Tuesday – Read II Kings 1-4; John 11:17-27. “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” Martha was in pain. She was grieving. It sounds like she was accusing Jesus of not being there for them, but she believed in her heart that Jesus has power over life and death. 22 “But even now I know that God will give you whatever you ask of him.” She wants Jesus to perform a miracle and raise her brother from the dead. So, Jesus tells her the Good News of the Gospel. “Your brother will rise again.” 24 Martha said to him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.” When someone you love dies, you wonder, “Will I see this person again? Is life on earth all there is, or is there something more?” Martha believed that she would see Lazarus again on the day of resurrection, and she believed in Jesus. Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life. Wherever I am, even here at this time and place of death, there is resurrection, and there is life, here, now.” Jesus said that people who believe in him find life… eternal life. Those who believe in Jesus share in the life of God here and now and forever. When you face death, you can find comfort and believe that Jesus is the resurrection and the life. The death of a loved one is the most painful thing we experience in this life. In his resurrection, Jesus offers us eternal life with him. The hope we find in Jesus is that there is a forever… that we can be with him forever, and that one day we will see our loved ones again in the forever. This is our hope. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you believe that Jesus is the resurrection and the life.

 

Wednesday – Read II Kings 5-8; John 11:28-44. Jesus Wept. When someone we love dies, we experience great sadness and despair. We may find ourselves overwhelmed with grief. Like Martha, Mary knelt at Jesus feet and said, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” When Jesus saw Mary weeping and the people with Mary weeping, he was greatly moved. John tells us: Jesus wept. John 11:35 is the shortest verse in the Bible: Jesus wept. Jesus loved Mary, Martha, and Lazarus. He felt their pain and joined in their mourning. In our church, one of the ways we share God’s love with a grieving family is to mourn with them. We sit with them. We listen to them. We join in remembering the deceased person by telling stories. Thank Jesus for his compassion for us, and pray for those who are mourning.

 

Thursday – Read II Kings 9-11; Psalm 23; John 14:1-4. The Father’s House. Psalm 23 reminds us that we have hope even when we walk through the darkest valley; it also gives us hope that we will dwell in the house of the LORD our whole life long. Jesus gave an invitation to his disciples and to all who call on his name to come and stay with him ion his Father’s house. When our time on earth is over, Jesus wants us to live with him in the Father’s house. It’s a big, big house. There are many mansions in the Father’s house, and Jesus has gone ahead of us to make sure that everything is ready. Jesus promised his disciples, 3 “And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, so that where I am, there you may be also.”  Jesus gives us the hope that we will be together with Jesus and all of our brothers and sisters in Christ through his power of resurrection. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you tell Jesus’ promise to someone you know.

 

Friday – Read II Kings 12-14; John 14:5-7. The Way, the Truth, and the Life. Jesus is the way, and the truth, and the life. Jesus is the way to the Father. He calls us to follow him and learn his ways. He invites us to be with him, become like him, and do as he did. Jesus is the truth. Jesus is who he says he is. There is nothing false in Jesus… only truth. Those who seek wisdom will find the truth in Jesus. Jesus is the way that lead to life because he is life itself. The One who is the way, and the truth, and the life knows you by name and loves you. Jesus gives an inclusive invitation for all to follow him. He invites everyone to become his disciples. Jesus makes an exclusive claim about himself. Jesus is the only way to the Father. He is the only way to salvation. He is the only way to eternal life. As you pray, ask the Holy Spirit to help you follow Jesus that you may receive truth and eternal life.

 

Saturday – Read II Kings 15-17; John 14:18-29. The Holy Spirit. Before he went to face the cross, Jesus shared his final teachings with his disciples. Scholars refer to this part of John’s Gospel as the Farewell Discourses because this is how Jesus prepared the disciples for his betrayal, arrest, and passion. 18 “I will not leave you orphaned; I am coming to you. 19 In a little while the world will no longer see me, but you will see me; because I live, you also will live.” Jesus will never leave you. He is always with you. He is the resurrection, and when you or someone you love is facing death, he is the One who will lift you up to life because he loves you so much. Jesus says that people will see who he is when they see him living in you. He wants to make his home with you. Jesus promised to send his Holy Spirit to be with us. He said, “The Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything, and remind you of all that I have said to you.” As you spend time in pra