For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.” (1 John 5:4, KJV) Jesus was—and always will be—the ultimate overcomer. He overcame temptation, suffering, and even death. And because of Him, we are given the same promise: we can overcome too. That does not mean life will be easy. Being a Christian does not remove struggles, trials, or difficult seasons. We will still face challenges. We still experience moments of discouragement. But through it all, we are not without hope. Faith Brings Victory Scripture reminds us that our…
Martin Luther wrote, “Our Lord has written the promise of the resurrection, not in books alone, but in every leaf in spring-time.” At the end of every winter, we witness a miracle—life coming from death. Bare branches form green leaves, brown grass turns into a lovely meadow as spring blooms in dazzling beauty. The warm breezes whisper, “Come alive!” The evidence of resurrection happens before our eyes every year. Spring never fails to produce new life, springing forth from what was dead. It’s the perfect setting for Easter—the season we celebrate the Resurrection of Jesus – the hope of the world. The Psalmist declared, “Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad; let the sea resound, and all that is in it. Let the fields be jubilant, and everything in them; let all the trees of the forest sing for joy” (Psalm 96:11-12). The emerging spring is a witness to the promises of God—a life filled with purpose, joy, peace, and most importantly, eternal life. The greatest enemy of humanity, an enemy that no one else could defeat, was conquered, and we can say with confidence, “Death, where is your victory? Death, where is your sting?” (1 Corinthians 15:55). It…
“How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation…” Hebrews 2:3
Throughout the Bible, we find many references to things that we should not neglect or forget. These are precious things that we need to pay close attention to, and we should value them.
The most important thing we need to guard is our salvation. Jesus purchased it through a cruel death on Calvary, and it is a precious gift that we need to hold close to our heart.
One way that salvation is neglected is when we do not keep our hearts pure before God. Of course we will make mistakes, but we need to repent quickly and ask the Lord’s help to avoid that temptation in the future. Our salvation is worth guarding!
Prayer: Thank You, Lord, for the gift of salvation. Remind me every day of how precious it is, and help me to value it.
Devotion by Liane Grant
When my husband and I decided to move our family from Oregon to Utah, it was quite a change. I didn’t expect the long winters or the hot summers, but Utah was—and still is—a beautiful place. After living there for three years, I began working as a substitute teacher in several school districts. One of the things I was often complimented on was how peaceful I seemed, even while dealing with challenging students. Don’t get me wrong—I love teaching kids—but this job was not always easy. Teachers and faculty would say, “You have such a calming spirit.” What they didn’t…
The Lord is my strength and my song; he has given me victory. (Exodus 15:2, NLT) Miriam picked up her hem as she sprinted ahead. Her heartbeat quickened; her breath came in short gasps as she forged forward. Fear taunted as her hair whipped around her face. She had to keep focused on moving forward. She clutched at her heart. It was beating so fast she thought it might come out of her chest! She stole a cloaked glance behind her and gasped to catch her breath, realizing what was happening! A twitch pulled her lips into a small smile. Realization was born. It spread like a wave from one side of her face to the other. Then she glowed with boundless joy! Catching her breath in one great gulp at last, she sang…and sang…and sang! She sang with unconstrained praise along with Moses. They sang of Jehovah’s great power and incredible strength. He sent a strong wind to blow throughout the night. It parted the waters of the Red Sea and dried out the ground beneath their feet. They moved hastily across to the other side. They were finally delivered from the slavery of Egypt, and now they were…
“Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.” — Ephesians 4:32 (NIV) We have all been wronged at some point and felt the desire to get even. But what is forgiveness? In the Bible, forgiveness means releasing charges against someone—letting go and canceling a debt. It is not an easy thing to do. A person may feel ready to forgive, but true forgiveness involves certain important elements. First, forgiveness must be a choice. It must be voluntary, not forced. It must be intentional—a decision to let go of pain. And it is often a process that takes time. What we want to avoid is allowing unforgiveness to grow into anger, bitterness, hatred, or a desire for revenge. Bitterness, in particular, can become a poison to our souls. It can lead us into sin and cause us to fall out of alignment with God and His blessings. God calls us to forgive others just as He has forgiven us. However, forgiveness does not mean we condone the wrongdoing, pretend it never happened, or allow others to continue hurting us. Instead, forgiveness frees us. It releases us from anger and bitterness, allowing God…