Through The Bible in a Year - January 13, 2026

"Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you?" – 1 Corinthians 6:19

In Flannery O'Connor's short story, a nun warns her students: "Girls, your bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit." Most of the girls mock and laugh as they leave. But one young woman—already used and hurt by boys—walks apart from the others with tears of joy and whispers, "My body is the temple of the Holy Spirit. I have been designed by God to receive and to reflect His glory."

Our secular culture says, "Fate, not God, has given us this flesh, so we may do with it as we see fit." It sounds freeing, but it leads to endless questioning: Am I okay? Do I measure up? The comparison game never ends.

But God has a different message: Your body is not raw material to use, abuse, or neglect as you see fit. You are designed with purpose, with order, with intention. You are made in God's image to reflect His glory.

This doesn't mean you're perfect or that your body won't face challenges in a fallen world. But it does mean you are precious, purposeful, and designed to be a dwelling place for God's Spirit.

Respond: How do you view your body? As something to criticize and fix? As a tool to gain approval? Or as a temple designed by God? Today, thank God for creating you with purpose and ask Him to help you steward your body as something sacred.

Prayer: Father, forgive me for the ways I've mistreated, neglected, or despised the body You gave me. Thank You that I am fearfully and wonderfully made, designed to be Your temple. Help me honor You with my body—not from shame or comparison, but from gratitude and worship. In Jesus' name, amen.

Through The Bible in a Year - January 12, 2026

"God created man in his own image...male and female he created them." – Genesis 1:27

Notice what God establishes first: His image. Notice what comes later: everything else.

Image comes before gender — either male or female. Both equally bear God's image. Image comes before marriage. That means you are whole and complete, whether single or married. Image comes before age, weight, or appearance. God never tells us Adam's perfect age or size. Image comes before jobs and careers. Occupations don't appear until Genesis 4. Image comes before race and ethnicity. Nationalities aren't mentioned until Genesis 10.

What does this order mean and why does it matter? It means that God is establishing what determines value before anything else: simply being human. It’s not your marital status, appearance, career success, or ethnic background. Just your humanity is what establishes you as one made in God’s image.

In a world that constantly tells you to prove your worth through performance, appearance, relationships, or achievements, God says: "You're valuable because you're made in my image. Period. I made you to reflect my glory, my nature and character, and because that is true of you, you are precious to me."

This means singles are whole, not incomplete. The elderly are precious, not disposable. Those with disabilities are image-bearers, not broken mistakes. Every race and ethnicity reflects God's glory. Your job title doesn't determine your worth. God’s image determines your worth, and you are precious to Him.

Respond: Which cultural message about worth have you believed instead? That you need the right appearance, relationship status, career, or achievement to matter? Today, reject that lie and embrace this truth: you are made in God's image, and that alone establishes your value.

Prayer: Creator God, thank You for establishing my worth before I did anything, achieved anything, or became anything. Help me stop chasing the world's standards for value and rest in Your design. I am made in Your image—that is enough. Teach me to see others this way too. In Jesus' name, amen.

Through The Bible in a Year - January 9, 2026

"So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them."– Genesis 1:27

This is perhaps the hardest application of Genesis 1:26-27: seeing God's image in people who hurt you.

When someone criticizes you unfairly, speaks sarcastically, or bludgeons you with words—it's incredibly difficult to remember they're made in God's image. Behind the accusing eyes, beneath the ugly words, there remains the image of God that you are called to regard with dignity and respect.

Not because you like their words. Not because you think they're right. But because being human means being made in God's image—and that's inseparable from their existence.

This is true in marriage when your spouse wounds you. It's true in church when someone attacks your character. It's true in your neighborhood with difficult people. There's no reason to regard them with respect or care except this one thing: they are made in God's image.

God may even be speaking truth to you through them, however imperfectly delivered. In their brokenness and blame, God might be saying, "I'm in this person. Listen. Remember what I have made and value my image in them."

Respond: Who in your life is hardest to see as made in God's image right now? Ask God to help you see past the behavior to the image-bearer beneath—and to show you if there's any truth you need to hear.

Prayer: Lord, this is so hard. Help me see Your image in people who hurt me, who criticize me, who treat me unkindly. Give me the grace to respond with dignity even when I don't receive it. Show me how to love my enemies and pray for those who use me despitefully, because they too are made in Your image. In Jesus' name, amen.

Through The Bible in a Year - January 8, 2026

"Then God said, 'Let us make man in our image, after our likeness.'" – Genesis 1:26

When NFL kicker, Cody Parkey, missed the game-winning field goal, sports talk radio exploded in rage when he said, "Football is what I do. It is not who I am." How dare he separate his performance from his identity!

But Parkey understood what the radio commentators did not: what you do doesn't define who you are as a Christian. Your success or failure, your career accomplishments, others' opinions of your performance—none of these determine your value.

You are made in the image of God. That reality is inseparable from your humanity. It doesn't change when you succeed, and it doesn't disappear when you fail. When circumstances abandon you, when success eludes you, when people criticize or reject you, this remains true: you bear God's image.

This isn't just helpful theology for a sermon—it's soul health for your hardest moments. When people think you're foolish, wrong, or a failure, when they're ready to write you off, you can stand firm saying, "My identity is not in my job, my performance, or others' opinions. It is in Jesus Christ. I am made in God's image."

Respond: What area of your life are you allowing to define you? Your career? Your relationships? Your accomplishments? Others' opinions? Today, with the authority of scripture, declare: "This is what I do. It is not who I am. I am made in God's image."

Prayer: Father, forgive me for finding my identity in what I do rather than who You've made me to be. When success abandons me and opinions assault me, anchor me in this truth: I am made in Your image, precious to You regardless of performance. Help me live from this secure identity today. I pray in Jesus' name, amen.

Through The Bible in a Year - January 7, 2026

"In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth." – Genesis 1:1
"Behold, I am making all things new." – Revelation 21:5

If you can accept Genesis 1:1—that there was a first creation—then you can accept Revelation 21 – that there will be a second creation, a new heaven and a new earth where death is no more, where tears are wiped away, where pain is gone forever.

This is the hope that sets Christianity apart from every other worldview. Without a Creator, this creation is all there is. You're confined by physics, biology, and chance until whatever your end may be. But with a Creator who makes things out of nothing, everything changes.

When you cry, "God, I need forgiveness," He says, "I'm the Creator. I can grant that."
When you plead, "Lord, I need help with my weakness," He says, "I'm the Creator. I can do that."
When you ask, "God, is there hope beyond death?" He says, "I'm the Creator. I can do that."

He proved it by raising Jesus from the dead. The same creative power that spoke galaxies into existence, can and will, make you new, as He did Jesus.

Respond: Bring your biggest need to the Creator today. Whatever seems impossible, remember: He specializes in making something out of nothing. He will make all things new.

Prayer: Creator God, I come to You with all my impossibilities. You made the universe from nothing; You raised Jesus from death. I believe You can handle what I'm facing. Make me and my circumstances new. Give me hope. Show me that nothing is too hard for You. Even so, Lord Jesus, come quickly to make everything new again, as you know is best. I pray this is in Your name, amen.

Through The Bible in a Year - January 6, 2026

"In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth." – Genesis 1:1
"What is man that you are mindful of him?" – Psalm 8:4

Here's what should absolutely astound us: the God of millions of galaxies and billions of stars chose to reveal Himself to us. He did not have to. He could hide behind the cosmos. He could play in another universe. But instead, He says, "Let me tell you about myself."

When you consider the magnitude of what we know about the universe, the psalmist's question becomes even more profound: "When I look at the heavens, Lord, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him?"

Who are you that the Creator of supernovas and spiral galaxies pays attention to you? Yet, despite your thinking that you are nothing in comparison to such grand things, God thinks of you. He reveals Himself through His Word. He sent His Son. He knows your name, your fears, and your needs. This is not a distant, indifferent deity—this is a caring Father.

Respond: The God who set the stars in place is mindful of you today. What do you need to tell Him? He’s your father and He's listening.

Prayer: Caring Father, I am amazed that You notice me. Among billions of galaxies and billions of people, You know my name and my heart. Thank You for not hiding behind Your creation but revealing Yourself to me. Help me know You more deeply. In Jesus' name, amen.

Through The Bible in a Year - January 5, 2026

"In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth." – Genesis 1:1

God didn't just create with His power—He created with precision. The universe operates with such exact coordination that even minor changes would make life impossible. If the Earth were a few miles closer to the sun, we'd burn. A few miles farther, we'd freeze. If your blood were slightly thinner, you'd hemorrhage. Slightly thicker, you'd die of stroke.

From the cosmic level down to the microscopic machines inside your cells, everything is "just right." This isn't random chance—it's the intelligent design of a wise Creator.

The same God who calibrated the perfect distance between Earth and the sun knows exactly what you need today. He coordinates seasons, harvests, and heartbeats. Your life is not left to random chance—you're held by wisdom beyond comprehension.

Respond: Look for three examples today of God's wise design—in nature, in your body, in the way that seemingingly random circumstances have unfolded for good. Thank Him for His attention to detail.

Prayer: Wise Creator, You designed the universe with perfect precision, and You've designed my life with the same care. Help me trust Your wisdom when I don't understand Your timing or Your ways. You see what I cannot. Help me to trust in that. In Jesus' name I pray, amen.

Through The Bible in a Year - January 2, 2026

"In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth." – Genesis 1:1

The Hebrew word for "created" is barah—it doesn't mean assembled or built. It means to originate, to bring something out of nothing. God didn't work with pre-existing materials. He spoke, and galaxies came into being.

Consider the magnitude: scientists tell us the observable universe is 46 billion light-years across, containing more stars than all the grains of sand on all the beaches of the world. Some stars are as large as our entire solar system. And God made it all from nothing.

If God has that kind of power, what kind of problems are you facing that are too big for Him? The God who created billions of galaxies out of nothing can certainly handle your situation and mine. He specializes in making something where there seems to be nothing that could be done.

Respond: Name one "impossible" situation in your life. Now remember, the God who created the universe from nothing is listening to your prayers and He can change everything, taking nothing and making it into something that is blessed.

Prayer: Powerful Creator, I confess that sometimes my problems feel bigger than You. Forgive my small view of Your power. You spoke galaxies into existence—surely You can bring hope into my situation. I bring You my impossibilities today, trusting in Your creative power. In Jesus' name, amen.

Through The Bible in a Year - January 1, 2026

"In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth." – Genesis 1:1

Notice what this verse doesn't say. It doesn't say "In the beginning, God began." When our beginning occurred, God already was. His existence predated even the beginning itself.

Psalm 90:2 puts it beautifully: "Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever you had formed the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting, you are God." The walls of time are pushed back—both past and future—to reveal a God who has no beginning and no end.

Why does this matter for your life today? Because when God promises, "I so loved the world that I gave my only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life," that promise is reasonable. An eternal God can give eternal life. He's not bound by time, and neither is His love for you.

Respond: What situation in your life feels temporary or hopeless? Remember that the eternal God is not limited by time. He sees the beginning and the end, and He holds your story in His hands.

Prayer: Eternal God, when I'm anxious about tomorrow or burdened by yesterday, remind me that You exist outside of time. You were there before my problems began, and You'll be there long after they end. Help me rest in Your eternity. In Jesus' name, amen.

Daily Devotion - December 31, 2025

I will show my love to the one I called “Not my loved one.” I will say to those called “Not my people,” “You are my people”; and they will say, “You are my God.’ (Hosea 2:23 NIV)

For well-known author Anne Lamott, life was full of sinful pursuits and relational ruins. In so many ways, she was seeking God in all the wrong places. She wrote about her journey toward faith and how she came to understand God’s grace. 

When her despair caused her to ask a pastor what it meant to be “saved,” he gave this answer: “It’s like discovering you’re on the shelf of a pawnshop – dusty and forgotten and not feeling very worthy, when Jesus walks in and says, I’ll take her place on the shelf – let her go out in the sun.”

Ann Lamott is still on a journey of faith. Those who know her life acknowledge it has lots of twists and turns. But through that pastor, she started down a new path toward a new life in the sun.

God used her destitution and despair not only to reveal the futility of past paths, but also that he is willing to take those who think of themselves as “Not God’s people,” and make them his.  

That’s the same message for us. Jesus took our place in the darkness and dirt of the cross and put us on a new path in his light. So, even if we think of ourselves as “Not God’s loved one,” when we say, “You are my God,” he says, “You are mine.” 

Prayer: Lord, thank you for taking me off a dusty shelf and putting me in the sunshine of your grace! I praise you that when I thought I was “Not your loved one,” Jesus took my place so that you now say to me, “You are mine.”

Daily Devotion - December 30, 2025

Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them. (Psalm 139:16)

Have you ever faced a trial and thought, “This is because I have not done enough for God.” You’re not alone. My missionary friend, Ricky Grey, confessed to having the same thoughts when his child was born with multiple medical concerns. 

Ricky wrote of how every medical setback led to him and his wife wondering whether their righteousness and repentance were enough. The questioning was leading the parents into a dangerous quandary of wondering whether to blame themselves or God for their child’s struggles. 

Then the Lord turned their hearts back to the truth of the gospel. We will never be right with God by depending on what we do, but by trusting in what Jesus has done for us. When we trust in the sufficiency of his work on our behalf, then we need not doubt him or blame one another for the troubles of a fallen world. 

We trust the Good Shepherd to carry us through dark valleys of this world because he has proven his care, giving us access to it by his cross. Now nothing enters lives hedged about by the grace of Christ except what is eternally best for us and our families. 

We don’t trust our goodness to insulate us against all earthly trials, we trust the goodness of Jesus to take us through them to himself. 

Prayer: Father, I know we live in a fallen world that you will someday make right. Through the grace unquestionably revealed at the cross, teach me to trust your sovereign love through inevitable trials until Jesus comes or takes me home!

Daily Devotion - December 29, 2025

Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. (Deut. 31:6)

A generation ago, the captivity of some American hostages in Iran had stretched into the Christmas season. Bowing to political pressures, the terrorists allowed the hostages to celebrate Christmas together with TV cameras rolling. That’s when hostage Kathryn Koob, an American embassy worker, softly sang “Away in a Manger.”  

The last verse, sung in the terrorists’ presence, was the most poignant: “Be near me, Lord Jesus, I ask thee to stay close by me forever and love me, I pray.”

 The words conveyed the hope and courage that is available to Christians in all generations and circumstances. It is the strength that comes from knowing that our God is always with us. 

Jesus came to this earth to be with us despite our sin, and he sent the Holy Spirit to abide with us until he comes again. He will never leave us or forsake us. We can face the greatest of trials or terrors with assurance that nothing separates us from his love. 

Circumstance will change, his love will not. Trials will vary, his presence will not. Problems will pass, his purposes will endure. He is near. So, take courage.

Prayer: Lord, you are with me through hardships. With you I can face anything. You will never leave or forsake me! So, give me strength from trusting your constant presence.

Daily Devotion - December 26, 2025

You have put off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator. (Col. 3:9-10)

What does it mean to be a new creation in Christ? One dimension of this new reality is how the Holy Spirit works inside of us to teach, train, and rewire our minds for growth and maturity. 

The supernatural rewiring of the Holy Spirit reminds me of the electric trains I played with as a child. When I wanted the train to go in reverse, I did not push it with my hands. I used a switch that changed the wiring, so the same train that had rounded its track in one direction would now move in a new direction.

In a similar way, the Holy Spirit changes our thoughts and desires. In one sense, we are still the same person with the same body and appearance. But, in another sense, all of those aspects of our being are now moving in a new direction. 

Once we were moving away from Jesus; now we are moving toward him with thoughts and desires controlled by the knowledge of One who loved us and gave himself for us. Even when we sin, our betrayal of our Savoir convicts our hearts. We long to put off sinful practices, and actually have the power to do so. 

What has happened? God has supernaturally rewired our hearts to love and serve him – something impossible prior to the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. Knowing and experiencing his re-wiring gives us confidence to move in the direction he empowers.

Prayer: Father, thank you for the fact that my old life is past, and I have new life in Jesus Christ. May the new life the Holy Spirit is wiring into my thoughts and desires motivate me to love, serve, and obey you more each day.

Daily Devotion - December 25, 2025

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. (Isa. 9:6)

God gave his Son many titles: “Wonderful Counselor,” “Mighty God,” “Everlasting Father,” and “Prince of Peace.”  Each reminds us that God provides blessings for us that we cannot provide for ourselves.

He gives counsel beyond our wisdom. He provides might beyond our strength. He offers Fatherly care to orphaned hearts. And, He sends his peace to comfort anxious hearts, relieve burdened souls, and transform troubled lives.

Christ’s titles display the essence of the gospel to reveal the grace of God. His names signal his provision — not for those who think they have their lives all fixed and tidy, but for those who name him as their wisdom, strength, love, and peace. 

When we call him by the names his Word supplies, we are confessing he must provide what we cannot. Professing his titles invites his provision: to our cries will come his counsel; to our weakness will come his might; to all who call him, Father, he says, “My child”; and, to our anxiety will come his peace.

  Hallelujah! What at Savior for a world of sinners like me!

Prayer: Lord, thank you that when I am confused you give me counsel, when I am weak you give me strength, when my childish resolutions do not last you remain my Everlasting Father, and when I am anxious you give me peace in Christ!

Daily Devotion - December 24, 2025

The shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. (Luke 2:15-16)

Many of us grew up singing the Christmas carol “Oh, little town of Bethlehem.” But we may have become so familiar with the lyrics that we’ve neglected to marvel at the message they carry.

At the time of Jesus’ birth, Bethlehem had become a town of little importance – fallen from it’s renown as David’s city. In fact, most people avoided it on their way to Jerusalem. 

Still, God’s graceful design was to use the dingy town to bring his Son into the world. On that day, Bethlehem shone so brightly that we would sing of her: “The hopes and fears of all the years were met in thee tonight.” 

The King of Glory came to a forgotten town, in an oppressed land, to be laid in a cattle trough, by a disgraced mother, of a transient family, and to be announced to the world by lowly shepherds. Where’s the grace in all of that? You know. 

God chose the weak and despised things of this world to display his glory, so that when we are forgotten, weak, disregarded, disgraced, displaced, poor, and lowly, we will remember that God does not despise coming to us. So do not fear to come to him.

Prayer: Father, just as you used the flawed features of the insignificant town of Bethlehem to display the glory of Jesus’ grace to persons like me, so also convince me that you can use me – even me – to bring his good news to others.

Daily Devotion - December 23, 2025

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. (Isa. 9:6)

Isaiah writes this passage during a sorrowful and somber time in the Israel’s history. God’s people had turned their backs on him, and the light of hope seemed all but extinguished. 

That would be a sad story for sure — if that were the end. But it’s not! Isaiah prophesied that God had a plan for turning his people back to him! The prophet proclaims, “For unto us a child is born, to us a son is given.” This prophesied Son would be the Savior of the World, offering God’s counsel, might, love, and peace!  

At times such a Son may seem distant from us, lost in the sentiment of a Christmas song, or banished from our hearts by serious sin. Whatever the cause of his seeming distance, recognize Isaiah wrote to a people whose sentiments were idolatrous and whose sin was great. 

If you think you do not qualify for God’s counsel, might, love, and peace, then think again. If people like these were to receive help from Jesus, then people like you and me can expect it, too. 

If we didn’t need his help, then Jesus would not have come. Sin never needs to be the end of God’s story. Let him write Jesus’ ending for you.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank you that my sins need not be the end of your story for me. Help me remember that my Savior came because I needed saving, and turn my heart to seek his counsel, might, love, and peace.

Daily Devotion - December 22, 2025

Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel” (which means, God with us). (Matt. 1:23)

Jesus could have remained remote in heaven’s realm, but he didn’t. As an infant in a manger, a child in Nazareth, and a Savior on a cross, he knelt down into the dirt of our earth and our shame to demonstrate a near and holy love. Even his name communicates this love: Immanuel, means God with us.

The announcement of our Savior’s name was not the first affirmation of our God’s presence. When God walked with our first parents in the Garden of Eden, sealed Noah’s family in the ark, spared Abraham’s son with a provision of sacrifice, delivered Israel from Pharaoh and through the Red Sea, dwelt among his people in the Wilderness, rescued them from enemies, spoke through prophets and apostles with his Word for us, and put his Spirit in us – in all these, our God was demonstrating the Immanuel principle: He is with us!

Why is the Immanuel principle displayed so often in Scripture? The answer is that we can face any trial, walk any path, deal with all the pains of a fallen world so long as we know God is with us. He is!

If you know that God is with you, then you can face anything. So, by his Word and Spirit, God is with you every moment of every day, so that you can face everything with him. God is with you! 

Prayer: Lord, thank you that you are with me. May the truths of your Word be the witness of your Spirit in my heart, assuring me that you will walk with me through anything. May I fear nothing because in everything my God is near!

Daily Devotion - December 19, 2025

You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge another, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things. (Rom. 2:1 NIV)

In the play The Best Christmas Pageant Ever, we get to know the six Herdman kids. They are bonafide delinquents — they lie, smoke, cuss, and bully others at school. They never attend church. And, for all the other kids in town, this is a blessing. Church is the one place they can find some protection and peace – until the day the Herdman kids show up.

Invading a Sunday school class, these inventively awful kids ask the teacher lots of questions like, “Why don’t they call him Bill instead of Jesus?” and “Why don’t they give Christmas a better name, like ‘Revenge at Bethlehem?’”

How do kids like the Herdmans wind up in a Christmas story? The same way that we do. They receive patience and mercy they do not earn or fully understand. 

Wayward children receive grace they do not deserve. That’s the real Christmas story – and what makes it real to us. When we witness the blessing such grace brings to lowly shepherds, or delinquent Herdmans, or our wayward hearts, then the story becomes as meaningful as God intended.

Ultimately the beauty of the Christmas story touches us, when we realize that we are in Christ’s pageant story, too. We who were undeserving of welcoming him were welcomed by him, and can tell others of his love for kids as awful as we. 

Prayer: Father, help me remember the grace that claimed me more that the merits I would claim. Make Jesus beautiful to and through me by the transformation in me that reflects how much I appreciate his patience and mercy toward me.

Daily Devotion - December 18, 2025

The grace of our Lord overflowed for me with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost. (1 Tim. 1:14-15)

The Apostle Paul seemed to get the gospel backwards. In one of his earliest letters, he confessed that he was the “least of the apostles.” Later he wrote to others that he was the “least of God’s people.” Finally, toward the end of his life and ministry he wrote that he was the “foremost” of sinners.

The more mature he became, the worse he saw his sin. Isn’t that backwards? Shouldn’t he have been getting better and better? Of course, we are right to expect Paul’s behavior to improve as his walk with Christ matured, but that is not his point.

The more Paul understood the sacrifice of his Savior, the more he detested the sin that required it. Paul did not get worse; he simply saw his wrongs more realistically. 

This perspective did not lead Paul to despair – quite the opposite. The more he recognized the magnitude of his sin, the more the cross of Jesus was magnified in his heart. 

Yes, Paul’s sin got worse in his estimation, but consequently the cross of Jesus got larger in his appreciation. So, far from despairing, he wrote, “The grace of our Lord overflowed for me.”

We don’t have to be afraid of confessing the magnitude of our sin to God. He already knows it, and our love and faith will only increase as his overflowing grace overwhelms our guilt and shame. 

Prayer: God, be merciful to me, a great sinner in need of a greater Savior. Let me see the magnitude of my sin so that I am overwhelmed by the magnificence of the cross where grace overflows for me.

Daily Devotion - December 17, 2025

The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham. . . . Judah [was] the father of Perez and Zerah by Tamar, . . . and Salmon the father of Boaz by Rahab, and Boaz the father of Obed by Ruth, and Obed the father of Jesse, and Jesse the father of David the king. And David was the father of Solomon by the wife of Uriah. (Matt. 1:1-6)

Jesus’s family line is not what we would expect. There’s Tamar, who was abused and abandoned. There’s Rahab, a prostitute and outcast; and, Ruth, a foreigner. And, let’s not forget about Bathsheba, the adulteress wife of King David, who murdered her husband to have her. Jesus’ family tree is rotten.

Why does God used such an imperfect line for Christ’s lineage? God is making plain that he isn’t surprised by human frailty or put off by it. Imperfect people are the best candidates for receiving and displaying his grace. 

This may not be a message that we desire to hear on the days that we are confident of our goodness, but it is the message that we are desperate to claim on the days that our imperfections – even our rottenness – is plain to us.

God’s light shines brightest in the darkness, and his grace will gleam through the dirt on us. He can work past the sin we thought was greater than he, and he delights to do so. God displays his grace so brilliantly to make his mercy plain and to encourage us to claim it readily – right now!   

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank you for the fact that you pardon and give purpose to messed up people like me. Today, help me so to believe in your grace that I rejoice to receive it and live to reflect it!