Today’s Bible Verse:
Mark 13:2 ESV

And Jesus said to him, “Do you see these great buildings? There will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down.”

Today on the church calendar is recognized as the day we remember Emperor Justinian, Christian ruler and confessor of Jesus Christ. Our verse today is taken from the reading appointed for this day, Mark 13:1-13.

In Mark 13, Jesus speaks to His disciples about the coming destruction of the temple, a reality that would have shocked them. The temple was the heart of Jewish worship, symbolizing God’s presence among His people. To imagine its stones scattered must have been unsettling. Yet Jesus used this moment to help His followers see a deeper truth: earthly structures and symbols, however sacred, are temporary. Our true hope, security, and identity are found not in buildings, traditions, or human institutions but in Christ alone.

This passage also reminds us that even the strongest earthly things—relationships, wealth, success—are not permanent. As much as we may trust in these things, they cannot offer us the eternal foundation that Christ provides.

In times of change or loss, it's comforting to know that, while the “stones” around us may fall, we have a foundation in Jesus that cannot be shaken. He calls us to build our lives on His Word, which endures beyond time, space, and circumstance. Jesus’ presence offers us hope that surpasses the instability of the world around us.

Prayers

A Prayer for Today:

Gracious Father, help me see beyond this world's temporary things and build hope in You. When life shakes my foundations, remind us that Your Word stands firm forever. Strengthen my faith in You as the world’s solid rock. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

Luther’s Morning Prayer:

I thank You, my heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ, Your dear Son, that You have kept me this night from all harm and danger; and I pray that You would keep me this day also from sin and every evil, that all my doings and life may please You. For into Your hands, I commend myself, my body and soul, and all things. Let Your holy angel be with me, that the evil foe may have no power over me. Amen.

Apostles’ Creed:

I believe in God, the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth.

And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried. He descended into hell. The third day He rose again from the dead. He ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty. From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Christian Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.

The Lord’s Prayer:

Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name, Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven; give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen.

The photo above is licensed through Unslash+

A Song for Today