Pastor Gary's OYB Devotion Archive for June 1

TWO RACES WITH NEWS OF TWO SONS

From: June 1, 2025

“Then Ahimaaz ran by the way of the plain, and outran the Cushite.” (2 Samuel 18:23 ESV).

“Both of them were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first.” (John 20:4 ESV).

In both the Old and New Testament readings today, men ran a race with urgent news tied to the fate of a son. In 2 Samuel, Ahimaaz insisted on running to King David with news of of his son Absalom’s defeat. Though he outran the Cushite messenger, he left the tragic news of Absalom’s death to the Cushite. In John’s Gospel, Peter and John ran to the tomb of Jesus after hearing that it was empty. John outran Peter, arriving first, but hesitated at the opening of the tomb, allowing Peter to enter alone.

These races are not just about who arrived first. They are about news—one of sorrow, the other of joy. And behind each son lies a deeper contrast. Absalom, whose name means “father of peace,” rebelled against his own father, was killed while hanging in a tree and buried in a pit covered with stones. Jesus, the true “Prince of Peace,” submitted to His Father’s will, was hung on a tree (a cross), buried in a tomb covered with a stone, but rose again on the third day. One son’s death brought defeat and mourning. The other Son’s brought victory over death, eternal life and joy!

We are running a race too—life’s race. But what news do we carry? As believers, we carry the good news of the risen Son. Let us therefore run with it and share it to all the world. So that one day we might say along with the apostle Paul, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith” (2 Tim. 4:7).

PRAYER: Dear Father, thank You for sending Jesus, the true Prince of Peace. Help us run with the good news of His death and resurrection for forgiveness of sins. Fill us with purpose to proclaim life where there was death, hope where there was sorrow. May we be faithful to run life’s race for Your glory. In Jesus’ name, amen.

FROM DOUBTING TO BELIEVING

From: June 1, 2024

‘Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe.” Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!”’ (John 20:27-28 ESV).

Thomas didn’t see the risen Jesus when he first appeared. Even though Thomas had followed Jesus as one of the Twelve, he still doubted until he saw the risen Lord for himself. When the resurrected Jesus appeared to him, his confession of faith was to ascribe divinity to Jesus. He accepted Jesus as his Lord and God.

It was Jesus who addressed Thomas’ agnosticism. He invited Thomas to see and touch his scars and to believe. It is also Jesus who calls us to faith in him today. As he said to Thomas, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” That’s those who believe today that Jesus declares blessing over!

Why are you doubting the Lord? Wherever you are still worried and troubled, in that very area, you are doubting Christ’s Lordship, in that place you are in a state of unbelief. Confess your unbelief to Jesus. Declare him Lord over every arena of your life saying, “I trust in you Jesus, for you are my Lord and my God!”

PRAYER: Dear Father, we believe. Help us with our unbelief. For we confess that there are times when we still worry and fret. Help us to look upon the resurrected Jesus and to know and believe that nothing is impossible with You. In Jesus’ name, amen.

REJOICING IN GOD’S WORD

From: June 1, 2023

“I rejoice in your word like one who discovers a great treasure.” (Psalm 119:162 NLT).

Some say that David wrote Psalm 119 to teach his son, Solomon, to love God’s Word, while at the same time, teaching him the Hebrew alphabet. For this beautiful ode to God’s Word is an acrostic poem, with each stanza beginning with one of the twenty-two Hebrew letters. Yet certainly, he was teaching Solomon more than his “ABCs.” For in this verse, he wanted his son to learn to rejoice in God’s Word.

Psalm 119 is like a thesaurus for God’s Word, calling out synonyms for God’s law like: statutes, precepts, judgments, commandments, instructions, and even “a great treasure.” For David had learned to find encouragement and strength from God’s Word. It gave him great joy to read and meditate on it and to write psalms about it.

Have you learned to rejoice in God’s Word?

PRAYER: Dear Father, we rejoice in Your Word today. For in it we have discovered the greatest treasure of all, Your Son, Jesus Christ. Thank You. In Jesus’ name, amen.

“But these are written so that you may continue to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing in him you will have life by the power of his name” (John 20:31 NLT).

From: June 1, 2022

THAT YOU MAY BELIEVE

As the apostle John closed his gospel, he gave its purpose statement, namely, that his gospel was written that its readers might believe. Believe what?

First, believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Christ, the Anointed One, the fulfillment of God’s promise to redeem humanity. He is the Son of David and the fulfillment of the Old Testament’s messianic prophecies.

Second, believe that Jesus is the Son of God. John began his gospel describing Jesus as the “Word,” saying, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (John 1:1). Now, near the end of John’s gospel, he concludes as he began, asking us to to believe that Jesus is the Son of God.

Finally, John calls us to believe that eternal life is found by believing in the name of Jesus, that there is life-giving power in His name. For His name means, “God saves.” It is not the power of our faith that saves, but the power of His name that delivers us from death to life.

John was an eyewitness to all that he wrote and his writings concerning Jesus call for a faith response. Some will read or hear the gospel and reject it outright or otherwise attempt to discredit it. Some will hear it and consider it a good story, worthy of admiration, but not applicable to themselves.

Yet others will hear John’s good news concerning Jesus and respond as he intended. They will make a decision to place their total trust in Jesus, believing in His name for eternal life.

PRAYER: Dear Father, thank You for giving us the gospel of John that we might believe in Your Son, Jesus. Indeed, thank You for the entire Word of God that leads us to knowing You through Your Son. Bless us this day with opportunity to tell others about Jesus, so that they might believe. In Jesus’ name, amen.

“My son Absalom! My son, my son Absalom! If only I had died instead of you, Absalom, my son, my son!” (2 Samuel 18:33 HCSB).

From: June 1, 2021

LOVE THAT WOULD DIE IN YOUR PLACE

David’s grief at news of his son’s death is perhaps the most vivid expression of mourning in the Bible. He was “deeply moved” when he heard the news. The Hebrew word here refers to a “violent trembling” of the body. David was wracked with grief. His weeping could be heard by all those returning from successfully defending the king. Yet, their sense of victory was dulled by the king’s wailing.

Surely David’s grief was magnified by his own sense of regret as a father, knowing that it was his own sin that sowed the seeds to Absalom’s rebellion. However, David the father had forgotten his role as David the king, and this negligence could’ve led to his demise had not Joab intervened.

Yet, even in this sad picture we catch a glimpse of our Savior’s love for us. For He loved and wept over us while we were still sinners in rebellion against Him. Remember His lament over Jerusalem the week of His passion? “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing!” (Matt. 23:37).

Like David, Christ declared His willingness to die in our place, and more than that, He actually came down and took our death, that we might receive His life. Such love, that He would die in our place!

PRAYER: Dear Father, we see a glimpse of Your love for us in David’s weeping for his son. Yet, we have been rescued from death by the death of Your Son in our place. We have been bought with a price, therefore we are completely Yours. Strengthen us this day to live for You. In Jesus’ name, amen.

“Many are my persecutors and my enemies, Yet I do not turn from Your testimonies” (Psalm 119:157 NKJV).

From: June 1, 2020

WHOSE TESTIMONY WILL YOU BELIEVE?

Some say that David wrote Psalm 119 to teach his son, Solomon, to love God’s Word, while at the same time, teaching him the Hebrew alphabet. For this beautiful ode to God’s Word is an acrostic poem, with each stanza beginning with one of the twenty-two Hebrew letters.

Yet certainly, he was teaching Solomon more than his “ABCs.” For in this verse, he wanted his son to learn the best way to respond when surrounded by persecutors and enemies. David taught him not to respond in kind, thus departing from the truth of God’s Word. When persecutors come, he challenged him not to turn from God’s “testimonies.”

Psalm 119 is like a thesaurus for God’s Word, calling it God’s law, statutes, precepts, judgments, commandments, and even “testimonies.” Those that would persecute and destroy have a “testimony” about you. They have a warped and worldly view of reality that they want you to believe about yourself and others. It’s filled with hate and racism, anger and revenge. David knew that testimony, but he had chosen to follow God’s testimony instead. And he wanted Solomon to do the same.

In this world filled with injustice and hate, whose testimony will you believe? Will you become like your persecutors, thinking to pay them back? If you do, then they have won. For you have become the very thing that they testified of you.

Instead, decide not to turn from God’s testimonies. His testimony is Good News. Decide to believe what God says about you and about your neighbor.

PRAYER: Dear Father, we are so tempted to take revenge when we are hurt. We are filled with anger and hate. Teach us to focus on You. To follow Your testimonies. There is a right way to respond to persecution. We want to follow Your way. Send your reconciliation and revival to our land today. We are sick to our stomachs with this worldly strife. Strengthen us to be Your peacemakers. In Jesus’ name, amen.

“They were both running, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first” (John 20:4 NLT).

From: June 1, 2018

THE RACE TO BELIEVING

When Mary Magdalene told Peter and the “disciple that Jesus loved” that the tomb was empty, they ran to see it for themselves. The unnamed disciple won the race, but paused at the tomb entrance, while Peter ran straight in. Finally, John, the beloved disciple, entered the tomb. Remembering the Scriptures concerning Jesus’ resurrection, he believed. John may have been the faster, but Peter was bolder. Yet, both of them won the race to believing.

‘Then the king was deeply moved, and went up to the chamber over the gate, and wept. And as he went, he said thus: “O my son Absalom—my son, my son Absalom—if only I had died in your place! O Absalom my son, my son!”’ (2 Samuel 18:33 NKJV).

From: June 1, 2017

David’s grief at news of his son’s death is perhaps the most vivid expression of mourning in the Bible. He was “deeply moved” when he heard the news. The Hebrew word here refers to a “violent trembling” of the body. David was wracked with grief. His weeping could be heard by all those returning from successfully defending the king. Yet, their sense of victory was dulled by the king’s wailing.

Surely David’s grief was magnified by his own sense of regret as a father, knowing that it was his own sin that sowed the seeds to Absalom’s rebellion. However, David the father had forgotten his role as David the king, and this negligence could’ve led to his demise had not Joab intervened.

Yet, even in this sad picture we catch a glimpse of our Savior’s love for us. For He loved and wept over us while we were still sinners in rebellion against Him.

Remember His lament over Jerusalem the week of His passion? “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing!” (Matt. 23:37).

Like David, Christ declared His desire to “die in our place,” and more than that, He actually came down and took our death, that we might receive His life.

‘Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!”’ (John 20:28 ESV)

From: June 1, 2016

Thomas didn’t see the risen Jesus when he first appeared. Even though Thomas had followed Jesus as one of the Twelve, he still doubted until he saw the risen Lord for himself. When the resurrected Jesus appeared to him, his confession of faith was to ascribe divinity to Jesus. He accepted Jesus as his Lord and God. It was Jesus who addressed Thomas’ agnosticism. He invited Thomas to see and touch and believe. It was Jesus who helped Thomas with his unbelief. Where are you doubting the Lord today? Wherever you are still worried and troubled, in that very area, you are still doubting Christ’s Lordship, in that very area you are in a state of unbelief. Confess your unbelief to Jesus. Declare him Lord over the arena of your anxiety saying, “I trust in you Jesus, for you are my Lord and my God!”

“these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name” (John 20:31 NKJV)

From: June 1, 2015

As the apostle John came near the close of his gospel, he gave its purpose statement, namely, that his gospel was written that its readers might believe. John was an eyewitness to all that he wrote and his writings concerning Jesus call for a faith response. Some will read or hear the gospel and reject it outright or otherwise attempt to discredit it. Yet others will hear John’s good news concerning Jesus and trust His account. Those who believe will also receive, their hearts being renewed and their destinies forever changed.