Jesus, the God Who Loves & Rescues You! 5 Day Reading PlanНамуна

JESUS

The God Who Loves and Rescues You

JESUS. His name denotes power, authority, and majesty. Yet, in humility he took on human form to rescue us. I recommend: He modeled for us how we should live. He is the God who loves us more than we deserve or will ever comprehend.

Listen closely to Jesus’s message:

“You have been made clean already by the teaching I have given you. Remain united to me, and I will remain united to you. A branch cannot bear fruit by itself; it can do so only if it remains in the vine. In the same way you cannot bear fruit unless you remain in me.

“I am the vine, and you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will bear much fruit; for you can do nothing without me” (John 15:3-5).

Sometimes, obstacles on our journey may cause us to fall. Be encouraged! No matter where you fall on life’s spectrum, you are never outside the reach of Jesus’s radical and revolutionary love. Jesus’s grace and mercy are like an ever-cascading waterfall; nothing can stop it from washing over us, gushing and glistening with healing, cleansing our every fault, and quenching our deepest need.

As you read these devotionals, with stories and readings taken from the Gospels and other Scripture texts, look closely at the lives of the people—individuals just like us—all of whom have been rescued by the love of our Savior. Take time to thank God for Jesus, who loves you unconditionally, and who, at this very moment, is willing to rescue you so you will bear much fruit.

DAY 1

JESUS loves and forgives you, and rescues you from guilt and shame

Pray

Dear Jesus, when I read your Word, I marvel at your grace—that you would pursue me with such relentless passion, such unconditional love. Thank you for believing in me at times when I did not even believe in myself. Thank you for rescuing me from guilt and shame and making me know that I was worth saving. Because of you I am loved, I am forgiven, I am blessed. Amen.

Read

John 8:3-11

The teachers of the Law and the Pharisees brought in a woman who had been caught committing adultery, and they made her stand before them all. “Teacher,” they said to Jesus, “this woman was caught in the very act of committing adultery. In our Law Moses commanded that such a woman must be stoned to death. Now, what do you say?” They said this to trap Jesus, so that they could accuse him. But he bent over and wrote on the ground with his finger. As they stood there asking him questions, he straightened up and said to them, “Whichever one of you has committed no sin may throw the first stone at her.” Then he bent over again and wrote on the ground. When they heard this, they all left, one by one, the older ones first. Jesus was left alone, with the woman still standing there. He straightened up and said to her, “Where are they? Is there no one left to condemn you?”

“No one, sir,” she answered.

“Well, then,” Jesus said, “I do not condemn you either. Go, but do not sin again.”

John 3:17

For God did not send his Son into the world to be its judge, but to be its savior.

Romans 5:8, 10

…God has shown us how much he loves us—it was while we were still sinners that Christ died for us! … We were God's enemies, but he made us his friends through the death of his Son. Now that we are God's friends, how much more will we be saved by Christ's life!

Reflect

Can you see the woman being publicly humiliated, trapped, as no one comes to her defense? Jesus sees her, too. He also sees the hearts of those who show no mercy toward her. And so, Jesus, the God of a second chance, stoops down to render an amazing and unexpected verdict: “Whichever one of you has committed no sin may throw the first stone at her.” Who would have thought it would end this way? Jesus’s answer silences the woman’s accusers. But his redeeming love rescues this fallen woman, and his tender act of forgiveness wipes away her guilt and shame. By his loving actions, Jesus has put her on the path to a brand-new life in Christ.

Respond

Your story may not be as dramatic, but there may be things that you have done that keep you feeling unworthy of God’s love. Know this, Jesus loves you and he always will, no matter what you’ve done. When you miss the mark, he will stoop down to lift you up as often as you need him. No one—family or friend—can match Jesus’s great love and the depth of forgiveness that he offers you. Jesus desires to rescue you from guilt and shame, and he’s the only one who can do it. Bring all your cares before him and talk to him about them. You will find in him someone who is willing to listen without judging or condemning you, someone who will give you a second chance. Jesus’s heart is open toward you, always. That’s why he is your Savior, your rescuer, your friend.

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