Daily Devotions for February 2023

316Judith

Finding Clear Guidance - February 1, 2023

Psalms 25:12.

How can you be sure you’re making the right decision?

Sometimes it may seem as if God plays hide and seek when we’re trying to know His will, but that’s not the way He operates.

He wants to give us clear direction. The real question is, What do you need to do to hear His voice?

Clear the pathway. We have two main obstacles that hinder our discernment: sin in our life, and our own strong desires about the situation.

To receive the Lord’s guidance, we must repent of all known sin and make our desires secondary to His.

Exercise patience. Sometimes it takes a great deal of strength to stand still when everything within you is shouting, “Hurry!

Time is running out!” But if you rush ahead of God, you may miss His will.

Persist in prayer. The Bible clearly instructs us to keep coming to the Lord with our concerns.

As we continue to pray, He will gradually weed out anything confusing until we come to His conclusion about the matter.

Search the Scriptures. The Word of God has an answer for every need, and the Holy Spirit knows just how to point us in the right direction.

I remember times while I was reading the Bible that a verse jumped off the page and supplied the exact answer I needed to make an important decision.

So often when we’re faced with a critical choice, all we want from the Lord is a quick answer. But He delights to meet with us in
order to deepen our relationship with Him.

Don’t let the urgency of your need keep you from enjoying the intimacy of His presence as you seek His will.

Devotion by In Touch Ministries

316Judith

How Revivals Start - Greg Laurie Devotion - February 3, 2023 Friday,

Thus says the Lord: “Stand in the ways and see, and ask for the old paths, where the good way is, and walk in it; then you will find rest for your souls.” (Jeremiah 6:16 NKJV)

The first-century church, the one that Jesus started, turned their world upside down. They set their world on fire.

On the other hand, the church of today, which is much larger than the first-century church, has considerable resources and technology to use. Yet it seems as though the world is turning the church upside down.

Why aren’t we setting the world on fire? It’s because we need a revival. We need an awakening.

Speaking through the prophet Jeremiah, God said, “Stand in the ways and see, and ask for the old paths, where the good way is, and walk in it; then you will find rest for your souls” (Jeremiah 6:16 NKJV).

Historically, revivals often began with one person who decided to do something.

For example, in 1857, businessman Jeremiah Lanphier decided to start a prayer meeting on Fulton Street in downtown New York. Only a handful of people showed up to pray at the first meeting on September 23.

But Lanphier was persistent, and they kept meeting for prayer. Then something dramatic took place.

The stock market crashed, and suddenly the prayer meeting grew. Then prayer meetings began popping up throughout New York City.

And within six months, ten thousand people were gathering for prayer throughout the city, calling on the name of the Lord.

Within eighteen months of that first prayer meeting on Fulton Street, an estimated one million people had come to faith in Jesus Christ. It wasn’t orchestrated. It wasn’t a campaign planned by people.

Rather, it was a work of God in which He poured out His Spirit.

We need to see that today.

Any genuine revival will bring about repentance in the lives of the people, a change in the
community, and evangelism en masse.

Jeremiah Lanphier was not a preacher. He wasn’t famous. He was an ordinary person who decided to pray. And you can do the same.

Devotion by Greg Laurie

316Judith

Drying Up Spiritually - Greg Laurie Devotion - February 4, 2023

“Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place—unless you repent.” (Revelation 2:5 NKJV)

When we talk about the need for revival in our country, we must first individually ask ourselves these questions: Am I personally revived? Am I living as a committed, on-fire follower of Jesus Christ?

If we are not, then we’re part of the problem, not part of the solution.

Here’s what Jesus said to the church of Ephesus in the Book of Revelation: “I know your works, your labor, your patience, and that you cannot bear those who are evil. And you have tested those who say they are apostles and are not, and have found them liars; and you have persevered and have patience, and have labored for My name’s sake and have not become weary. Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love” (2:2-4 NKJV).

It’s clear they weren’t lazy. They were discerning, persevering believers. And they were making a difference. But Jesus was saying, “That’s all great, but we have a problem here. You have left your first love.”

What does that mean? It means that in spite of all their activity, they had lost that first passion when Jesus was their highest priority. They still believed. They hadn’t abandoned their faith. But they were spiritually drying up. They were leaving their first love, and they needed to be revived.

Jesus went on to give them the three Rs of revival: “Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place—unless you repent” (verse 5 NKJV).

Remember. Repent. Repeat. Remember from
where you have fallen. Repent and do the first works. And repeat. Go back and do what you did before.

Let’s remember the three Rs of revival and put them into practice, because we need to be revived before God. We need a personal revival.

316Judith

Four Important Questions - Greg Laurie Devotion - February 5, 2023

All things are lawful for me, but not all things are helpful; all things are lawful for me, but not all things edify. (1 Corinthians 10:23 NKJV)

There’s a common question Christians ask that may indicate a spiritual problem in their lives:

“Can you be a Christian and still . . . ?” (Fill in the blank.) In other words, “Can I get away with this and still technically be saved?”

Instead, what we ought to ask is, “Because I am a Christian, how can I best serve the Lord? What can I do to grow spiritually?”

If you’ve ever wondered about what’s okay for a Christian to do, consider these questions.

Does it build me up spiritually? Does this thing that you want to do promote growth in your Christian character? Some things in life can tear you down because they tear you away from the people of God or dull your hunger for the Word of God.

Does it bring me under its power? Some Christians say they have the freedom to do a certain thing because they can handle it. They can control it. But does it bring them under its power? Can they go through a day without it? If not, then it isn’t freedom.

Do I have an uneasy conscience about it? There might be something that you feel uneasy about doing. It just doesn’t feel right. Romans 14:23 says,

“For whatever is not from faith is sin” (NKJV).

We’re all different. One believer may do a certain thing, but that very thing could harm you spiritually.

Could it cause someone to stumble? You may have the liberty to do something, such as go to
this movie or watch that TV show. But if it bothers another believer, be sensitive to that.

As Christians, we don’t live unto ourselves. We have an effect on others.

All too often people who are interested in
following Jesus don’t want to let go of things that
will slow them down. We need to count the cost.

316Judith

Wisdom from the Psalms February 6, 2023

Psalms 16:4
Their sorrows shall be multiplied that hasten after another god: their drink offerings of blood will I not offer, nor take up their names into my lips.

Ralph had grown up desiring to be wealthy one day. He had worked hard, devoting himself to the pursuit of his precious money.

Now he could honestly call himself rich, but he wasn't sure it was all he had dreamed it would be.

He spent so much of his time protecting what he had accumulated. He lay awake at night worrying about investments, deals, taxes; anything and everything that might ruin his status.

His every waking moment was tied up in the acquisition of more and more wealth.

On rare occasions, Ralph found himself wishing for just a little peace of mind and a chance to forget about money for awhile.

The pursuit of God is one of the few life choices we can make that has no strings attached.

We give very little, and receive so much. Money, fame, power, prestige all sound nice, but they require more effort than they are worth.

Worse, they pay temporary benefits that fade away, leaving us empty, lost, and alone.

Give your life to God, and walk in the ways that He chooses, and you will find that He will bless you continually.

Prayer: Turn me from the things that cannot offer me lasting satisfaction. Turn me instead, Lord, to the things that are eternal and holy. Amen.

316Judith

Wisdom from the Psalms February 7, 2023

Psalms 16:8

I have set the Lord always before me: because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.

The little boy rode his bicycle like a demon. He would pedal as fast as he could and fly down the street.

He still had training wheels on his bicycle, though they did little to balance it.

He had long since gained his balance, but he refused to let his parents remove them.

Some of his friends made fun of him, but he felt safe and secure, so long as the training wheels were firmly in place.

All of us have times in our lives when we need something or someone to help us.

Sometimes these things become crutches to us, but other times they give us the confidence and support we desperately need.

God is the only support we truly need, and we can rest assured that He will always be close by.

With God before us, we can stand up against anything. He is not a crutch. He's the source of all strength and power.

Prayer: Lord, be my strength. When I need help to get through the day, be with me and help me to know that You are there. Amen .

316Judith

Sorry I missed Wednesday’s Devotional! Will come later. It’s just 12am Midnight now! 😴🤗

316Judith

Wisdom from the Psalms February 9, 2023

Psalms 17:5

Hold up my goings in thy paths, that my footsteps slip not.

Burt had worked in high-rise construction all his life. Every day he would walk the girders high above the ground with apparent ease.

In his lifetime he had seen a number of men plunge from the girders due to a mere moment of carelessness. As for himself, he knew he had been lucky.

Each morning he began work only after saying a short prayer, asking the Lord to watch his movements through the day, keeping him safe from any mishap.

Though most of us never do anything as dangerous or risky as high-rise construction, we do stand in danger of falling to temptation.

A fall like that is as devastating to the soul as a plunge from a high girder would be to our physical being. No matter how careful we try to be, we need someone to catch us when we stumble.

God is that someone. He waits with open arms to catch His children when they fall. Rest easy in the knowledge that God guides your steps. He will protect those who put their trust in Him.

Prayer: I need Your guiding love, Almighty God.
Without it, I am sure to fall. Thank You for being with me picking me up when I fall. Amen.

316Judith

Wisdom from the Psalms February 10, 2023

Psalms 18:2

The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower.

Jennifer could hardly wait for her shift to be over.

The nurses' station was a mad rush, and there was simply no time to even catch her breath.

Some nights she wondered why she had ever gone into nursing. The pace was so crazy, and the work was exhausting, both mentally as well as physically.

For a moment, Jennifer closed her eyes and said a quick prayer to the Lord, thanking Him for His great mercy and asking for just enough strength to make it through.

The Lord listens to our prayers, and He responds by giving us the strength we need to meet every situation. He truly is our strength of our fortress.

Trust in the Lord, and He will grant you His peace.

Prayer: Dear Lord, there are times when I just
don't think I can make it. Please grant me Your
power to endure and succeed. Help me to remember that real strength comes from You. Amen.

316Judith

Wisdom from the Psalms February 11, 2023

Psalms 18:3

I will call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised: so sha ll I be saved from mine enemies.

When Charlie was a boy, he used to dream of being like his favorite comic book hero. With super powers, Charlie knew he'd be unstoppable.

No one could pick on him, no one could tell him what to do, and everybody would love him. As he grew older, Charlie grew sad to realize that no superhero life lay in his future. Superheroes were just myths.

Then, one day, Charlie found a new kind of hero.

A friend of his gave him a New Testament and asked him to read it. Charlie was swept into a world where sin and evil came to an end, where good really did win, and where love was the strongest power of all.

And the best thing was, everyone who believed could be a hero, too.

We need to choose our heroes carefully. Only one hero is worthy of our praise and allegiance, and that is Jesus Christ.

Jesus will save us from our enemies, and He will set all things right. Follow Him, and He will grant you a power beyond belief.

Prayer: Dear God, I follow so many false heroes, thinking they might have something I need. Help me to remember that all I could ever need or want, You have already given me through the life of Your blessed Son. Amen.

316Judith

Wisdom from the Psalms Feb 14, 2023

Psalms 18:28

For thou wilt light my candle: the Lord my God will enlighten my darkness.

Jeffey dutifully tended the lamp that hung by the altar. The flame had not failed in over thirty years. Throughout that time, Jeffey had daily filled the lamp with oil. People throughout the church marveled at this dedication and persistence.

One day Jeffey took sick and had to go to the hospital. Friends stopped in to see Jeffey, and as each one left, he lifted his head and said, "Don't forget the light, okay?"

One women, puzzled by the urgency of Jeffey's reminder, asked him why the little lamp meant so much to him. His eyes grew misty, and he said, "That light means the world to me. When I was young, tow lights came into my life: my wife and Jesus. My wife died, but then so did Jesus. The lamp reminds me that so long as it shines, both of them are still alive. I guess it wouldn't matter if the lamp went out, but it's important to me."

God sends light into our lives in many ways. The greatest light of all is live, and we know love through His greatest gift, Jesus Christ.

Prayer: Shine forth through the dark reaches of my life, Light of the World, Fill me with Your blessed warmth and glow. Shine through me for others to see. Let me be Your live in this world. Amen.

316Judith

Wisdom from the Psalms February 15, 2023

Psalms 18:33

He maketh my feet like hinds' feet, and setteth me upon my high places.

Her grace and beauty was breathtaking. The doe paused for a moment, then she sprang forth in a poetic dance of joy. Effortlessly, she scaled the rocky incline, never missing her footing, until she stood out against the autumn sky. Her gentle eyes scanned the horizon, she sniffed delicately, shook her head once, and then was off.

God has equipped His creation with many wonderful and amazing qualities. The doe who can climb steep mountains with nary a misstep, the jaguar that can outrun any prey and turn sharply at its fastest pace, the eagle who can span vast distances in a matter of hours; all these creatures are strong because they use their God-given talents as they were intended to.

There is a lesson to learn from such creatures.

We, too, have been given many wonderful gifts and talents. When we affirm the talents we have been given, then God will surely bless us, and we will be a sign to others of His goodness.

God has given us hinds' feet, wings to fly, power, grace, and a multitude of other gifts.

Embrace them and know that the Lord is good.

Prayer: Teach me to use the gifts I have been given. Aid me as I test my wings and struggle to get my footing. Be patient with me, Lord, and touch me with Your touch of peace and grace. Amen.

316Judith

Living Doesn't Mean Fighting - Wisdom from Psalms Feb 16, 2023

Psalms 18:34

He teached my hands to war, so that a bow of steel is broken by my arms.

Angela was the youngest of six children. Her memories and childhood conjured images of constant fighting and competition. She had learned very early how to fight. Her young years had been a painful lesson in the survival of the fittest.

It was only after she left home that she found out that living didn't mean fighting. She met and married a strong Christian man whose strength came not from any physical source, but from a keep and abiding faith in the Lord.

He taught her patience and compassion and peace. Her world was turned upside down as she realized that true strength came not from fighting, but from refusing to fight.

God granted her a power greater than any she'd known.

By her peace of mind and spirit, Angela broke free from the bondage of her past and faced the future with the assurance that nothing could ever defeat her again.

Prayer: Lord, remove from me my spirit of competition in trying to be better than other people. Whenever my will says to fight back in
anger, let my spirit prevail with a desire to forgive.
Make me strong in Your love. Amen.

316Judith

Wisdom from the Psalms February 17, 2023

Psalms 18:36

Thou hast enlarged my steps under me, that my feet did not slip.

Brent thought he was going to freeze to death. He had set out to Jill's house during the early throes of the blizzard. It was four miles to her house, but the drifting snow was making progress almost impossible. He was halfway, so it didn't matter whether he went forward or back; the trip was going to be rough. He could have kicked himself for not leaving the house prepared. Now he was paying for it.

As he passed the Johnson house, Ed Johnson leaned out and called to him. As Brent looked up, Ed held out a pair of snowshoes, waving them with a big grin on his face. Brent broke into a smile and struggled over to the Johnsons'.

When he was young, Brent thought people in Minnesota were eccentric for keeping snowshoes around. Suddenly, it didn't seem so funny anymore.

There are some situations that arise in our lives that are as difficult to get through as a deep snowdrift or shifting sand. We struggle, and the more we do, the worse off we become.

God reaches out to us in those times, gladly lending a hand. He will enlarge our steps, so that we might get over the toughest problems.

Believe it.

Prayer: Dear Lord, equip me with the means to meet life's problems. Often I flounder around, sinking deeper and deeper into tough situation. Liberate me, and set me back on my feet, I pray. Amen.

316Judith

Wisdom from the Psalms February 18, 2023

Psalms 19

The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork.

Steve slammed on the brakes and pulled to the side of the road in anger and frustration.

Grabbing the map and a flashlight from the glove compartment, he burst up out of the car. He knew he was lost, but he didn't have the slightest idea how to get himself found again. He leaned on the roof of the car, tracing out his location on the map.

After a few moments, he snapped off the light, closed his eyes, and laid his head against the metal of the car.

When he opened his eyes, he was startled by the number and beauty of the stars in the Arizona sky.

Like a child, he gazed at the heavens with his mouth hanging open. Never before could he remember such a beautiful sight.

A peace came over him that totally removed the rage of a few minutes before.

Forgetting the time or the situation, Steve climbed up on the hood of his car, leaving back to soak in the splendor of God's creation.

This day, we need to stop for a moment to open new eyes to the wonder of God's world.

If we will only try to see it through His eyes rather than our own, we will find new beauty that we never noticed before.

His is a world of wonder and miracle. See it.

Prayer: Lord, open my eyes, that I might see all that this world is meant to be. Do not let the pressures of the day create a cloud that prevents me from seeing Your beauty. Amen.

316Judith

Wisdom from the Psalms February 19, 2023

Psalms 19:7

The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple.

The church conference was going along fairly well. Plans were being made, new officers were elected, and proposals were abounding. Business was getting done.

Elaine sat back and watched the proceedings with a sense of awe and disappointment. She knew she was new to church policy and planning, but she still felt that God should have a place in it all. No one seemed to be talking much about Him. What good was a church without God?

Finally, when could stand it not longer, she stood up to address the planning board. She expressed her concern, and a hush fell over the group. It seemed that the absence of God from the conference hadn't dawned on anyone else.

From that moment on, the conference took on a different feel, and all agreed it was one of the best ever.

We may not always have the most information or the best background, but we know that nothing of real value can occur apart from the Lord.

When God is present, souls are converted, the simple are made wise, and miracles begin to happen.

Remember the Lord in all that you do.

Prayer: As I plan my days and my weeks, Lord, be a central part of all I do. Be with me to decide what is best. Guide me by Your will and Your Spirit. Amen.

316Judith

Wisdom from the Psalms February 20, 2023

Psalms 19:9

The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring for ever: the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether.

Patty always laughed whenever anyone tried to tell her that what she did was sinful. She would mock her friends, telling them they sounded like old ladies.

Gwen couldn't understand how Patty could do the things she did and still call herself a Christian.

Gwen was surprised to see Patty standing at her door in tears.

Patty had begun to wake up to the fact that she really was living a wrong life-style. The more she thought about it, the worse she felt.

She hoped that Gwen could help her.

Gwen told her that she was already on the right track to finding help.

Realizing that what you do is wrong is the first step. Fearing what might happen because of what you do is the next step.

Fear can be a healthy thing for us when it forces us to clean up our lives and walk the straight path.

Once on the right path, we can leave fear behind, for nothing can harm us once we are in the Lord's camp.

God's judgments are righteous and true, and He will always help us make the changes that allow us to clean up our lives, if we will only ask Him to.

Prayer: I need to respect You more, Lord. I need to be reminded that Your way is the only way, so that I won't be so tempted to stray. Be with me to guide me. Amen.

316Judith

Wisdom from the Psalms February 22, 2023

Psalms 20:7

Some trust in chariots, and some is horses: but we will remember the name of the Lord our God.

Grayson was as old as the hills. He had farmed the same stretch of land for better than sixty years.

Every year, the farms around old Grayson's invested in fancy new equipment and machinery. Grayson farmed with the same equipment year after year; once new, now antique. His neighbors tried to encourage him to upgrade his tools, but Grayson just shook his head.

His justification for his stubbornness was simple: If the Lord wanted him to have a bountiful harvest, he would. It wasn't the machinery that made the farm. It wasn't the latest technology. It was the will of the Lord.

His neighbors secretly laughed at the simplistic reasoning of the old man, but time and again they ended up amazed at what he was able to do with his simple means. When harvest time came round, Grayson held his own with the best of them.

The simple faith of a single man or woman is a mighty thing. Trust in the Lord, and you will marvel at all that can be done.

Prayer: Make me faithful, Lord, I doubt so often, and I put my faith in other things. Those things will pass away, but I know that You will endure forever. Thanks be to Your love and grace. Amen.

316Judith

God's Plan for the Resurrection - Easter Devotional - February 23, 2023

John 16:16-20

"A little while, and you will no longer see Me."

Jesus repeated these words to His disciples several times.

But He could tell by the blank stares on their faces that they did not understand what He had said.

At one point, He even overheard them debating what He meant by "You will not see me" (John 16:19).

These men had been with the Lord for three years. They had laughed with Him, cried with Him, eaten with Him, and were willing to die with Him, or so they thought.

They had just entered the city of Jerusalem. And instead of being met by an angry legion of guards and protestors, they were met by palm-waving supporters shouting: "Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord."

Yet as soon as they had settled into the upper room, Jesus broached the subject of His forthcoming death.

Immediately, the mood of His followers went from one of celebration to shock and sorrow.

Often in difficult times, we cannot see beyond that moment. The resurrection was a few days away, but they could not fathom its wondrous coming.

God always provides the encouragement we need to stay the course, and Jesus did this for His disciples when He told them, "Your sorrow will
be turned to joy" (v. 20).

This also is God's message of hope and love for us today. Blessed be the name of the Lord!

Devotion by In Touch Ministries

316Judith

Good News! - Easter Devotional - February 24

Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received and in which you stand, by which also you are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you — unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures.
--1 Corinthians 15:1-4

Doesn't it seem that bad news is all around us? It's always the top story on the news or the main headline in the paper.

But as believers, we know the best news we could ever hear… and we celebrate it this month.

Easter is the day we celebrate the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ from the grave. This is the event that conquered sin… it conquered death… and it made it possible for you and me to have a personal relationship with God!

Perhaps, today, this is the first time you've ever heard or understood this Good News. 

If so, I want to tell you something: Jesus died on the cross for you. He wore a crown of thorns and was nailed to a tree because He loves you… and He wants to have a personal relationship with you today.

Will you accept this Good News today?

THIS EASTER SEASON, SHARE THE GOOD NEWS WITH SOMEONE WHO NEEDS TO HEAR IT!

Devotion by Jack Graham
PowerPoint Ministries

316Judith

God's Easter Promise for You - Easter Devotional - February 25

“By his power God raised the Lord from the dead, and he will raise us also” (1 Corinthians 6:14 NIV).

Millions and millions of Christians around the world celebrate Easter every year. But for far too many of us the story has become boring and rote.

We have the basic facts down. Jesus was arrested. He was crucified. And three days later, God raised him from the dead.

Yet we miss something very important. We miss what turns Easter from a one-dimensional holiday to a multi-dimensional, life-transforming way of life.

We miss that the story of the Resurrection isn’t just Jesus’ story — it’s our story as well.

You see, you are a part of the Resurrection.

Jesus’ death and Resurrection didn’t just prove there was life after death. The Resurrection proves you can have life after death, that there’s life beyond your grave.

Jesus says, if you trust in him, death becomes a transition, not an ending point.

One day your heart will stop. That will be the end of your body. But it will not be the end of you.

God made you to last forever. That’s why you often have a feeling there’s more to life than this.

Jesus made this amazing promise in John 11: 25-26: “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die” (NIV).

That’s quite a promise! Jesus proved he could do it by resurrecting himself. Otherwise, we would have no reason to believe it. If Jesus hadn’t died on the cross and been resurrected more than 2,000 years ago, you would have zero chance of getting to Heaven — no hope of the afterlife and no eternal life.

The Bible says, “By his power God raised the Lord from the dead, and he will raise us also” (1 Corinthians 6:14).

As Easter comes our way this year, that’s a truth to hang our lives upon. It’s great news that Jesus rose from the dead. But what turns that truth from black and white to living color is that one day — if you trust in him — he will raise you from the grave, too.

That’s the promise of Easter.

Talk It Over

* Why do you think the story of Jesus’ Resurrection grows stale for many believers?
* How does internalizing “the promise of Easter” transform how you live your life?
* How can you help others understand how they can have eternal life through Jesus’ Resurrection this Easter season?

Devotion by Rick Warren

316Judith

Easter Brings Hope - Easter Devotional - February 26, 2023

Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live." —John 11:25

Easter is not about brightly colored eggs, wearing pastels, or enjoying a big meal, although it could include these. Easter is about the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

For some, Easter will be a great day, spent surrounded by family and friends. But for others, it will be a sad day, because Easter is a reminder of a loved one who has died and is now desperately missed.

Death seems so cruel, so harsh, and so final. That is what the disciples were feeling when they saw their Lord, whom they had left everything to follow, hanging on the cross. They were devastated. Death had crushed them. But if they would have gone back in their memories, they would have recalled an important event and statement Jesus had made.

They would have remembered Jesus standing at the tomb of his close friend Lazarus. They would have remembered that Jesus did something completely unexpected: He wept (see John 11:35).

Jesus wept, because He knew that death was not part of God's original plan. Humanity was not meant to grow old, to suffer with disease, or to die.

But because of the sin of Adam and Eve, sin entered the human race, and death followed with it. And death spread to all of us.

Jesus wept, because it broke His heart.

But standing there at Lazarus' tomb, Jesus also delivered these hope-filled words: "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live" (John 11:25).

Death is not the end. And the resurrection of Jesus Christ proves it.

If you have put your faith in Christ, then Easter
means that you will live forever in the presence of
God.

Easter brings hope to the person who has been devastated by death.

Devotion by Greg Laurie

316Judith

Easter Is for Second Chances - Easter Devotional - February 28, 2023

But he said to them, “Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He is risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid Him. But go, tell His disciples—and Peter—that He is going before you into Galilee; there you will see Him, as He said to you.” —Mark 16:6–7

Do you need a second chance today?

On the first Easter morning, Peter needed one.

There in the Upper Room, he had insisted that he would never deny Christ.

But just as Jesus had predicted, Peter not only denied the Lord, but he denied Him three times.

The last glimpse Peter had of Jesus before His crucifixion was in the glow of the fire in the high priest’s courtyard, where he actually made eye contact with Jesus. And then he went out and wept bitterly.

What kind of look do you think Jesus gave Peter when their eyes met? Do you think it was one of those I-told-you-so looks? Do you think it was one of scorn, as if to say, “How could you betray Me?”

I don’t think it was either one. I think it was a look of love, a look of compassion that said, “I still love you, Peter.”

And I believe that is why Peter went out and wept bitterly. He had failed the Lord so miserably. He probably thought there was no hope for him.

But then a message went out from the empty tomb that Jesus had risen, followed by these instructions,

“Go, tell His disciples—and Peter. . . .” It was not, “Go tell the disciples, including Peter, James, and John. . . .”

It was just Peter, because Peter needed a special word of encouragement.

Do you need encouragement today? Maybe you have fallen short. You didn’t plan on it, but it happened. And like Peter, maybe you ended up with the wrong people in the wrong place at the wrong time, ultimately doing the wrong thing.

God gave Peter a second chance. And He will
give you one, too—because Easter is for the person who needs a second chance.

Devotion by Greg Laurie