Good evening, brethren. 1. Evening devotion for today. i. *DAILY WALK WITH CHRIST* (COCIN DEVOTIONAL) *DATE:* FRIDAY 27TH MARCH, 2026. *SUB-THEME:* THE GRACE OF GOD IN DIFFICULT TIMES. *TOPIC:* DIFFICULT RELATIONSHIPS. *TEXT:* MATTHEW 5:38-42. 38. “You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’ 39. But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also. 40. And if anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, hand over your coat as well. 41. If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles. 42. Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you. *TOPIC:* DIFFICULT RELATIONSHIPS. *THE MESSAGE:* Difficult relationships and situations abounds. Usually, our first instinct is to get even. In our text, Jesus teaches us not to retaliate or seek revenge when wronged. We should respond with grace, love, and forgiveness. Today, we are surrounded by diverse aggressors, and the world tells us it is fair to retaliate. Failure to do so is viewed as a weakness. But revenge puts us on the same level as our aggressors. It robs us of innocence and smears us with the same dirt that spoiled our offenders. Unlike retaliation, forgiveness takes great courage as you restrain your anger from avenging yourself. How do you respond to assault? Ask God for grace to enable you to respond appropriately. God avenges those who embrace His grace. *REFLECTION:* Love your enemies unconditionally. *PRAYER:* God, give me the grace to love my enemies unconditionally. Amen. *MEMORY VERSE FOR THE MONTH:* 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 *TODAY'S BIBLE READING PLAN:* 2 SAMUEL 8-10. ii. THE RESURRECTION "Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; He has risen, just as He said. Come and see the place where He lay." - Matthew 28:5-6 Some people doubt whether or not Jesus died on the cross. However, the Bible says that they did not have to break His legs because they saw that He was already dead. Jesus Christ not only died for our sins, but He also rose again. The real child of God knows this, because He lives in our hearts. We read in Revelation 1:17-18 that John saw Jesus, years after His death and resurrection: 'When I saw Him, I fell at His feet as though dead. Then He placed His right hand on me and said: 'Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. I am the Living One; I was dead, and now look, I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.' Without sin Jesus has the power over death and the realm of the dead. When Jesus died and entered the realm of the dead, the evil one and his demons thought: we finally got Him. The evil one thought he had conquered Jesus. No man had ever entered the realm of the dead without sin before. But when Jesus, who was without sin, came there, death and hell could not hold Him. When God the Father called His Son, no devil could keep Him. That is why after Good Friday - the day on which Jesus died - we celebrate the wonderful Easter morning. It was on Easter morning that life conquered death. The angel at the grave said that morning: 'He is not here; He has risen.' The women went looking for Him, but they saw an open and empty grave. Paul says that if you believe that Jesus died on the cross but do not believe He rose from the dead, then you are a pathetic person. Jesus' death and resurrection are the foundations of our faith. Jesus lives. He has risen! It is Easter! A celebration of victory over the power of the evil one. A celebration of joy. What a triumph! https://www.theblessingdevotional.com 2. Evening Prayer for yoday. i. Evening Prayer My soul, wait thou only upon God; for my expectation [is] from him. ⏤ Psalm 62:5 Rest comes from trusting God’s hand to hold us close, no matter the day's trials. ⏤ Elizabeth George Father, we thank You for showing us the sweetness and gentleness of Your love. No mother's embrace is as warm and secure as Your arms are for Your children. No earthly home can provide the safety and comfort that we find in You. Tonight, as we gather in our home after the day's struggles, we also seek refuge in Your love. There is no safer place than with You. Please forgive the sins of this day. As we settle into the evening, grant us Your peace. Take whatever we have done today, and bless it. We tried to do good as we went about our day, even though our efforts were not always perfect. May You still use them to help and bless others. Teach us to be content with what we have, and save us from complaining about the difficulties we face. We are easily discouraged and often impatient when things don’t go as planned. Forgive us for our grumbling and help us to accept what comes our way with quietness, cheerfulness, and prayerfulness, so that Your name may be honored. Give us a sweet and calm spirit, free from all complaints. Fill our hearts with Your grace so that we may live for You. Let the sweetness of Your life fill us until we are transformed to be more like You. We ask this in Jesus' precious name. Amen. https://www.youdevotion.com/daily-prayer/miller/82/evening #taptapstudio #youdevotion. Good evening, brethren. 1. Evening devotion for today. i. *DAILY WALK WITH CHRIST* (COCIN DEVOTIONAL) *DATE:* THURSDAY 26TH MARCH, 2026 *SUB-THEME:* THE GRACE OF GOD IN DIFFICULT TIMES. *TOPIC:* EXILE *TEXTS:* DANIEL 1:1-7; 6:5-10 *DANIEL 1:1-7* 1. In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it. 2. And the Lord delivered Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, along with some of the articles from the temple of God. These he carried off to the temple of his god in Babylonia and put in the treasure house of his god. 3. Then the king ordered Ashpenaz, chief of his court officials, to bring into the king’s service some of the Israelites from the royal family and the nobility— 4. young men without any physical defect, handsome, showing aptitude for every kind of learning, well informed, quick to understand, and qualified to serve in the king’s palace. He was to teach them the language and literature of the Babylonians. 5. The king assigned them a daily amount of food and wine from the king’s table. They were to be trained for three years, and after that they were to enter the king’s service. 6. Among those who were chosen were some from Judah: Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah. 7. The chief official gave them new names: to Daniel, the name Belteshazzar; to Hananiah, Shadrach; to Mishael, Meshach; and to Azariah, Abednego. *DANIEL 6:5-10* 5. Finally these men said, “We will never find any basis for charges against this man Daniel unless it has something to do with the law of his God.” 6. So these administrators and satraps went as a group to the king and said: “May King Darius live forever! 7. The royal administrators, prefects, satraps, advisers and governors have all agreed that the king should issue an edict and enforce the decree that anyone who prays to any god or human being during the next thirty days, except to you, your majesty, shall be thrown into the lions’ den. 8. Now, your majesty, issue the decree and put it in writing so that it cannot be altered—in accordance with the law of the Medes and Persians, which cannot be repealed.” 9. So King Darius put the decree in writing. 10. Now when Daniel learned that the decree had been published, he went home to his upstairs room where the windows opened toward Jerusalem. Three times a day he got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his God, just as he had done before. *TOPIC:* EXILE *THE MESSAGE:* Exile is being banished or forced out from one's home or country. Daniel faced the challenges of exile and captivity in Babylon, separated from his homeland and people. He encountered the pressure to conform to Babylonian culture and worship. Such would have required him to balance his faith with his responsibilities in the royal court. But he refused to conform. He was faithful in adversity. This demonstrates that God's grace can empower believers to stand firm in their convictions. God's grace is powerful and assures us of His presence, protection, and guidance. Trust in His plan and embrace His wisdom as you navigate life and overcome homesickness. Like Daniel, let your exile become a means of propagating the message of salvation. *REFLECTION:* Remain faithful to God even in exile. *PRAYER:* I need Your grace to stand faithful even in exile, oh Lord. Amen. *MEMORY VERSE FOR THE MONTH:* 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 *TODAY'S BIBLE READING PLAN:* 2 SAMUEL 5-7. ii. DAILY REPENTANCE "He went into all the country around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins." - Luke 3:3 Many people have been longing for a while for a spiritual breakthrough in their lives. This is an important desire. I also desire a spiritual breakthrough in our church, in our city, in the Netherlands and throughout the world. If we have this desire, we are like John the Baptist; we are preparing the way for the Lord Jesus to come into our midst with great power and to take our lives under His lordship. Prepare the way John prepared the way for the first coming of Jesus Christ. Today God needs such pioneers for a spiritual breakthrough. The path to this is called conversion. Conversion means to turn around, to change your mindset. When you repent, you turn your back on sin and focus on Jesus. The human nature is selfish. Our own self wants to be honored, lifted high and satisfied at all costs. However, the Holy Spirit wants to reveal love and truth in us. When you convert to Christ, you will be different. Jesus Christ initiates a cleansing and healing process within you. Your attitude towards God and people will change. Your proud attitude will begin to disappear by the power of the Holy Spirit. Daily Repentance is needed daily. Every day I dedicate myself to Jesus. Every day my old self has to die more if I want to have a breakthrough in my spiritual life. The Christians must repent, the Church must repent. 1 Peter 4:17 says: 'For it is time for judgment to begin with God's household.' Many think that they can polish their own self or improve it. But God wants to renew us. 'If anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come' (2 Corinthians 5:17). https://www.theblessingdevotional.com Evening prayer for today. i. Evening Prayer Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. ⏤ Proverbs 3:5-6 God’s plans are always better than ours, even if they’re hidden in brokenness. ⏤ Corrie Ten Boom In the quiet of the eventide, we come to You, our Father, for Your blessing. We are weary tonight after the day's toils and cares and come to You for rest. You have promised rest to those who come to You. Things have not all gone today as we had hoped they would. We intended to be very good and faithful—but while the spirit was willing, the flesh was weak—and we failed many times. Father, forgive us for these failures, and save us from repeating them. Many of our expectations were not realized. We had our disappointments. Some of our plans failed. We leave these broken things with You. It was Your will that they should be broken because they were not Your plans. Our ways were not Your ways—but Your ways are wiser and better than ours. So we leave all with You, praying that Your plan for us may go on in all our broken plans, and that all things may indeed work together for our good. We pray again for this dear home of ours—we must always pray for it. It needs Your grace afresh every day, that it may be kept heaven-like in this world of sin. Purify all our home affections. May all things serve to bring us nearer together and to bind us closer to each other. May our common toils and cares and sorrows—become new bands of love to hold us heart to heart in mutual love. May we never fail in patience, nor in unselfishness, nor in thoughtfulness. Give us the spirit of self-effacement, if we are called to make personal sacrifices in order that our home may be blessed. Pour into our hearts the spirit of love and grace, that we may be mutually helpful, and then our home shall be happy. We ask in the name of Jesus. Amen. https://www.youdevotion.com/daily-prayer/miller/81/evening #taptapstudio #youdevotion.