Daily Devotions from Lutheran Hour Ministries

In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith -- more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire -- may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 1 Peter 1:6-7

Sarah Keepers and her husband went to a garage sale and bought an old, plywood chair for $5.

At first they used the chair to play their video games. Finally, tired of looking at the thing, Keepers told her hubby to take it out of the house and put it in the garage. "After all," she said, "a plywood chair doesn't match anything else we own."

The five-dollar chair sat in the garage for about a year. Then time came for spring cleaning and Keepers thought the chair might be donated to some charity. As she was playing around with the idea, she looked at the bottom of the chair.

It said that this chair was a Herman Miller chair.

Well, when I heard that, it didn't mean anything to me, and it may not mean anything to you, but to Keepers it meant dollar signs.

Similar chairs sit in the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art. More importantly to Keepers, similar chairs have sold for as little as $14,000 and for as much as $150,000. That which was trash had been instantly transformed into treasure.

The Holy Spirit does much the same thing for people when He brings them to faith.

* For example, when we see the Savior with eyes of faith, that little Baby wrapped in swaddling clothes is no longer just the Son of a poor carpenter and his bride.

* When we see Jesus carry out some healing miracle, we know what we've seen is not some sleight-of-hand trick performed by a master magician.

* When we hear Him tell us to love our enemies, we are aware that those words are not some philosopher's pious platitude. We understand they have been uttered by a Man who practices what He preaches.

* When we see Him die on a Jerusalem cross, we know that "truly, this Man was the Son of God" (see Mark 15:39), and not just a common criminal. When we are given eyes of faith, we see things differently. That which the world discarded has become valuable; that which unbelievers hold in disdain has been transformed into heaven-sent treasure.

* When we see the risen Redeemer with eyes of faith, like Thomas, we are compelled to confess: "My Lord and my God" (see John 20:28).

THE PRAYER: Dear Lord, may I always see Jesus with eyes of faith. Grant that I may clearly see His love and sacrifice, which alone can save me. This I ask in the Redeemer's Name. Amen.

In Christ I remain His servant and yours,

Today's Bible Readings: Proverbs 27-29    Acts 5:1-21

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