Daily Devotion by Ray Stedman

[Obadiah]

A daily devotion for January 16th​

The New Resource​

Read the Scripture: John 6:16-21

A strong wind was blowing and the waters grew rough. When they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus approaching the boat, walking on the water; and they were frightened. But he said to them, It is I; don't be afraid.

John 6:18-20

Those are very wonderful words for us, because our Lord is saying these same things for our benefit. This whole incident of the storm and their precarious condition in their boat is designed to teach his disciples the resources they have in their risen Lord. This is why John follows immediately by saying, they were glad to take him into the boat. Their fear was immediately relieved when they realized it was indeed Jesus who was walking on the water, and he was in control of all events, so they willingly received him into the boat. Immediately there was further demonstration of the power of Jesus, for they were instantly on the other side of the lake, to where they were going. The three or four remaining miles of the journey was suddenly accomplished, and they found themselves at the dock in Capernaum.

I am startled by the number of Christians who do not act upon this truth, but seem to succumb to the pressures and the problems of life and react just like a non-Christian would. They grumble and complain, feeling set upon and put upon. They despair and strike out and strike back; they rely upon worldly schemes to deliver them from difficulties. What is more amazing is how many times I have experienced the joy of Jesus' presence, freeing me from the circumstances, and yet how many times I go right back and react the same way that others do in times of pressure and danger. Yet, here indeed, is the sign of the New Covenant, the new creation: Jesus with us in the very circumstances we find ourselves; triumphant, in control, Lord of all those circumstances, the new hidden resource for life which is available to believers but which the world knows nothing about.

This leaves us with really only one question: Why don't we believe this? Why are we so much like Peter, who, even in the midst of experiencing the power of God to walk above his circumstances, loses his faith and begins to sink beneath the waves? You can always tell the man or woman who does learn this secret, who does welcome the Lord into the boat of difficulty, who does hear his Word, It is I; be not afraid.

When we accept that fact we will find that it reveals itself in our very countenance. People who have discovered this have a quiet peace in their eyes even when things are going wrong. They have a confidence that everything is going to finally work its way out to what God's intended purpose was. There is not a word of complaint or grumbling. They regard the circumstances as necessary to what God wants to do in their lives—which is always for their own good, for their own ultimate happiness—and they accept them. They are a joy to be around. When you go to encourage them you find they encourage you. Do you know why? It is because they have already taken Jesus into the boat. When people do that, they discover that they have already arrived at the goal toward which the rest of us are still struggling. They are already there; they have found love and joy and peace.

That is why these accounts are here in the Scriptures—to teach us the hidden resource of life, the place to run to when things get overwhelming and we find ourselves pressured. And this is not something to be reserved only for the great trials of life. It is available for any time of pressure, or any degree of it. When we accept this on that level, we are discovering the new creation, a new resource the world knows nothing about.

Lord, may I understand afresh the inner resources by which I can remain calm and confident in the midst of trouble and danger. Help me to manifest this, Lord, as a testimony to your presence.

Life Application​

As our lives are rocked by worldwide turbulence, added to life's daily stresses - where do we go to find peace of heart and soul? Does the Prince of Peace have full occupancy in our lives?

Daily Devotion © 2014, 2025 by Ray Stedman Ministries.

 

[Obadiah]

A daily devotion for January 17th​

What are You Working For?​

Read the Scripture: John 6:22-40

Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For on him God the Father has placed his seal of approval.

John 6:27

It is very clear from this passage that these people greatly misunderstood who our Lord was, what he was doing, and what he said to them. No other passage of Scripture more clearly reveals the confusion in the average person's mind about Jesus.

Notice what Jesus must correct about their confusion: First, he says to them, Do not work for the food that perishes. He is not, of course, saying, Do not work for a living. Jesus is not advocating that. What he means is, Do not work merely to get food. Food is important. It is necessary for life, and you have to earn it. But do not let that be the sole reason for your working. Rather, Work for the food which endures to eternal life.

These people, like many today, clearly felt that the most important thing in life is to keep alive, to be healthy, strong and economically sufficient. That was what life was all about, they thought. Clearly the majority of people all over the world today have this view that this is why people work.

Jesus asks us the question, What are you working for? Are you working merely to make a living, to have a nice home, to be comfortable? If so, our Lord is saying that when you get all this you will find yourself wondering, Is This All There Is? That is true of all humanity. The thing that makes human beings different from the animals is that having a full belly and a comfortable place to rest does not satisfy us.

To this hunger, Jesus said to them, I am the bread of life; he who comes to me shall not hunger, and he who believes in me shall never thirst. (John 6:35). Jesus recognizes the universal hunger for bread beyond physical bread. You cannot go anywhere on earth today without finding people hungry for something more than a full belly and a comfortable home. There is a restlessness about us that cries for more. Jesus recognized this. Everyone in this crowd wanted whatever it was he was offering. They did not understand what it was, but they wanted it. They sensed there was more to life than bread.

Jesus tells the crowd plainly how to eat and partake of the bread of life. He uses two simple things everyone understands: hunger and thirst. What do you do when you are hungry? You eat, and if you keep on eating regularly you will never hunger. What do you do when you are thirsty? You drink, and if you keep on drinking you will never thirst. What Jesus is saying is that eating him is coming to him, or coming to him is to eat of him. Coming means to see him as present in your life and expecting him to do something. Eating means a sense of expectancy that he is available and that he will act. Drinking is believing, listening to what he has to say and obeying it. If you keep on doing that you will never thirst. How simple, how beautiful this is! Come and believe. Keep on coming. Keep on believing. This is the way to lay hold of the gift of bread from heaven, life that is real life indeed.

Thank you, Father, for the bread that came down from heaven, that bread of life which is available to me, Lord, which you have offered to give me and do give me as I believe in you.

Life Application​

Is there more to life than a roof over our heads and food on the table? What is the bread of life that Jesus wants us to have?

Daily Devotion © 2014, 2025 by Ray Stedman Ministries.

 

[Obadiah]

A daily devotion for January 18th​

Life with God​

Read the Scripture: John 6:41-59

Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in them.

John 6:56

Those marvelous words represent what was apparently a very offensive statement to these Jews. It sounds that way even to us if we take his words literally. Talk about eating human flesh and drinking human blood turns many people off. Evidently those listening to Jesus felt that way. You can hear the cynicism in their voices: How can this man give us his flesh to eat? What does he think we are—cannibals? This was most offensive to Jews because they had been taught all through the centuries that God did not want flesh in which there remained any blood. The word kosher means to cleanse; and it particularly refers to the preparation of meat. The Jews cannot eat any meat that has not had all the blood drained from it.

But in these words our Lord reveals the absolute necessity for receiving his life: Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. That is unequivocal, isn't it? There is no doubting what he has to say. This is absolutely essential to real life. If you do not have this, you are on a temporary slide into ultimate corruption and total death. The most you can do is merely preserve your life for awhile, and hold death at arm's length. But death is inevitable unless you know the One who gives life. Then Jesus shows how that life is real: For my flesh is food indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. It is the real kind of life that God intends for us.

This sharing of life with Jesus will, later on in this gospel, become the theme for the Upper Room Discourse. I do not think you can find any theme more exalted, more remarkable, more mysterious than this—the sharing of life between Jesus and us: You in me, and I in you, (John 14:20). Those are very simple words, but to understand what they mean is to grasp the very center of truth itself. You in me, and I in you—this reflects our universal hunger for intimacy.

The most intimate physical act is sex, which is a way of sharing life together. Sex has been accurately described as the urge to merge. That is what happens physically, but it also happens psychologically. Friendship is a form of sexuality, or intimacy. When you are with a friend, what do you do? You tell your friend what you have been doing, and ask what he or she has been doing; you share your secrets. That is the urge to merge at the psychological level.

When we think about the greatness, the glory, and the wonder of God, what do we want? True worship is the desire to merge with God, for him to possess us and us to possess him. That is what Jesus says happens when we eat and drink his life. When we come and believe in him, and keep coming and keep believing in him, we grow into an intimate relationship with God.

Jesus has modeled this for us: As the living Father sent me, and I live by means of the Father [this was the secret of his life], so he who eats me will live by means of me. That is a wonderful description of the Christian life. Jesus lived by means of the Father, and we are to live by means of him in everything we do.

You in me, and I in you. That is what I want to experience more of, Lord. Help me to keep coming to you and to keep trusting in you to provide all that I need.

Life Application​

What does our relationship with Jesus look like? Is it the intimate relationship Jesus wants for all Christians -- You in me, and I in you?

Daily Devotion © 2014, 2025 by Ray Stedman Ministries.

 

[Obadiah]

A daily devotion for January 19th​

To Whom Shall We Go?​

Read the Scripture: John 6:60-71

You do not want to leave too, do you? Jesus asked the Twelve. Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and to know that you are the Holy One of God.

John 6:67-69

Here is the mark of the true believer: He cannot quit! When Jesus said to them, Will you go away also? it is clear that he would have let them go if they had wanted to. He does not hold anybody against his will. Responding to our Lord's words, Peter says three wonderful things:

First, he says, in effect, Lord, we have been thinking about it. We have investigated the alternatives. You're not easy to live with. You embarrass us. You frighten us. We don't understand you at times. We see and hear you do things that simply blow our minds. You offend people who we think are important. We have looked at some alternatives, but I want to tell you this, Lord: we have never found anyone who can do what you can do. To whom shall we go? You have two things that hold us, two things we cannot deny, and the first is your words. What you say to us has met our deepest need, has delivered us from our sins and freed us from our fears. Your words, Lord, are the most remarkable words we have ever heard. They explain us and they explain life to us. They satisfy us. Nobody speaks like you do, nobody understands life like you do. That holds us.

Secondly, Lord, we have seen your character. Notice how Peter puts it: We have believed, and have come to know. That implies a process which has perhaps gone on over the course of months and years. Peter is saying, We have watched you, and we have come to see that there is nothing wrong in you. You are the Holy One of God, you are the Sinless One. You fit the prophecies; you fulfill the predictions. You have drawn us and compelled us. You are the incomparable Christ, thus there is no place to go.

I have found this to be true of real Christians. Those who steadfastly continue on always feel this way about Jesus. They know their own failures, their own weaknesses. They know that despite the many times they do not understand what is happening to them, yet they cannot leave. This is the testimony of those who walk faithfully with him and follow him. I have often said that the best definition of a Christian is someone who cannot quit. I had a phone call once from a young man, a relatively new Christian who said to me, I can't make it. I can't continue to be a Christian. It's too hard. I blow it all the time. I'm going to hang it up. I had heard that kind of thing before, so I said to him, That's a good idea. Why don't you do that? I think you're right. Hang it up. There was a pause on the line, and then he said to me, You know I can't do that. I said, I know it. Of course you can't. You can't quit. Who can you go to? Where can you find answers and resources such as you have drawn on? This is what Peter is saying to Jesus.

Lord, there is nowhere else to go because only you have the words of eternal life. Help me to cling to your words, to search them out and understand them and obey them and believe that they alone are the words that give life.

Life Application​

Do you find being a Christian just too hard sometimes? Are you ready to throw in the towel and walk away from your faith?

Daily Devotion © 2014, 2025 by Ray Stedman Ministries.

 

[Obadiah]

A daily devotion for January 20th​

Is Jesus For Real?​

Read the Scripture: John 7:1-24

Anyone who chooses to do the will of God will find out whether my teaching comes from God or whether I speak on my own.

John 7:17

Do you ever wonder if Jesus actually was what he claimed to be? Do you have trouble at times understanding what he is saying in these tremendous passages, especially in the Gospel of John? Well, if that is the case, he tells you what to do: Practice what he says. Obey his words. Repent of your sins. Come to him. Cast yourself upon his mercy. Believe in his forgiveness, and go out in obedience and treat people the way he says to. Then you will know from an inside knowledge that no one can take away that what he says is true, because his teaching is in line with the reality you are seeing of God at work through you.

This is a principle that runs all through life: You learn by doing. A doctor may learn all that the medical books can teach him, but until he gets his hands into surgery or dispenses medicines to people who are sick he never really learns. The same is true in any field: You learn by doing. When you do what Jesus says, you begin to understand with a deep conviction that he knows what life is all about.

This explains the phenomenon of certain people who become Christians—some of them early, some late in life—and who immediately practice what they have learned, and grow with astonishing rapidity. They become grown up, capable, well-adjusted whole persons, seemingly almost overnight, while others who sit under the teaching of the Scripture for years hardly seem to grow at all; they are still childlike in their behavior, emotionally upset, anxious, and fear-ridden. This is because they are not doing what they hear. Those who put into practice the truth they hear begin to grow immediately.

In Washington, D. C. years ago, I met a hard-bitten old Marine General, one of those tough, self-sufficient characters who was used to giving orders. After he had retired he became a Christian and grew with astonishing rapidity. Everyone who knew him saw the change. They respected him as much as they always had, but they saw a compassion, an understanding, a patience develop in him that was never there before. When I asked one of the Christian leaders why this was true, he replied: When General Silverthorn hears something from the Scripture, he obeys it immediately. That is why he grew so fast.

Yet some people who have been exposed to the gospel for years never seem to grow. After years of sitting under the ministry of the Scriptures they still think an epistle is the wife of an apostle! I am grateful for the many people I know who put into practice what they learn. How encouraging to see how quickly they grow and become strong so that they are able to stand and work out the problems of life.

Thank you, Lord, for your clear teaching about life. Forgive me for my self-deceits, my falsehoods, my lying to myself. Keep me trusting your word, understanding it and seeking to obey it that I might learn what it really says.

Life Application​

Do you ever wonder if Jesus actually was what he claimed to be? Do you have trouble at times understanding what he is saying in the scriptures?

Daily Devotion © 2014, 2025 by Ray Stedman Ministries.

 

[Obadiah]

A daily devotion for January 21st​

For Those Who Thirst​

Read the Scripture: John 7:25-52

On the last and greatest day of the festival, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them. By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified.

John 7:37-39

John is writing this gospel after the day of Pentecost when the Spirit was given in great power and came into the hearts of believers. When Jesus was still on earth the Spirit had not yet been given in that way. The Spirit of God is always present everywhere in the world. He was present before the day of Pentecost as well as afterward. But not in this sense. He was not performing this ministry of making Jesus real. So for the first time we have our Lord's hint of how this is all going to be accomplished. I must leave, I am going back to him who sent me, but when I do so I will send the Spirit. He goes on and teaches what that means by using a beautiful symbol.

Each day during the seven days of the Feast of Tabernacles, one of the chief priests would lead a procession down through the Kidron Valley to the pool of Siloam. Out of the waters of the pool he would fill a golden pitcher and carry it back to the temple and pour it over the altar to remind the people of the days in the barren wilderness when God gave them water out of a rock. Then the people would shout and wave palm branches, rejoicing and praising God. But on the great day, the last day, there was no such ceremony because this day had been added to the feast. It was on this day that Jesus seized the opportunity to cry aloud, If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. By that, he means, I am the Rock. I am the very Rock that those in the wilderness drank from. These words are confirmed by Paul in 1 Corinthians 10:4: They all drank of the Spiritual Rock which followed them, and that Rock was Christ. There in the wilderness God was teaching the same truth that he is teaching us today: Jesus is the Rock from which we can drink and satisfy the thirst of our hearts.

Notice Jesus does not limit the word thirst. He says simply, If any one thirst. People thirst for many things. Some are thirsting for significance. They want to feel like they are important, that they belong. People whom society overlooks, those who are not wealthy, or handsome, or have strong personalities, thirst to be regarded as important. To those Jesus says, If you thirst, come to me. You will find the very significance you seek. Some are looking for power, the ability to accomplish things. Jesus says to such, If that is what you want, come to me. Drink of me. Listen to my words. Come into a personal relationship. Draw from my wisdom, from my strength, from my presence with you. Your thirst for power will be satisfied by my power in you.

Physical thirst is the most powerful drive known to man. You can deny satisfying hunger for weeks at a time, but one thing you cannot leave unsatisfied is thirst. It becomes a driving demon that takes over the whole of your life and makes you think of nothing else but satisfying it. That is what Jesus means. If you feel yourself driven, wanting something, restless and thirsty and longing for satisfaction, then his invitation is, Come unto me and drink, and by means of the Spirit, which I will give to those who believe in me, I will satisfy that thirst.

Thank you, Lord, that you are the One who can quench my thirst. Help me today to draw from your wisdom, strength and your presence with me.

Life Application​

When we are overwhelmed with longing we cannot satisfy, are we learning to bring our deep thirsts to Jesus who offers His life as the fountain of living water?

Daily Devotion © 2014, 2025 by Ray Stedman Ministries.

 

[Obadiah]

A daily devotion for January 22nd​

Breaking the Power of Sin​

Read the Scripture: John 8:1-11

Then neither do I condemn you, Jesus declared. Go now and leave your life of sin.

John 8:11b

In this passage, a woman caught in adultery was brought by the church leaders to Jesus. I do not know if we can accurately picture what was going on when this woman was brought before Jesus. I can see her being dragged in, red faced, her hair in disarray. She is angry, upset, rebellious, and bitter, perhaps striking out against her accusers. But when she sees how Jesus handles this crowd of hypocritical judges, and feels that his sympathies are with her, somewhere the mercy and love that was in his face and voice began to touch her. She realized how wrong she was, that she had sinned, and she repented. When she did, Jesus forgave her, obviously anticipating his death upon the cross for her.

The cross is always an eternal event in the mind of God. The sins of the people who lived in Old Testament days were also forgiven on the basis of the death of Jesus on the cross. There is no other way that God can forgive sin. In anticipation of that cross, Jesus forgave her sin. The proof of it is in the words he said, Go, and do not sin again.

That is the word I would like to leave ringing in our ears. If we have acknowledged our guilt, and heard God's words of forgiveness, he is saying to us, Go, and do not sin again. He could never say that to this woman unless something had happened within her; the power of sin had been broken. We do not sin because we are temporarily overwhelmed by a strong passion of the moment. We sin because we have a nature of sin, of self-centeredness; we hunger after things that are wrong and we easily yield to sin. We cannot help ourselves at times. Man is born unto sin, the Scriptures say (Job 5:7). We all are born to share that fallen nature. Unless that power of sin is broken within us, unless God does something to free us and to give us the possibility of a new life, he never will say to us, Go, and sin no more.

But when Jesus says these words to this woman it is clear that she has the possibility of fulfilling it. He never tells anyone to do something that he does not also enable him or her to do. Faithful is He who calls you, and He will also bring it to pass. (1Thes. 5:24) Thus, he does not forgive us in order that we might go back and continue in our sins. The Apostle Paul wrote these wonderful words to his son in the faith, Titus, He gave himself for us, to redeem us from all iniquity, and to purify for himself a people of his own who are zealous for good deeds, (Titus 2:14).

This beautiful story brings us to that place in which we understand that when our sins are forgiven it is to free us that we might begin to live a different lifestyle by the power of his indwelling Spirit; never to go back to the things that we have left behind. Sometimes we are weak, and need again the forgiving grace of God. But forgiveness is always designed to set us free. That is why it is given. When our Lord forgave this woman that is what he did: He set her free to be a different kind of person than she ever was before.

You have set me free, Lord from bondage to sin! Help me to hear these words a new way, Neither do I condemn you; go and do not sin again.

Life Application​

Do our lifestyles reflect confidence in God's freeing forgiveness? Do we honor the incredible price paid for our sin by trusting His power to transform our lives?

Daily Devotion © 2014, 2025 by Ray Stedman Ministries.

 

[Obadiah]

A daily devotion for January 23rd​

The Light of the World​

Read the Scripture: John 8:12-30

When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.

John 8:12

These marvelously gracious words are a reflection on the ceremony that took place each evening in the temple courts, when two giant candelabra (two Menorahs, the many-branched candlesticks used by the Jews), were lighted and they illuminated the whole temple court. It is in reference to this that Jesus declares, I am the light of the world [not merely Israel but the world; to anybody, anywhere]; he who follows me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.

We must take seriously these beautiful words because Jesus means them. These are not a politician's promise that can completely be forgotten after the election. Our Lord means to fulfill these words in any human life: I am the light of the world; he who follows me [not just knows about me], he who walks with me, obeys me and stays with me will have light in his pathway.

That is a wonderful promise. There is nothing we need more in this world today than light on our path. People are walking in darkness. Later on in this very gospel Jesus declares, He that walks in darkness does not know where he is going, (John 12:35). How many people do not know where they are going, not only after they leave this life, but even down the road a little. They have no idea of what is ahead; they are running into disaster and they cannot even see it coming. But the man who has light can see what is in his pathway.

Years ago, when I was driving from Dallas to Southern California, I picked up a couple of young hitchhikers. As we were driving past the entrance to the Grand Canyon, I asked them if they had ever seen the canyon. They said, No, so we decided to spend the night there. It was late at night and pitch black when we turned off the road. We could not see a thing, but we found what seemed to be an open space and crawled into our sleeping bags. When I awoke in the morning the sun was up. I stretched and threw out my arms, only to find that my left arm dropped down in the void! In the darkness of the dead of the night we had actually made our bed on the edge of a cliff that dropped into the Grand Canyon! If we had gone two steps further we would have fallen over the edge. I gave grateful thanks for the light that morning. That is what the light is for.

Jesus, you are the true light that has come into the world. Help me to walk in your light today.

Life Application​

Jesus' claims to be Light and Truth are validated by His death and Resurrection. Do our words and deeds consistently reflect the reality of who He is? Are our minds being transformed by the written Word and by communion with the Living Word?

Daily Devotion © 2014, 2025 by Ray Stedman Ministries.

 

[Obadiah]

A daily devotion for January 24th​

True Freedom​

Read the Scripture: John 8:31-59

To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.

John 8:31-32

What a wonderful word! It constitutes a short course in discipleship. But it is more than that. It is a declaration that discipleship is the only true path to freedom, to being all that you were meant to be. If you want that, then Jesus says the way is to become his disciple. This is the path to freedom. It is the only way to be all that you want to be.

Here Jesus tells us in precise detail how to be free. It begins with belief: Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him. They had not yet trusted him, but they had believed him. They had been intellectually grasped by his arguments and his words, but they had not yet committed themselves to him. Discipleship begins with belief; even intellectual belief; they were there at the door, at the first step.

Then, he says, if you continue in my word. Listen to Jesus. Compare what he says with your own experience. Does what he says agree with what you have found to be true in living life? The test of any religion is not whether it is pleasing, or whether you enjoy it. The test is: Is it true? Does it accord with life? Does it fit what is happening? Does it explain what is going on? That is the test, and that you can only establish as you continue in his word, as you think long and deeply, read fully and frequently. Jesus suggests here that when you do that something will happen to you: If you continue in my word, you will truly be my disciple. If you read his word and you continue in it, somewhere along the line a crisis will occur. You will find that his words have grabbed you, and you will commit yourself to him, and then you are really a disciple.

Then, he says, You will know the truth. What an objective! Everybody wants to know the truth. Nobody likes to be taken in by a con artist. What then is the truth? Again I come back to what underlies all of life: Truth is the nature of things as they really are. Truth is seeing through all the illusions, the dreams and the wishful thinking, all the facades and the unreal images, and getting down to the heart, the core, the reality—that which really is. That is the truth.

Finally, Jesus promises that when you launch into this program, when you follow him, hear his word, and continue in it, a wonderful thing will happen—the truth will set you free. The truth will deliver you, permit you to be all that you were meant to be. What does it free us from? When we put it into practical terms, it frees us from all our hang-ups that keep us from being all that we were meant to be. To be hung up means you cannot move, that you are bound and limited by something, unable to free yourself. Hang-ups are the same for everybody, everywhere. Fear is probably the biggest one. Being afraid, worried, anxious, insecure, timid, constantly threatened by anxiety. Then there is anger or hostility, a hatred, aggressiveness and rage that keeps you striking out at everybody. Then there is guilt. Millions of people suffer inwardly from a terrible sense of failure, of shame about things in their past. Pride is another hang-up; a proud, aggressive, arrogant spirit that indulges in rank prejudice and bigotry; an aloofness and withdrawing from others, with its accompanying loneliness. Do you see how practical all these things are? This is what Jesus is talking about.

His wonderful promise is that there is a way out. Bring them to me, he tells us. Bring them to me. Listen to my words. Look at life as I see it and a wonderful thing will happen: there will be a change in you. You will be given a life that you never had before, and you will begin to be freed from your hang-ups. That is the promise of Jesus.

Lord, I want to experience the freedom you promise. Help me to continue in your word and learn your truth so that can be a reality in my life.

Life Application​

Do we passively accept worldly media's definition of 'freedom'? Do we seek first the Kingdom of God where we learn the Truth about who we are that sets us free?

Daily Devotion © 2014, 2025 by Ray Stedman Ministries.

 

[Obadiah]

A daily devotion for January 25th​

The Purpose of Disabilities​

Read the Scripture: John 9:1-39

As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind? Neither this man nor his parents sinned, said Jesus, but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him.

John 9:1-3

The disciples had evidently been taught that sin and hurt, injury and handicap are linked together; that human hurt is the result of human sin. Notice that Jesus does not deny that. It is helpful to note right from the beginning that he recognizes there is such a link. However, it is not the one that many people think, as he will make clear.

What that indicates is that we are not living in a world where we can always expect perfection; that God does not try to operate the world in such a way that everything works out beautifully. We are living in a fallen world. The Scriptures declare that we are living in a broken world, a fragmented world, a world which is not what it once was and is not what it shall be. For the present we are afflicted with hurts, injuries, difficulties and hardships.

The Scriptures confirm that everybody is affected by human evil. Many of us think we have escaped it because we were not born with evident disabilities. But in fact we all have disabilities. Everywhere humanity reflects the weakness of the fall. This is why our minds cannot operate as they should. I tried to quote a poem recently and I could not think of the first line. It just fled from me. This illustrates how sin, the corruption of the fall, has attacked me, even in this simple way.

But Jesus makes clear that suffering is not always directly traceable to personal sin. Sometimes it is, but in the case of this man that is not true. Many people think it is rather strange that the disciples would even think that, since the man was born blind. How could his blindness be caused by his sin when he was born in this condition, before he ever had an opportunity to sin?

The disciples are probably thinking of the Jewish rabbinical teaching that it is possible for an embryo to sin. This may be what lies behind their question. But Jesus declares, No, it is not that; nor is it the parent's sin. Why, then, was he born blind? That the works of God might be made manifest in him, is Jesus' response. That gives a positive reason for this kind of affliction. It is an opportunity—not a disaster, but an opportunity—for certain things to be manifested in such a person's life, and in the lives of people who come in contact with that person, things that would otherwise never be brought out. The disabled frequently develop inner qualities of peace and joy and strength that otherwise normal people do not have. They oftentimes show a tremendous strength of spirit that is able to take on challenges and endure difficulties that other people cannot. Fanny Crosby, that dear saint of the last century, was blind from her earliest babyhood as a result of an accident. She amazingly wrote when she was only eight years old, describing herself as a happy child, even though blind. She stated she was resolved to be contented, amid her many blessings that others simply did not have, and that she would not, even could not weep or sigh because she was blind!

Help me, Lord, to come, like this man, and worship at your feet, to recognize that you have come into the world to give me light in my darkness, to lead me through bewildering paths, and bring me to the place of cleansing and of opened eyes.

Life Application​

Do we see and resent our disabilities as handicaps, or are we learning the freedom and joy of seeing them as opportunities for God to use them, and us, for His good and perfect purpose?

Daily Devotion © 2014, 2025 by Ray Stedman Ministries.

 

[Obadiah]

A daily devotion for January 26th​

The Good Shepherd​

Read the Scripture: John 10:1-21

I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep... I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me — just as the Father knows me and I know the Father — and I lay down my life for the sheep.

John 10:11, 14-15

The primary characteristic of the good shepherd is that he loves unto death; he is willing to die for the sheep. The disciples never could get over the fact that Jesus loved them so much he was willing to die for them. Many of the epistles of Paul, of John and James and Peter contain awestruck references to this. John writes in Revelation, Unto Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in his own blood, (Revelation 1:5). Paul says in Romans, While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us, (Romans 5:8). Peter said, He bore our sins in his own body on the tree, (1 Peter 2:24). The writer of the Hebrews declares, Who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot unto God, (Hebrews 9:14). They are amazed that this Blessed One, this Sinless Lord, this Matchless Christ would consent to die for his own. But that is the mark of the Good Shepherd.

What a contrast with the hireling! What do all these other religious voices that we hear want from us? They want something for themselves. They regard the sheep as something to be exploited, to be used to advance and to build themselves up. When the sheep get into trouble, when the enemy comes, when the wolf (the devil) strikes, they flee, leaving the sheep to fend for themselves.

Jesus declares that the end of his laying down his life is to share his life with the sheep. Notice how he puts it, I am the good shepherd; I know my own and my own know me, as the Father knows me and I know the Father.

When I was a boy growing up I always longed to have a father. My father left home when I was 10. In all those years I cannot remember if he ever showed any affection to me. He was not cruel; he just ignored me. That is probably why, as a boy, I was always sensitive to the sight of a father and a son together sharing their love with each other. God has given me four precious daughters whom I love, but also in his mercy and grace he has allowed many young men to pass through my life who have been like sons to me. It has been a rich experience to know and to share that love with these fine young men and with my own daughters.

That is what Jesus speaks of here, that intimacy of fellowship, that beauty of life which was evident in Jesus as he loved the Father and the Father loved him. This, he promises, is what comes to us as a result of laying down his life for us—richness of fellowship—that beauty of life which is imparted by this One who was willing to lay down his life that we may have life.

Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead my Lord Jesus, the great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the eternal covenant make me perfect in every good work to do his will, working in me that which is well pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ my Lord.

Life Application​

Are we so pre-occupied and self-conscious about being sheep that we are failing to wonder and to worship the Great Shepherd who has given His own life in infinite Love for His sheep?

Daily Devotion © 2014, 2025 by Ray Stedman Ministries.

 

[Obadiah]

A daily devotion for January 27th​

True Security​

Read the Scripture: John 10:22-42

My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand.

John 10:27-29

How can you tell a true Christian? Jesus says, They follow me. That is, they obey Jesus; they do what he commands. This does not mean that they always do so instantaneously, without struggle. All of us struggle at times with what our Lord says; all of us resist at times. Sometimes the word needs to be brought clearly and sharply into focus in our life. But the point of it is, once we see what Jesus wants, the attitude of a true sheep is, Lord, even though it hurts, even though it costs, I will do what you say. I will follow you.

Why do sheep act this way? What has made the difference? Three things: First, Jesus says, I give unto them eternal life. That is stated in the present indicative tense: I keep on giving to them eternal life. What holds us to Jesus? It is the life he gives, the peace, the joy, the love that we feel, the sense of inner serenity, the forgiveness, the sense of belonging and being guarded and kept and loved, that is what brings us. It is a quality of life which comes so continually to us that we would give up anything else rather than give that up. We are drawn because he keeps on giving us life, eternal life, God's kind of life.

Secondly, that quality of life has an element of assurance: it will never end. It has a certainty of safety, of security about it. We will never perish. Isn't that a marvelous word? We live in a world that is perishing, a world that is headed for judgment, for ultimate destruction. People all around us are committed to ways of life that end at last in hell—but because he has given us eternal life, we shall never perish! What a wonderful word of assurance. It is a life that survives death, that even disdains death. Everyone is headed for death, yet many are unafraid. They do not look with terrible tragic hopelessness toward that future. They know that a way has been provided by which they will not even know death or sense it when it happens, but they will be ushered immediately into glory and life and truth.

Thirdly, this is a life which is guarded, kept, protected by two unconquerable Beings. Jesus said, No one shall snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand. In Colossians, Paul puts these two things together: Your life is hid with Christ in God, (Colossians 3:3). What a wonderful view that is of our safety! No one, not even we ourselves, can take us out of the Father's hand. (Romans 8:38-39)

Thank you, Lord, for the assurance of eternal life, and that life will never end. Thank you, that I can trust in your promise that no one can snatch me out of your strong hand.

Life Application​

As sheep dependent on our Shepherd's care, are we learning to deliberately choose and trust our Shepherd as He leads us in paths of righteousness for His name's sake?

Daily Devotion © 2014, 2025 by Ray Stedman Ministries.

 

[Obadiah]

A daily devotion for January 28th​

The God of the Here and Now​

Read the Scripture: John 11:1-54

Lord, Martha said to Jesus, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask. Jesus said to her, Your brother will rise again. Martha answered, I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day. Jesus said to her, I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?

John 11:21-26

Martha greets Jesus with a phrase that must have been frequently on all of their lips when Lazarus was sick: Lord, if you had been here my brother would not have died. I do not believe this is a word of reproach. Martha is not saying, Lord, why didn't you come sooner? We sent for you. If you had responded we wouldn't be in this pickle. It is clear that she realizes the message did not reach him until Lazarus was dead. There was no way he could have responded and gotten there before Lazarus died. Martha's word is not one of reproach, but rather one of regret: Lord, I wish you could have been here, because if you had, my brother would not have died.

Then she goes on to say, But even now, whatever you ask of God, he will give it to you. Many ask at this point, What does she expect? What is it that she wants from him? Some say that she really did expect Jesus to raise Lazarus from the dead. But they seem to miss the point because the very next word of Jesus is, Your brother will rise again. If Martha had any idea that that would happen then, she would have said, How wonderful, Lord! That is exactly what I expected you to do now that you have come. But she does not say that. What she says is, Yes, I know. He will rise again in the resurrection at the last day. No, Martha is not looking for the immediate resurrection of her brother.

What, then, is she looking for from Jesus? What does she mean by the words, Even now, whatever you ask of God, God will give it to you? We have to conclude that she is looking for his comfort, for the release that God can give to a heart that is burdened and saddened, torn with grief, anticipating the loneliness and emptiness of the days ahead. God can give marvelous inward peace. Many have testified to that.

As we listen to this we can see that Martha's faith is placed right where ours often is, in what she thought would happen, not in who Jesus is and whom she is dealing with. How many times have you said to yourself, I know God has worked in the past, and I know that he will work again in the future, but today, well, this is not the day of miracles? In the daily grind of life our world seems to be so barren of miracles that we think, Those days have gone. God can't work now. He will work again, though... This is Martha's faith—in the future, at the resurrection of the last day. Her theology is accurate, but she has forgotten that God is right there in the here and now.

That is what Jesus brings to her attention. Notice how he shifts the focus back from the program to his Person, in the words, I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and whoever lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this? Even in the grammar of this passage the focus is on the first word, I, I am the resurrection and the life. Jesus is saying that wherever he is, then anything God ever did or can do can happen! That is where faith ought to be fastened. That is what we ought to remember.

Thank you, Father, for this encouraging word, this reminder of the mighty power of our Lord, he who is Master of life and of death.

Life Application​

Do our theological boxes serve to limit our expectations and/or experience of God's wisdom and sovereign power? Do we live each day with joyful trust in His agenda?

Daily Devotion © 2014, 2025 by Ray Stedman Ministries.

 

[Obadiah]

A daily devotion for January 29th​

Extravagant Worship​

Read the Scripture: John 11:55-12:11

Then Mary took about a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus' feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.

John 12:3

I believe John chose to include this account in order that we might understand something of what real worship is. Worship is the center of Christian life. Mary took a pound of costly ointment and poured it on Jesus. Later, Judas complains about the extravagance of using what, in effect, was a year's pay for a laborer, to anoint the feet of Jesus. This account makes clear that she understood the work of Jesus and the change he had made in her heart. She was also deeply appreciative not only of the restoration of her brother Lazarus, but in the magnificent teaching she heard from him as she sat at his feet. This is what accounts for her extravagance here. She spared no expense, she cared nothing for the customs of the day, entering into a supper where women were usually not welcome, letting down her hair in public, an unthinkable act in that culture, and openly expressing her love for Jesus. But that's how love and worship act. They are uncaring of expense.

I don't know what young men bring to young women these days to express their love, but, when I was a young man, it was a dozen American Beauty roses. I remember digging deep in my pocket once for what seemed an enormous amount of money, for a dozen such roses for a young lady. But love takes no note of things like expense.

I spent the summer one year traveling and speaking around the country, while my wife had to stay at the home of her parents, with our two little girls. One day when I was in Buffalo, New York, I was feeling sorry for her as I thought of her taking care of the children and working very hard, while I was free to travel and meet exciting people. I very much wanted to express my feelings of love, appreciation and gratitude for her. As I walked down a street in Buffalo I saw a beautiful fur coat in a store window. The price, however, was way out of my range. I wanted to take that coat home to Elaine to show my appreciation for all she had done that summer. My quite wealthy and very sympathetic companion, when told what I wanted to do, was very understanding, and offered to loan me the money to buy the coat. We worked out terms whereby I could repay a few dollars a week, and I bought the coat. When I got home and gave to my wife that incredible gift, which we never could have afforded, she was amazed and delighted. To this day that coat hangs in a closet in our home. I don't think she can bear to part with it because it represents a gift of love, an extravagance that love delights in giving to show what is deep in the heart.

Again, that's how love and worship are uncaring of expense. Worship is a heart transformed that expresses itself regardless of cost.

Lord, you are worthy of the most extravagant gift. Teach me to worship you with love that delights in giving.

Life Application​

The essence of true prayer is worship. Are our prayers characterized by adoration, gratitude for who God is and His unequivocal and lavish love toward us in the gift of His Son, our Lord, our Savior?

Daily Devotion © 2014, 2025 by Ray Stedman Ministries.

 

[Obadiah]

A daily devotion for January 30th​

The Grain of Wheat​

Read the Scripture: John 12:12-36

Jesus replied, The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds.

John 12:23-24

Jesus prefaces His teaching here with words that require our focused attention: Truly, truly, I say to you... Whenever you see these words, pay close attention because what follows is of great importance: Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone. What does he mean by that? He is talking about himself. He is the grain of wheat. Unless he is willing to die, unless he goes to the cross, which he sees looming in the immediate foreground now, his whole purpose in coming to earth will have been wasted, he will remain alone. But if it dies, it bears much fruit. He sees the Greek people who were asking for him as the first fruits, the symbol of the great harvest of earth for which he came.

Perhaps he thought something like this: These Greeks have asked to see me. What does it mean to see me? Picture a grain of wheat in your mind. Can you see that grain, so tiny and yet so obvious? Outwardly you can see what it is, but can you really see it? No. In order to see it you have to plant it in the cold, dark earth. If you watch it, eventually a green sprout will appear, then the blade, then the plant, then the stem, and finally a head. At last it turns golden; the harvest has come. But still, have you seen everything in that grain of wheat? No, not yet. You first must plant the grains from that golden head again and again. At last, when you stand one day beside a shimmering field of wheat, rippling in the breeze, golden in the sunshine, you can say you have seen a grain of wheat. You have seen all the possibilities of it; all of it has been unfolded and now is visible to the eye. That is what Jesus meant. The world would not see the full outcome of his work and of his life until he went to the cross.

If he had not died on that cross and been buried, we probably would not know any more about him than we know of any other great religious leader, like Buddha, Mohammed, or Confucius, and we may not have heard of him at all. So meager were the results of his teaching that only a relative handful stood with him to the end. But because of the cross he was able to do something he could never have done otherwise: He was able to share his life with millions of people. How do we explain men like Luther, Calvin, Knox, Zwingli and others who changed the entire Western world during their lifetime? How do we explain the impact of men like the Wesley brothers? How do we explain the change in the hatchet-man of the Nixon administration, Charles Colson, who changed the prison system of this country in the name of Jesus? How do we explain Solzhenitsyn, Mother Teresa, and millions who daily evidence an altered life, a changed outlook? All has come about because of the cross and the confirming resurrection of Christ. God is saying to us in this account that the only way to true glory is to die.

Lord Jesus, thank you that you were willing to die that a harvest of souls would come to fruition. Teach me to take up my cross daily, that I, too, might bear fruit.

Life Application​

Jesus taught and demonstrated the stunning reality that His death was necessary to our re-birth into His Resurrection Life. Have we caught the life-vision of the seed that surrenders to death so as to realize the joy and fulfillment of reproducing His Life in and through us?

Daily Devotion © 2014, 2025 by Ray Stedman Ministries.

 

[Obadiah]

A daily devotion for January 31st​

The Glory of the Cross​

Read the Scripture: John 12:27-50

The crowd that was there and heard it said it had thundered; others said an angel had spoken to him. Jesus said, This voice was for your benefit, not mine. Now is the time for judgment on this world; now the prince of this world will be driven out. And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself. He said this to show the kind of death he was going to die.

John 12:29-33

Jesus had no illusions about what was coming, and undoubtedly, he was encouraged to hear the Father's voice confirming that he was on the right course. This voice had first been heard at the baptism of Jesus and again at the transfiguration. And now, for the third time, as he faced the ordeal of the cross the voice of the Father affirms his pleasure at the faithfulness of his beloved Son who was willing to endure what lay before him. God declares that from this ordeal will come further glory to his name.

Jesus explains by listing three things which that glory will consist of: First, Now is the judgment of this world. In the cross men will be able to see what is wrong with the philosophy of the world, what is evil in what sounds so right and necessary. Here the world's phony values are exposed. Here is revealed a standard by which the self-indulgence of the world may be measured, that destructive philosophy that cries out on every side today, Live for yourself, for yourself alone... But Jesus says that such life must be put to death: If any one serves me, let him deny himself; and take up his cross, daily, and follow me, (Luke 9:23). You cannot be a Christian and continue to live on the basis that your life belongs to yourself. That is the life of the world. All of that is judged in the cross.

Second, Jesus declares, Now shall the ruler of this world be cast out. Because we are continually victims of the deceptions of Satan we do not realize how total is his control of the human race. All men blindly follow demonic delusions that Satan sends into the world. We find ourselves manipulated by Satanic values and have no idea of how helpless we are to change, apart from Christ. The devil is the prince, the ruler, of this world, the Scriptures declare. He is in control of human society. But the great word of the gospel is that when we believe in Jesus and follow him, we are freed from the power of Satan, transferred into the Kingdom of the Son of God's love. For the first time we can do something permanent about the habits that destroy us, hurting us and others, wrecking our plans and sabotaging our highest hopes and dreams. In the cross the power of the devil over the human race was broken and deliverance to individuals was made possible.

Finally, Jesus says, I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself. You may have heard that text used to mean that if a preacher exalts Christ, everybody will be attracted to him. I wish it did express that. As I have preached Christ, I have found that some were attracted to him, but not everybody. No, that is not what these words mean. John tells us what they mean when he adds, He said this to show by what death he was to die. These words of Jesus are clearly a reference to the cross: By means of the cross he would draw all people to himself. He probably means all kinds of men—rich or poor, black, white, yellow and red, children and adults, no matter what social standing or background, no matter how deeply one had fallen into sin—all kinds are drawn to the cross and can be delivered and saved. What a wonderful word of hope, and how true it has proved to be. All kinds of people have come, and have found deliverance through the cross of Christ!

Lord Jesus, through the cross you judged the world, cast out Satan and draw all kinds of people to yourself. Help me to walk in the victory you have won.

Life Application​

What are three essential ways in which Jesus' death on the cross brings glory to His name? His disciples are compelled by His sacrificial love to no longer live for ourselves but for Him. He died that we may live; are we honoring Him by steadfastly renouncing our self-indulgence?

Daily Devotion © 2014, 2025 by Ray Stedman Ministries.

 

[Obadiah]

A daily devotion for February 1st​

The Human Problem​

Read the Scripture: Isaiah 1:1-15

Woe to the sinful nation, a people whose guilt is great, a brood of evildoers, children given to corruption! They have forsaken the Lord; they have spurned the Holy One of Israel and turned their backs on him.

Isaiah 1:4

Every breath we breathe is by the mercy of God. Everything comes from his providing hand. But man ignores and turns his back upon all that, and then goes about saying that only man matters. That is incredible blindness. But that is the problem that Isaiah faces here. God analyzes the situation in Israel in one verse, a sevenfold indictment of the nation.

Let us take a closer look at some of God's indictments: First, God says, Israel is a sinful nation. They have been infected with a fatal virus that causes everything they do to turn out wrong. The biblical point of view is that this is also the problem with the whole human race. People today, however, find that hard to believe. But there is something terribly the matter with humanity. Man is not what he was made to be. He does not function the way he ought to. There is a taint, a poison, spread throughout the whole human world, that causes even our efforts toward good to merely create new problems. The problem, the Bible declares, is sin—that is, selfishness and self-centeredness. We are all afflicted with a tendency to take care of ourselves first, to look out for number one. That is what produces the narcissism that is so characteristic of our day.

Secondly, God says, these people are weighed down because of sin. Think of the heavy burdens that come upon us because of this urge to self-centeredness within us. Think of the terrible cost of crime, child abuse, teenage pregnancies, the staggering cost of war. All these heavy burdens load us down, and leave us bent over in guilt. This kind of message is not very popular, but it is realistic.

We are proud of the technological advances of our day. But the people who invent these things labor under the same burdens that Israel faced in the days of Isaiah. We still have not learned how to keep a delinquent child from corrupting a whole neighborhood. We still have not learned how to save a disintegrating marriage by having those involved take an honest look at themselves and begin to work in harmony—not in estrangement. Our inability to do these things is what God is analyzing here.

These people are also the children given to corruption, passing along their evil tendencies to the next generation as well. More than that, they have forsaken the Lord. There is a strange conspiracy, prevalent in politics and education, to keep God out on the fringes of life, to never mention his name or acknowledge his presence. Any effort to insert him into public affairs meets with tremendous resistance. People have turned their backs on the living God, and do not like to acknowledge that he has any part in human affairs.

Further, God declares, they have spurned the Holy One of Israel. They have blasphemed the God of Glory, they have insulted his majesty. That too is evident on every side today.

The ultimate result is, they have turned their backs on him. This means they are alienated from him. People are alienated from God and therefore from each other. History confirms that when you lose God, you lose man as well. You can only understand man when you understand God, for man is made in the image of God. To lose the image of God is to lose the image of man. This is the problem with the world of our day.

Father, every breath I take is by your mercy and grace. Teach me to confess my sins and walk in obedience to you.

Life Application​

The fatal virus of sin has infected all of humanity, which is highlighted in one representative nation. Does the spectacle of worldwide corruption call us to personal confession and intercessory prayer?

Daily Devotion © 2014, 2025 by Ray Stedman Ministries.

 

[Obadiah]

A daily devotion for February 2nd​

How Can We Change?​

Read the Scripture: Isaiah 1:16-31

Come now, let us settle the matter, says the Lord. Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool. If you are willing and obedient, you will eat the good things of the land; but if you resist and rebel, you will be devoured by the sword. For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.

Isaiah 1:18-20

When we read Isaiah 1, there is a problem immediately evident. God's analysis of the human race is that we are fundamentally tainted with self-centeredness so that we do not want to do good. We only want to minister to our own needs and our own lives. As a solution, God says in v. 16, Wash yourselves; make yourselves clean; remove the evil of your doings from before my eyes; cease to do evil, learn to do good. But the question arises, how can evil people do good things?

This question is answered in verses 18-20. It could not be put any plainer. There is no help in man himself. We cannot heal ourselves. We need more than our habits changed. We ourselves need to be changed, and that change can only occur in a relationship with the living God.

This is the good news, this is the gospel. It looks forward to the coming of the Lord Jesus and the shedding of his blood, his taking our place that God might put our sins upon him, and thus enable Jesus to give us the gift of righteousness, so that our hearts will be changed. Selfishness is not taken away but it is overcome by the gift of love. An old hymn we used to sing in Sunday school says this so well:

What can wash away my sin?
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.
What can make me whole again?
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.
O precious is the flow
That makes me white as snow.
No other fount I know.
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

Isaiah is true to his name: God saves. Yahweh saves. Only he can do it. There may be some who have been attempting to clean up their own lives. Every so often people get the urge to stop doing things that obviously are hurting themselves and others, yet it never seems to work. They may stop temporarily, but then another bad habit surfaces and soon they return to their old ways. There is no power to change. But the gospel, the beautiful good news, is that God has found a way to break through the human problem, to give us a changed heart and teach us a new way of living.

Thank you, our Father, for this wonderfully forthright word, and for the good news that we are not left in our doleful, miserable condition. Thank you that you have broken through into our lives by means of the Lord Jesus, by his death and resurrection, and by your indwelling are making us different.

Life Application​

As we face the fact of our own selfishness, do we attempt to 'settle the matter' by self-effort? Are we learning to celebrate the delivering power of the Gospel to set us free?

Daily Devotion © 2014, 2025 by Ray Stedman Ministries.