and our hearts are focused on Him, then nothing, and no one, can take it away from us!
Live today and always in the joy that Jesus Christ gives you.
PRAYER
Lord, I hand over to You all the suffering in my life. My grief, hardships, sorrow and frustrations I place in Your hands. Give me hope in times of despair and trust when life is hard. Amen
Today's devotion written by Josi Weiss, LifeWay Epping
And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he [Jesus] made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.
TO PONDER
I remember as a young Christian boy listening to an audio track, I'm not sure you could call it a song really, by the Christian artist known as Carman. It was called 'the Champion'. It narrated, with background music and sound effects, a battle between Jesus and Satan which Jesus ultimately wins through his death on the cross. It sparked my imagination as a young boy and allowed me to visualise, albeit in a very un-theological way, the victory of Jesus through the cross.
I'm not sure if there really is any better way to make a spectacle of your enemies than to allow them to think they have defeated you and even put you to death and then to pop back up three days later and put them all back in their place. But the victory does not just belong to Jesus. He invites us to share with him in the victory.
That means that when we feel like things are getting on top of us, when we feel oppressed or attacked by the evil one, we can claim Jesus victory as our own and disarm those powers and authorities. However, remember this, that while Jesus death on the cross was the means by which his victory was won, it is actually the love he displayed for us by dying on the cross that is the ultimate disarming factor. We will also disarm our opponents when we refuse to fight with them but instead continue to show them the relentless love of Jesus.
PRAYER
Lord Jesus, help me to demonstrate your disarming love to all those around me, especially those who want to do me harm or who oppose my faith in you. Give me the courage to stand in the victory of your cross, knowing that you have already won the victory over everything that could truely harm me. Amen
Today's devotion written by Mathew von Stanke, LifeWay Newcastle.