Daily Devotionals

april 7, 2021

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

 

1 Peter 1:3-9

As we reflect on Easter, I find myself meditating on the resurrection of Jesus. Of all the ways to redeem humanity, God chose resurrection. In our 21st century post-modern thinking, it seems a bit ridiculous to believe in fairy tales, let alone the reality that someone could come back from the dead. Yet my whole life is oriented around the resurrection of Jesus. If it didn’t happen, then what we would have is just another religion and Jesus as just another religious teacher. Our lives would simply end in a death that is final.

 

However, as I’ve continued to walk with Jesus for over twenty years now, I know in my heart that He truly did rise from the dead. I know this truth not because of some hopeful wish.  I know it because I’ve encountered, experienced, and heard Him and because my life has been changed in ways unimaginable. Once you encounter the risen Lord, walk with Him, and see His transforming power in your life, you’re left in awe, wonder, and amazement. You are left knowing that He came to earth in physical flesh, lived and died, and then rose from the grave. It is my hope that you will encounter Him and that your love for Him will grow as you praise Him and find yourself filled with inexpressible joy.

For Reflection


Where have you encountered the power of our risen Lord?


Has Jesus captured your heart and propelled you into a new life filled with living hope? Why or why not? If not, what do you need to change in your life in order to experience that new living hope?


What stirs inside you as you read this devotion?

Prayer


Father, I pray from the depths of my heart that people know You and encounter Your saving grace and love. It’s my prayer that lives will change and will never be the same. Thank You for the resurrection, thank You for the hope You give, and above all thank You for Your love and grace. Amen.

Rev. Cody Jensen
Pastor for Become
404-842-3158