Category: First Things First Devotional

Returning from the tomb, they reported all these things to the Eleven and to all the rest. Luke 24:6-7 HCSB

September 11, 2001 is a date that will ever live in the minds of those who watched with horror as terrorists purposefully crashed planes into the twin tower buildings in New York City. I can remember watching the television as the second plane crashed into the second building and moments later the first building that had been hit collapsed, killing thousands of people. Some people even jumped from the burning buildings in an attempt to escape. The attack on the twin towers was all that people discussed for days.

The ladies who had gone to the tomb of Jesus to properly prepare His body for burial were surprised to find the rock that covered the opening to the tomb moved and the tomb empty. At first they did not know what to believe. Did someone steal the body of Jesus? They did not think that Jesus had risen from the dead until the men in dazzling white reminded them that Jesus had predicted that He must be betrayed to sinful men and killed. He would then rise from the dead on the third day.

Challenge: The women immediately went to tell the disciples what they had seen and heard. As believers, we should be excited to go and report to others what God has done for us. With whom will you share the Good News today?

“He is not here, but He has been resurrected! Remember how He spoke to you when He was still in Galilee, saying, ‘The Son of Man must be betrayed into the hands of sinful men, be crucified, and rise on the third day’?” Luke 24:6-7 HCSB

There are many different religions in the world. Many encourage ethical and moral living. Some have concepts of eternal life. Most have a central figure that is worshipped. Only Christianity has a God who became a man, literally died for everyone in the world so they might have their sins forgiven, and was raised from the dead. No other religious leader has been raised from the dead. You can visit the tombs of other religious leaders, but only Christ’s tomb is empty. He has risen from the dead!

Resurrection is key to the Christian faith because Christ has demonstrated that, as believers, we have power over sin and will someday conquer death and receive eternal life. We know that Jesus has power over death and reigns in heaven today. The Resurrection provides the Church with purpose and meaning and helps us to have faith and trust in God with bright hope for the future.

Challenge: As believers we may have different interpretations of the Scriptures and have different beliefs regarding doctrines, but the one central belief of Christianity is that Jesus Christ died and rose from the dead on the third day. Because He lives we can face tomorrow. Listen the the song “Because He Lives” as sung by the Gaither Vocal Band on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bJL4TJcwDRA

They found the stone rolled away from the tomb. They went in but did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. Luke 24:1 HCSB

One of my favorite games as a child was to play Hide-and-Go-Seek. One person closed his eyes and counted to 100 while the others ran to find a hiding place. When the person who was“it” reached the number 100 he yelled, “Here I come, ready or not”. He then began to search for those who had hidden. If he could find a person and tag him, that person became “It”. Those who had hidden tried to return to home base without being found or tagged. I always enjoyed being one of those who got to go hide rather than being the person who was “It”.

When the women went to the tomb they were not playing a game. They went expecting to find Jesus in the tomb and to anoint His body with the spices they had prepared. Obviously, they would have had to have had some help from the soldiers who were guarding the tomb to roll the stone away. They probably did not know that the tomb had been sealed to insure no one could bother the tomb. Imagine the surprise when they found the stone rolled away and discovering that the body of Jesus was missing. He was gone. They must have wondered where the body had been taken and where they needed to look to find Him.

Challenge: Some people see the empty tomb and do not believe that Jesus could actually have risen and lives today. Others see the empty tomb and believe that Jesus is the promised Messiah who will bring perfect peace to the world. Are you looking for Jesus? He wants to come into your life and be the Lord of your life. Pray for wisdom and guidance as you seek Jesus and His ways. They found the stone rolled away from the tomb. They went in but did not find the body of the Lord Jesus.

One of my favorite games as a child was to play Hide-and-Go-Seek. One person closed his eyes and counted to 100 while the others ran to find a hiding place. When the person who was“it” reached the number 100 he yelled, “Here I come, ready or not”. He then began to search for those who had hidden. If he could find a person and tag him, that person became “It”. Those who had hidden tried to return to home base without being found or tagged. I always enjoyed being one of those who got to go hide rather than being the person who was “It”.

When the women went to the tomb they were not playing a game. They went expecting to find Jesus in the tomb and to anoint His body with the spices they had prepared. Obviously, they would have had to have had some help from the soldiers who were guarding the tomb to roll the stone away. They probably did not know that the tomb had been sealed to insure no one could bother the tomb. Imagine the surprise when they found the stone rolled away and discovering that the body of Jesus was missing. He was gone. They must have wondered where the body had been taken and where they needed to look to find Him.

Challenge: Some people see the empty tomb and do not believe that Jesus could actually have risen and lives today. Others see the empty tomb and believe that Jesus is the promised Messiah who will bring perfect peace to the world. Are you looking for Jesus? He wants to come into your life and be the Lord of your life. Pray for wisdom and guidance as you seek Jesus and His ways.

On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they came to the tomb, bringing the spices they had prepared. Luke 24:1 HCSB

On Easter Sunday our family gathers for Easter dinner. My wife usually stays up late the night before preparing some of the food as do others in our extended family. It is a group effort and each portion of the meal is prepared with love.

The women who had traveled with Jesus and the disciples loved Jesus and wanted to make sure He had a proper burial. It was customary to prepare a body with spices to help overshadow the odor associated with a decaying body. In the hurry to get Jesus’ body in the tomb before the Sabbath, the body had not been properly prepared for burial. Evidently, these women had gotten up early at sunrise to prepare the spices. They could not have worked at preparing the spices on the Sabbath. They did this because because they loved Jesus.

Challenge: How much do you love Jesus? What are you willing to do because of your love for Jesus? Are you willing to sacrifice and even face ridicule and death for Jesus?

I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim and the horse from Jerusalem. The bow of war will be removed, and He will proclaim peace to the nations. His dominion will extend from sea to sea, from the Euphrates River to the ends of the earth. Zechariah 8:10 HCSB

The tensions in the Middle East continue to escalate. There is hatred between factions and the killing of innocent people. One country threatens another. Terrorist groups train their members to attack America and other countries and embassies have even been attacked. Some embassies are being closed and Americans are told not to travel within their borders. Beyond the Middle East there seems to be trouble and restlessness among many people. Peace is something we desire but seems to be an impossible dream.

Someday that dream will come true. This verse in Zechariah is a prophecy of the return of Christ. The people to whom Zechariah spoke these words believed it was a prophecy of the coming Messiah. They believed that the Messiah would set up an earthly kingdom, but we know that this verse talks of the return of Jesus Christ, the Messiah. He will end all wars and there will be true peace. It will be a perfect world where there is no more pain, suffering, or death.

Challenge: We can seek peace in our world through political agreements, but the reality is that true peace only comes through Jesus Christ, both personally and in the world. As believers, we can look forward to the day of Christ’s return to earth. Praise Him for the peace He has brought to you personally and for what He will do in the future when He returns.

Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion! Shout in triumph, daughter Jerusalem! Look your king is coming to you; He is righteous and victorious, humble and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey. Zechariah 8:9 HCSB

Recently, Prince Charles of England visited Louisville, Kentucky. His visit seemed to attract the attention of many people who just wanted to see him. His visit was covered in the newspapers and on the local news stations. Obviously there was security for him just like the Secret Service provides security for the President of the United States. Prince Charles is next in line to become the King of England when his mother, Queen Elizabeth, passes away.

This verse in Zechariah is a prophecy that was fulfilled by Jesus when He rode into Jerusalem on a donkey (Matthew 21:5) on Palm Sunday, which is this coming Sunday. Jesus did not ride into Jerusalem as a conquering king but rather as a humble servant riding on a colt. A donkey is sometimes used as a symbol of peace.

Challenge: We can rejoice greatly and shout in triumph because we are children of the king. We have victory today over the sins of the world. Look forward to the day when Jesus will return to this earth as the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. Listen to the old song “The King is Coming” as sung by the Bill Gaither trio on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IbWmygE2cho

The Lord of Hosts says this:”Old men and women will again sit along the streets of Jerusalem, each with a staff in hand because of advanced age. The streets of the city will be filled with boys and girls playing in them.” Zechariah 8:4-5 HCSB

I just watched a documentary news report on the what takes place in our country during Spring Break. Many college students descend on the beaches in Florida to celebrate their mid-semester break from classes. For years Spring Break has been known as a big party with excessive drinking and even some drugs. It seems from the news report that the partying has been taken to a whole new level. There is binge drinking that starts early in the morning and goes all night long. Nudity has been reported as well as couples engaging in intimate behavior on the beach. Hard drugs are being sold and girls are being taken advantage of. Some cities have passed new laws to try to curb the partying and drunkenness, but it seems to only be getting worse each year.

These verses in Zechariah describe a much different scene when the people of Israel will return to Jerusalem from the four corners of the earth. There will be peace and serenity. Older people will sit along the streets similar to people today sitting on the front porch, rocking in the rockers or swinging on the porch swing, enjoying some good conversation and the beauty of God’s world. Additionally, boys and girls will be playing in the streets just like when I was a boy and enjoyed playing games with the neighbors in my backyard.

Challenge: How we all long for a place that is peaceful and calm, a place where we feel safe and secure. I wonder what this world is coming to. It seems to be on track straight to Satan. I don’t even want to imagine what Spring Break will be like when my grandchildren get to be college-aged. Pray that our country will change and return to the morals and values that we find in God’s Word.

The Lord says this: “I will return to Zion and live in Jerusalem. Then Jerusalem will be called the Faithful City, the mountain of the Lord of Hosts, and the Holy Mountain.” Zechariah 8:3 HCSB

God promised to bring His people back to Jerusalem and that He would return to Zion and live in Jerusalem. God desires to live among His children and have a personal relationship with them. Because God Himself is faithful, Jerusalem would be called the Faithful City. In fact, the mountain that Jerusalem sits on would become the Holy Mountain because God is pure and holy.

God is ever faithful and we can always count on Him to do what He has promised. Jesus promised that He would someday return to earth. We can be sure that Jesus will return to Jerusalem to reign. He will establish His earthly kingdom. As believers, we will have the privilege to live where Jesus resides where there will be no more pain, suffering, or death.

Challenge: We should look forward to the time when Jesus returns to earth and we can spend time with God. Thank Him for wanting to have a relationship with you. Praise Him for being faithful to return to Jerusalem and to someday return to earth to establish His kingdom.

The word of the Lord of Hosts came: “The Lord of Hosts says this, I am extremely jealous for Zion. I am jealous for her with great wrath.” Zechariah 8:1 HCSB

Wikipedia reports that the grizzly bear is any North American subspecies of brown bear. Except for females with cubs, grizzlies are normally solitary, active animals, but in coastal areas, grizzlies gather around streams, lakes, rivers, and ponds during the salmon spawn. Every other year females produce one to four young (usually two) which are small and weigh only about one pound at birth. A mother grizzly bear is protective of her offspring and will attack if she thinks she or her cubs are threatened.

This verse reminds us that God is an extremely jealous God. His jealously leads to His promise to reestablish a relationship with His people. God’s jealously is a product of His unconditional and unearned love for His people. God is jealous with great wrath, similar to how fierce a mother grizzly bear will protect her young. He wants only what is best for His children and wants to protect them from anything that would harm them.

Challenge: God still loves His people today and desires a relationship with them. He loves you and wants to protect you from the evils of this world. He has great wrath for anything that would harm you and keep you from having a relationship with Him. Thank God for His great love and protection.

But there will be a deliverance on Mount Zion, and it will be holy; the house of Jacob will dispossess those who dispossessed them. Obadiah 1:17 HCSB

It’s known as the most epic and complex mission of World War II. In January, 1945, 121 volunteer U.S. Army Rangers set out to rescue more than 500 allied prisoners of war who had already survived the Bataan Death March, a brutal multi-day forced walk through the searing heat of the Philippine jungles. Thousands of men died. Those who didn’t were imprisoned in the notoriously brutal camp, Cabanatuan. To free their fellow soldiers, the Rangers snuck behind enemy lines and launched a surprise attack on the Japanese. The assault lasted 30 minutes and freed hundreds of soldiers, with minimal American casualties. This was chronicled as the greatest rescue mission of World War II.

God promised the deliverance or rescue of the house of Jacob. God’s promise provided hope. We can take comfort and hope in knowing that God always fulfills His promises. He has promised that He will save His children, those who believe in Jesus Christ, and bring them into His eternal kingdom. That will be the greatest rescue or deliverance of all time.

Challenge: God offers you deliverance from hell. John 3:16 promises that whoever believes in God’s Son, Jesus Christ, will not perish in hell but will be given eternal life in heaven. Do you need to be rescued?