Living a grace-filled life

Living a grace-filled life.
Today’s devotion is based on Hebrews 2:14: “Since the children have flesh and blood, Jesus too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death; that is the devil.”

There is an old Christian illustration that helps us understand the text for today. It is a picture of a fishhook which is baited with an earthworm. The fishhook is Jesus’ divinity. The earthworm is Jesus' humanity. The devil swallowed them both when Jesus died and was buried. Jesus burst from the devil's hold when he rose from the grave. We learn from this that just as the devil couldn’t hold on to Christ in death, so the devil can’t hold on to those who believe in Jesus.

What does this mean for us today? It means that we can have hope in the midst of suffering and trials. No matter what we go through, the devil cannot ultimately defeat us. He has already been defeated by Jesus' death and resurrection. It also means that we should live our lives glorifying God and defeating the devil's plans. We can do this by following Jesus' example and living in love, compassion, and forgiveness.
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Please join me in prayer: Heavenly Father, thank you for sending your Son, Jesus Christ, to die on the cross for our sins and to rise from the grave victorious. Thank you for defeating the devil and giving us a sure hope for the future. Help us to live our lives in a way that glorifies you and defeats the devil's plans. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.