Tuesday, April 14, 2026

Bible in a Year: Job 3-4 | Matthew 4

Beloved, your eyes being fixed on this devotional today is not an accident, but evidence that God loves you and wants to speak to you.

Years ago, as I laid on what felt like the rocky bottom of one of the many low days in my life, I braced myself, waiting for the condemnation of all I had done to come crashing down on me. Waves of shame and guilt threatened to swallow me whole.

Instead, something else happened, or perhaps, someone else happened.

I felt this peaceful surrounding presence come over me that cut right through my feelings. I knew right away it was God. I had a strong desire to open my Bible, which I had brought with me because I was desperate and pleading for his help. I can’t remember exactly where I opened it up to, and it doesn’t matter, but the words lifted off the page and straight into my heart. Finally, I understood, and physically felt, God’s unconditional love.

As we sat there, just me and him, the world melted away. He chose me - just as the Bible said - and unlike the world, he doesn’t break his promises.

Do you feel chosen and unconditionally loved? Do you want to?

There are no other people, occupations, or things that can deliver on this promise, only Jesus. Whether you feel it or not, when you say yes to Jesus, you are chosen, loved, and forgiven unconditionally. Even that awful thing you can’t tell anyone about, he knows and is still saying, “You are mine!”

He finds us in our mess, but by his power and mercy, he does not leave us there. When you say yes to Jesus, the Holy Spirit who raised Jesus Christ from the dead, enters you and helps you until you are finally complete with God in eternity. We can rest in this love and trust in Jesus to provide exactly what we need as we move through this life.

Let’s train our lips to speak and hearts to believe Psalm 139:17-18

How precious are your thoughts about me, O God.

They cannot be numbered!

I can’t even count them; they outnumber the grains of sand!

And when I wake up, you are still with me!

Questions:
Do you know you are chosen and loved by God?

Are you ready to say, “Yes I believe that Jesus died for me and my sins”?

Next Steps:
If you are not sure you believe what we talked about today, reach out to a CedarCreek campus pastor, someone at guest services following a weekend service, or fill out a “contact us” form so we can support you in getting your questions answered.

If you said yes to Jesus and want to know what is next, consider attending GrowthTrack as a way to learn and grow on this journey.

Prayer:
Lord, I thank you for the mercy you pour out on your children every second of the day. I pray I can offer this same love to my neighbors, coworkers, and community. Help me accept the truth - I am chosen - and live my life from a place of security, not fear. May my words be life-giving as I go through my day today. Amen.

Series Theme Verse:

Ephesians 1:5
God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure.

This post was written by April Willer, a Perrysburg attendee and regular contributor to the Daily LivingItOut.