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The Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost. — Luke 19:10 Thoughts on Today's Verse... Jesus' opponents said that he was "a friend of tax collectors and sinners" ( Luke 7:34 ). Of all the things people called Jesus, I believe that was one of his favorites. Come to think of it, I believe it's my favorite, too! Jesus came to seek and save all of us who are lost because God wanted us to find salvation in Jesus ( John 3:16-17 ). He did this when we were "powerless," "ungodly," "sinners," and "God's enemies" ( Romans 5:6, 8, 10 ). So, let's praise God that Jesus is not only "a friend of tax collectors and sinners," , but he also came to be our friend, to save us, and to bring us back to God ( Romans 5:10 ; 2 Corinthians 5:20 ), My Prayer... Almighty God, while I know you hate sin and the havoc it creates in our lives, I am so thankful that when you came to earth as Jesus, Immanuel, God with us, you ...

Jesus is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them. — Hebrews 7:25 Thoughts on Today's Verse... Jesus didn't just come and die for us. Jesus wasn't just raised from the dead to give us life. As incredible as those gifts are, Jesus adds another blessing to all he has done and is doing for us: he lives for us in the Father's presence, interceding for us. Jesus, as our intercessor, knows what it is like to be mortal and to face the struggles we face. So, dear friend in Jesus, until Jesus returns to take us home to our Father in heaven, know that Jesus is in the Father's presence in heaven for our good, always there to ask God for grace to help us in our times of need. Jesus is not only our Savior; he is also our defender, intercessor, friend, brother, and constant presence at the Father's side ( Hebrews 2:10-11, 14-18 , 4:14-16 ). My Prayer... Precious Savior, LORD Jesus, O how I love you. You sacrifice...

God has chosen you to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. We proclaim him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone perfect in Christ. — Colossians 1:27-28 Thoughts on Today's Verse... Christ lives in us and wants to transform us into people who live, love, and serve as he did ( Luke 6:40 ). Jesus remains alive in us as the Holy Spirit's work of glorious transformation continues in us ( 2 Corinthians 3:18 ). It will continue in us, until we see the LORD face-to-face in glory and are fully conformed to be like him ( 1 John 3:1-3 ). Until we go home to be with him, he promises to live in us through his Spirit, to show himself to us, and to make his home with us ( John 14:15-23 ). Everywhere we go and everything we do, we can trust that he will never leave or abandon us ( Romans 8:32-39 ). Jesus' goal for us in this life is for the Holy Spirit to transform us mor...

You know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. — 1 Peter 1:18-19 Thoughts on Today's Verse... If value is determined by price, we are incredibly valuable to God. Our Father took the most precious treasure of heaven and redeemed us out of sin, evil, and death to adopt us into his family through Jesus' sacrifice. Silver and gold pale in comparison to that value. Without this redemption, we were in a mess. We were trapped in "the empty way of life handed down to us" . To know the depth of that empty way of life, we need to remember who we were before Christ ( Ephesians 2:1-3 ; Romans 5:6 ): Dead in our transgressions and sins. Following the ways of the evil ruler of the spiritual realm, who is at work among the disobedient. Gratifying the cravings of our flesh. By nature deserving of ...

It is written, "As surely as I live," says the LORD, "every knee will bow before me; every tongue will confess to God." — Romans 14:11 Thoughts on Today's Verse... We live in anticipation of the day when every knee in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father" ( Philippians 2:10-11 ). Until that day, let's do all we can to influence as many as we can to receive the grace of God through faith in Jesus. We want them to bow before Jesus now as their Savior and LORD, today, so on that great future day, they can join with the host of heaven in joy, not in regret or fear, and acknowledge Jesus for who he is: LORD of all! My Prayer... Father, I thank you for saving me. May my anticipation of the day of Jesus' victory move me to be your agent of reconciliation so that others are ready for that day and will welcome it and our Savior with joy. Give me eyes to see those who ...

Since the creation of the world, God's invisible qualities — his eternal power and divine nature — have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse. — Romans 1:20 Thoughts on Today's Verse... The touch of the Master's hand is all around us. We can see it in the order, beauty, specificity, and dazzling variety of creation. The great expanse of space, with its billions of stars, along with the incredible world of the microscopic, is all testimony to an Orderer of great creativity and inestimable power. Our heavenly Father has left his fingerprints all over his world, his creation, his universe, so we can know that he has been here and will not abandon the work of his hands. But, will we respond to this beauty in creation by seeking to live by the ways of the Great Orderer, the Creator of the universe, or will we choose for ourselves, or something else, to replace God? Will we choose to reflect his righteous character, gracious c...