April 22

Morning

God exalted Him to His right hand as Prince and Savior, in order to grant repentance and forgiveness of sins to Israel. — Acts 5:31 BSB

Jesus, our Lord, once crucified, dead, and buried, now reigns on the throne of glory! The highest place heaven offers is His by undisputed right. It’s a sweet thought to remember that Christ’s exaltation in heaven is also representative of our own exaltation. Though, as God, He possesses glories beyond what we can share, as our Mediator, the honors He receives in heaven are the inheritance of all believers.

It’s a comforting truth to reflect on how close our union is with Christ. We are truly one with Him, members of His body, and His exaltation is also our exaltation. He promises that we will sit with Him on His throne, just as He has overcome and now sits with His Father on His throne. He wears a crown, and He gives us crowns too. He has a throne, but He isn’t satisfied with having it to Himself—His bride, the church, must be there with Him, arrayed in "gold of Ophir." He cannot be fully glorified without His bride.

Look up, believer! Fix your eyes on Jesus—see Him crowned with many crowns—and remember that one day you will be like Him when you see Him as He truly is. You may not share His divine greatness, but you will, in some way, share His honor, His joy, and His dignity. Be content for now to live in obscurity, to walk the difficult road through poverty or affliction, for soon you will reign with Christ. He has made us "kings and priests unto God," and we will reign forever and ever! Oh, what a wonderful thought for God’s children! We have Christ as our glorious representative in the courts of heaven now, and soon He will come to bring us to Himself, so we can see His glory and share in His joy!

Evening

You will not fear the terror of the night, nor the arrow that flies by day, — Ps 91:5 BSB

What is this terror? It could be the sound of fire, the approach of thieves, or the sudden cry of illness or death. We live in a world of death and sorrow, so we should expect trouble both in the quiet of night and in the heat of the day. But this should not frighten us, for no matter what form the terror takes, the promise is that the believer will not be afraid. And why should we be? Let’s ask ourselves this: why should we fear? God, our Father, is here with us and will be with us through the dark hours. He is an almighty Watcher, a sleepless Guardian, and a faithful Friend. Nothing can happen without His direction, for even hell is under His control. Darkness is not dark to Him. He has promised to be a wall of fire around His people, and who can break through such a barrier?

The people of the world may well be afraid, for they live under the wrath of God, with guilty consciences and the threat of hell beneath them. But we who rest in Jesus are saved from all these things by God’s rich mercy. If we give in to fear, we dishonor our faith and cause others to doubt the reality of our godliness. We should fear being afraid, for it grieves the Holy Spirit when we distrust God. So, let’s cast aside these gloomy fears and baseless anxieties. God has not stopped being gracious, nor has He closed His heart of tender mercies. It may be night in our souls, but there’s no need for terror, for God’s love never changes. Even when the children of light walk in darkness, they are not abandoned. Instead, they have a special opportunity to show their trust in their heavenly Father in a way that hypocrites never can.