1 Peter 1:18b-25 - You were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a Lamb without blemish or spot. He was foreknown before the foundation of the world but was made manifest in the last times for the sake of you who through Him are believers in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God. Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart, since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding Word of God; for "All flesh is like grass and all its glory like the flower of grass. The grass withers, and the flower falls, but the Word of the Lord remains forever." And this Word is the good news that was preached to you.

Have you ever seen those little signs people put up in their homes that have the name of the married couple or family and, under that, the words "Established 1998" or some other date? To be honest, they tend to make me laugh, especially when the date is only two or three years ago. But at least those signs show that the family involved has faith and hope for the future. They expect to be around, and together, for a long, long time.

Of course, no marriage lasts forever. My grandparents were married more than 70 years, but death came at last. Families drift apart; people move or die or get divorced. Even nations and empires come to an end. Compared to eternity, they might as well be like grass or flowers.

We need something permanent—something that will last forever. Our hearts cry out for a foundation that we can trust. And Peter tells us exactly what that is—"The Word of the Lord remains forever. And this Word is the good news that was preached to you."

The Good News is that God Himself has seen our distress in this broken world that is full of evil, and He has come to rescue us. He has come as the Man Jesus Christ. Jesus knows by experience what it means to work hard, to suffer, to feel the things that you trusted fall apart on you. He knows betrayal. And He knows death.

But because Jesus lay down His life to rescue us, and then rose from the dead to live forever, now He has become the one permanent safe place for all of us. Jesus will never die again; that means that we can never lose Him. He will never betray or forget us or decide He doesn't love us; when He died for us, He made that absolutely clear forever. When we are tired, we can lean on Him. When we are frightened, we can run to Him. He is our safe place, and He is our Rock. Jesus will always be there for us. And so we too will remain forever—because we are in Him.

WE PRAY: Thank You, Lord, that You are always there for me. Amen.

This Daily Devotion was written by Dr. Kari Vo.

Reflection Questions:

1. What is something that you trusted in that didn't last as long as you expected it to?

2. How did you feel when it came to an end?

3. What difference does it make in your life, to know that Jesus and His promises are permanent?

Today's Bible Readings: Judges 13-15    Luke 15:1-10

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