My Jesus 5-Day Devotional by Anne Wilson

Scripture: Matthew 11:28-29

Christ Over the Crash

It was 3:30 am. I remember the flashing blue lights outside of my bedroom window, and soon after that, the sight of six men in uniform standing at our front door. As I saw my parents’ faces in utter despair, I knew something was wrong. My 23-year-old brother Jacob had died in a car accident, and our lives were forever changed.

I felt hopeless, like I couldn’t take my next breath, but later that night, I heard God speak to me for the first time since the accident: “Anne, do you trust me?” I responded, “Jesus, I trust you,” and immediately I felt a weight lifted off of my shoulders. He told me that He would give me everything I needed to get through this tragedy. And He has faithfully kept that promise.

Can I tell you about My Jesus?

God never intended for pain and suffering, but sin entered the world, leaving us all broken without Jesus. We will endure pain and suffering in this world, but our choice is this: Are we going to walk alone, or are we going to walk through every valley with Jesus by our side?

He beckons us in Matthew 11:28-29: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” His words reach out to us in every moment and come alive with compassionate clarity in the times of our deepest needs.

Journaling became a part of my healing process and the outpouring of my heart soon turned into songs. As I began to write one day, I noticed that I never wrote just “Jesus.” I wrote “My Jesus.” My Jesus. Your Jesus. Our Jesus. It turns out adding a pronoun reminds us that His glory became cloaked in humanity. He is more than the Most High. He is the One who holds our hearts in our lowest moments.

While the crash in our lives may look different, we all experience them. Your crash may be heartbreaking loss like mine. Or it may be crushing anxiety or depression. Thoughts of worthlessness. Abuse. Betrayal. Or a crisis of your faith. No matter the circumstance, the same Jesus that is in my life can be the same Jesus in yours.

What is your crash? Are you willing to let Jesus into your most difficult moment and trust Him today? Let My Jesus change your life. Let Him be Your Jesus, too.

Pray this prayer: Lord, I invite you into my heart and into my life. I don’t know where to take my next step, but I want it to be with You. Give me the strength I need to endure the hardships I am facing and help me use them for good. Amen.

Scriptures: Isaiah 41:10, Proverbs 3:5-6

Jesus is Knocking

The Lord tells us in Isaiah 41:10: “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”

We didn’t know that those knocks on the front door in the middle of the night would forever change our lives. It was unimaginable . . . incomprehensible. I had questions as I was thrown into the deepest trenches of grief and loss, knowing it was just the beginning of a long and hard journey. But when I made a decision to let Jesus into my crash that night, I trusted that He would be right there to hold me up from that point forward.

Can I tell you something about My Jesus? He keeps His promises! He lends us His strength when He assures, “I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.” He means that when we lose our footing, when we are weak, and when there is no fight left in us, HE is going to hold us up. The same God who conquered death for you and me is going to also fight our battle. We need to only trust in Him.

When Jesus is knocking, are you going to let Him in?

Proverbs 3:5-6 tells us, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding; in all ways acknowledge Him, and He will make straight your paths.” There are many times in life where we walk through things that we don’t have any control over at all, and the only one who does is God. He will give you the strength you need to push through your toughest days. Put your trust in Him, and He will be faithful. It starts with letting him in!

Pray this prayer: Lord, thank you for knocking at my door and pursuing my heart. I open up my life to You and trust where You are leading me. Please give me the strength I need to go on, and comfort me when it all seems too hard to handle. Amen.

Scriptures: Ephesians 3:16-19, John 11:35

Deep, Deep Love

The apostle Paul writes in Ephesians 3:16-19: “I pray that out of His glorious riches He may strengthen you with power through His Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.”

We all want to be loved. We all want to be cared for. And we were made to love and be loved by our Creator. There is One who loves you immeasurably . . . who desires to be your closest friend . . . who died to give you abundant and eternal life. Can I tell you about My Jesus?

He loves you deeply. He adores you! Our Father sent His one and only Son to die for YOU and your sins because He loves you that much. He does not want heaven without YOU. John 11:35 declares to us two of the most comforting words in history: “Jesus wept.” This was Jesus’ reaction to Lazarus’ family going through a time of grief and loss over their loved one. This shows His heart and how He grieves over your pain and over my pain. Just as Jesus comforted Martha and Mary, Jesus wants to comfort you and carry you through this storm you are in.

And do you realize one of the best parts about God’s relentless, pursuing love? It cannot be earned. There is nothing that you can do or say that will change God’s love for you. This is truly unconditional love. The Greeks called it agape love, encompassing a sacred love that keeps no record of wrongs—love that always protects and hopes and perseveres.

I think about my brother and how indescribable my love is for him. I can’t even put into words how much love I have for him in my heart and how much I miss him every single day. I think of this love that I feel for Jacob, and I can’t fathom the love that Jesus feels for you and me!

Is there someone in your life that inspires this indescribable love? This is just a slice of the love that God feels for you!

You are loved.

Pray this prayer: Lord, thank you for Your unchanging and unconditional love. Help me to come to a deeper understanding each day of what it means to be loved by You. And help me to return that love to You and to those You bring into my life. Amen.

Scripture: Psalms 105:4

God’s Strength, Love, and Grace All in One Place

One of the psalmists writes to us in Psalm 105:4 “Seek the LORD and his strength; seek His presence continually!”

Before I lost my brother, I never had something in my life bring me to my knees. When I felt like there was no air to breathe, I turned my eyes to Jesus. When my heart was breaking because I had lost someone I loved so dearly, God’s love poured over me and into me. God is patient, and He showed me His love and patience during my time of pain and confusion. Let me tell you where you can find immaculate strength, everlasting love, and favor: My Jesus. Your Jesus. Our Jesus.

Whatever it is you are facing today, nothing is too big or too small for Jesus. He is our Father, and we are His children. He wants us to come to Him, to seek Him, to allow Him to be a part of everything good and anything bad. God goes before You and has a plan in what you are walking through. He will never leave your side nor forsake you.

You have many choices on where you can turn for fulfilment. You can put your faith and hope in money. You can put your joy in something of this world. Or you can look to other people for comfort and distraction. But let me tell you that these things pass away and fall apart, while Jesus and His love are eternal. Seeking Jesus is never going to fail you as He is the only thing that stands firm forever. God is the source of all things good and everlasting. There is one place to turn in times of trials and triumph and that is Our Jesus.

What are you seeking from Jesus today?

Pray this prayer: Lord, You are sovereign. Lead me in ways that You never have before. I invite You into my life and into every circumstance. Help me seek Your presence daily and remind me to keep my eyes on the things above and not the things of this world. You are the ultimate source and I need you. Amen.

Scriptures: Isaiah 61:1-3, Romans 8:28

Beauty from Ashes

Isaiah writes about Jesus roughly 700 years before His birth in Isaiah 61:1-3: “He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion- to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes.”

As a family, it was very hard to lose Jacob, and there is a decision that has to be made when you lose someone you love: Will you move on with Jesus or will you fight this grief alone? It is tempting to be angry at the Lord and to blame Him, wondering: Why did you allow this? But the morning after we lost Jacob, I sat down at the piano and worshiped, taking that time to just thank the Lord for my brother and for the time I had with him. I decided I was going to praise God and give Him the glory for everything He is and has done. Let me share something with you about My Jesus: He does not waste tragedy, and He does not waste tears. He rather transforms us with His deep mercy and grace and draws us closer to Him. There are seasons where you may suffer, and that may be the season you are in now. Lay your burdens at His feet and let Him rescue you. Let Him use the storm in your life for His glory and for the Kingdom at hand . . . and the Kingdom to come. Paul writes in Romans 8:28: “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.”

God does not say all things are good. Whatever your crash is, it is not good, but God will transform that pain for His purpose. Allow him into your story so you will not face one moment of your crash alone. You will soon find purpose as you hand your crash over to Christ.

Pray this prayer: Lord, thank you for who You are. In the moments I feel let down . . . in the moments I feel betrayed . . . and in the moments I feel like it is all crashing to the ground, allow me to praise You. I want to glorify You in the midst of the storm. Give me peace when I do not understand, and use my story for good. Amen.