02 Apr 2026
Jesus endured scorn, beating and crucifixion to save mankind. He willingly went through the pain and suffering out of love for you and me. How do we respond to this love? Do we understand that the aim of His pain and suffering was to set us free? Matthew 27:45-54.
You Have Always Been Drawn to Wood
What would Mary have thought in such painful times? Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother … (John 19:25). I have often wondered what Mary, the mother of Jesus, thought as she watched her boy – who also happened to be God’s Son – die on the cross. Would she remember the manger of wood? Would she remember the wood shavings in her boy’s hair as Joseph, a true man of honor, stood by her and helped her raise God’s Son? Would she realize in looking back that her boy had always been drawn to wood? The following is a meditation I wrote years ago as I tried to imagine what it was like for Mary at the foot of the Cross. I hope these thoughts are a blessing and a challenge to you as we wait for the light of hope to dawn on Sunday and remind us that death does not have the final word in Jesus’ life, and because of Jesus, it does not have the final word in our own lives! As Mary stood watching, she remembered all of it, but especially that last conversation with her boy. He was not a boy, of course. He was tall and strong and more than thirty birthdays old. But, he still was her boy. “I must go now,” he had said, “I have always been drawn to wood.” She had looked into his dark eyes, her smile full of hurt and a mother’s love. “Such a fine young man,” she thought as she brushed the sawdust and wood shavings from his curly brown hair for the thousandth time. But this time was different. Something about the set of his jaw and the flash of fire in his eyes told her this was the last time. Even in his twenties, Yeshua was respectful and supportive. This was especially so after Joseph died. Yeshua took over the carpenter’s shop and did what the eldest son was expected to do. “You have sawdust and shavings in your hair, Yeshua. Just like when you were a little boy with your father.” She hoped her words might hold him close a moment or two longer. But as she spoke them, it was Mary who paused. She thought of the man who had stood by her when the only explanations were divinely insane. She missed him so. Yeshua’s presence in the shop had always reminded her of Joseph. While they looked nothing alike, he was very much his father’s son. With Joseph’s death had come the resurrection of suspicion and the cruel taunts, “Mary’s boy! Mary’s boy!” Yeshua would shrug and smile his wry grin, as if he heard some faraway song awakening some primal instinct deep within his heart. Mary’s smile and motherliness brought no response this time. “You have always been drawn to wood!” she said nervously. She had kept her feelings hidden, but since the wedding in Cana, she knew the promises from long ago were beginning to unfold. He was no longer her little boy – she knew it as well as she knew the dark eyes, the curls of brown hair, and the tenderness in his voice when he spoke to her. This was his goodbye. More than leaving home, he was leaving her and all she knew as family behind. “You have always been drawn to wood!” she softly repeated. She touched his brown curls and brushed the shavings from his hair one last time. It was true – he had always been drawn to wood. She had said it often, hoping against hope that it would keep him near her, or at least near the carpenter’s shop. Despite the angel’s promise that he would be King and Savior, when he was born, she had placed him in a wooden manger. Now, in the shadow of his cross, the thought now pierced her like a dagger, “You have always been drawn to wood.” “I must go, now, mother!” he had firmly said. “It’s time. James, Joses, and Jude can run the shop. They will take care of you. It is time for me to do what you know I must do. My carpentry is needed elsewhere. As you have so often said, ‘I have always been drawn to wood.’” As she stood shivering from the cold in her soul, she now remembered everything – the manger, the wood shavings, and especially that day he left. And now, just three years later, the rattling sounds of her son’s labored breathing shook her to her marrow. Tears stained her cheeks as she stood looking at the little boy she once swaddled and placed in the manger. Mary softly cried and said for the final time, “My precious son, you have always been drawn to wood.” About the author: Phil Ware has authored 11 years of daily devotionals, including VerseoftheDay.com, read by 500,000 people a day. He works with churches in transition with Interim Ministry Partners and for the past 21+ years, he has been editor and president of HEARTLIGHT Magazine, author of VerseoftheDay.com, God’s Holy Fire (on the Holy Spirit), and aYearwithJesus.com. Phil has also authored four books, daily devotionals on each of the four gospels.
Today’s Verse – Psalm 14:1
The fool says in his heart there is no God. —Psalm 14:1 Thoughts on Today’s Verse… At one time or another, most of us raised an angry fist to fate and cursed the darkness. Each of these actions is equally ineffective. To deny the existence of God is something else altogether. To rob heaven of God is to rob ourselves of grace, hope, and future. How foolish to forget that behind a Creation of wonder, order, variety, beauty, power, and pattern is the Grand Creator. He is far greater than his handiwork, and we dare not ignore, deny, or dismiss him, for then we become our own gods, left to only worship ourselves and the beauty created for us. How small our world becomes when we do deny there is God (1 Corinthians 1:18-32). My Prayer… O LORD God Almighty, Creator and Sustainer, we thank you for not only being there always as the great “I AM,” (Exodus 3:13-15; Hebrews 13:5-6) but being with each of us this very day. Please use us, your children, to awaken our skeptical world to the wonder, glory, majesty, righteousness, grace, and love that is you! In Jesus name, we pray and praise you, O God. Amen. All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House.
01 Apr 2026
Was the symbolism of the breaking of the bread and the drinking of the wine at the last supper understood by the disciples? Did the weight of Jesus’s words make them realise the importance of what Christ was about to experience for the sake of mankind? And do I appreciate what He did for me on the cross? Do His broken body and shed blood mean something to me? Matthew 26:26-29.
The Hanging of Randal Batey
How is your perception? Brave men cringed and tender hearted women wept at the hanging of Randal Batey. As this evil bad man finally received his just punishment some turned away or fainted dead away! Well, not really, but it sounds good and now that I have your attention, let me tell you the “real” story about the hanging of Randal Batey. Much of life is about perceptions, isn’t it? It is how we perceive the world around us or how we perceived the laws that regulate our lives and our universe. (Perceive is defined as: “to attain awareness or understanding of or to regard as being such as “perceived threats.” A synonym would be “to see or behold.”) What does this have to do with the hanging of Randal Batey? Actually a whole lot! My friend Randal lives in Flint, Michigan. He has a large plot of land and enjoys the native wildlife. He and his wife, (Fran) especially enjoy the birds that flock to the bird feeders they have in the back yard. Let me set the scene now: Several years ago he built a swing set for his grandchildren out of 4 inch by 4 inch timbers. He left part of the top beam stick out on the end and he hangs his bird feeders there. A few weeks ago he noticed he needed to refill the bird feeders. He got his bucket of seed and headed to the feeders. He pulled a nearby lawn chair up and climbed up and began filling his bird feeders. As he was doing this, he noticed a police car drive around his house in the direction he was working. He said he immediately began to wonder what he had done wrong that would cause the police to come and pay him a visit. He continued with what he was doing and the police officer finally stopped the car and got out. When she came over she was laughing and he asked how he might help her. She said that she didn’t need anything, she was just checking on him, because from the road it looked as if he was hanging himself! We all laughed as he told the story! He said the funny thing was that they got a call a few days later from an old friend who had heard he had died and was calling to check on his wife. It’s all about our perception! Those things we see, observe or behold and then interpret in our lives based on what we think we see or understand. The sad thing is that often what we think we see, observe or understand has little to do with reality. Our perception is limited by how much we see or observe and often by our prior understanding of things. Let’s apply this concept to religious things: Many of the things people today believe about God, the Bible, Jesus or religion is based only on their limited perception. Those things which they have seen or observed, are skewed by their limited vision or understanding. The police officer didn’t really know what was going on until she got close enough to see things clearly. The problem with many people and religion is that they never bother to get a closer look. They base all of their understanding upon a casual observation or from a distance. They make decisions which will affect their lives for an eternity based upon often faulty perceptions. Let me give you an example from God’s Word of how it ought to be. Luke wrote the following: That very night the believers sent Paul and Silas to Berea. When they arrived there, they went to the synagogue. And the people of Berea were more open-minded than those in Thessalonica, and they listened eagerly to Paul’s message. They searched the Scriptures day after day to check up on Paul and Silas, to see if they were really teaching the truth. As a result, many Jews believed, as did some of the prominent Greek women and many men. (Luke 17:10-12 NLT) The hanging of Randal Batey was real in the mind of that Officer of the Law for a terrible few moments until she saw clearly. What terrible things or misunderstandings might be in your life and separate you from what God is truly all about? Maybe you need to take a closer look at what he is really all about, up close and personal as they say! About the author: Russ Lawson is a former missionary to Africa and minister in Ohio. He now works with World Christian Literature Outreach and writes a weekly email devotional, Messages from the Heart. For more information about Russ, click here.
Today’s Verse – Isaiah 53:5-6
He was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. —Isaiah 53:5-6 Thoughts on Today’s Verse… As we did yesterday, today we look at one of Isaiah’s four Servant Songs (Isaiah 42:1-9, 49:1-7, 50:4-9, 52:13-53:12) that speak of the coming of God’s servant Messiah, whom we know as Jesus, our LORD and Savior. I don’t know how Jesus could stand up under the weight of his divine assignment as Messiah and Suffering Servant, but he did for you and me. This servant song (Isaiah 52:13-53:12) emphasizes what Jesus endured and carried, along with the weight of his cross. He carried my sin, your sin, our sin with him to the cross. He allowed the weight of our sins to be placed upon him so that we would not have to bear the consequences of them. But in that sacrifice, as horrible as it was, we find ourselves healed – cured of the most awful disease a person can have, a sin-sick soul full of the rot and decay of death, evil, and hell. As we read two days ago: God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. (2 Corinthians 5:21) He was pierced, crushed, and punished for our sins. In the place of that putrification, he left us with his gracious love, transforming peace, and place with the Father in glory, where we will one day live with him, forever. Yes, “by his wounds, we are healed.” My Prayer… God of peace, fill my soul with the wonder of your grace, the enormity of Jesus’ sacrifice in coming to us, and the wonder of the glory we will share with him because of your love. Please remind me of the cost of your gracious love. Please stir in me the constant and abiding memory of your redemptive grace. Please awaken me to the mission that Jesus lived, died, and rose again, and the mission to share your love in Jesus with the world. Thank you. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen. All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House.
31 Mar 2026
Jesus knew exactly what would happen to Him. He predicted the betrayal by Judas. The disciples could not believe that it would be one of them who would betray Jesus. May the Lord give us insight to understand some of the things that will happen to us and around us. May this inspire us to intercede more and align to God’s will. Matthew 26:14-25.
The Ring of Authenticity
Can you tell if the imperfections have been cleansed? All 22 of us were standing in the shop and listening to our guide explain the unique nature of the porcelain works we were visiting. Made from a special mineral-content clay taken from nearby Turkish hills, some of the beautiful work was on display around us. All of us were interested in the process. He began by explaining the work of the master craftsman whose wheel was turning. A skilled artisan would take the clay and mold it under the steady pressure of his trained hands. Then, when the piece was in the form the master desired, it would be placed in a kiln heated to some 1,200 to 1,400 degrees Celsius. The delicate-looking plate, vase, or bowl would be left in that extreme heat for 14 hours, then allowed to cool for ten. In the transforming heat of the kiln, the clay forms glass and metal particles that interlock to form fine porcelain that has high mechanical strength and hardness. Henceforth, it is both resistant to thermal shock and penetration by chemicals that would weaken or discolor it. Finally, the translucent piece will be colored by an artist and glazed for the sake of brilliant and lasting color. Fascinating as the narration had been to someone who knew nothing of the process, the part of his account that impressed me most was yet to come. Reaching for a large bowl, the narrator asked, “Does anyone know how to distinguish high-quality porcelain from its inferior cousins?” I certainly did not and looked around only to see similar blank looks on the other 21 faces in our group. He smiled, balanced the bowl with the fingers and thumb of his left hand, and lifted it for all of us to see. “Please,” he said. “Listen!” With that, he thumped the lip of the translucent piece with the forefinger of his right hand. A distinct and resonant ring came from it and wafted over his audience – a sound almost as beautiful as the sight of the piece he had lifted for us to admire. “Now,” he continued, “listen to the sound from this piece that is flawed.” Lifting a piece with his left hand that looked identical to the first, he thumped it with his right forefinger. And the sound reminded me of one I used to hear as a child when I threw rocks onto the rusty tin roof of my neighbor’s barn. Grating. Harsh. Anything but beautiful. How like human character! All of us are being formed by life’s experiences and our practiced responses. Through the pleasant and unpleasant days, we are formed. Then the crisis moments put us into the fire. And we emerge – refined and matured, or embittered and brittle. Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow (James 1:2-3 NLT). If life gives you a thumping this week, pray that your heart will ring true. About the author: Rubel Shelly preached for decades and served as a professor of medical ethics, Bible, and philosophy at multiple universities. He was a former president of Rochester College and Professor of Philosophy and Religion at Lipscomb University. He was the author of more than 30 books and hundreds of inspirational articles. His commitment to a non-sectarian presentation of the gospel touched countless lives.
Today’s Verse – Isaiah 53:3-4
He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he took up our infirmities and he carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted. —Isaiah 53:3-4 Thoughts on Today’s Verse… Jesus was everything, created everything, and gave up everything to become nothing for you and me (Philippians 2:5-8). Most of the people on earth he came to save didn’t recognize him or accept him when he was here. Many in the crowds just assumed he deserved what he got, crucifixion. Most did not repent. But there was something about Jesus’ self-sacrificing story, self-emptying story that grabs our hearts and calls us, God’s lost children, home. On our journey home, we not only find him to be our Savior but also the servant promised by God through Isaiah the prophet (Isaiah 42:1-9, 49:1-7, 50:4-9, 52:13-53:12), who is also God’s Son, the one who came to bring salvation to all humankind. My Prayer… God Almighty, your plan to redeem me takes my breath away. Why you chose to take your precious son and expose him to such public disgrace while he was on earth, I will never comprehend. But this I do know: you love me with an everlasting love, and so I will serve you with all of my strength in thanks for his great sacrifice. Thank you for your love. In the name of Jesus Christ, my LORD and Savior, I pray and praise you. Amen. All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House.
30 Mar 2026
The death of Jesus on the cross will always be the greatest sacrifice of all time. He willingly lay down His life for our redemption. May this act of love always motivate us to ĺove others. May it also increase our love and respect for God. Matthew 26:10-13.