Week of 9/15/25 - 9/19/2025
5 Day Devotional
Day 1: Looking Up for Healing
Devotional
In times of crisis, our natural instinct is often to look around at the chaos or down in despair. The Israelites found themselves in such a moment—bitten by venomous snakes in the wilderness, suffering and dying. Their salvation came through an unexpected source: looking up at a bronze serpent lifted on a pole. This strange remedy pointed to something far greater that would come centuries later. Our world today feels bitten by serpents of a different kind. Violence, tragedy, and hatred inject venom into our collective soul. The news cycle bombards us with stories of senseless murders, political violence, and devastating anniversaries of past traumas. Where do we look for healing? Just as Moses lifted up the serpent, Jesus was lifted up on the cross—not as a symbol of defeat but as our source of healing. When we fix our gaze on Christ crucified, we find more than just comfort; we find transformation. The cross doesn't magically remove our pain, but it infuses it with meaning and hope. Today, whatever serpent has bitten you—grief, fear, disillusionment, or anger—lift your eyes to the One who was lifted up for you. In His wounds, we find our healing. In His sacrifice, we discover the power to face our broken world with renewed courage and compassion.
Bible Verse
"Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him." - John 3:14-15
Reflection Question
What painful situation in your life or in our world do you need to intentionally bring before the cross of Christ today, trusting that He can transform it?
Quote
"When we're bitten by the serpents of tragedy, violence, and hatred, where do we look for healing? We look to Christ, lifted high upon the cross, the very place where suffering and evil did their worst, yet could not overcome divine love."
Prayer
Lord Jesus, when I am tempted to look only at the brokenness around me, help me lift my eyes to You. Transform my wounds through Your wounds, my fear through Your courage, and my despair through Your victory. Draw me closer to Your healing love today. Amen.
Day 2: The Paradox of the Cross
Devotional
Life is full of paradoxes—situations that seem contradictory yet reveal profound truth. The greatest paradox in human history stands at the center of our faith: the cross of Christ. What appeared to be history's darkest defeat became its most glorious victory. The cross was designed as an instrument of torture, shame, and public humiliation. It represented the crushing power of empire over individual lives. By all human logic, Jesus' crucifixion should have been the end of His movement—a devastating conclusion to a promising ministry. Yet God's wisdom operates beyond human understanding. Through Christ's willing sacrifice, the cross was transformed from a symbol of death to the source of eternal life. The very weapon the enemy intended for destruction became the means of our salvation. This divine paradox speaks directly to the contradictions and struggles we face. Our moments of greatest weakness can become showcases for God's strength. Our deepest suffering can be transformed into pathways of profound ministry. Our apparent defeats can become the foundation for unexpected victories. Today, consider the paradoxes in your own life. Where might God be working to transform what looks like defeat into victory? How might your current struggles become the very place where God's power is most clearly displayed?
Bible Verse
"In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross!" - Philippians 2:5-11
Reflection Question
What situation in your life currently feels like a defeat that God might be transforming into a victory through the power of the cross?
Quote
"It's a mystery that's at the heart of our faith. The apparent defeat of Christ crucified becomes his greatest victory."
Prayer
Transforming God, I surrender my defeats, my pain, and my confusion to You. Where I see only failure, reveal Your victory. Where I experience weakness, display Your strength. Help me trust the paradox of the cross in my own life today. Amen.
Day 3: The God Who Enters Our Pain
Devotional
One of the most profound truths of Christianity is that we worship a God who knows suffering firsthand. In a world of pain and brokenness, we don't follow a distant deity who observes our struggles from afar. We follow Jesus, who willingly entered into the fullness of human suffering. The cross stands as the ultimate evidence that God refuses to abandon us in our darkest moments. When tragedy strikes, when violence shatters communities, when grief overwhelms—we have a Savior who has been there. Jesus experienced betrayal, injustice, physical torture, abandonment, and death. There is no human pain He cannot understand. This truth transforms how we experience suffering. While the cross doesn't eliminate our pain, it assures us we never suffer alone. The God of the universe chose to experience the worst humanity could inflict so that we would never have to face our pain in isolation. When we bring our wounds to the "wounded healer," we find not just sympathy but true empathy. Jesus doesn't stand at a distance offering platitudes about our suffering. He sits with us in it, having endured it Himself. Today, whatever burden weighs heavy on your heart—whether personal grief, anxiety about world events, or concern for loved ones—remember that you worship a God who knows exactly how you feel. Bring your raw, honest pain to the One whose scars prove His understanding.
Bible Verse
"Now is the time for judgment on this world; now the prince of this world will be driven out. And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself." He said this to show the kind of death he was going to die." - John 12:31-33
Reflection Question
How does knowing that Jesus experienced suffering firsthand change how you approach your current struggles or the pain you see in the world?
Quote
"For those of us who are carrying a heavy burden, burdens of maybe grief, fear or anxiety, the cross offers us presence. The God who knows suffering from the inside, who has tasted the bitterness of death, is present with us in our pain."
Prayer
Jesus, thank You for entering fully into human suffering. When I am tempted to believe no one understands my pain, remind me of Your wounds. Help me find comfort in Your presence and strength in knowing You walk with me through every valley. Amen.
Day 4: Choosing Light in the Darkness
Devotional
Darkness and light. These opposing forces frame our human experience, especially in times of tragedy and suffering. The darkness we witness in our world—senseless violence, political division, devastating loss—can feel overwhelming, threatening to extinguish our hope. Yet the cross of Christ stands as a powerful reminder that darkness, despite its apparent strength, does not have the final word. At Calvary, darkness seemed to triumph as the sky turned black and the Light of the World hung dying. But that moment of deepest darkness became the birthplace of our brightest hope. Jesus speaks of this reality when He urges us to "believe in the light" while we have it, that we may become "children of light." This isn't naive optimism that ignores suffering. Rather, it's a profound choice to trust that God's light continues to shine even when we can't see it clearly. Becoming children of light means we refuse to let darkness determine our response to tragedy. We acknowledge the reality of evil while simultaneously affirming the greater reality of God's redemptive love. We grieve without despairing, we lament without losing hope, we face darkness without becoming dark ourselves. Today, in whatever darkness you face—whether personal struggles or the collective pain of our broken world—choose to believe in the light revealed on the cross. Choose to walk as a child of that inextinguishable light.
Bible Verse
"You are going to have the light just a little while longer. Walk while you have the light, before darkness overtakes you. Whoever walks in the dark does not know where they are going. Believe in the light while you have the light, so that you may become children of light." - John 12:35-36
Reflection Question
In what specific situation do you need to consciously choose to walk as a "child of light" rather than surrendering to the darkness of fear, hatred, or despair?
Quote
"In times of darkness. And at any time, really, we have a choice. We can surrender to fear, hatred and despair, walking in darkness, not knowing where we're going. Or we can believe in the light revealed on the cross, the light of divine love that no darkness can overcome, and become children of that light."
Prayer
Father of Light, when darkness seems overwhelming, help me remember that Your light continues to shine. Guide my steps as Your child of light today. Help me respond to darkness with the illuminating power of Your love, hope, and truth. Amen.
Day 5: Lifting High the Cross in Daily Life
Devotional
The call to "lift high the cross" might sound like something reserved for church services or religious ceremonies. But what does it mean to lift high the cross in our everyday lives, especially in a world marked by suffering and division? Lifting high the cross means embodying the self-giving love of Christ in practical, tangible ways. It means choosing the path of compassion when it would be easier to remain indifferent. It means extending grace when others choose retaliation. It means standing with the suffering when it would be more comfortable to look away. In a culture increasingly marked by dehumanization and violence, we are called to a different way—the way of the cross. This doesn't mean seeking suffering for its own sake. Rather, it means following Jesus' example of sacrificial love that puts others before self. This might look like checking on a grieving neighbor, bringing a meal to someone going through a difficult time, or simply sitting with someone in their pain without trying to fix it or explain it away. It might mean being a voice for reconciliation in divided communities or extending forgiveness when you've been wronged. When we live this way, we become agents of God's drawing love. We create spaces where others can experience the healing presence of Christ. We don't just talk about the cross—we embody its transformative power in our everyday interactions.
Bible Verse
"But they were terrified and filled with great fear and said to one another, "Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?"" - Numbers 21:4-9
Reflection Question
What is one specific way you can "lift high the cross" through an act of self-giving love toward someone who is hurting in your family, workplace, or community this week?
Quote
"You didn't offer platitudes or try to explain away her pain. You just embodied the presence of Christ, the one who does not abandon us in our suffering, but enters into it with us. That's what it means to lift high the Cross."
Prayer
Lord Jesus, make me an instrument of Your drawing love today. Show me practical ways to lift high the cross in my daily interactions. Give me courage to enter others' suffering with Your compassion and presence. Transform me into a living witness of Your reconciling love. Amen.