Daily Devotional
Does God Really Love You?
April 18, 2019
BIBLE MEDITATION:
And when they were come to the place which is called Calvary, there they crucified Him. Luke 23:33a
DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:
Calvary, the spot where Jesus carried our sins to the cross, had another name, “Golgotha” (“the place of the skull”), because of its skull-like rock formation. This same spot, known also as Mt. Moriah, is where Abraham offered Isaac to God. Did you know that Mt. Moriah, the Temple mount, and Mt. Calvary all share the same limestone ridge? They are all part of the same mountain.
Centuries before Jesus’ birth, God told Abraham, “I want you to take Isaac, your only son, the son you love, the son of promise, to a place I will show you. Not just any place—a certain place. And there you are to offer your son as a sacrifice.” That’s the very same spot where one day, centuries later, Jesus Christ would be crucified.
For Abraham and Isaac, God stepped in and provided a ram caught in a thicket as the substitute for Isaac, and Isaac was spared. On the day Jesus Christ was crucified, no such substitute spared Him—for He IS our Substitute.
ACTION POINT:
Think about what it cost God the Father to sacrifice His only Son on Calvary’s mountain. Think about what it cost the Lord Jesus to be that “ram caught in the thicket” for you. Let what God provided—and what His Son did—sink into the deepest part of your heart.
“Praise the Lamb, for sinners slain. Give Him glory, all ye people, for His blood can wash away each stain.”
FOR YOUR GIFT TO THE MINISTRY
Front Porch Moments by Gayle Foster
WITH KEY INSIGHTS FROM HER FATHER, ADRIAN ROGERS
I try to unplug each morning with Jesus with just my rocking chair, my Bible, and a pen.
Having a secret place is very important because I know that Jesus is always there waiting for me. I know where I can find Him! His presence is everywhere, but there are places where it is so thick you can cut it with a knife. You may not even have a front porch, but there is a secret place for you as well. God’s invitations are for anyone who will respond. There is no more important request than the one found in Psalm 27:8: “My heart has heard You say, ‘Come and talk with Me.’ And my heart responds, ‘Lord, I am coming.’”
