Very truly I tell you, you will weep and mourn while the world rejoices You will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy. — John 16:20 Read John 16:16-24 Jesus spent His last evening before the cross comforting His disciples. Jesus understood that it’s easier to endure a season of trial if there’s an…
Old Testament Fulfillments
MATTHEW 26:14-35 The events that led up to the crucifixion of Jesus directly parallel what was prophesied about the Messiah as the Suffering Servant in the Old Testament. But not only did Jesus fulfill Old Testament prophecy; others around Jesus did as well. Judas betrayed Jesus for 30 pieces of silver (Matthew 26:14) which was…
Trusting in the Master Gardener
Now the Lord God had planted a garden in the east in Eden. — Genesis 2:8 The Butchart Gardens of Victoria, British Columbia, enjoy a worldwide reputation. Begun in 1904 in Mr. Butchart’s abandoned stone quarry north of the city, the gardens now contain fifty acres of year-round blossom and sculptured greenery. I first visited the…
10 Prayers of Jesus in the Bible [+Audio]
What We Can Learn from Jesus’ Prayers One of the great blessings of being a follower of Jesus is to know that right now He is interceding for His people before the Father (Roman 8:34; Hebrews 7:25). While we do not know exactly what Jesus says to the Father, we do have examples of many…
Jesus Comes to Jerusalem As King
Jesus’ coming to Jerusalem riding on a donkey, to the accolades and praise of the gathered crowd, fulfilled the Old Testament prophecies of Jesus as King. Isaiah 62:11 calls for “Daughter of Zion” to watch for this King, and Zechariah 9:9 depicts the King “lowly and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the…
Please Forgive Me
First go and be reconciled with your brother; then come and offer your gift. — Matthew 5:24 At a church potluck awhile ago, older parishioners were asked to share childhood memories to help us younger parents strengthen our families. An elderly Greek lady, Helen, told us that every Saturday evening her family had prayed special…
“Even If He Doesn’t” Faith
Editor’s Note: It’s Sit & Listen Saturday at Devotionals Daily. Enjoy reading as well as listening to this devotion from The Story Devotional. Listen on the blog or on your Alexa device by enabling the skill and then prompting, “Alexa, ask devotionals to read today’s devotion.” Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied, “King Nebuchadnezzar, we do…
Jesus, I Need You… When I Am Tempted
Temptation is all around us, but as we learn in Matthew 4:1-11, Jesus taught us how to overcome it: with the Word of God. * Dear Jesus, Why is self-control so difficult? Whether it’s overeating, spending too much time on my phone, or losing my temper, sometimes my self-control slips, and I do the very…
Jesus, I Need Your Grace
That Difficult Person Dear Jesus, I need Your help. Someone is making my life difficult. I have tried to be kind and patient — You know I have, Lord. But there have been times when I’ve lost my temper — You know that too. I’ve said unkind things and thought even worse things. Our relationship…
Believing and Listening
The Best Answer to Prayer The word of the Lord came to [Abraham]… “A son who is your own flesh and blood will be your heir.” He took him outside and said, “Look up at the sky and count the stars — if indeed you can count them.” Then He said to him, “So shall…