Today Daily Devotional

One generation commends your works to another; they tell of your mighty acts. — Psalm 145:4 In this month’s devotions we have been looking back on what the Lord—the faithful God—has done. We are also approaching Holy Week, when we remember the finished work of Jesus Christ. He died to save us from sin and to give us new life with God forever. Psalm 145 can help us gain perspective in all this.As I write these devotions, the seminary I serve has been preparing to mark its 150th anniversary of training Christian pastors and teachers. Throughout those years this school has held to the vision and mission of proclaiming the lordship of Christ over all creation.While working on plans for this celebration, I have looked through lots of old pictures. In many old photos are the faces of people who had no idea what God would do through them so many years ago, but they had hopes. They hoped that the God who had carried them so far would continue to carry the next generation, and so on. I am a witness to God’s faithfulness through the generations, and, like those who served before me, I am called to commend God’s works to the generations that follow. (The anniversary service will be livestreamed tomorrow, on Palm Sunday evening, and we will recall the Lord’s works and commend them to the next generation.)What pictures of faith do you carry with you? Remember. Tell. Give praise to our faithful God! Dear God, may we join the chorus of praise from one generation to the next. You are indeed faithful to all your promises and loving toward all you have made. Amen.

Remember the wonders he has done, his miracles, and the judgments he pronounced. . . . He is the LORD our God. . . . — Psalm 105:5-7 We are people who forget. We need reminders, and we need to know that remembering can help us face the future.Psalm 105 recites much of the Bible history we have covered so far this month. This psalm is designed to help God’s people recount the past so that they will remember all that God has done for them.Psalm 105 begins and ends with a call to praise. What is recounted is not just history but an opportunity to thank the living and faithful God for all he has done. God is always to be praised.Tied to this is an opportunity to make the name of the Lord known among the nations (verse 1). This recalls the initial call and promise to Abraham (Genesis 12:1-3).How can we make the name of God known among the nations? The closing of this psalm calls us to “keep his precepts and observe his laws.” We make God’s name known by living in line with God’s ways and forsaking our own selfish ways.When we remember the stories of the faithful God and his wayward people, we are encouraged and challenged that the Lord always keeps his promises and will continue to do so for us.That is who the Lord is! Dear God, thank you for your faithful care for all the generations of your people. Help us to remember all you have done so that we may live by faith before you and make you known to the nations. In Jesus, Amen.

My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from . . . my cries of anguish? — Psalm 22:1 Let’s be honest. Life can be hard. There are times when the only sounds we can make are silent cries and laments. And we may wonder, “Where is the faithful God who has promised to be with us?”The Bible includes lots of texts that reflect the range of human experiences and emotions. At times we need to cry out to God. Sometimes we need to pour out our hearts and ask God, “What is going on?” and, “Where are you?”Psalm 22 is a psalm of lament written by Israel’s King David when he was distressed and alone. In this situation it seemed that God had abandoned him.This psalm also points directly to Jesus and his experience. It opens with a key question— the same question Jesus asked on the cross (see Matthew 27:46; Mark 15:34). When we read of Jesus being mocked and afflicted, stripped of his clothes and attacked from every side, we know that the God who inspired David as a psalmist certainly had Jesus’ suffering in mind as well.We also find that Jesus is the answer to all our wondering about pain and sorrow. He took on the pain and sorrow of the world so that he could bring us what we cannot gain for ourselves: full life forever with the God who is faithful. Dear God, thank you for inviting us to cry out to you as children cry for their parents in times of trouble. In the pictures we see in this psalm, may we find encouragement that you are with us as you have promised— in Jesus. Amen.

Moses made a bronze snake and put it up on a pole. Then when anyone was bitten by a snake and looked at the bronze snake, they lived. — Numbers 21:9 Israel had a lot to learn about being the people of the holy and faithful God. In our story today the people grew impatient with God again as they traveled through the wilderness.They spoke against God and against Moses, saying, “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness?” Sometimes the Lord was merciful when the people acted so rebelliously, but other times, when they had gone too far, the Lord sent punishment. This time the consequence for their actions was a plague of venomous snakes, and a number of the people died from snakebites.What would happen next? How would salvation appear for these unfaithful people?In what is a preview of the saving work of Christ, a bronze snake became an instrument of healing and life. Moses made a bronze snake and lifted it up on a pole, and the people were told to look at this snake and live. Many years later Jesus explained that this miracle in the wilderness pointed to the gift of his own life for us all (being lifted up on a cross—John 3:14-15). Through this act of faith, we are freed from death!In the coming week, as we focus on the time of Jesus’ suffering, death, and rising to life again, let’s remember that, like God’s people in the wilderness, we are lost without God’s faithfulness. Lord, we can be so rebellious and stubborn in our resistance to you. Help us to look to you and believe in Jesus, who was lifted up for us. Amen.

The LORD relented and did not bring on his people the disaster he had threatened. — Exodus 32:14 While Moses met with God and received the law for the people, he was away for a long time—40 days and nights (Exodus 24:18). The people of Israel grew tired of waiting and wondered why they couldn’t make an image of God that they could see for themselves. Aaron, the brother of Moses, had seen all the goodness and amazing power of God while he worked to bring the Israelites out of slavery. But Aaron did not stand up to this mob. Instead he became the artist who melted down all kinds of gold objects to make a sculpture of a golden calf.Aaron pointed to the golden calf and proclaimed that this was the god who had brought them out of Egypt. Even with the Ten Commandments still fresh in the minds of the people, they held a festival to commemorate this image that could not see or hear.The living God saw and heard what the people had done, and he told Moses that he was about to destroy them. But Moses stepped in between the faithful God and the faithless mob. Moses pleaded not on the basis of the people’s actions but on the character of God—his faithful character and his covenant promises to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.This work of Moses as a mediator pointed ultimately to the work of Jesus, who paid with his own life for our salvation and also intercedes with God for us. We still need Jesus as our mediator today—and he never fails. Lord, we are still prone to make idols rather than worship you. Forgive us, we pray. Thank you for giving us Jesus as our ultimate mediator. Amen.

“I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.” — Exodus 20:2 When we think about the faithfulness of God, the Ten Commandments are probably not among the first things that come to mind. After all, one of the main uses of God’s law is to show us that we are sinners. The commandments help us to see that we need God to save us from sin and that we need to confess our sins and ask the Lord for forgiveness.When God first gave his law to his people, they had been rescued from slavery in Egypt, but they were still dealing with being slaves to sin. God was calling them to live a new life in him that would serve as a blessing to all nations, and they needed to learn that.So do we. God’s commands are designed to be a guide for daily living, reminding us to love the Lord with all our heart, soul, strength, and mind, and to love our neighbor as we love ourselves. The law ultimately points us to Jesus for salvation and shows us how to live in gratitude to the one, true, faithful God.God knew that his people who first heard the Ten Commandments would soon wander from him and break their promises. But at the heart of their new creation is the faithful God who will always seek them and watch over them.God is faithful from one generation to the next. Just as he sought after and cared for his people in the desert, God faithfully seeks after and cares for us every day. Lord, thank you for your commandments. May we follow them as your recreated people—saved by grace to live for you in a world that still needs to know you as the one, true, faithful God. Amen.

The LORD kept vigil that night to bring them out of Egypt. . . . — Exodus 12:42 It was not easy to convince the Pharaoh of Egypt to release the people of God from slavery. Finally, after a series of ten plagues that brought suffering, destruction, and even death to countless families throughout the land (Exodus 7-12), Pharaoh urged the Israelites to go.Moses had also told the Israelites to ask the people of Egypt for clothing and silver and gold, and the Lord “made the Egyptians favorably disposed toward the people, and they gave them what they asked for.” So the people of Israel left Egypt that night with plenty of supplies—even great wealth— along with their flocks and herds of animals.Surely this was more than the Israelites could have imagined. They had been slaves for generations in the land of Egypt, and now the Lord had made it possible for them to be freed. What’s more, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob had provided abundantly more than they would need as they began their journey to the land God had promised them.One of the key phrases in this passage is that God “kept vigil.” Have you ever kept vigil? As a parent, I remember times of watching over a sick child during the night, constantly checking to see if our child was all right and moving into recovery. God is like a parent watching over his children—always. The Lord cares for us, wanting each one to flourish and enjoy the blessings of full life. Dear God, thank you for watching over us. We may wonder where you are at times—we may even cry out—but may we see and trust that you hold us faithfully in your hands. Amen.

"Now, go. I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt." — Exodus 3:10 While tending sheep in the wilderness, Moses saw a burning bush that did not burn up. As he went closer to try to see what was happening, a voice called out from the bush, and Moses learned that God himself was talking to him.God told Moses to remove his sandals, for he was standing on holy ground. Then God explained that he was going to rescue his people from slavery in Egypt and take them back to the land he had promised to their father Abraham. God also said that he had chosen Moses to go to confront Pharaoh and bring the people out of there. And for Moses to do that, God would need to empower Moses to serve him.Moses was right to ask, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh . . . ?” And he wondered what to tell the Israelites about who was sending him. Then God identified himself as “I AM WHO I AM,” and he instructed Moses to tell the Israelites that “the LORD”—the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob—was sending him to them.Moses and the people would learn that ultimately their identity was shaped by their relationship to I AM—that is, to the one true God. Moses and the people could not move forward without knowing I AM.The same is true for us. Our understanding of who we are today is directly related to our being in relationship with the living, faithful God. Dear God, without you, we have no bearing or guidance on who we are and what we are to do in this world. Help us to hear your voice so that we can know and follow you. In Jesus, Amen.

God heard their groaning and he remembered his covenant with Abraham. . . . — Exodus 2:24 Life in the palace was a privilege. Moses had a privileged position, and he could go out to see whatever he wanted to. Then he could return to enjoy the comforts of palace living.One day, however, Moses saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew— an Israelite (one of his own people)—and he felt compelled to step in. Moses killed the Egyptian and buried him in the sand. But that violence became the reason why Moses had to separate from Pharaoh and run for his life out into the wilderness.Like all of us, Moses could do bad things as well as good things. He had killed a person— and that was bad, even if the man he killed was beating a fellow Hebrew. Moses also came to the rescue of the daughters of a priest in Midian. And that kindness led him to become part of a family, marrying one of the priest’s daughters and becoming the father of a baby boy.Yet something was missing. Moses named his son Gershom, saying, “I have become a foreigner in a foreign land.” Though he had a new family, Moses was not living with his people, the Israelites. Back in Egypt, while he lived in the king’s palace, Moses had not lived with his people either. He had not yet received his calling from God.These wilderness years were a time of preparation for Moses, as God heard the cries of his covenant people and arranged to deliver them. Dear God, help us know that when we are in the wilderness, you are still with us. May we listen to your call on our lives, wherever we are. Amen.

When the child grew older, she took him to Pharaoh’s daughter and he became her son. — Exodus 2:10 A time of persecution for God’s people in Egypt led to a unique plan. God would raise up a leader for his people and eventually deliver them from slavery.A baby boy was born in Israel to a family in the tribe of Levi. Under the edict of Pharaoh, this child was under a death sentence. But his mother hid him and kept him safe. Then, after a few months, she placed him in a waterproof basket and set it near the shore among the reeds of the Nile River.The daughter of Pharaoh came to the river to bathe, and she discovered the baby there. The child was crying, and her heart went out to him. Pharaoh’s daughter wanted to adopt this baby as her own. So she worked out a plan with the boy’s mother, and when he was older, she took him to live with her as her own son in the palace of the king. “She named [the boy] Moses, saying, ‘I drew him out of the water,’” and his name reverberates throughout Bible history.As we continue in this journey of exploring God’s faithfulness, we again see that God can do surprising things and use all kinds of people to be instruments in his plan.The palace of Pharaoh became the place where God raised up a leader who would help to bring his people out of slavery. What seemed an impossible situation became a pathway to the future. Dear God, when we cannot see a way forward, help us to trust that you hold the future. Keep us attentive to what you are doing in the lives of all people as you keep your promises. Amen.

Because the midwives feared God, he gave them families of their own. — Exodus 1:21 In our story today, at the beginning of the book of Exodus, we learn that many years have passed since Jacob and his family went to live in Egypt. Joseph, who had ruled at the king’s right hand, is long gone and forgotten. A new king reigns over the land, and this Pharaoh sees the Israelites— the descendants of Jacob—as a great threat to his power. So he aims to control and contain them.Pharaoh, the Egyptian king, put slave masters over the Israelites, using them as laborers to build new cities. The people of Israel kept multiplying, though, so the king also ordered that their baby boys be killed. Midwives, who were trained to be helpers in childbirth, were assigned to be killers instead.The authority of Pharaoh dominates this narrative, but another authority is at work in this story too. In fact, much of the early part of this book of the Bible is about battles between the gods of Egypt and the one, true God, who chose to bless all nations through the Israelites, the descendants of Abraham.The midwives trusted in God rather than the Pharaoh, however, so they chose to be servants of life rather than death. Their actions helped the people of Israel to increase, and the Lord blessed them with families of their own.Again we see that God is faithful to his promises. Dear God, help us to be agents of life wherever we may be, and help us to honor you with our lives. Lord, thank you for blessing us, and may we trust and serve you faithfully. Amen.

“You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.” — Genesis 50:20 Joseph brought his father and all his brothers and their families to live in Egypt so that they would have plenty during the years of famine. Their father, Jacob, died in Egypt, and after they buried him back at home in the land of Canaan, they all returned to Egypt (Genesis 46:1-50:14).Now Joseph’s brothers began to worry that he still had a grudge against them. While Jacob was alive, they thought they had a line of defense to keep Joseph from seeking revenge for selling him as a slave, but now they wondered what would happen next.The brothers sent a message to Joseph, in which they admitted their sins against him and pleaded for forgiveness. Although they had been living near Joseph for several years now in Egypt, they were still not sure of his feelings toward them. Had he really forgiven them? Joseph wept when he received their message. He had already forgiven his brothers, but it can take years for reconciliation to take shape.When Joseph’s brothers came to him, he reassured them and helped them to see again that God had intended all of this for good. Indeed, God was working out his plan to make their family into a nation that would bring blessing to all others (Genesis 12:1-3).This was a new kind of vision to help people see the amazing ways God works in our lives and in his world. Dear God, help us to see not just the hurts and troubles in this world but also how you work to bring us life. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

“God sent me ahead of you to preserve for you a remnant on earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance.” — Genesis 45:7 Joseph had tested his brothers and had learned that they wanted to protect Benjamin, his younger brother, and to spare their father from any more grief. He could see they were sorry for what they had done to him so many years ago. So he told them, at last, who he really was, and they were stunned and terrified.The brothers knew that they had deeply hurt Joseph when they had sold him into slavery. They knew that their deception had also hurt their father. Their deception had served them in the moment, but now the truth was coming out. They were the reason why Joseph had come to Egypt as a slave. They were the reason why he had suffered for years. Now that Joseph was in a position of power, the brothers wondered how he would deal with them. No wonder they were terrified as Joseph made himself known to them.But Joseph saw the hand of God at work in all that had happened. And he explained to his brothers what God had done. Joseph testified that God had sent him ahead of them into Egypt so that his plan for their lives would continue—and much more: that the lives of many people would be saved.Again God was doing more than we would think or imagine— working out his promise to Abraham and making his family a blessing to the nations. Dear God, thank you for your work in our lives—preparing the way for us, walking with us, and watching our backs so that we can have life with you. Amen.

“I have heard that there is grain in Egypt. Go down there and buy some for us. . . .” — Genesis 42:2 Like many others during the seven years of famine, Jacob’s family and flocks were running out of food. So Jacob sent his sons to go and buy food in Egypt, where they had heard there was plenty.All of the brothers except Benjamin, the youngest, went on this journey of desperation. They must have wondered, “Will there be food for all of us coming from another country? And what will happen to our family while we are away?”Joseph came face-to-face with the brothers who had hated him enough to sell him into slavery. What emotions filled his heart when he saw them again? Was he tempted to get revenge and harm them?Now wiser, Joseph came up with a way to test his brothers, to see if they had changed in the many years since they had gotten rid of him. Joseph’s life had seen alarming twists and turns, and a similar journey now began for his brothers. Through a series of tests and questioning, Joseph learned that his father was still alive and that his brothers were sorry for the wrong they had done (Genesis 42-44). And the Lord worked through all of this to bring about reconciliation and forgiveness, drawing this family back together again.In what ways have you seen God working at reconciliation in your life or in the lives of people around you? Dear God, you know we need more than food. We need restored relationships with you and with one another. Thank you for shaping our stories in the way of forgiveness and reconciliation. In Jesus, Amen.

Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I hereby put you in charge of the whole land of Egypt.” — Genesis 41:41 Joseph remained in prison for two years before the king’s cupbearer remembered him.One night Pharaoh had two dreams that troubled him deeply, and when he searched for someone to interpret the dreams, the cupbearer finally remembered Joseph. So Pharaoh called for Joseph to interpret the dreams, and Joseph responded by saying, first of all, “I cannot do it, but God will give Pharaoh the answer he desires” (Genesis 41:1-16).Pharaoh learned that his dreams warned about a seven-year famine that would follow seven years of great abundance. When he received the interpretation, as well as the sound advice Joseph gave about preparing for the famine, Pharaoh knew that Joseph would be the right person to manage the harvesting so that Egypt would have enough food (41:17-40). So Pharaoh put Joseph in charge of the whole land to prepare for the years of abundance and famine that would come.God can work in our lives in amazing ways. Though none of this was easy for Joseph, we can see in this story that he learned to trust and serve God in faith while he was in prison—and also when he was freed and appointed to lead.The faithfulness of God becomes clearer to us over time and through many different experiences, some of which are life-changing. We learn steadiness and certainty as God walks with us faithfully. Dear God, thank you for weaving together the circumstances of our lives and showing us how you work in them. May we see you at work in our lives each day. Amen.

The chief cupbearer, however, did not remember Joseph; he forgot him. — Genesis 40:23 Joseph’s experience in Egypt took many twists and turns. One moment he was trusted by Potiphar, one of the king’s officials, and the next moment he was imprisoned because of false accusations from Potiphar’s wife (Genesis 39).In prison Joseph found favor with the warden. But would there ever be a way out?One day Joseph met the king’s cupbearer and baker, who were sent to prison for making the king angry, and one night both of those men had strange dreams. The next day, the cupbearer and the baker were confused and burdened by their dreams, and Joseph asked why they looked so sad. When they shared their dreams with him, Joseph was able to help, explaining that “interpretations belong to God.” Joseph the dreamer was now wiser, recognizing that God was always helping him (Genesis 39:23).Both good news and bad news were in those dreams. Soon the cupbearer was restored to Pharaoh’s court, just as Joseph had said in his interpretation, and Joseph likely wondered what would happen next. But the cupbearer forgot about Joseph— for quite a while.In that prison, however, God was still watching over Joseph and providing for him. As we often find in our own and others’ lives, there is always more to the story that God is working out. Dear God, thank you for working in our lives even when we face struggles and it’s hard for us to see or understand what you are doing. Help us to know that even in our times of waiting you are still at work. Amen.

“Let’s kill him and throw him into one of these cisterns and say that a ferocious animal devoured him. Then we’ll see what comes of his dreams.” — Genesis 37:20 Jacob sent Joseph to check up on his brothers. They saw him coming from a distance, and their jealous, hateful feelings toward him took a mean turn. Several of them wanted to kill Joseph.Not all of the brothers had the same level of anger, though. Reuben tried to save Joseph. And Judah did not want them all to have their brother’s blood on their hands, so he suggested they sell Joseph to some traveling merchants who were passing by. And the brothers agreed.At the end of this scene, their father, Jacob, is distraught and cannot be consoled. The blood of a goat covers Joseph’s robe. And the brothers probably wonder if they will ever be found out, but for now their father accepts the scam that Joseph the dreamer has been killed by a wild animal. They think their brother, now sold to be a slave in Egypt, will not be heard from again. And they assume their life can go back to something like normal.But God is faithful even in the midst of violence, treachery, and tears. As the story continues, we will see how God works behind the scenes. Despite the brothers’ hateful jealousy and anger, God works out a way to raise up Joseph and, through him, to save the lives of many people—including his family—from starvation.In what ways do you see God working in your life? Dear God, thank you for working through pain and loss. Guide our hearts and help us to see what you see in this world and in the people around us. Amen.

When his brothers saw that their father loved him more than any of them, they hated him. . . . — Genesis 37:4 Jacob should have known better. He knew what it was like to have a brother whom his father loved more than him (Genesis 25:27-28), but he favored his son Joseph over his other sons anyway. Sadly, that led to jealousy and resentment among Joseph’s brothers.When Joseph’s older brothers looked at him, their blood pressure went up and hatred filled their hearts. Still, they might have kept their emotions in check if Joseph hadn’t stirred the pot with notions about the dreams he had had.God had provided the dreams, but Joseph took pride in them. He interpreted those dreams as showing that he was better than his brothers, and even his father rebuked him for the self-centered nature of those interpretations. The meaning of those dreams became clear later (Genesis 41-47), but all that the brothers knew now was that they didn’t want anything to do with Joseph!In this story we eventually see that God can take the human failings of all of these broken family members to bring about something good, despite the sinful attitudes in each individual’s heart. We also learn in life that God works through the troubles in our world and in our hearts to make something new and better. He is faithful to the purpose and plan that he holds and creates for us. Lord, thank you for being willing to meet us in the messes and troubles of life. Open our eyes to see the sin in our own hearts before we see the failings of others. Help us to live in unity as your family and to spread your love and blessings to others. Amen.

“Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel, because you have struggled with God and with humans and have overcome.” — Genesis 32:28 Jacob was a schemer. It came naturally. His mother was a schemer, and so was his father (see Genesis 26-27). Scheming was part of the family DNA.Jacob was returning home and wondering what kind of reception he would have from his brother, Esau, whom he had schemed against many years earlier (Genesis 27).But then one night when Jacob was all alone, he faced the one who could not be outwitted. Jacob wrestled that night with God.We might think of this wrestling with God as being for one night, but wasn’t it more like for a lifetime? Jacob had wrestled through lots of situations in his life, all of which were in the hands of God. For example, Esau, his elder brother, was the favored son of his father, and Jacob dealt with that by scheming. Jacob also wrestled with finding love and wondering if he could ever return home.We might think of wrestling with God as the opposite of seeking to know and learn from God, but in this case the wrestling became a pathway to a new life signified by a new name. Jacob, now known as Israel, would go through life limping because of that night, but he would have in that limp a sign that God had come to him and blessed him as he faced an uncertain future.God showed up even for a schemer like Jacob. Lord, thank you for being willing to wrestle with Jacob. We can see you are willing to wrestle with us too. Give us what we need in order to follow you. Amen.

“Lift the boy up and take him by the hand, for I will make him into a great nation.” — Genesis 21:18 God is faithful beyond our ability to think or imagine.Some years earlier, Sarah (formerly Sarai) had come up with a plan to produce an heir for Abraham (formerly Abram). Her scheme was outside of God’s plan (Genesis 16-17), but she decided to try it anyway. She gave her servant, Hagar, to Abram to see if she could have a child for her. Hagar conceived, and her child was named Ishmael. At first, Sarah saw the birth of Ishmael as a good thing, but that became a threat when her own son, Isaac, was born. So Sarah decided to remove that threat. Despite the protests of Abraham, Hagar and Ishmael were sent away. They wandered aimlessly in the desert, but God provided for them and promised to raise up Ishmael into a nation also.Have you ever tried to limit God’s faithfulness to include only certain people or those who act in a certain way? In the Bible, God shows that his plans and purposes go beyond our expectations.At many funerals I have conducted over the years, I have often stated this biblical truth: “God is more faithful and just than we can ever imagine.” This can be a comfort to people who wonder about God and may also fear for their loved ones who have died. In such moments I often think of a teenager (Ishmael) and his distraught mother, who found that God was with them—in ways beyond our imagining. Lord, thank you for your surprising faithfulness and care. Open our eyes to the ways you are continually at work in our lives —and far beyond. In Jesus’ name, Amen.