Chambers' text found here in the original English, and here in the modern English.

The Scripture passage for today is Acts 20:24: However, I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me-the task of testifying to the gospel of God's grace.

     This is the fifth consecutive day when I've felt like the devotional had the potential to be a game-changer for Christians who are serious about their faith, but just can't seem to find a way to feel useful or acceptable.  I know a lot of people who just have trouble getting their heads around the idea God loves them unconditionally.   Others have trouble believing God pays attention to the details of their daily lives, and even those who believe that have trouble believing He's willing to pay attention the them. 

     That's why these five days are a potential game-changer.  I call it the "what if…" moment.

     What if Jesus really does love you like you love your wife and kids? Or like your parents loved you?  If we can wrap our heads around the idea His love is really that strong and that personal, then we can start to believe He will do for us like the people who love us do for us. 

     Suddenly, prayer takes on new meaning, because we can trust (a) that He's listening; (b) He's listening with a concern that means He'll do what He can given what's best for us; and (c) that He'll even surprise us (occasionally) the way our loved ones surprise us by doing something unexpected and over-the-top to delight and please us.  In return, we'll feel what the disciples felt…an emotional bond so strong and so powerful there wasn't anything they wouldn't do for Jesus, and there wasn't any chance they'd ever betray Him again.

     Those are the things that have to happen for our faith to become personal and powerful.  (It doesn't mean people whose faith never reaches this point aren't saved, it just means they're experiencing an intellectual faith instead of a personal faith…which, of course, will change the minute we see Him in heaven.)  

     So if you've missed any of the past five days, I encourage you to go back, read Oswald's take beginning on March 1.  Then read our commentary.  Then sit down in a time of prayer and try to imagine what it would be like if you could sit and talk with Jesus in person.  How do you think He would react to you? 

• (a) save-me-from-hell/let-me-into-heaven bare minimum faith that may or may not be saving faith;
• (b) I-accept-Jesus-but-I'm-not-going-to-embarrass-myself just-above-bare-minimum faith that makes you a Christian with a chip on your shoulder;
• (c) I-need-you-Jesus-but-I'm-just-not-feeling-it faith that leaves you trying legalism and self-punishment; (d) hey-I'm-accepting-you-Jesus-just-in-case-but-I'm-not-that-bad faith that leaves you unwilling to sacrifice or do the hard things;
• (e) Jesus-loves-me-but-not-you faith that leaves you focused on other people's sins and makes you ugly and mean to unbelievers;
• (f) I'm-a-pretender-faith that leaves you wondering if Jesus really has saved you because you know you're still far from perfect;
• (g) I'm-not-feeling-anything faith that intellectually accepts Jesus because you get that you're a sinner but you're so postmodern you can't believe God bothers with the day-to-day stuff;
• (h) I'm-holier-than-most-people faith that leaves you useless because you've forgotten grace and mercy;
• (i) I'm-a-Christian-but-I-wish-I-wasn't faith that whines about the things Christians can't do that the rest of the world gets to;
• (j) I'm-too-broken-for-God-to-use faith that leaves you grateful for heaven but miserable on earth;
• OR 
• (k) Jesus-loves-me childlike faith that wakes up one day to realize the Holy Spirit is with you every second of every day and God and Jesus love you like you're the person They built heaven for, the kind of faith that changes everything.

      There's one thing you can absolutely take to the bank: The moment you bow your head to ask Jesus into your heart, God takes off running down a long lane to greet you like the father did the prodigal son, and you'll never, ever be unloved again…even in the darkest hour of the hardest day of your life.

     What? Do you think Peter and Thomas and Matthew and the gang had superpowers? Jesus picked them so the rest of us would know there's not a person in Creation beyond the reach of His big heart. 

     We can have it all if we ask and believe.

So-Whats for Work:  Your workplace needs you to have the (k) faith; so do you coworkers.

So-Whats for Home:  Your family needs you to have the (k) faith.

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