Tuesday, January 20, 2026
Scripture Readings
- Primary Reading: Romans 4-5
- Secondary Reading: Psalms 9
Key Verse
Romans 4:24 — “But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead;”
Devotional Thought
In the deep of a January winter, when the resolutions we made just weeks ago have already begun to feel like weights around our necks, Paul’s letter to the Romans offers a startling reprieve. We are natural-born accountants, constantly tallying our spiritual ledgers, hoping our good deeds will outweigh our failures. But in Romans 4, Paul takes us back to Abraham, the father of the faith, to prove that our standing before God has never been a matter of our own performance. Abraham was not justified by works; he simply “believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.” If we are honest, we know the exhaustion of trying to earn a grace that is only ever given as a gift. Paul reminds us that to the one who works, the reward is not grace but a debt owed. Yet, to the one who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, faith is the channel through which God’s own righteousness flows into our empty hands.
This is the profound comfort of the gospel: God does not wait for us to be strong before He loves us. Paul anchors this truth in the unlikeliest of places—the deadness of Abraham’s body and the barrenness of Sarah’s womb. Abraham did not stagger at the promise through unbelief but was “fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform.” In Romans 5, Paul traces this grace all the way to its source. While we were yet without strength, while we were still sinners and even enemies, Christ died for us. The love of God is not a reaction to our worthiness; it is the cause of it. Where sin abounded, grace did much more abound. This is the peace we have with God through our Lord Jesus Christ—not a fragile truce based on our daily obedience, but a settled reconciliation secured by His blood.
The Psalms echo this same hope for the oppressed and the needy. In Psalm 9, David declares that the Lord is a refuge in times of trouble, a stronghold for those who are being crushed. He does not forget the cry of the humble. When we feel the weight of our own failures or the injustice of the world pressing in, we are tempted to believe that God has turned away. Yet the promise stands: “The needy shall not alway be forgotten: the expectation of the poor shall not perish for ever.” The same God who called Abraham to hope against hope is the God who lifts us up from the gates of death. He is not a distant judge waiting to condemn, but a Savior who justifies the ungodly and remembers the forgotten.
As we walk through these cold, gray days, let us lay down the burden of self-justification. The ledger is closed. The debt is paid. We are not saved by our January disciplines or our Lenten sacrifices, but by the obedience of One. Because Christ was delivered for our offences and raised again for our justification, we can rejoice in hope of the glory of God—even in tribulation. The love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost. That is a warmth no winter can chill.
Reflection
- Where in your life are you still trying to earn God’s favor as if it were a debt owed to you, rather than resting in the righteousness that is imputed by faith?
- How does knowing that Christ died for you “while you were yet a sinner” change the way you approach God in your weakest and most unworthy moments?
Prayer
Heavenly Father, we come to You not with a ledger of our own good works, but with the empty hands of faith. Thank You that while we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. We praise You that our justification is not a reward for our efforts but a gift of Your grace, secured by the blood of Jesus and His resurrection for our life. Lord, when we are tempted to despair over our sins or to boast in our progress, remind us that Abraham believed You, and it was counted to him for righteousness. Shed abroad Your love in our hearts by the Holy Ghost, that we might have peace with You and rejoice in hope, even in tribulation. Be our refuge in trouble, and let us not be ashamed. In the name of Jesus, our Lord. Amen.
Psalm Verse
Psalms 9:1 — “I will praise thee, O LORD, with my whole heart; I will shew forth all thy marvellous works.”