Today Daily Devotional

Through the law we become conscious of our sin.
— Romans 3:20

When I am sitting in an airplane and waiting for us to taxi out to a runway, I can’t always tell when the plane starts to move. But if I look outside and focus on a still object, I can see whether the plane is moving.In some ways the Ten Commandments are like that, acting as a landmark to show us how we are living in God’s world.Unfortunately the commandments do not reveal movement in a positive direction. They show us how easily we can stray away from God toward destruction. Though God has given us these instructions for living and prospering in his world, we fall short in loving and obeying him. Indeed, as Romans 3 says in our passage for today, “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Since none of us can live up to God’s holy standards, we are all sinners who have broken God’s law. We deserve God’s just punishment for our sins.We can’t earn our salvation, and we can’t fix our rebellious relationship with God. That’s the bad news. But the good news is this: “While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). Only faith in Jesus Christ, who obeyed God’s law perfectly and gave his life as a sacrifice for us, can wash away our sins and make us right with God.The Ten Commandments show us clearly that we are sinners. At the same time, they point us to the only way we can find salvation: through Jesus.

Father God, your commandments show that we have sinned and cannot save ourselves. Move us to faith in your Son, Jesus, the only one who can ever save us. Amen.

“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.”
— Matthew 5:17

A stop sign on a nearby streetcorner is visible from our front yard. I often notice how people observe this traffic regulation. Some drivers come to a full stop before crossing the intersection. Many others merely slow down before rolling on through it. Some drivers don’t slow down at all.If we’re honest, most of us will admit that we don’t always agree with or even obey some laws. Some laws make perfect sense to us, and we readily obey them. But we might ignore other laws, like when we drive up to a stop sign that can seem unnecessary or inconvenient.But what about God’s laws? The Old Testament is filled with laws, rules, and regulations. Lots of dietary and ceremonial rules that applied to God’s people before Jesus came are obsolete today. Jesus fulfilled those when he died to pay for our sin once for all (Hebrews 9-10) and then rose from the grave to give us new life. But the Ten Commandments are not optional. Jesus summarized those when he taught about loving God and loving our neighbors (Matthew 22:37-40). The Ten Commandments tell us how we are to live in response to God and with the people around us.This month, as we reflect on the Ten Commandments, we will see how relevant they are for our everyday lives. 

Father God, only in loving and obeying you, as we have learned through Jesus, can we find peace, joy, and new life. Help us to live for you and to share your love and good news with neighbors everywhere. Amen.

Now may the God of peace, who . . . brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus . . . work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ. . . .
— Hebrews 13:20-21

It has been a blessing to be a beekeeper. My hope is that— in the process—plants, creatures, and other parts of God’s creation have benefited. In any healthy relationship, blessings flow both ways. Being a beekeeper, I know that I have received more than I have given. I have learned about and been inspired by the bees’ life in community, recognizing and honoring all members, working and serving together, communicating well, and much more. In addition, I’ve been able to enjoy and share the sweet honey made by bees, and to give thanks for the health benefits it brings.The blessing from Hebrews 13:20-21 reflects well the flow of God’s blessings to us and through us. “Peace” refers to the biblical teaching of shalom— physical and spiritual well-being in a flourishing, nurturing environment with God and his people. Shattered by our waywardness, we desperately need to be shepherded into shalom. Our great shepherd’s rescue, nurture, protection, and guidance are all necessary for our restored thriving and well-being.While honeybees may do reasonably well without a beekeeper, human beings do not do well without a shepherd. People wreck and ruin God’s creation and one another. Only Jesus fills the role of “great shepherd,” coming to rescue us and to “work in us what is pleasing to him.” What a beautiful blessing! Are you experiencing and sharing it?

Lord of shalom, equip us and work in us through Jesus to bring blessing into your world and bring glory to you. Amen.

“Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; he has risen!”
— Luke 24:5-6

When winter has passed and I check on our bees in the early spring, I think of the question the angels asked the women at Jesus’ tomb: “Why do you look for the living among the dead?” Many beehives become “dead-outs” after a long winter. The best hope for a beekeeper is that the hive will be able to be revived by the surviving queen and worker bees.The lives of people, animals, insects, plants, and all creation are cyclical. The cycle—birth, life, and death--can be both delightful and vicious, and both bright and dreary. Then the next generation takes its turn. The revival of a honeybee hive can be hopeful, and yet there’s an end in sight. Many people settle for that, but we may also ask, “Is that all there is?”The men and women who had followed Jesus went to his tomb expecting to find the dead among the dead. So it was shocking to be confronted with the surprise that Jesus had risen from the dead! As Jesus’ followers have come to know, he is alive today, tomorrow, and forever.Jesus’ followers celebrate an everlasting spring. After his resurrection, Bible passages call him “the firstfruits” of those who have died. As his followers, we share in his victory over death. We follow Jesus from death into life, certain that in him we have resurrection life. We can trust the risen and living Savior forever!

Creator God, thank you for giving us “new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead” (1 Peter 1:3). Live in and through us, we pray, by your Holy Spirit. Amen.

You have made [human beings] a little lower than the angels and crowned them with glory and honor.
— Psalm 8:5

Thankfully, many organizations are tracking the health of honeybees today. Since the alarming announcement of CCD (see July 28), some corrective actions have been taken by beekeepers and governments. As a result, honeybee populations have mainly stabilized. However, a hidden disaster for pollinators is looming ever larger. Wild bee populations are dying off too. These other bees pollinate 80 percent of flowering plants and trees worldwide. The catastrophic cost of losing bees would be inestimable for farming, economies, wildlife, and the environment.Human greed and carelessness play an outsize role in the use of pesticides and the ongoing habitat loss that threaten bees. As a result, “Save the bees!” movements have sprouted up around the globe. These campaigns are similar to calls to “Save the planet” and other efforts in past years.In light of Psalm 8, humanity’s threat to bees and to our own environment is ironic. Human beings, made in God’s image, have the honor to care wisely for God’s creation and his creatures. But when we mismanage God’s good creation, we harm ourselves and all creation as well.The good news is that the perfect human has come in Jesus Christ to restore us to our role of truly caring for God’s creation. Let’s learn and do what we can to care for the world we live in.

Lord, the earth and everything in it is yours. Empower us to restore your creation for your purposes and glory. Amen.