From: April 30, 2026
“And Jephthah made a vow to the Lord and said, ‘If you will give the Ammonites into my hand, then whatever comes out from the doors of my house to meet me when I return in peace from the Ammonites shall be the Lord’s, and I will offer it up for a burnt offering.’” (Judges 11:30–31 ESV).
The Book of Judges recorded Israel’s repeated cycle of sin and spiritual decline. Written to remind God’s people of their need for faithful leadership, it described how Jephthah made a vow before going into battle against the Ammonites. Although the Spirit of the Lord had already come upon him, Jephthah attempted to secure victory by bargaining with God. His vow reflected pagan-influenced thinking, treating God like the false gods of the nations who required manipulation and sacrifice. But God’s Law had clearly forbidden human sacrifice (cf. Lev. 18:21, Deut. 12:31). Some interpreters suggest the Hebrew could read “or” instead of “and,” meaning the offering might have been dedication rather than sacrifice. Yet either outcome reveals tragic misguided zeal. Jephthah’s vow showed a deficient understanding of God’s character and Word. It stands as one more example of the moral spiral described later that “everyone did what was right in his own eyes” (Judges 21:25).
We see in Jephthah a warning against making worldly vows that try to bargain with God instead of trusting Him. We are not immune to this mindset. We may promise God that we will serve Him more, give more, or change our behavior if He answers a prayer. Yet God does not call us to negotiate with Him but to trust and obey Him. Jesus corrected this kind of thinking in the Sermon on the Mount when He taught us to let our “yes” be yes and our “no” be no. Our faith should be marked by simple, honest obedience rather than dramatic promises. When we rely on our own words instead of God’s Word, we drift toward the same confusion seen in Judges.
PRAYER: Dear Father, we confess that we are often tempted to bargain with You instead of simply trusting You. Forgive us for relying on our own strength and understanding rather than Your Spirit and Your Word. Teach us to walk in simple obedience, letting our yes be yes and our no be no. In Jesus’ name, amen.
From: April 30, 2025
“He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him.” (John 1:10 ESV).
John presents a profound irony in this verse. Jesus—the eternal Word, the divine Creator—entered the world He made, yet the world failed to recognize Him. The One who fashioned galaxies walked among His own creation in human form, but humanity did not see Him for who He truly was. This reveals a tragic spiritual blindness. It wasn’t that Jesus lacked clarity or presence; it was that the world, darkened by sin, lacked the spiritual sight to see Him. Despite creation bearing His fingerprints, and His own incarnation revealing God in flesh, people missed Him. This sets the tone for the rest of the Gospel: Jesus is the light shining in the darkness, and the darkness does not overcome it, nor comprehend it.
As believers, we must never forget how easy it is for people to miss Jesus. The world still fails to recognize Him, not because He is hidden, but because hearts are darkened and distracted. This should stir our hearts toward both humility and mission. We too were once blind until God opened our eyes to His grace. Now, we carry a calling: to make Jesus known. Let us live in such a way that His light shines through us. Let us speak of Him with clarity, love, and courage. There are still so many in this world, which He made, who do not know Him. We are sent to them, not to condemn but to introduce them to their Creator and Redeemer. Let us go to the nations, across the street or across the sea, proclaiming Christ who came into the world.
PRAYER: Dear Father, we are humbled by the truth that You sent Your Son into the world You made, and yet the world did not know Him. Forgive us for the times we have ignored Your presence or taken Your grace for granted. Thank You for opening our eyes to see and know Jesus. We pray now for those who still walk in darkness. Use us to make Him known. Let our words and our lives bear witness to the truth that He is the Word made flesh. Strengthen us to go where You send us, so that all people might see and know their God and Savior. In Jesus’ name we pray, amen.
From: April 30, 2024
‘And this is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?”’ (John 1:19 ESV).
Although he was the son of the Levite priest, Zechariah, in the line of Abijah, one of the twenty-four orders of priests in the line of Eleazar, son of Aaron, John did not serve in the Temple. Instead, led by the Spirit, he preached in the wilderness on the East side of the Jordan. He did not wear the rich flowing robes of the Temple leaders, but was clothed in a cloak of camel’s hair. He lived on a diet of locusts and wild honey. He did not answer to the Jewish leaders, but to the Lord, for his authority came from the Lord. It was this that the Jewish leaders came to question. For their real question was, “Who gives you the right to baptize?” In other words they were saying, “We are the religious authority and we don’t remember ordaining you.”
John knew that they did not recognize him, nor did they recognize that the Messiah was already standing in the midst of the crowd (John 1:26). John refused to be cast in one of their expected eschatologies. His only answer to their question concerning his identity was to quote the prophet Isaiah, “I am a voice crying in the wilderness” (Isa. 40:3). It was a voice they had no ears to hear. John’s ministry was not the one they expected, but it was the one the prophets had foretold.
PRAYER: Dear Father, we know that we cannot put You in a box. You do not act in the way we expect, but according to Your own will and plan. You challenge our controlling tendencies and lead us outside our comfort to a place of dependence and trust on You alone. Forgive us our doubts and our desire for control. We say ‘yes’ to Your will for our lives. In Jesus’ name, amen.
From: April 30, 2023
“In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God” (John 1:1 NLT).
John began his gospel as Moses began the Torah, with the words, “In the beginning…” This signaled the lofty aspect of John’s gospel that clearly proclaimed Jesus as God’s Son. Using the Greek λόγος (logos – word), John proclaimed Jesus as not only equal to God in every way (essence, preexistence, eternality, creator, unity…), but also the ultimate revelation of God to humanity. As the “Word” He is the very communication of God, superior even to the revelation that Moses carried down from Mount Sinai. The law came through Moses, but the free gift of life and the full revelation of God came through Christ (John 1:17).
If you want to see God, look upon Jesus. If you want to know God, know Jesus. If you want to be right with God, receive Jesus. Got Jesus? Got life (1 John 5:12). Jesus is the Word that walked among us that we might walk by faith with God.
PRAYER: Heavenly Father, thank you for loving us so much that you sent Jesus to us. We worship and adore Him as our Lord and Savior. We meditate on Him and His ministry that we might know You better. Fill us with the Spirit of Christ and empower us to serve as His Body in this world. In Jesus’ name, amen.