2 Timothy 3:16-17
16 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.

Luke 1:3-4
3 it seemed good to me also, having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first, to write to you an orderly account, most excellent Theophilus, 4 that you may know the certainty of those things in which you were instructed.

Luke wrote his gospel so that his reader might know with certainty the truth of everything they had been taught. The word he used for "instructed" carries the idea of foundational teaching -- the basics of the Christian faith carefully passed from one person to another. Luke received from Paul, Paul received through revelation, and the Holy Spirit guided it all into the written Word we now hold. Scripture is not a historical artifact to be admired from a distance. It is a living account, divinely ordered, personally addressed to you. Open it with the expectation that God has something specific to say to you today, because He does.

Luke 2:10-11
10 Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. 11 For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.

Galatians 3:28
28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus

Luke was a Gentile writing about a Jewish Messiah for all of humanity. This was no accident. God orchestrated it deliberately, because the gospel was never meant to belong to one people, one culture, or one class of person. The angel's announcement was not to the religious elite but to common shepherds in a field -- and it declared good news of great joy for all people.

What a heart we should have for ALL people to hear the Good News! How will they hear unless we GO? Pray this week for opportunities to share the gospel, pray for missions trips and ministries going out to preach the gospel, and pray how you can be involved in this Gospel for Everyone getting to everyone! 

2 Timothy 4:9-11
9 Be diligent to come to me quickly; 10 for Demas has forsaken me, having loved this present world, and has departed for Thessalonica—Crescens for Galatia, Titus for Dalmatia. 11 Only Luke is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, for he is useful to me for ministry

Hebrews 13:5
5 Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”

Paul, writing his final words from a Roman prison awaiting execution, said simply: "Only Luke is with me." Luke did not offer eloquent speeches or grand solutions. He offered himself. This is the ministry of presence -- showing up when it costs you something, remaining when others have gone, and letting your nearness communicate what words cannot. God Himself models this for us, promising never to leave or forsake His children. Who in your life is sitting in a figurative prison of grief, illness, or despair right now? Be Luke for them today. Simply go. Simply stay.

Luke 19:10
10 for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.”

Romans 3:23-24
23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus,

The key verse of Luke's entire gospel declares that the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost. This was not a passive rescue -- it was an active pursuit. God did not wait for you to find your way home. He came looking for you. Like a prodigal wandering far from the Father's house, each of us was lost before grace interrupted our story. Reflect today on the moment God found you. Let that remembrance renew your gratitude and fuel your compassion for those around you who are still wandering, still waiting to be found.

Luke 1:1-4
Inasmuch as many have taken in hand to set in order a narrative of those things which have been fulfilled among us, 2 just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word delivered them to us, 3 it seemed good to me also, having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first, to write to you an orderly account, most excellent Theophilus, 4 that you may know the certainty of those things in which you were instructed.

Colossians 4:14
14 Luke the beloved physician and Demas greet you.

Luke, whose name means "light-giving," devoted his life to illuminating the greatest story ever told. He did not seek recognition or personal glory -- he removed himself entirely from the narrative so that Christ alone would shine. In the same way, our lives are most useful when we become transparent vessels through which God's light reaches others. Consider today where pride or self-promotion may be dimming the light of Christ in your daily witness. Ask God to grant you the humble, luminous spirit of Luke's example of the work of the Holy Spirit , that your life might point others unmistakably to Jesus.

1 Peter 5:8-10
8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. 9 Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world. 10 But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you.

Peter reminds us that spiritual warfare is not a private struggle. Believers throughout every generation and across every corner of the world have faced the same deceiver using the same tactics. This shared experience is not meant to discourage us. It is meant to comfort and strengthen us. You are not uniquely weak because you face temptation and deception. You are part of a long, unbroken line of faithful men and women who have stood firm before you. Philippians 4:8 gives us the daily discipline that anchors our minds in truth rather than in the noise of the enemy. Fix your mind on what is true, noble, just, pure, and praiseworthy, and the lies will find far less room to take root.

Reflection: How does knowing that other believers share your spiritual battles change the way you approach your own struggles?

James 4:7
7 Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.

Luke 4:1-13
Then Jesus, being filled with the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, 2 being tempted for forty days by the devil. And in those days He ate nothing, and afterward, when they had ended, He was hungry. 3 And the devil said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread.” 4 But Jesus answered him, saying, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.’ ” 5 Then the devil, taking Him up on a high mountain, showed Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. 6 And the devil said to Him, “All this authority I will give You, and their glory; for this has been delivered to me, and I give it to whomever I wish. 7 Therefore, if You will worship before me, all will be Yours.” 8 And Jesus answered and said to him, “Get behind Me, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the LORD your God, and Him only you shall serve.’ ” 9 Then he brought Him to Jerusalem, set Him on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down from here. 10 For it is written: ‘He shall give His angels charge over you, To keep you,’ 11 and, ‘In their hands they shall bear you up, Lest you dash your foot against a stone.’ ” 12 And Jesus answered and said to him, “It has been said, ‘You shall not tempt the LORD your God.’ ” 13 Now when the devil had ended every temptation, he departed from Him until an opportune time.

Jesus demonstrated the only reliable method for resisting the devil. When tempted in the wilderness, weakened by forty days of fasting and pressed at his most vulnerable, Jesus did not debate Satan. He did not negotiate or reason with him. He anchored every response in the written word of God. The phrase "it is written" is not a formula, it is a declaration of submission to God's authority over every desire, fear, and temptation the enemy presents. James 4:7 makes the sequence clear. Submission to God comes first. Resistance flows out of that submission. Without surrender to God, resistance to the enemy is merely willpower, and willpower eventually runs out.

Practical Application: Spend time today in prayer, consciously surrendering one specific struggle to God before asking for the strength to resist it.

Ephesians 6:10-18
10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. 14 Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16 above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. 17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; 18 praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit,

God does not send his people into spiritual battle unprepared. The armor described in Ephesians 6 is not decorative. Each piece serves a specific defensive and offensive purpose against a specific kind of attack. Truth counters lies. Righteousness guards the heart. Faith extinguishes doubt. The word of God cuts through deception. Notice that this armor requires daily intentionality. Putting on the armor of God is a conscious, daily act of submission and readiness. Neglect any piece, and you leave yourself exposed in exactly the place the enemy will strike.

Reflection: Which piece of God's armor do you most consistently neglect in your daily walk?

John 8:44
You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it.

Jesus did not mince words when describing Satan. He called him a liar and the father of lies, tracing his murderous influence all the way back to the garden. The serpent's strategy against Eve was not brute force. It was subtle distortion. He took what God said, twisted it slightly, and waited for doubt to do the rest. Eve did not fall because she was foolish. She fell because she engaged with a voice she should have rejected and because her grip on God's word was not firm enough to counter the deception. A small crack in our foundation is all the enemy needs.

Are there areas where you have been entertaining ideas that subtly contradict what Scripture clearly teaches? How will you know? We need to stay close to the Word of God and to those who are mature in their faith to help us in those areas where we can be or are being deceived! 

1 Peter 5:8-9
Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. 9 Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world. 

The Christian life is not a passive one. Scripture calls us to be actively sober and vigilant because a real adversary is actively working against our faith. A lion does not announce its attack . It circles, waits, and strikes when prey is distracted or isolated. Satan operates with the same patience and precision.  He is a cunning, tireless deceiver who has studied human weakness since the garden. Sobriety here is not merely about alcohol or even substances but It is about clarity of mind, clarity of heart and a readiness for whatever may come! . Guard your thoughts. Stay alert. Your awareness is your first line of defense.

Reflection: In what areas of your life have you been spiritually drowsy or inattentive lately? What are the things right now that are causing you to get distracted from your time with the Lord? Pray through them, give them back to the Lord that you may seek first Him and His kingdom, which will give you greater clarity in the rest of your life! 

2 Corinthians 1:3-4
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.

God comforts us in our afflictions so that we can comfort others with the same comfort we have received. Your suffering is not only about you. There is someone on the other side of your storm who needs what God is producing in you right now. The disciples needed to cross through that storm because a broken man on the other side needed Jesus.

Your endurance through hardship gives you a language that no classroom can teach. It opens doors that comfort and ease never could. Do not give up halfway across the lake. There is someone waiting on the other side who needs you to make it through.

Reflection: Who in your life might be waiting on the other side of the storm you are currently enduring? How might your testimony of faithfulness through suffering be the very thing God uses to reach them?

Romans 5:3-4
3 And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; 4 and perseverance, character; and character, hope

Paul writes that tribulation produces perseverance, perseverance produces character, and character produces hope. Suffering is not wasted in the hands of God. It is curriculum. When trials come, the enemy's strategy is to make you trade the solid ground of what you know about God for the shifting sand of unanswered questions. You know the cross. You know the resurrection. You know that God did not spare His own Son but gave Him up for us all. These are not small things. They are the very foundation of your faith. Do not abandon what you know to be eternally true simply because you cannot yet see what is temporarily happening.

Reflection: What do you know to be true about God that you have been tempted to set aside during a current trial? How can the cross serve as your anchor point when circumstances feel uncertain? Make a list of five things you know to be true about God based on Scripture.

Psalm 107:25-30
25 For He commands and raises the stormy wind, Which lifts up the waves of the sea. 26 They mount up to the heavens, They go down again to the depths; Their soul melts because of trouble. 27 They reel to and fro, and stagger like a drunken man, And are at their wits’ end. 28 Then they cry out to the LORD in their trouble, And He brings them out of their distresses. 29 He calms the storm, So that its waves are still. 30 Then they are glad because they are quiet; So He guides them to their desired haven.

The psalmist describes sailors overwhelmed by a storm so fierce they stagger like drunken men, brought to their wits end. Then they cry out to the Lord, and He calms the storm and guides them to their desired haven.

This is the same God who stood in the stern of a boat and commanded wind and waves into silence. Whatever storm surrounds you today, it is not beyond His authority. The waves that feel like they are swallowing you are the same waves He walks on. He is not alarmed by what alarms you. He is not overwhelmed by what overwhelms you. He is greater.

Reflection: In what area of your life do you most need to be reminded that Jesus has authority over what feels uncontrollable? How does His power over creation speak to your current situation?

Philippians 4:8-9
8 Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things. 9 The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you.

Paul instructs believers to fill their minds with what is true, noble, just, pure, lovely, and praiseworthy. This is not wishful thinking or the denial of hardship. It is a deliberate, disciplined redirection of the mind toward what God has already revealed.

When the storm rages, our circumstances will always tell us a story about God. The danger is that story is often false. The disciples concluded that Jesus did not care simply because He was asleep. But His silence was not indifference. Do not allow the noise of your trial to drown out the truth of God's Word. Run to Scripture before you run to conclusions.

Practical Application: Identify one lie the storm has whispered to you about God. Find one verse that directly contradicts that lie and write it somewhere visible this week.

Mark 4:35-36
On the same day, when evening had come, He said to them, “Let us cross over to the other side.” 36 Now when they had left the multitude, they took Him along in the boat as He was. And other little boats were also with Him. 

Jesus told his disciples to cross to the other side without explaining what awaited them. He gave them just enough direction to take the next step. This is how God often leads us. He rarely lays out the full map before asking us to move. If He did, we might refuse. But notice that Jesus was in the boat with them. He did not send them out alone. Whatever direction God is calling you toward today, trust that His presence accompanies His instruction. You do not need to see the destination clearly. You only need to know who is leading you there.

Reflection: What step is God asking you to take that you have been hesitant to take because you lack full information? What would it look like to trust His direction today?

Revelation 22:20-21
20 He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming quickly.” Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus! 21 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.

2 Peter 3:11-14
11 Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, 12 looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat? 13 Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells. 14 Therefore, beloved, looking forward to these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless

John closes the entire Bible with a prayer that is also a declaration: even so, come, Lord Jesus. It is a prayer born not from despair about the world but from deep confidence in the one who is coming to make all things new.

The early church greeted one another with Maranatha — our Lord cometh. That greeting was a reminder that every ordinary day was lived in the shadow of an extraordinary hope.

As you close this week, let that hope recalibrate your perspective. The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ is with you. He is coming. Live like it.

AMEN! 

Isaiah 55:1-3
“Ho! Everyone who thirsts, Come to the waters; And you who have no money, Come, buy and eat. Yes, come, buy wine and milk Without money and without price. 2 Why do you spend money for what is not bread, And your wages for what does not satisfy? Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good, And let your soul delight itself in abundance. 3 Incline your ear, and come to Me. Hear, and your soul shall live; And I will make an everlasting covenant with you— The sure mercies of David.

Revelation 22:17
17 And the Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let him who hears say, “Come!” And let him who thirsts come. Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely.

The Spirit and the bride say come. That single word is the heartbeat of the entire gospel. It is the same word Jesus spoke to a weary woman at a well, to fishermen on a shore, to tax collectors in their booths. Come.

The invitation is not reserved for those who have cleaned themselves up or figured themselves out. It is extended freely to whoever thirsts. The issue is not about thirst but about where you go to quench it.

The world, the flesh, and the devil are always giving what doesn't satisfy at a cost.. Jesus paid the price for our salvation and calls us to freely take by faith!

This morning don't invest in what doesn't satisfy, run to Jesus for your every need! 

Isaiah 9:6  
6 For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Revelation 22:12-13
12 “And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work. 13 I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last.”

When Jesus declares himself the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end, he is not simply offering a title — he is offering an anchor. He is the Eternal God who stepped into our world to redeem us for Himself!

In a world that constantly shifts beneath our feet, his identity is the one fixed point. He existed before every problem you are carrying today, and he will remain long after it has passed. He is not a God who observes from a distance. He is the God who authored your story, sustains your present, and holds your future. Rest in who he is, and let that rest produce obedience.

How does knowing He is Eternal and All-Knowing change your perspective this morning?

1 Corinthians 3:10-15
10 According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I have laid the foundation, and another builds on it. But let each one take heed how he builds on it. 11 For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, 13 each one’s work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one’s work, of what sort it is. 14 If anyone’s work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. 15 If anyone’s work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.

Salvation is never earned by what we do, but true saving faith  always produces something good works. Paul reminds us that the works we build upon the foundation of Christ will one day be tested, not to determine whether we are saved, but to revealer true hearts intentions. Gold, silver, and precious stones represent work done for God's glory. Wood, hay, and straw represent work done for our own. The fire does not destroy the builder — it reveals the builder's heart.

Ask yourself today: what am I building, and for whose name am I building it? Let the love of God stir us up this morning to live for His glory from a pure heart. 

Matthew 24:36-44
36 “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only. 37 But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. 38 For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, 39 and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. 40 Then two men will be in the field: one will be taken and the other left. 41 Two women will be grinding at the mill: one will be taken and the other left. 42 Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming. 43 But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into. 44 Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect. 

Jesus does not leave us guessing about the certainty of his return — only about its timing. He is coming quickly, and that word carries the weight of momentum, like something drawing ever closer. The question is not whether He will come, but whether you will be found ready when He does. Readiness is not a frantic scramble but a daily posture of expectancy. Wake each morning asking whether today could be the day. Let that question shape your choices, your words, and your priorities. Watchfulness is not anxiety — it is love with its eyes open

Revelation 22:2-5
2 In the middle of its street, and on either side of the river, was the tree of life, which bore twelve fruits, each tree yielding its fruit every month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. 3 And there shall be no more curse, but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it, and His servants shall serve Him. 4 They shall see His face, and His name shall be on their foreheads. 5 There shall be no night there: They need no lamp nor light of the sun, for the Lord God gives them light. And they shall reign forever and ever.

Romans 8:18-21
18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. 19 For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God. 20 For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope; 21 because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.

1 Corinthians 13:12
12 For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known.

The leaves of the tree of life carry a word rooted in the idea of therapeutic wellness -- not emergency treatment but sustained, uninterrupted wholeness. Every MRI, every diagnosis, every sleepless night of worry over your body or the body of someone you love belongs to this present age. That age is passing. What is coming is a city with no night, no curse, no decay, and no distance between you and God. You will see his face. His name will mark you as his own. Whatever you are carrying today, carry it in the light of that coming morning. It is real. It is faithful. It is true.

 Abundant life forever is to those who have trust Jesus with their lives! What a hope we have for heavy days. 

Revelation 22:7
7 “Behold, I am coming quickly! Blessed is he who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book.”
Revelation 22:12
12 “And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work
2 Peter 3:9
9 The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.
1 Thessalonians 4:15-18
15 For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. 16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore comfort one another with these words.

The word translated "quickly" carries the sense of something increasing in speed with precision and accuracy. His return is not delayed -- it is building. Every generation of believers has been called to live with the expectation that today could be the day. This urgency is not meant to produce anxiety but to sharpen focus.

Prophecy functions like a shepherd's rod and staff -- guiding your steps and comforting your heart. God's patience in holding back the final hour is itself an act of love, giving every wandering soul an interval of grace. Live ready. Live expectantly. Live in the comfort that He is coming.

Revelation 22:6-7
6 Then he said to me, “These words are faithful and true.” And the Lord God of the holy prophets sent His angel to show His servants the things which must shortly take place. 7 “Behold, I am coming quickly! Blessed is he who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book.”

Daniel 9:2
2 in the first year of his reign I, Daniel, understood by the books the number of the years specified by the word of the LORD through Jeremiah the prophet, that He would accomplish seventy years in the desolations of Jerusalem.

2 Peter 1:19-21
19 And so we have the prophetic word confirmed, which you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts; 20 knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, 21 for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.

The angel's declaration that these words are faithful and true is not a footnote -- it is a foundation. God is faithful and true and so are His words!
God's word does not speculate or approximate. It foretells with precision and forth-tells with power. Daniel studied the scrolls of Jeremiah and discerned God's purposes across generations. The same Spirit that moved through Daniel and John moves through the believer who opens the scriptures with humility and expectation.

Do not treat the Bible as a closed book or an intimidating mystery. Approach it as a living word from a faithful God who means exactly what he says and always does what he promises.

Genesis 2:9
9 And out of the ground the LORD God made every tree grow that is pleasant to the sight and good for food. The tree of life was also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

Genesis 3:1-7
Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said to the woman, “Has God indeed said, ‘You shall not eat of every tree of the garden’?” 2 And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden; 3 but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die.’ ” 4 Then the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. 5 For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” 6 So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate. 7 Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves coverings.

Galatians 3:13
13 Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”)

Three trees mark the story of human history. The tree of the knowledge of good and evil brought the curse. The tree of life offered blessing that was forfeited. The cross, a tree fashioned for death, became the instrument of eternal rescue.

Christ became a curse so that the curse could be abolished. The New Jerusalem contains no trace of that original curse because the third tree absorbed it completely. When the weight of your failures presses down on you, return to the third tree. The curse that should have defined you was carried by the one who loved you most.

Take time to thank the Lord today for the Cross and for the Grace He has given to us! 

Revelation 22:1-2
And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding from the throne of God and of the Lamb. 2 In the middle of its street, and on either side of the river, was the tree of life, which bore twelve fruits, each tree yielding its fruit every month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations

James 1:17
17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.

James 3:17
17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy.

Everything pure flows from God. The crystal-clear river in the New Jerusalem is not remarkable merely for its beauty but for its source -- the throne of God and the Lamb. Before making a decision, pursuing a goal, or following an impulse, ask yourself where the source lies. Is it rooted in God's word and confirmed by his character? What is true, noble, pure, and praiseworthy originates from above. Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal the source of your desires today, where they are stemming from and ask that He would purify your heart  like the rushing of living water would do!