“He Himself bore our sins” in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; “by His wounds you have been healed.” — 1 Peter 2:24
Devotionals Daily - Make every day a better day… when you start with the Lord!
Devotionals Daily - Make every day a better day… when you start with the Lord!
 

Blessed Are the Desperate

Today's inspiration comes from:

NIV Women's Devotional Bible

Do not be like your ancestors, to whom the earlier prophets proclaimed: This is what the LORD Almighty says: ‘Turn from your evil ways and your evil practices.’ But they would not listen...Did not my words and my decrees, which I commanded my servants the prophets, overtake your ancestors?

— Zechariah 1:4,6

 

Read: Zechariah 1:1–21

 

I’m a colorful sinner, and I’ve fallen woefully short of God’s glory. I’m desperate for divine help. We all are.

 

C. S. Lewis paints a vivid description of how we humans seem to desecrate every good thing God does for us. In his book Letters to Malcolm, Lewis writes, “We poison the wine as He decants it into us; murder a melody He would play with us as the instrument. We caricature the self-portrait He would paint. Hence all sin, whatever else it is, is a sacrilege...”

 

Maybe you expect rejection from a perfect God because of your less-than-perfect past. Or maybe you’re spiritually crippled by a sin that seems unforgivable. But the good news of the gospel is that our heavenly Father loves us with an everlasting love...

Because of God’s mercy, our stained hearts have been bleached by the blood of the Lamb.

Because of God’s mercy, our stained hearts have been bleached by the blood of the Lamb.

We need to acknowledge the fact that we’re crippled — that there is nothing righteous in us, that we are desperate for His mercy. And when the Spirit prompts us to recognize our need for salvation, God provides a Savior through the sacrifice of His only son, Jesus, who rescues us from barren places and gives us a seat next to Him at the Lord’s banquet table.

 

Because of God’s mercy, our stained hearts have been bleached by the blood of the Lamb. The God who spoke the universe into existence, who breathed life into Adam, who stretched out the heavens and the necks of giraffes, has looked down, taken our hand in His, and said, “Yep, she’s Mine.” Even though we’re crippled, we have been royally adopted by the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. We are listed as His next of kin. Our names are written on His hands and in His book of life. His love for us is based on His character, not our performance. And it is greater than we could ever hope for or imagine.

 

“He Himself bore our sins” in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; “by His wounds you have been healed.”

— 1 Peter 2:24

 

Blessed are the desperate.

 

—Lisa Harper

Excerpted with permission from NIV Women’s Devotional Bible, copyright Zondervan.

 

*

Ready to Dig Deeper?

SHOP THIS BIBLE ►
 

Your Turn

Whatever is in your past that you bring to Jesus is wiped away. Your record is clear with Him! He’s that gracious! He’s that merciful! Bask in that today and don’t shy away from Him any longer. He loves you more that you can possibly understand.

~ Devotionals Daily

COMMENT
 
 

Life-Changing Devotions for Women by Women

Save 30%

NIV Women's Devotional Bible

Save today!

$41.99

30% off

+ FREE shipping included!

SHOP NOW

The NIV Women's Devotional Bible features hundreds of devotions written for a woman just like you. It includes guided reflections to help you apply Scripture to your daily life, and it will allow you to get to know the women of the Bible through candid portrayals, helping you to see them in both their victories and struggles. You'll dig deeper into the Scriptures Monday through Friday, and on the weekends, meet the women of the Bible on a more personal level.

 

Pursue a fulfilling walk with Christ, guided by the wisdom of godly women. This group of contributors includes teachers, poets, ministry leaders, homemakers, conference speakers, missionaries, and authors. It includes wives, widows, and those who never married. It includes both those who raised children and those who remained childless. Together they offer hope, guidance, and encouragement on your journey.

LEARN MORE ►

 

More about this Bible

Save today!
Save today!

This inspiring devotional Bible is now available in the exclusive Zondervan NIV Comfort Print® typeface for smooth reading. Expertly designed specifically to be used for the New International Version (NIV) text, Comfort Print offers an easier reading experience that complements the most widely read modern-English Bible translation.

SHOP NOW
 
Save today!

What Our Readers Are Saying

5 stars

"I absolutely love this Bible. I love the devotions and how they make you think and I love how the NIV reads. I have not been able to put this Bible down!" — Angelia F.

"Perfect in every way." — Michele C.

"Love the layout and sections so I can easily accomplish my devotions with guidance." — Gretchen H.

SHOP NOW
 

+ Don't miss the NIV Men's Devotional Bible

A year's worth of devotions written by men, specifically for men.

Save today!

$41.99

30% off

SHOP NOW

Apply God's Word to your life with a full year's worth of devotions written by men, for men, along with application statements, questions for reflection, and more. The NIV Men's Devotional Bible offers encouragement from contemporary and classic communicators and authors including Lee Strobel, Chuck Colson, and Rick Warren. Together, they will help you on your walk with God by presenting weekday and weekend devotions that are engaging, practical, and useful for your life today.

 

The NIV Men's Devotional Bible is now available in the exclusive Zondervan NIV Comfort Print® typeface for smooth reading. Expertly designed specifically to be used for the New International Version (NIV) text, Comfort Print offers an easier reading experience that complements the most widely read modern-English Bible translation.

 

Untangle Your Emotions

STUDY BEGINS JUNE 10

You're in!

To make the most of your study experience, we recommend the Untangle Your Emotions study guide. For a deeper experience, check out the Premium Bundle with the Scripture Journal (a FaithGateway exclusive) and NIV Journal the Word Bible for one low price, plus free shipping. 

Study Guide + Journal + Bible

PREMIUM BUNDLE

The Best Value - includes free* U.S. shipping! Get 3 incredible resources for one low price of $40!

$48.99

46% off

 + Free U.S shipping included

SHOP NOW
 

SHARE

this devotion with someone who needs it today

SHARE
 
FacebookTwitterInstagram TikTokPinterestYouTube
 

VIEW THIS EMAIL IN YOUR BROWSER  ►

 

Copyright © 2024 HarperCollins Christian Publishing,  All Rights Reserved.
501 Nelson Place, Nashville, TN  37214  USA
Terms and Conditions | Privacy Policy

Manage your eMail preferences or unsubscribe 

 

*Sale price ends on 5/31/24. Limited quantities available.  Sale pricing excludes ebooks and audiobooks.  Free Standard Shipping for U.S. orders over $35 excluding Alaska and Hawaii.

 

**eBooks purchases are fulfilled by our partner, Glose. Please note that:

  • To access your eBooks, you can download the free Glose app or read instantly in your browser by creating a Glose account using the same email address you use to purchase the eBooks.
  • eBooks fulfilled through Glose cannot be printed, downloaded as PDF, or read in other digital readers (like Kindle or Nook).
  • For more information about how to access eBooks purchased on this site, click here for our FAQs.