The Promise Keeper’s Love Doubted (6/11/26)

With the completion of Revelation last week, I was praying about what book to go through for the next devotional series. Why not explore the last book in the Old Testament since we covered the last book in the New Testament? The book of Malachi shows how God was and will continue to be faithful to His covenant promises, even when His children are and continue to be unfaithful.

God starts out his message with a declaration of love. However, the Israelites question God’s love, despite seeing God’s faithful, patient, and gracious love for them throughout the Bible.

Malachi 1:1-5 A prophecy: The word of the Lord to Israel through Malachi.

² “I have loved you,” says the Lord.

“But you ask, ‘How have you loved us?’

“Was not Esau Jacob’s brother?” declares the Lord. “Yet I have loved Jacob, ³ but Esau I have hated, and I have turned his hill country into a wasteland and left his inheritance to the desert jackals.”

⁴ Edom may say, “Though we have been crushed, we will rebuild the ruins.”

But this is what the Lord Almighty says: “They may build, but I will demolish. They will be called the Wicked Land, a people always under the wrath of the Lord. ⁵ You will see it with your own eyes and say, ‘Great is the Lord—even beyond the borders of Israel!’

Malachi used the question-and-answer format, which was different from other prophets. He first declares God’s love for Israel, but they doubted His love. God pointed out that He chose to love Jacob (Israel) and bring about His salvation plan through Jacob’s descendants. God wouldn’t fall out of love for Israel and He won’t fall out of love for the rest of His followers either.

God would fulfill His promises to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. He would send Jesus to live a perfect life, die for sinners and rise again, granting eternal life to all who believe. They were to be amazed at God’s faithfulness then, and we are today too. We can declare “Great is the Lord” as we witness God’s amazing work in and through those around us and ourselves.

God and His love are always great, but we don’t always recognize it or feel it. Like the Israelites, have you ever questioned God’s love for you? Will you journal or write down ways you know God loves you? On a day when you might doubt God’s love, you can go back to your list and be encouraged. Our promise-keeping God never stops loving His children!

Thursday Devotional – Jesus is Worthy to Come as Promised (6/4/26)

Today is the last day of school for my kids, and they are excited for summer break! Similarly, we reach the final verses in the book of Revelation, and we’re encouraged to be ready and anticipate Jesus’s return. While my kids might be eager for summer break, we can be far more excited for Jesus’s return, as it promises a utopia that will be a perfect reality. In Heaven, we’ll be with our perfect Creator and Savior, and all His followers will be made perfect through His grace.  

Revelation 22:20-21 ²⁰ He who testifies to these things says, “Yes, I am coming soon.”

Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.

²¹ The grace of the Lord Jesus be with God’s people. Amen.

John emphasized grace as he concluded the book of Revelation, and he also began Revelation with a focus on grace.

Revelation 1:4 ⁴ John,

To the seven churches in the province of Asia:

Grace and peace to you from him who is, and who was, and who is to come, and from the seven spirits before his throne.

Jesus’ offer of eternal life is the greatest gift of grace. He also extended grace to us by giving John the prophecies in the book of Revelation. Although He didn’t have to reveal anything, He chose to share some details about the end times so we can be prepared. He assured us of His return and the certainty of the marvelous new Heaven and new earth awaiting us, making it clear that perseverance through suffering and persecution will be worth it.

Maybe some of you hadn’t read Revelation before or it had been intimidating. My prayer is that over our 70 weeks studying this final book of the Bible you saw value. Some of the symbolism is difficult to understand and may not be clear until Jesus returns, but we can focus on what is clear: His truths and His promises. What was your biggest takeaway from our journey through Revelation?

For me, the biggest takeaway is that Jesus is worthy. He is worthy of extending grace to all who will receive it. He is worthy to come and take us to the place He’s been preparing for us. He is worthy of all our worship for all eternity! Come Lord Jesus!

Thursday Devotional – Jesus is Worthy to Offer Words of Warning (5/28/26)

The kids are excited that school is almost over. They have one more week before summer break. To prevent them from forgetting what they’ve learned throughout the year, we have them do math, reading and writing over the summer.

Similarly, we have one more week left in Revelation. I don’t want us to forget what we’ve learned. John didn’t either. 

Revelation 22:18-19 ¹⁸ I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this scroll: If anyone adds anything to them, God will add to that person the plagues described in this scroll. ¹⁹ And if anyone takes words away from this scroll of prophecy, God will take away from that person any share in the tree of life and in the Holy City, which are described in this scroll.

We are to read and heed God’s Word carefully, as these warnings are strong. John also started Revelation with a similar strong encouragement. Revelation 1:3 ³ Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near.

What is one thing from our journey through Revelation that you plan to heed?

I’m reminded of the importance of reading the Bible out loud. We try to do that with the kids each night. Now that our formal Bible study is on break for the summer, the kids pick which books of the Bible we read through as a family. We all take turns reading aloud and then discussing what we learned and found interesting. We also each pick out an attribute of God that we saw displayed or implied from the passage. Then, as we pray together, we praise God for those attributes in addition to the rest of our prayers.

How will you take Jesus’s warnings (through John) to heart for your time in God’s Word? 

Thursday Devotional – Jesus is Worthy to Offer His Gift (5/21/26)

We have nearly completed the book of Revelation! Do you remember how John began the book, declaring its recipients and sender? John noted that it was from God, to Jesus, to the angel, to John, to the churches, and ultimately to us and others. Jesus is described as “…the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood.” (Revelation 1:5) Now, as John concludes the book, he quotes Jesus, reaffirming that Jesus existed before David and will reign eternally after David, victorious over sin.

Revelation 22:16-17 ¹⁶ “I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you this testimony for the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, and the bright Morning Star.”

¹⁷ The Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let the one who hears say, “Come!” Let the one who is thirsty come; and let the one who wishes take the free gift of the water of life.

In his conclusion, John extends an invitation to us. We are invited to come, hear Jesus’s words, drink in His promises, and receive His gracious gift of eternal life.

Are you thirsty for Jesus? If so, how do you daily come to Him for satisfaction?

As the bride of Christ, where are we proclaiming “Come!” to those around us, so they too can hear the invitation to receive His eternal gift? Unlike my kids, who don’t offer their birthday gifts to others, we can share our free gift with others without diminishing our own blessing.  

May we respond to Jesus' invitation and share His gift of eternal life with others, that they too may experience the joy and satisfaction of knowing Him.

Thursday Devotional – Jesus is Worthy to Reward the Righteous (5/14/26)

To encourage my children to run with me, I set up a reward system. For every 20 miles they run, I treat them to a junior frosty. For every 100 miles they run, we enjoy dinner at a restaurant of their choice. They are my children whether they run or not, but our shared times together are extra special.

Jesus promises even greater rewards for His children. In this final chapter of Revelation, I believe He’s offering the ultimate reward: Himself and eternal life.

Revelation 22:12-13  ¹² “Look, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to each person according to what they have done. ¹³ I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.

The reward of believing in Jesus, the great I AM, is Jesus Himself.

John 6:28-29 ²⁸ Then they asked him, “What must we do to do the works God requires?”

²⁹ Jesus answered, “The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.”

The reward of Jesus Himself comes with the blessing of eternal life.

Revelation 22:14-15 ¹⁴ “Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city. ¹⁵ Outside are the dogs, those who practice magic arts, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.

It’s important to understand that “washing their robes” doesn’t imply earning a place in heaven. Rather, it means obeying God’s command to submit to His plan of salvation through faith in Jesus. As we read earlier in Revelation, those with clean white robes “washed” them in Jesus’s blood (Revelation 7:14 “they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.”) This points out our inability to cleanse ourselves from the stain of sin. Only Jesus’s death and shed blood can forgive, cleanse, and make us righteous. Then, we can humbly stand before God’s throne in Jesus’s righteousness.

What would it look like for us to live in light of Jesus's promise? How might our lives change if we truly believed He's the ultimate reward?

Jesus is Worthy on this US National Day of Prayer (5/7/26)

Did you know it is the 75th US National Day of Prayer today? 

This year’s theme: GLORIFY GOD AMONG THE NATIONS - SEEKING HIM IN ALL GENERATIONS

I Chronicles 16:24        Tell of His glory among the nations, His wonderful deeds among all the peoples.

Kathy Branzell, President of the National Day of Prayer Task Force, gives background on the prayerfully selected verse and theme for this year: “In 2026, our theme is inspired by a passionate prayer of Thanksgiving, prayed by King David in 1 Chronicles 16 after bringing the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem. This chapter records Israel celebrating the return of the Ark after being separated for 70 years earlier. While God was always watching over Israel and just a prayer away from them and King David, the Ark of the Covenant represented the presence of God having been constructed at the command of God and carried by the Levites with Moses as they wandered and waited to enter the Promised Land and eventually stolen from the tabernacle in Shiloh at their defeat in the battle in Ebenezer. I’ll pause here in its history for now. Thankfully, we have an entire year to unpack 365 days or more of all the prayers and prompts we can glean from this theme.”

My kids’ school is again hosting an event tonight at 7pm. Feel free to come and join us if you live in the area.

National Day of Prayer - Saline gathering

5/7/26 7:00 PM - 8:30 PM

Washtenaw Christian Academy

Saline, MI

Or, you can find an event near you at the National Day of Prayer website: https://www.nationaldayofprayer.org/events/gathering-search

Or, join the live broadcast at 8 pm ET here: https://www.nationaldayofprayer.org/2026-broadcast

The specific 7 spheres of influence to be covered in prayer are Families, Church, Education, Media (including Arts/Entertainment), Business (and Workplace), Military and Government. Whether you are in the US or not, we can all pray over these 7 areas.

As a family, we try to cover one of these areas each day of the week. Sunday is Church, Monday is Families, Tuesday is Education, Wednesday is Business (and community), Thursday is Media, Friday is Military and Saturday is Government. Which area is God leading you to add to your prayer list? What area will you pray over right now?

 

Thursday Devotional – Jesus is Worthy to Reveal Truth (4/30/26)

Recently, we were talking with the kids about how God doesn’t have to reveal anything to us, but He graciously chooses to reveal certain plans and purposes with us. As the all-knowing God, He has revealed Himself to us through His Word, His creation, and His involvement in history. With numerous promises already fulfilled, we can trust that the remaining promises, such as those in the book of Revelation, will also come true.

Revelation 22:6-11 ⁶ The angel said to me, “These words are trustworthy and true. The Lord, the God who inspires the prophets, sent his angel to show his servants the things that must soon take place.”

⁷ “Look, I am coming soon! Blessed is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy written in this scroll.”

⁸ I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things. And when I had heard and seen them, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who had been showing them to me. ⁹ But he said to me, “Don’t do that! I am a fellow servant with you and with your fellow prophets and with all who keep the words of this scroll. Worship God!”

¹⁰ Then he told me, “Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this scroll, because the time is near. ¹¹ Let the one who does wrong continue to do wrong; let the vile person continue to be vile; let the one who does right continue to do right; and let the holy person continue to be holy.”

In this passage, John was instructed not to seal up the prophecy, but to share it with the seven churches, as mentioned in Revelation chapters 1-3. The time was near for the specific warnings and promises given to these churches. The churches were called to demonstrate faithful love, purity, and allegiance. They were to also have fearless faith, service, and perseverance. We’re also commanded to heed the instructions and message in this book (vs 7). If we do, we’re promised blessings – eternal security, satisfaction, peace, joy, a heavenly inheritance, and a face-to-face relationship one day with our Creator and Savior! We can worship Jesus because He has revealed trustworthy truth.

How will you respond to these true words of Jesus and eagerly anticipate His second coming? Will you faithfully love Him, fervently serve Him and fearlessly persevere through difficulties? He and His blessings are worth it!

Thursday Devotional – Jesus is Worthy to Extend Eternal Healing (4/23/26)

On Monday we headed to Detroit for the kids’ Hobbit show costume fittings, followed by their regular Detroit Opera Youth Chorus rehearsal. With a couple of hours to spare between the fittings and rehearsal, we explored Belle Isle, situated in the middle of the Detroit River. The youngest two kids were excited to visit for the first time. They thought it was cool to essentially be standing between two countries – the US and Canada – while also enjoying the beauty of Spring and the dazzling sunshine reflecting off the river water.

As unique and exciting as this was, it’s nothing compared to standing in the middle of the river in Heaven, which will be far more spectacular and glorious.

Revelation 22:1-5    Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb ² down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. ³ No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him. ⁴ They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. ⁵ There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign for ever and ever.

We’ve finally reached the final chapter in Revelation! In this new Jerusalem, those who follow Jesus will experience no more pain or suffering. Instead, they will be met with healing, blessings, and fulfilling work serving our perfect Creator. We’ll get to see Him face-to-face daily! What hope and encouragement do these promises bring to you today?

Thursday Devotional – Jesus is Worthy to Be Our Lamp (4/16/26)

Yesterday, a severe storm hit Michigan, leaving many without power, and the rest of us concerned about losing ours. We have a generator that usually comes on when we lose power, as our sump pump must keep running so that our basement doesn’t flood. However, it doesn’t power every light in the house and is a less-than-ideal substitute. In the new Jerusalem, we won’t need to worry about power or light or floods! Jesus will be a far better substitute.

Revelation 21:22-27 ²² I did not see a temple in the city, because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. ²³ The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp. ²⁴ The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their splendor into it. ²⁵ On no day will its gates ever be shut, for there will be no night there. ²⁶ The glory and honor of the nations will be brought into it. ²⁷ Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life.

The beauty of the magnificent new Jerusalem, as described last week, will be accentuated by the glory of God the Father and Jesus the Son. Imagine the streets, walls, and foundations bathed in bright sunlight. It will be even more grand by the pure and perfect light of God’s glory, making the sun and moon unnecessary.

This glorious place is our guaranteed inheritance for those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life. Do you know if your name is written in the book? You can be certain.

Ephesians 1:13-14 And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, ¹⁴ who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory.

Those who have believed in God’s salvation through Jesus, our perfect sacrifice, are included with Christ as children of God and heirs of His glorious kingdom. Let’s praise Jesus as our worthy source of salvation, eternal life, and eternal light!

Thursday Devotional – Jesus is Worthy to Make Everything Beautiful (4/9/26)

After all the Spring rain this past week, our neighborhood’s grass transformed into a lush green. As Edmund, Alexis and I ran last night, I couldn’t help but comment on the sudden change and the beautiful scenery. The bright blue sky, with traces of white clouds, met the waves of green grass sprinkled with blooming yellow daffodils.

We marveled at God’s beauty, achieved with just a few colors. I can’t fathom the beauty as He decorates the new Jerusalem using more than all the colors imaginable in different textures of stones and jewels. It won’t be a small area, either. Its length, width, and height of 12,000 stadia, equivalent to 1,400 miles (or 2250 kilometers) is roughly the distance between Detroit, MI and Miami, FL.

Revelation 21:15-21 ¹⁵ The angel who talked with me had a measuring rod of gold to measure the city, its gates and its walls. ¹⁶ The city was laid out like a square, as long as it was wide. He measured the city with the rod and found it to be 12,000 stadia in length, and as wide and high as it is long. ¹⁷ The angel measured the wall using human measurement, and it was 144 cubits thick. ¹⁸ The wall was made of jasper, and the city of pure gold, as pure as glass. ¹⁹ The foundations of the city walls were decorated with every kind of precious stone. The first foundation was jasper, the second sapphire, the third agate, the fourth emerald, ²⁰ the fifth onyx, the sixth ruby, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth turquoise, the eleventh jacinth, and the twelfth amethyst. ²¹ The twelve gates were twelve pearls, each gate made of a single pearl. The great street of the city was of gold, as pure as transparent glass.

The variety of stones mentioned is stunning. In our world today, jasper can display a wide range of earthy tones, while sapphire, agate, onyx, beryl, and topaz come in almost every color. Agate is a type of quartz, and onyx is known for its high polish. Jasper, sapphire, beryl and topaz can be translucent. Emerald typically appears in shades of green, ruby in shades of red, chrysolite in shades of yellow, turquoise in shades of blue, jacinth in shades of orange, and amethyst in shades of purple. Plus, there will be pure gold streets, huge pearl gates and walls over 200 feet thick!

As we celebrated Jesus’ resurrection on Easter, His triumph over death gives us confidence in eternal life in this beautiful new Jerusalem. He is worthy of making everything beautiful. As we marvel at beautiful new life in nature this Spring, let’s give God the glory and express gratitude for an even more beautiful life to come!

Alice