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?

Thursday Devotional - Righteous Reflections

Happy New Year!

My parents, my family and my sisters and their families were all together for the new year (see attached picture). We were reflecting on this past difficult year, while remembering God was with us through each difficulty. He didn’t remove or prevent several of the difficulties, but He was with us through them (and continues to be with us). He heard each of our prayers and provided direction.

We each went around and shared our biggest challenge or difficulty from the past year and our greatest joy. Later, we also talked about plans and goals for the coming year. We were encouraged knowing God has given us clear direction in numerous big and small decisions in the past. Then, as I re-read and meditated on Psalm 34 yesterday, I was further encouraged!

Psalm 34:15-18 The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous,

    and his ears are attentive to their cry;
¹⁶ but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil,
    to blot out their name from the earth.

¹⁷ The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them;
    he delivers them from all their troubles.
¹⁸ The Lord is close to the brokenhearted
    and saves those who are crushed in spirit.

The Lord is always available, always hears, always sees, always desires to give direction and is always ready to comfort us. We can cry out to Him with our fears, frustrations, and for our future. Let’s continue to reflect on His faithful provisions in the past. Then, we can confidently seek Him first and foremost this new year for His plans for each one of us! 

Alice

Thursday Devotional - Faith and Forgiveness

The other day I got angry with James for throwing snow in Sarah’s face soon after I asked him not to do that. In my anger, I went back to vigorously shoveling. A few minutes later James came up to me and asked “Mom, do you know about forgiveness?” “Yes,” I said, “do you know about forgiveness? You could ask Sarah to forgive you.” I overheard him walk back to Sarah and ask for her forgiveness. Later that night he also asked for my forgiveness and said he had prayed and asked God to forgive him. I had to ask God and James for forgiveness, too… 

As we talked last week, we show our love for God by obeying Him and His laws. Just like children don’t always follow their parents’ rules, we don’t always obey our Heavenly Father. What do we do with our sin? What will God do with our sin?

God is holy, so He must punish sin. He can either punish us for our own sin or we can accept His punishment of Jesus.

Romans 3:25-26                   God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood – to be received by faith. He did this to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished – he did it to demonstrate his righteousness at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.

Do you still stand guilty in your own sin or has God justified you? Have you accepted His punishment of your sin on Jesus? If so, then you have been forgiven and justified!

Alice

The Crossroad

When the Temple guards returned without having arrested Jesus, the leading priests and Pharisees demanded, “Why didn’t you bring him in?”

“We have never heard anyone speak like this!” the guards responded.

“Have you been led astray, too?” the Pharisees mocked. “Is there a single one of us rulers or Pharisees who believes in him?  This foolish crowd follows him, but they are ignorant of the law. God’s curse is on them!”

Then Nicodemus, the leader who had met with Jesus earlier, spoke up. “Is it legal to convict a man before he is given a hearing?” he asked.

They replied, “Are you from Galilee, too? Search the Scriptures and see for yourself—no prophet ever comes^[i] from Galilee!”  John 7:45-52

At various points in one’s life, people will find themselves at a crossroad.  You will look and see there are many different ways you can turn.  None of them look different, but you know the destination itself is different.  Usually, those who can see past the short term of that choice and looks deeper beyond the initial turning point will usually make the right decision.  I spoke previously about struggles in my married life.  My wife and I both have faced crossroads.  Sometimes separately, but many times together.  We always have looked beyond the initial turning point, and when we were not sure, we paused until we felt certain.  I won’t say that we were right all of the time, but most of the time, we were.  It has been our faith more than anything that has guided us, and to be honest, a Christ led decision has never been wrong.  Never.

We all hit crossroads in our journey of faith, but we should have surety that choosing Christ is always the right decision.  I was in a study on John focusing on whether Jesus was who He says He was.  In today’s verses my focus is primarily on the man called Nicodemus.  When Nicodemus first met Jesus, he was not buying into what Jesus was saying.  However, he was asking a number of questions trying to get understanding (ex. “What do you mean?” exclaimed Nicodemus. “How can an old man go back into his mother’s womb and be born again?” John 3:4).  While reading this, I reflected on a poster in my office called ‘The Mood Elevator,’ and the best place to be on this elevator is the place called ‘curious.’  This is where you are neither assuming nor judging.  You are gathering information.  Nicodemus’s questions would be very telling because they set the stage for where you could tell he was officially at ‘the crossroad’ in Chapter 7.  Does he side with his fellow Pharisees or does he make the move toward Jesus.  He says, “Is it legal to convict a man before he is given a hearing?”  Now that may initially sound like he really has not made a choice, but note that the rest of his brethren had already thought Jesus should be arrested and found guilty.  Thus, it is clear that his heart was already converting from non-believer to believer, and this would later be underlined as he would go with Joseph for the burial of Jesus (see John 19:38-42).  Although we find ourselves questioning which way we should turn, we can always ask questions and be curious to gather information as to what God is trying to tell us.  It is then we can make the best decision for it is based on instructions God has given us.

Following Christ is always righteous.  It can be difficult at times to see what God has in store for us, but if we are faithful and pray, we will always be able to see beyond the initial choice to where God ultimately resides.  Don’t be passive or decide prematurely.  Be curious because if you are like Nicodemus, you will come to the right choice.  What choices are weighing on you today?  How can you be curious when you are unsure which way God wants to take you?  My prayer is that we trust in God’s wisdom to get a clear vision of the righteous path when we make it to the crossroad.  Amen.

That's The Job

Then Jesus went out to the lakeshore again and taught the crowds that were coming to him. As he walked along, he saw Levi son of Alphaeus sitting at his tax collector’s booth. “Follow me and be my disciple,” Jesus said to him. So Levi got up and followed him.

Later, Levi invited Jesus and his disciples to his home as dinner guests, along with many tax collectors and other disreputable sinners. (There were many people of this kind among Jesus’ followers.) But when the teachers of religious law who were Pharisees saw him eating with tax collectors and other sinners, they asked his disciples, “Why does he eat with such scum?”

When Jesus heard this, he told them, “Healthy people don’t need a doctor—sick people do. I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners.”  Mark 2:13-17

I was somewhat a nerd when I was in high school.  A lot of it was because I tended to be a bit more open and excitable about things that made me come across as socially awkward.  I was too hyper to be cool and too sensitive to others.  I went to multiple schools, but the only one that I fit in was a small school in Boston.  Why?  Because it did not matter what color I wore and how I acted like.  They just embraced me because I was . . . Just Kent.  Many of us know groups we did not get along with.  Maybe they wore tattoos or had earrings in places you’d never consider.  Some talked a different way or said things you did not agree with.  Or dare I say they were overly religious and thought they were better than others.  We would not do that, would we?  Christians are often accused of being holier than others even when we are not, but do we have an obligation to help them see the truth?  My response is much like that to my boss whenever I have to have a tough conversation with one of my staff or take on a task that I really do not like.  “That’s the job,” I say to myself.

Helping others understand the message of Jesus Christ is as important as just knowing Him.  The calling of Levi (later called Matthew) discussed in Mark 2 exemplifies what our approach to others should be.  Levi, the tax collector (in high school terminology, that's the kid who doesn't really fit in anywhere), is called by Jesus, and Levi invites Him to dinner.  The Pharisees (a.k.a. the 'In' crowd) talk about Jesus (the cool kid) questioning why on earth would He talk to Levi and other sinners.  Pretty snooty, right?  Jesus' righteous response was to point out that He was there not only to call "those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners."  In one sentence, Jesus put everyone on the same level playing field.   The climate that we live in today is one of divisiveness with strong opposing views.  Do we look at this as the chance to challenge others beliefs?  Perhaps.  However if we want to reach one we do not understand, we have to get to know them, and to know them means to embrace them where they are as they are.  This is what Jesus taught in today's verses, and is a blueprint for us to reach those who initially do not seem within reach or equally as important unlike us.

We all fit under God’s plan.  This means we need to understand everyone is God's child, and if your circle of people talk, think, and look just like you, you are not serving God's will.  He wants us comfortable being uncomfortable.  Let us embrace that by seeking understanding of those who do not believe as we do instead of judging because they do not fit our 'narrative.'  How can you reengage with someone you dismissed because they are different from you?  Who can you reach out to outside of your comfort zone?  My prayer is that we challenge ourselves to embrace others where they are as Jesus embraced us where we were.  Why?  Because, “That's the job!"  Amen.

Thursday Devotional - Who is Worthy?

Last week we saw how God is worthy of all praise and honor. Is there anyone else that is worthy? Will we ever be worthy?

None of us are holy or righteous. The only way we can be seen as holy and righteous in God’s eyes is to believe in Jesus’ work on our behalf (His death, resurrection and exaltation). Philippians 3:9…not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith.

So, will we one day be worthy, as well? I don’t think so. Worthy means morally upright and fully deserving. We are holy and righteous because God has consecrated and justified us by His grace and mercy through the blood of Jesus. However, we will never be fully deserving.

The next passage in Revelation points out that there is no one on earth or in Heaven that is worthy. 

Revelation 5:1-7       Then I saw in the right hand of him who sat on the throne a scroll with writing on both sides and sealed with seven seals. ² And I saw a mighty angel proclaiming in a loud voice, “Who is worthy to break the seals and open the scroll?” ³ But no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth could open the scroll or even look inside it. ⁴ I wept and wept because no one was found who was worthy to open the scroll or look inside. ⁵ Then one of the elders said to me, “Do not weep! See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed. He is able to open the scroll and its seven seals.”

⁶ Then I saw a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain, standing at the center of the throne, encircled by the four living creatures and the elders. The Lamb had seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth.⁷ He went and took the scroll from the right hand of him who sat on the throne.

Only triumphant Jesus, the Lamb slain for us, is worthy before God!

Let’s celebrate today and tomorrow the real reason for the season – Jesus was sent as a baby to be slain on a cross for you and me! He deserves and is worthy of our focus and praise!!!

Merry Christmas!
Alice