Akoko Daily Week 35

Resurrection Has a Name

We often think of resurrection as something that happens at the end.

A future event. A promise reserved for eternity.

Martha thought the same way. When Jesus told her that Lazarus would rise again, she answered, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.” She believed in the event, but she had not yet grasped the Person standing before her.

Then Jesus made one of the most astonishing declarations in Scripture: John 11:25 “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live.”

Notice what He did. Jesus didn’t simply point Martha to resurrection; He pointed her to Himself. He moved resurrection from an event to a Person. Wherever Jesus is, life is present. Death may still exist, but it no longer has the final word.

This truth echoes throughout John’s Gospel. John 5:21 says that just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, the Son also gives life to whom He wills. And in John 6:40, Jesus promises that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in Him has eternal life, and He will raise them up on the last day. Resurrection is not merely something Christ performs—it flows from who He is.

That changes how we face every kind of death. Broken dreams, unanswered prayers, lost hope, and even physical death are never beyond the reach of the One who is Life itself. When Jesus steps into what seems final, new life becomes possible.

Take a quiet moment to reflect:

Have I been looking only for what Jesus can do, or have I learned to trust who Jesus is?

Let this settle deep within your heart:

Because Jesus is the Resurrection and the Life, no situation is beyond His power and no believer is beyond His promise.

Let’s pray together:

Lord Jesus, thank You for being more than the giver of life—you are Life itself. When I face situations that seem hopeless, remind me that Your presence changes everything. Strengthen my faith to trust You, not only for what You can do, but for who You are. Amen.

As you go about your day, remember this:

Our greatest hope is not found in an event waiting for us in the future, but in the Savior who walks with us today.

John 11:25–26 (NIV)

²⁵Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; ²⁶and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?”

Supplementary Scriptures

John 5:21 (NIV)

For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son gives life to whom he is pleased to give it.

John 6:40 (NIV)

For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day.”

Because Jesus is the Resurrection and the Life, no situation is beyond His power and no believer is beyond His promise.

00:00

Sorry, no results.

Please try another keyword

Love That Waits

Waiting often feels like silence.

When prayers go unanswered and circumstances refuse to change, it is easy to wonder whether God has forgotten us. We naturally measure His love by how quickly He responds.

But John tells the story differently.

When Jesus received the message that Lazarus was sick, Scripture first reminds us in John 11:5–6, “Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus.” Then comes the surprising next sentence: “So, when He heard that he was sick, He stayed two more days.” We expect love to hurry. Jesus reveals that love sometimes waits.

His delay was never indifference. It was preparation. By the time Jesus arrived, Lazarus had been in the tomb for four days. Human hope had reached its limit, but God’s purpose had not. What looked like absence would soon become a greater revelation of His glory.

This is often where faith is tested. We tend to interpret God’s love through our circumstances, when He invites us to interpret our circumstances through His love. Isaiah 55:8–9 reminds us that God’s thoughts and ways are higher than ours, and Romans 8:28 assures us that He is working all things together for the good of those who love Him—even when we cannot yet see how.

Perhaps the greatest miracle God is working in the waiting is not only changing your situation, but deepening your trust in Him.

Pause for a moment and consider this:

Have I allowed God’s silence to convince me that He no longer cares, or am I learning to trust His heart even when I cannot trace His hand?

Let this become your declaration today:

God’s timing is always shaped by His love. Even when I cannot see His purpose, I can trust His heart.

Let’s pray together:

Lord, teach me to trust You in seasons that do not make sense. Keep me from measuring Your love by my circumstances. Give me the confidence to believe that even when You seem to delay, You are still working for Your glory and for my good. Amen.

As you go about your day, remember this:

God’s love is not measured by how quickly He moves, but by how perfectly He knows when to move.

John 11:5–6 (NIV)

⁵Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. ⁶So when he heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed where he was two more days.

Supplementary Scriptures

Isaiah 55:8–9 (NIV)

⁸“For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
    neither are your ways my ways,”
declares the Lord.
⁹“As the heavens are higher than the earth,
    so are my ways higher than your ways
    and my thoughts than your thoughts.

Romans 8:28 (NIV)

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who^[a] have been called according to his purpose.

God’s timing is always shaped by His love. Even when I cannot see His purpose, I can trust His heart.

00:00

Sorry, no results.

Please try another keyword

Held Forever

One of the greatest fears we carry is the fear of being lost.

We wonder whether we’ll fail too many times… drift too far… or become too weak for God to keep holding on to us. But Jesus answers those fears with one of the most reassuring promises in Scripture.

In John 10:27–28, He says, “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand.” Then He takes that promise even further in John 10:29: “My Father… is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father’s hand.” The Shepherd’s hands and the Father’s hands are not competing places of safety—they are one secure refuge, for Jesus declares in John 10:30, “I and My Father are one.”

This does not encourage careless living; it inspires confident living. We continue to follow the Shepherd because we love Him, yet our assurance is rooted in His faithfulness, not our perfection.

Paul celebrates the same confidence in Romans 8:38–39, declaring that nothing in all creation can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus. And Philippians 1:6 reminds us that “He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion.” The Shepherd who called you is the Shepherd who will finish what He started.

Sit with this question today:

Have I been trusting more in my ability to hold on to God than in His promise to hold on to me?

Make this your declaration:

I belong to the Good Shepherd, and my life is secure in His faithful hands. He will never abandon the work He began in me.

Let’s pray together:

Lord Jesus, thank You for the security I have in You. When fear tells me I am alone or beyond Your reach, remind me that I am held by Your unfailing love. Help me to follow You with confidence, knowing that Your hands are stronger than my weakness and Your faithfulness is greater than my failures. Amen.

As you go about your day, remember this:

Your hope does not rest on how tightly you are holding on to the Shepherd, but on how faithfully the Shepherd is holding on to you.

John 10:27–30 (NIV)

²⁷My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. ²⁸I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. ²⁹My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all^[a]; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand. ³⁰I and the Father are one.

Supplementary Scriptures

Romans 8:38–39 (NIV)

³⁸For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,^[a] neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, ³⁹neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Philippians 1:6 (NIV)

Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

I belong to the Good Shepherd, and my life is secure in His faithful hands. He will never abandon the work He began in me.

00:00

Sorry, no results.

Please try another keyword

One Flock, One Shepherd

We naturally divide people into groups.

People like us… and people unlike us.

People we understand… and people we struggle to accept.

Yet the heart of Jesus has always been larger than the boundaries we create.

In John 10:16, Jesus says, “And other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring… and there will be one flock and one shepherd.” At the time, many expected God’s promises to remain within one nation. But Jesus revealed a greater plan. He came to gather people from every background into one family under His care.

That promise became reality through the cross. Ephesians 2:13–18 declares that those who were once “far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.” He broke down the dividing wall of hostility and gave us access to the Father through one Spirit. What separated people for generations was overcome by the Shepherd’s sacrifice.

Paul echoes the same truth in Galatians 3:28, reminding us that in Christ, earthly distinctions no longer determine our worth or our belonging. We are united because we belong to the same Shepherd.

This challenges more than our theology—it challenges our hearts. It invites us to see other believers not as competitors, strangers, or outsiders, but as fellow sheep loved by the same Shepherd. If Christ has welcomed them into His flock, we must be careful not to build the walls He died to remove.

Pause for a moment and ask yourself:

Is there anyone I have struggled to see as part of God’s family because of their background, story, or differences?

Let this settle deep within you:

Because we share one Shepherd, we belong to one family.

Let’s pray together:

Lord Jesus, thank You for bringing me into Your flock by grace. Remove every attitude that creates unnecessary division in my heart. Teach me to love Your people as You love them and to celebrate the family You are gathering from every nation, culture, and story. Amen.

As you go about your day, remember this:

The Shepherd is gathering a family, not building a crowd.

John 10:16 (NIV)

I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd.

Supplementary Scriptures

John 10:17–18 (NIV)

¹³But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ.

¹⁴For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, ¹⁵by setting aside in his flesh the law with its commands and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace, ¹⁶and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility. ¹⁷He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. ¹⁸For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit.

Hebrews 7:25 (NIV)

There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

Because we share one Shepherd, we belong to one family.

00:00

Sorry, no results.

Please try another keyword

Do You Know His Voice?

It’s easy to stay when everything is comfortable.

The real test of love is whether someone remains when staying becomes costly.

Jesus draws that contrast in John 10:11 while speaking of Himself, He says, “I am the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd gives His life for the sheep.” Unlike the hired hand who runs when danger appears, the Shepherd stays. He does not measure His commitment by convenience. He measures it by love.

As the chapter unfolds, Jesus repeats this truth again in John 10:17–18: “I lay down My life that I may take it again… No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself.” His sacrifice was never forced upon Him. He chose the cross, and He also chose the resurrection. The Shepherd who died for His sheep is the same Shepherd who lives to lead them today.

His care did not end at Calvary. Hebrews 7:25 reminds us that Jesus “always lives to make intercession” for those who come to God through Him. The Shepherd who stayed at the cross still stays with His people, praying for them, leading them, and faithfully keeping them.

Perhaps you’ve wondered whether God grows weary of your failures or distant in your struggles. The cross answers that fear. Jesus did not walk away when saving you cost Him everything, and He will not abandon you now that you belong to Him.

Take a quiet moment to reflect:

Where do I need to trust that Christ’s love is stronger than my fears or failures?

Hold on to this truth today:

The Shepherd who gave His life for me will never stop caring for me.

Let’s pray together:

Lord Jesus, thank You for loving me with a love that never turned away from the cross. Help me to rest in Your faithful care and remember that You are still leading, interceding, and walking with me today. Teach me to trust the Shepherd who stayed when everyone else could have left. Amen.

As you continue through your day, remember this:

The cross was not the end of the Shepherd’s love—it was its clearest demonstration.

John 10:11 (NIV)

I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.

Supplementary Scriptures

John 10:17–18 (NIV)

¹⁷The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life—only to take it up again. ¹⁸No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father.

Hebrews 7:25 (NIV)

Therefore he is able to save completely^[a] those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them.

The Shepherd who gave His life for me will never stop caring for me.

00:00

Sorry, no results.

Please try another keyword

Do You Know His Voice?

Safety is not always found in stronger walls.

Sometimes it is found in staying close to the right Person.

When Jesus declared in John 10:9, “I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture.” He wasn’t only describing the moment of salvation. He was painting the picture of a life lived under the Shepherd’s care. The sheep could move with confidence because the Shepherd remained at the entrance, guarding what had been entrusted to Him.

David understood this long before Jesus spoke those words. In Psalm 23, he could say, “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me.” His confidence did not come from the absence of danger but from the presence of the Shepherd. The valley was real, yet so was the One leading him through it.

The same invitation remains for us today. James 4:8 says, “Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you.” The closer we walk with Christ, the more we learn that true security is found neither in our circumstances nor in our own strength, but in His faithful presence. His peace steadies us, His Word guides us, and His care reminds us that we are never left to navigate life alone.

Pause for a moment and ask yourself:

Where have I been looking for security instead of drawing closer to Jesus?

Make this your declaration today:

My confidence is not in the strength of my grip on Christ, but in the faithfulness of the Shepherd who keeps watch over me.

Let’s pray now:

Lord Jesus, thank You for being my Door and my place of safety. Teach me to remain close to You each day. When fear, uncertainty, or distraction pulls at my heart, remind me that Your presence is my refuge. Help me trust Your guidance and rest in the security You alone provide. Amen.

As you go about your day, remember this:

The safest place you can be is wherever the Shepherd is leading.

John 10:3–4 (NIV)

³The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. ⁴When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice.

Supplementary Scriptures

John 10:27 (NIV)

My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.

Isaiah 30:21 (NIV)

Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, “This is the way; walk in it.”

My confidence is not in the strength of my grip on Christ, but in the faithfulness of the Shepherd who keeps watch over me.

00:00

Sorry, no results.

Please try another keyword

Safe in His Presence

Safety is not always found in stronger walls.

Sometimes it is found in staying close to the right Person.

Pause for a moment and ask yourself:

Where have I been looking for security instead of drawing closer to Jesus?

Make this your declaration today:

My confidence is not in the strength of my grip on Christ, but in the faithfulness of the Shepherd who keeps watch over me.

Let’s pray now:

As you go about your day, remember this:

The safest place you can be is wherever the Shepherd is leading.

John 10:9 (NIV)

I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved.^[a] They will come in and go out, and find pasture.

Supplementary Scriptures

Psalm 23:4–6 (NIV)

⁴Even though I walk
    through the darkest valley,^[a]
I will fear no evil,
    for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
    they comfort me.

⁵You prepare a table before me
    in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil;
    my cup overflows.
⁶Surely your goodness and love will follow me
    all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord
    forever.

James 4:8 (NIV)

Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.

My confidence is not in the strength of my grip on Christ, but in the faithfulness of the Shepherd who keeps watch over me.

00:00

Sorry, no results.

Please try another keyword

Jitu Raiyan

Akoko Daily Week 35

Resurrection Has a Name

Love That Waits

Held Forever

One Flock, One Shepherd

Do You Know His Voice?

Do You Know His Voice?

Safe in His Presence

Week 11

Week 10

Week 09

Week 08

Week 07

Week 06

Week 05

Week 04

Week 03

Week 02

Week 01

Your daily pause with God