Then they asked him, “Where is your father?”
“You do not know me or my Father,” Jesus replied. “If you knew me, you would know my Father also.” (John 8:19)

When the Pharisees asked, “Where is your father?” they were saying, “We don’t hear the testimony of the Father. The miracles that you have performed, such as raising the dead, don’t amount to anything.” The Pharisees wanted Jesus to place the Father right before their eyes so that they might feel and touch him as they would a wall. Otherwise, they wouldn’t believe or accept what he was saying. But Christ pointed to the Father’s testimony, not so that they might see and touch the Father, but so that they would believe. The Father’s testimony should have led them all to his Word. Philip also said to Christ, “Show us the Father” (John 14:8). But Christ doesn’t show us the Father the way we might want him to. Rather, the Father shows us Christ, who says, “The Father points you to me, not the other way around. He is the one who shows you Christ. He testifies of me. You must do what he says and listen to my words and testimony.”

Excerpt From: “Faith Alone: A Daily Devotional” by Martin Luther.

The Upper Room Daily Devotional: Calmed By God’s Word

Read Psalm 46:1-11

God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.
Psalm 46:1

After completing a week of intense training sessions, I was anxious to get home. With traffic backed up on the freeway, I had to find an alternate route home.

On the way, I began to think about Bible verses that describe the way God cares for us and discovered that my anxiety had left me. As I drove along the alternate route, I began to see wonderful, new sights such as a sparkling blue river that wound between cliffs and disappeared into the horizon. I pondered how God calls us to be still even in the midst of trouble. I remembered scripture that admonishes us to put aside our jumbled thoughts and to fix our minds on God’s presence and promises.

When we make a habit of reading the Bible, memorizing it, and recalling it, the reassuring words of God can replace our worries. They are always close at hand when we need comfort or assurance in our daily lives.
Linda Jo Reed (Washington, USA)

Thought for the Day: Daily Bible reading helps me remember God’s presence.

Prayer: Dear Lord, sharpen our minds to recall your words so that we can trust you to ease our anxieties. Thank you for your loving care. We pray as Jesus taught us, saying, “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one” (Matt. 6:9-13). Amen.

Prayer Focus: THOSE TRAVELING FOR WORK