Devotionals

There has only been one time in leadership when I have found myself in a conflict with someone that required me to separate and choose to agree to disagree. No matter how hard I tried, I simply could not find a place of peace to stand with this person. It was my reality as a human being. Miraculously, God used that conflict and separation for his Kingdom purposes.

God’s Word portrays real people—warts and all—and somehow God grooms them to be righteous leaders. Let’s face it, our biblical characters have real struggles and need the saving work of the Lord, too. At times, they fall short of spiritual maturity—Abraham, Moses, David, etc. God does not hide the fact that every human being he ever used had feet of clay.

In our passage today, Paul and Barnabas part ways. They go toe-to-toe in an argument that cannot be resolved. They meet an impasse. These two men of God find themselves in such a disagreement, no peace can be found. So, instead of two missionaries going in one direction, four missionaries go in two directions covering more territory with the Gospel. God’s will always prevails.

Acts 15:36-41 NLT Paul and Barnabas Separate
36 After some time Paul said to Barnabas, “Let’s go back and visit each city where we previously preached the word of the Lord, to see how the new believers are doing.” 37 Barnabas agreed and wanted to take along John Mark. 38 But Paul disagreed strongly, since John Mark had deserted them in Pamphylia and had not continued with them in their work. 39 Their disagreement was so sharp that they separated. Barnabas took John Mark with him and sailed for Cyprus. 40 Paul chose Silas, and as he left, the believers entrusted him to the Lord’s gracious care. 41 Then he traveled throughout Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches there.

Prayer: Lord, we know that you cause everything to work together for the good of those who love you and are called according to your purpose for them. Even when the reality of human flesh rises up, it does not thwart your plans. You always find a way to spread the Good News. Thank you for your mercy and love, as well as knowing our hearts. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Yesterday, I went over to take a closer look at our essentially empty house; still in post-hurricane Helene condition. The flood water is long gone, but the house is void of life; it’s simply a shell. There are no good smells coming from the area that once was the kitchen. There’s no laughter ringing through the rooms; just an eery silence. It’s still a house, it is just completely vacant and no longer contains the evidence of energized life. (Note: Truthfully, there is still noise coming from John’s busy garage! lol!) I look forward to seeing God take this shell of a house and making it the Haley’s Home once again.

Our hearts are like a house. There can be a lot of junk occupying our hearts; stuff we know should be removed and stuff for which we are oblivious to the dangers. A clean heart/house is one aspect of the salvation Jesus offers. Yet, there is so much more to God’s plan. God wants a transformed heart/a house rebuilt in the nature of Christ’s righteous image, filled with life-giving characteristics and motives, and habitually producing the fruit of the Spirit.

If all it took was to be emptied of evil to guarantee salvation in Messiah’s Kingdom, we would not need further repentance or growth. Obviously, we need our hearts filled with God’s presence and we do that by sowing and living in his goodness. We cannot just be emptied of evil; we need to fill that void with God to prevent the return of evil (Matthew 12:43-45). Knowing the process of salvation does not bring eternal life. We must consistently LIVE the plan of salvation that God has put into place under the authority of Christ.

In our passage for today, a scholar of the Torah comes to test the knowledge of Jesus regarding Yahweh’s commands. This “expert” asks a question and the Creator of all cleverly answers this question with another question. Jesus knows the expert has the correct orthodoxy [right belief], but to have divine life we must, “Do it!” If you have taken the first step and asked Jesus to clean your heart, remember step two is habitually living life each day in the Spirit, so God’s goodness fills your heart. Then, evil has no place to set up his house. Not sorry…no vacancy!

Luke 10:25-28 NLT The Most Important Commandment
25 One day an expert in religious law stood up to test Jesus by asking him this question: “Teacher, what should I do to inherit eternal life?”

26 Jesus replied, “What does the law of Moses say? How do you read it?”

27 The man answered, “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your strength, and all your mind.’ And, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”

28 “Right!” Jesus told him. “Do this and you will live!”

Prayer: Lord, thank you for the cleansing work salvation brings to our hearts. Thank you, as well, for the work of the Holy Spirit who helps us accomplish your purpose in our lives. Help us to put into practice your righteous acts of love—how we love you and others. By doing so, we will enjoy a taste of eternal life while on earth. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

I enjoy the ability to meet and form new relationships with people. There is something so wonderfully unique about each individual made in God’s image. Although not every person shares my priorities or sees life the way I do, God helps me extend a measure of kindness and respect and it is usually [typically] received.

When it comes to relationships with the people of God and living as the Church—embodying the values of Jesus and seeking to live them out in practical ways each day—I treasure these relationships as they usually [frequently] bring me so much joy. I have an opportunity to work together with diverse people, share strengths while accepting weaknesses, and above all demonstrate God’s love with those who share a similar purpose—Kingdom living and work in the fear [respect and awe] of the Lord.

The Kingdom of God comes with remarkable spiritual blessings that impact and affect our souls. To live in God’s Kingdom realm is to experience Christ’s righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit (Romans 14:17). Because we are connected to Christ, believers experience a shared grace and divine presence. We wear the robe or mantel of Christ’s anointing and we can work together as a Body to get things done in the shalom [wholeness] of God.

In our passage today, David enjoys this spiritual harmony in God’s shalom. There is nothing missing and nothing broken in God’s presence; all things are brought to a place of peace under the Lordship of Yahweh. Praise erupts in the divine presence and power is released to accomplish God’s righteous will. Joy unspeakable fills human souls. Oh, and that sweet peace the world cannot give…yes, please!

The Church is to live as carriers of God’s shalom. We usually [as a standard practice] cooperate vs. demand our own way, share favor vs. compete or take, and forgive to bring healing; all of these elements of Kingdom living are ongoing while we live in a fallen world. Having the spiritual blessings of living in God’s daily Kingdom care is a taste of heaven while we are exiled here on earth. So, let God’s spiritual blessings fill you, today, because the energy the Spirit brings refreshes every dry soul. Be a fountain of JOY!

Psalm 133 A song for pilgrims ascending to Jerusalem. A psalm of David.
1 
How wonderful and pleasant it is
    when brothers live together in harmony!
2 
For harmony is as precious as the anointing oil
    that was poured over Aaron’s head,
    that ran down his beard
    and onto the border of his robe.
3 
Harmony is as refreshing as the dew from Mount Hermon
    that falls on the mountains of Zion.
And there the Lord has pronounced his blessing,
    even life everlasting.

Prayer: Lord, we thank you for pronouncing your blessing over our lives. May we choose to live in your spiritual blessing and share those wonderful gifts with others we meet each day. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Friends, you and I, as believers, should be living a life that seeks to expand the Kingdom of God. No matter what season we find ourselves in, the Holy Spirit wants to lovingly move through each one of us so that Jesus’s love can be seen, heard, and felt by others. We are commissioned as the Church to love others and to spread Jesus’s message of eternal love all of the time no matter where we are, how we are feeling, or what we are doing. In today’s passage we see how the Gentiles were being welcomed into the Church and how no matter the circumstances that Barnabas, Saul (Paul), or any of the other Apostles or believers found themselves in were going to stop them from sharing the message of Jesus’s eternal love in an effort to grow God’s Kingdom. This is exactly how we need to continue to be as the Church.

In our passage today, the leaders of the Church in Jerusalem heard that more and more Gentiles were coming to faith. So, they sent Barnabas to Antioch, and Barnabas traveled to Tarsus to get Saul who had been in Tarsus for the last seven to ten years. If you recall, prior to Saul’s conversion to Christianity, on the road to Damascus where he encountered the Lord, Saul had persecuted Christians. It has been many years since Saul’s transformation and since Barnabas vouched for him with the Apostles, who had sent him home to Tarsus to grow in his relationship with the Lord. This is the season where Saul’s work among the Gentiles truly begins. From this point on, the Book of Acts turns to Saul, and within chapter 13 we see the Greek variation of his name, Paul, being used and his evangelic work explodes for the Kingdom of God. Only Jesus could transform Paul’s heart and in return Paul is going to tell the world about this transforming love, and that is what we need to be doing.

The Lord gave Paul and Barnabas this command, “I have made you a light to the Gentiles, to bring salvation to the farthest corners of the earth.” (Acts 13:47). You and I have the same command to bring the message of salvation to everyone we encounter. We need to hold firm to Paul’s example and to his teaching that “My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So, I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.” This Truth needs to be our daily motivator to share the love of Christ with others. (Galatians 2:20)

Acts 11:19-26 NLT
The Church in Antioch of Syria

19 Meanwhile, the believers who had been scattered during the persecution after Stephen’s death traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch of Syria. They preached the word of God, but only to Jews. 20 However, some of the believers who went to Antioch from Cyprus and Cyrene began preaching to the Gentiles about the Lord Jesus. 21 The power of the Lord was with them, and a large number of these Gentiles believed and turned to the Lord.

22 When the church at Jerusalem heard what had happened, they sent Barnabas to Antioch. 23 When he arrived and saw this evidence of God’s blessing, he was filled with joy, and he encouraged the believers to stay true to the Lord. 24 Barnabas was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and strong in faith. And many people were brought to the Lord.

25 Then Barnabas went on to Tarsus to look for Saul. 26 When he found him, he brought him back to Antioch. Both of them stayed there with the church for a full year, teaching large crowds of people. (It was at Antioch that the believers were first called Christians.)

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You for transforming our hearts which has completely changed each one of our lives. Holy Spirit, please continue to do what only You can do in and through each one of us to help share the message of Christ’s love to as many hearts as possible. Use us in ways that we did not even know were possible to help grow the Kingdom of God. We want to lovingly share You and Your Word with the world. We ask all of this in Your Holy Name, Jesus. Amen.

In daily life, we can always identify a few hard-hearted people who lack compassion, are unkind, or even cruel. Typically, these folks are insensitive and unconcerned about the feelings or suffering of others; they are focused on protecting self. They press on like they answer to no one and are entitled to demand their own way. That may be true in the hearts of unbelievers, but it should never be the attitude or emotional display of Christ’s disciples.

There are many reasons for a person to become hard-hearted; one of which is some form of traumatic experience. God loves people and is compassionate about these wounds left behind, but wants to heal and deliver his children from sowing unrighteous seeds out of their pain. In the midst of facing these traumatic situations, believers must never become hard-hearted—lack the ability to accept God’s grace and help.

The very nation that had the greatest knowledge of God’s love and deliverance was living in rebellion—Israel knew they were dishonoring God, but chose to do it anyway. God does not let his people become imprisoned in this place. Israel is bound by their hard hearts, so God plans to confront this issue by sending the prophet Ezekiel with the Word. The Spirit comes into Ezekiel and speaks to his heart; he eats [absorbs and applies] the Word and then goes to give God’s message to the people.

The Lord always prepares his messengers of the Truth. God tells Ezekiel how the people will respond to the message he is commissioned to bring Israel. It is not Ezekiel’s responsibility to control or react to how the people will respond; he is simply to share the message. So, God sends Ezekiel to warn them the Lord is aware of their rebellious ways. Ezekiel will be dishonored, as well, but he is not to respond in fear or join in their rebellion. In fact, our passage teaches God makes Ezekiel righteously obstinate [standing like a wall for Truth] who will not fail to deliver God’s message.

It is the work of the enemy to use our most challenging and even traumatic experiences in life to lure us into dishonoring God and his love. When God’s Spirit speaks in our hearts, we must listen and respond with active faith. Every messenger of God must eat the Word and put it into practice in his or her life before being able to effectively share the Truth with others.

Ezekiel 2:8-3:11 NLT
2:8 Son of man, listen to what I say to you. Do not join them in their rebellion. Open your mouth, and eat what I give you.”

9 Then I looked and saw a hand reaching out to me. It held a scroll, 10 which he unrolled. And I saw that both sides were covered with funeral songs, words of sorrow, and pronouncements of doom.

3:1 The voice said to me, “Son of man, eat what I am giving you—eat this scroll! Then go and give its message to the people of Israel.” 2 So I opened my mouth, and he fed me the scroll. 3 “Fill your stomach with this,” he said. And when I ate it, it tasted as sweet as honey in my mouth.

4 Then he said, “Son of man, go to the people of Israel and give them my messages. 5 I am not sending you to a foreign people whose language you cannot understand. 6 No, I am not sending you to people with strange and difficult speech. If I did, they would listen!
7 But the people of Israel won’t listen to you any more than they listen to me! For the whole lot of them are hard-hearted and stubborn. 8 But look, I have made you as obstinate and hard-hearted as they are. 9 I have made your forehead as hard as the hardest rock! So don’t be afraid of them or fear their angry looks, even though they are rebels.”

10 Then he added, “Son of man, let all my words sink deep into your own heart first. Listen to them carefully for yourself. 11 Then go to your people in exile and say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says!’ Do this whether they listen to you or not.”

Prayer: Lord, thank you for making us, as believers, strong and focused in delivering your message of love to the world. We know your confronting message about sin or unbelief will not always be well received or welcomed, but we must share it anyway. Please protect our hearts and make us bold and courageous like Ezekiel with the Truth. Holy Spirit, help us to release your message of love each day to someone who needs to hear it. Our call is to share the message as you take us to the people who need you. Make believers faithful to our commission as we call upon your name. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Jeremiah’s prophetic ministry began in 627 BC and ended around 582 BC. He spent most of his time in Jerusalem. God had prophesied he was bringing judgment upon the southern kingdom of Judah—a judgment the people had already seen come to pass for the northern kingdom. But the people refused to repent and turn back to honoring the commands of God.

Biblical history teaches us, in 732-722 BC, God used Assyria as an agent to punish the northern kingdom of Israel for apostasy. Likewise, in 605-586 BC, God used Babylon as an agent to punish the southern kingdom of Judah. This was all an outworking of God’s judgment. The people were scattered like sheep. However, God faithfully promised to one day redeem and restore Israel despite all the suffering. Jeremiah provides us with the clearest glimpse of the new covenant God intended to make with his people.

God Word teaches, as human beings, we will reap what we sow; it is a principle. It is true for believers and it is true for unbelievers. If we sow righteous deeds we will reap abundant righteousness. If we sow unrighteousness, we will reap destruction. In our text, we see this principle come to fruition, because in 612 BC Assyria fell and in 539 BC Babylon fell.

God has always been willing to forgive when people repent. Therefore, a repentant remnant was preserved, would return to Jerusalem, and would be used in a new beginning with God. Hope would once again rise to the surface for God’s people when he promised to send the Messiah from the line of David to rule his people. Forgiveness was made available and living in Christ’s righteousness was given as a future promise.

Jeremiah 50:17-20 NLT Hope for God’s People
17 
“The Israelites are like sheep
    that have been scattered by lions.
First the king of Assyria ate them up.
    Then King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon cracked their bones.”
18 
Therefore, this is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies,
    the God of Israel, says:
“Now I will punish the king of Babylon and his land,
    just as I punished the king of Assyria.
19 
And I will bring Israel home again to its own land,
    to feed in the fields of Carmel and Bashan,
and to be satisfied once more
    in the hill country of Ephraim and Gilead.
20 
In those days,” says the Lord,
    “no sin will be found in Israel or in Judah,
    for I will forgive the remnant I preserve.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for the reminder today about the principle of sowing and repeating. You are not mocked; your Word will come to fruition and accomplish everything it was sent to do. We pray for our lives to produce and harvest good things. We know we cannot sow disobedience and expect to reap a blessing. Holy Spirit, please guide us toward righteousness and producing the fruit of Christ’s character. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

I love taking care of our 2.5 y/o granddaughter for several hours each week. She is just so full of energy and loves learning new things. Everything is exciting for her. I might show her one time how to do a simple household task, but that’s all it takes and she says, “I do it now, Mimi!” It would greatly benefit me if I could tap into that 2.5 y/o old energy and excitement about doing housework!

In our passage today, the apostles are tapping into the energy and work of the Spirit to reveal the life of Christ. Just as Jesus had promised, Peter and many others have been baptized, filled and now serving in the power of the Holy Spirit. It is the same Spirit who hovered over Creation in the beginning, the same Spirit who raised Jesus from the dead, and now the same Spirit who is providing miraculous power to believers.

All of the apostles are learning—one experience at a time—what the resurrection of Christ has made possible for every believing heart. Peter is tapped into the Spirit and moving to reveal Christ’s authority and love in the town of Lydda—25 miles northwest of Jerusalem. Those who witnessed the power of the Spirit through Peter, turned toward God for salvation. The Church was expanding in numbers as believers lived out Christ’s commands of love.

God has the power to make all believers effective witnesses, but we must tap into the Spirit’s power, because our flesh can produce nothing of eternal value. Let’s start each day knowing God has made power available and we can tap into it 24/7. Let’s not grieve or quench the Spirit; instead let’s be empowered and energized for our King and his Kingdom work.

Acts 9:32-35 NLT Peter Heals Aeneas
32 Meanwhile, Peter traveled from place to place, and he came down to visit the believers in the town of Lydda. 33 There he met a man named Aeneas, who had been paralyzed and bedridden for eight years. 34 Peter said to him, “Aeneas, Jesus Christ heals you! Get up, and roll up your sleeping mat!” And he was healed instantly. 35 Then the whole population of Lydda and Sharon saw Aeneas walking around, and they turned to the Lord.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for our lesson from Luke in the Acts of the Apostles. Your Word reminds us these early believers lived and operated in the fear of the Lord and in the power of the Holy Spirit. Even the communities around them noticed, although they were ordinary men, the Spirit made them powerful. Help us to live by faith and in reverence to your will, so in the Spirit we can be a part of expanding your Kingdom. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Lately, I have found myself needing to press deeply into my relationship with the Lord, trusting Him to not only hold my heart, but to bring spiritual revelation so His Truth can overshadow great pain. I know that God is my Shepherd, and even though I have tremendous grief, I am confident that He wants to spiritually transform me and to use even these places of unexplained hurt for good.

In Friday’s devotion, Pastor Mary reminded us that King David did not rely on his feelings for guidance, rather he relied on and trusted in God to lead, direct, and guide his life, so that he would never be lost. Like David, I have needed to cry out to the Lord for His goodness and unfailing love to be my guiding light in a dark valley (Psalm 23).

Today we continue with King David, and we will meditate in prayer and allow our hearts to sing Psalm 100. David wrote this psalm of thanksgiving because he knew that no matter our circumstances, the Lord is our Shepherd, and that His goodness and unfailing love will never stop pursuing us, because God wants each one of us to reside in His House for all eternity.

I know that the enemy wants me to get stuck in my feelings and hand over my joy of the Lord to him, but that is a choice that I will never make. We must remember, Jesus is our Shepherd, Who became our joy when each one of us chose salvation in Him. Even though the enemy is always around, he has NO power to take our joy, unless we give it to him; because Jesus, Who is divine and holy, lives in you and me, and He is our joy even in our dark valleys.

May Psalm 100 encourage your heart today.

Psalm 100 (NLT)

A psalm of thanksgiving.

1 Shout with joy to the LORD, all the earth!
2 Worship the LORD with gladness.
Come before him, singing with joy.
3 Acknowledge that the LORD is God!
He made us, and we are his.
We are his people, the sheep of his pasture.
4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving;
go into his courts with praise.
Give thanks to him and praise his name.
5 For the LORD is good.
His unfailing love continues forever,
and his faithfulness continues to each generation.

Prayer: Jesus, thank You for being our Good Shepherd. Holy Spirit help us to hold firmly onto our joy. Bring healing to our places of pain as You reveal more of Your wisdom and Truth to us. We do not want to hand anything that is of You over to the enemy. Thank You for being Guide. We ask all of this in Your Holy Name, Jesus. Amen.

Over the years, there have been moments when I have ‘felt’ a bit lost from the looming demands and flurry of life, but am I spiritually lost? No; never. God knows my heart, understands my feelings, but is always seeking to reveal deeper ways for me to relate to his presence and receive grace in times of need. Salvation is about relationship. When we are “feeling” lost, we must call for the Shepherd.

The purpose of Psalms is to direct our focus to the Savior who alone can rescue us. Essentially, the writings in the psalter are love songs that help us better understand the unfailing commitment of God to find us in our lostness. These songs are not given to simply stir our emotions as we experience God’s presence, because relying on feelings alone to decide God is with us is a mark of spiritual infancy. However, our emotions are used by God to move us closer to the Savior who never changes or fluctuates in his covenant commitment.

God’s goal for his children is that we would grow in our understanding of his intense steadfast love for us. For the spiritually mature, the indicator of God’s presence with us is the conviction and belief that God is faithfully transforming us from the lost into knowing we have been found. We are confident that he will deliver us from evil and rescue us, because we obediently allow the Lord to lead us in the Truth.

In our passage from the psalter, today, David does not rely on feelings. Rather, he relies on what he knows to be true. When David trusts God to lead, direct, and guide his life, he is never lost. David remains in the care of the Lord—his Guardian.

As believers—who seek to be guided in the Truth by our Shepherd—we are never lost. We are being spiritually transformed as new creatures in Christ’s nature and character. Our feelings may simply be slow in catching up to the Truth that we have already been found and we are loved more than we can ever understand. In those moments, we must reach for faith and persevere, because the Shepherd of our souls—mind, will, and emotions—is never far away. Easter reminds us our Hope lives!

Psalm 23 A psalm of David.
1 
The Lord is my shepherd;
    I have all that I need.
2 
He lets me rest in green meadows;
    he leads me beside peaceful streams.
3 
    He renews my strength.
He guides me along right paths,
    bringing honor to his name.
4 
Even when I walk
    through the darkest valley,
I will not be afraid,
    for you are close beside me.
Your rod and your staff
    protect and comfort me.
5 
You prepare a feast for me
    in the presence of my enemies.
You honor me by anointing my head with oil.
    My cup overflows with blessings.
6 
Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me
    all the days of my life,
and I will live in the house of the Lord
    forever.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for the assurance that even during the times in life when we may feel the most vulnerable, we are eternally secure in your love. Feed, lead, and guide us in the Truth. Help us cling to your gift of peace for our hearts and minds. Rescue us from the work and ways of evil, Lord. Please continue to meet our needs: lead us, strengthen us, protect us, comfort us, and bless us with your goodness. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

In ancient times, writers used papyrus reed [Nile grass] sheets fused together [up to 30 feet long] when writing books or scrolls. When I was in the Holy Land in 2012, I watched how these papyrus reed sheets were made, dried, and formed into these long scrolls. Clay or wax seals were used periodically throughout these long sheets to isolate specific information. Each section drew attention to something very important.

In our passage today, the Apostle John has a vision from God and he writes about it. John sees a scroll that contains the words of God and what the Lord plans for his fallen world at the end of time. John understands each sealed area of the scroll will reveal another phase of God’s plan; seven seals in all. Who is worthy to open the seals? Who can be trusted with the world’s future?

Only a perfect and sinless life can break the first seal of the scroll, open and read the Word of God, and advance through the following seals. John witnesses that Jesus, the Lamb of God who willingly gave his life to save humanity from destruction, is the only one worthy to open the scroll. Only Jesus has pure power and authority to rule the world, because he destroyed sin and death. Salvation comes to those who believe in Christ’s work on the cross (John 6:29).

The Lord is both the Lion with authority and power, as well as the Lamb who perfectly submitted to God’s will. As the Lamb, Jesus died to save the world by taking on the sins of humanity; he purchased us with his blood. As the Lion, Christ will lead the final battle in godly strength to defeat Satan once and for all—Satan is NOT equal to God in power.

So, all of creation rejoices, because the eternal Kingdom of God is supreme [above all fallen things], filled with the priesthood of believers, and governed in righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit! (Ro 14:17). One day, believers will rule the world [Luke 22:29-30]. A glorious future awaits us—which gives us hope in the midst of the trials we face in this fallen world.

Revelation 5:1-10 NLT The Lamb Opens the Scroll
1 Then I saw a scroll [book] in the right hand of the one who was sitting on the throne. There was writing on the inside and the outside of the scroll, and it was sealed with seven seals. 2 And I saw a strong angel, who shouted with a loud voice: “Who is worthy to break the seals on this scroll and open it?” 3 But no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll and read it.
4 Then I began to weep bitterly because no one was found worthy to open the scroll and read it. 5 But one of the twenty-four elders said to me, “Stop weeping! Look, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the heir to David’s throne, [the root of David] has won the victory. He is worthy to open the scroll and its seven seals.”
6 Then I saw a Lamb that looked as if it had been slaughtered, but it was now standing between the throne and the four living beings and among the twenty-four elders. He had seven horns and seven eyes, which represent the sevenfold Spirit [Holy Spirit] of God that is sent out into every part of the earth. 7 He stepped forward and took the scroll from the right hand of the one sitting on the throne. 8 And when he took the scroll, the four living beings and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp, and they held gold bowls filled with incense, which are the prayers of God’s people. 9 And they sang a new song with these words:
“You are worthy to take the scroll
    and break its seals and open it.
For you were slaughtered, and your blood has ransomed people for God
    from every tribe and language and people and nation.
10 
And you have caused them to become
    a Kingdom of priests for our God.
    And they will reign [are reigning] on the earth.”

Prayer: Lord, thank you for purchasing our lives back from the penalty of sin and death. As believers, we can be assured of a future with you in your righteous Kingdom. Although we don’t fully understand the progressive nature of your plan, we know you will rescue us from Satan’s deception and destruction that infiltrates this fallen world. For believers, Satan is a defeated foe. You give us authority to choose and operate in your strength and righteousness each day. Please continue to cause us to rise up in your righteous nature and be the witnesses you need in the world. May your whole world worship you once again! In Jesus’ name. Amen.