Our sister Phoebe . . . has been the benefactor of many people, including me. Romans 16:1-2

Today’s Scripture

Romans 16:1-12

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Paul’s list of greetings at the end of Romans represents the many people he met during his journeys of sharing the hope of Jesus. Many of the believers in Christ whom he impacted (and who impacted him in return) ended up in Rome, and so he had a great deal of people waiting there for him before he even arrived. Both men and women shared in the apostle’s work of evangelism, paving the way for him in Rome. As we join with other believers in caring for others, we reflect the hearts of those who assisted Paul.

Today’s Devotional

Most people know about the Wright Brothers—Orville and Wilbur—who invented, built, and flew the first successful airplane in the early 1900s. But few know the name Katherine Wright. Yet in her brothers’ story of creating their flying machine, Katherine was essential to their success. While her brothers concentrated on the myriad details and experiments that led to their invention, Katherine chose to quietly and lovingly help them. She kept their bicycle shop going (the brothers’ source of income), left her teaching job to nurse Orville back to health after a plane crash, and managed the endless details of her brothers’ growing fame.

The value of the support of others is seen in Scripture as well. One example is Phoebe, mentioned by Paul as a “benefactor of many people” (Romans 16:2). And Priscilla and Aquila, a helpful couple presented in Paul’s writing, hosted churches where Paul ministered and even “risked their lives” for him (v. 4). Additionally, the apostle complimented Mark, saying he was “helpful to me in my ministry” (2 Timothy 4:11).

We can be the right brothers and sisters in Christ by serving others. The ongoing work of God needs helpers like Phoebe—and us—guided by Him to serve this way: “In humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but . . . to the interests of the others” (Philippians 2:3-4).

Reflect & Pray

Who needs your help? What can you do to serve others in Jesus’ name?

Dear God, please show me how to humbly serve others for Your glory.

Learn to serve like Jesus by Going the Extra Mile.

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Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Ephesians 4:2

Today’s Scripture

Ephesians 4:1-6

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When calling for gentleness and patience as believers in Jesus relate with each other, Paul recognized how difficult this can be. “Bearing with one another” (Ephesians 4:2) could also be translated “putting up with one another.” The same word is used in Mark 9:19, where Jesus says, “You unbelieving generation . . . . How long shall I put up with you?” Paul doesn’t naively imagine that maintaining unity in relationships with fellow believers will be easy, and he doesn’t call for believers to always have positive feelings for each other. Instead, following Christ’s example of humble, patient service, believers make the choice to “make every effort” (Ephesians 4:3) to press on in the difficult work of cultivating unity. Even within significant differences and relational friction, it’s possible to demonstrate Christlike love for each other.

Today’s Devotional

I stopped behind a car at a red light the other day and noticed a bright sticker on the rear window boldly stating: “New Driver. Please Be Patient.” Given all the road rage we hear about (or experience), what a great reminder to be patient with other drivers.

As I looked at the sticker, I wondered what would happen if people carried around signs that alerted us that they’re a “New Parent” or “New Christian.” If we knew what our neighbors, coworkers, or others we encounter throughout our day were going through, would we be more patient and even help them deal with their struggles?

We may be rushing through our days, trying to avoid being interrupted by others, but let’s consider how Jesus treated people. He wasn’t in a hurry. He had compassion on people and took the time to comfort and teach and show love to those He encountered.

As believers in Jesus, we’re called to “live a life worthy of the calling [we] have received” (Ephesians 4:1). The apostle Paul says that includes being “completely humble and gentle; [being] patient, bearing with one another in love” (v. 2); and making every effort to live in peace and unity with each other (v. 3).

We may not know what challenges people are facing, but we can be patient with them. Let’s be an expression of Jesus’ love to everyone we encounter on our daily path.

Reflect & Pray

How can you be more patient with others? Who can you be a blessing to today?

Dear God, please help me to be more loving and patient with those You place in my path.

Patience can be a hard discipline. Thankfully, Jesus provides the ultimate model in patience. Find out how more by reading Learning Patience from Jesus.

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You whom I have upheld since your birth. . . . Even to your old age . . . I am he who will sustain you. Isaiah 46:3-4

Today’s Scripture

Isaiah 46:3-9

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In Isaiah 46:5, God asks, “With whom will you compare me or count me equal? To whom will you liken me that we may be compared?” The answer to this rhetorical question is that no one is like God. Often when the question “Who is like God?” is asked in the Bible, it’s answered in part by reflecting on an aspect of His matchless character. For example, in Psalm 71:19, the psalmist reflects on God’s surpassing righteousness, and in Micah 7:18, the prophet ponders God’s “unfailing love” (nlt). Other verses in the Old Testament that ponder the character of God, the one who will be with us forever, include Exodus 15:11; Deuteronomy 3:24; 2 Samuel 7:22; Psalm 86:8, 10; 89:6, 8; 113:5; and Isaiah 40:18, 25.

Today’s Devotional

A Danish study explored the phenomenon most of us have experienced: perceiving ourselves as younger than we really are. The findings suggest a constant—whatever our current age, we all see ourselves as 20 percent younger. A fifty-year-old tends to imagine herself as forty years old. (This conjures up a comical scenario in which a child thinks, “Wow, I’m five, but I feel I have the energy and looks of a four-year-old!”)

It doesn’t take a scientific study to state the obvious: We’re all growing older. And Scripture has much to say about this. Isaiah’s words were issued to an Israel that had aged and become weary, but as one commentator says, “This promise to Israel, enfeebled and grown old as a nation, is applicable to every aged follower of Christ.”

The prophet reminds us of God’s provision throughout the life of everyone who has been faithful to Him: “I have upheld [you] since your birth, and have carried [you] since you were born” (Isaiah 46:3).

So as we stew and fret about growing older, we’re reminded that God is still with us. He promises: “Even to your old age and gray hairs I am he, I am he who will sustain you” (v. 4). Whatever age you are (or the 20-percent-younger version you imagine yourself to be!), embrace today God’s promise: “I have made you and I will carry you” (v. 4).

Reflect & Pray

In what ways do you wrestle with concerns about aging? How do you find comfort in Isaiah’s words?

Dear God, I’m feeling weary and tired. Please give me Your strength. I ask that You sustain me and carry me.

The book of Isaiah mentions Cyrus the Great and how he will be used to accomplish God’s will. Learn more by clicking here.

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This son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found. Luke 15:24

Today’s Scripture

Luke 15:17-24

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Luke 15 contains three related parables: the lost sheep, the lost coin, and the lost son. The common theme in all is God’s great love for the lost. Why were these parables told in this sequence? Some have suggested it’s a matter of proportion (from smallest to largest): First, one out of a hundred sheep is lost; second, one out of ten coins; lastly, one out of two sons. No matter the reason, the last parable is the longest and most moving. Later in Luke, we read: “The Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost” (19:10). The message is clear: God pursues and longs for us to turn to Him and be saved—to receive the forgiveness and salvation He offers through His Son’s sacrifice for our sins. Why? Because He loves us: “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends” (John 15:13).

Today’s Devotional

In one of his short stories, Ernest Hemingway tells a tale about a Spanish father who longs to reunite with his estranged son. He places an advertisement in a local newspaper: Paco, meet me at Hotel Montana at noon Tuesday. All is forgiven. When the father arrives, he finds a crowd waiting. Eight hundred Pacos had responded to his advertisement, longing to be forgiven by their fathers.

It’s a touching story that speaks to our own deep desire for forgiveness, and it reminds me of a story Jesus told. There, a young man leaves his father on a hunt for “wild living” but soon finds himself in trouble (Luke 15:13-14). When he “[comes] to his senses” and returns home (v. 17), his estranged father rushes to embrace him before he’s even had a chance to apologize (v. 20). “This son of mine was dead and is alive again,” the father cries in joy; “he was lost and is found” (v. 24). In this story, the father represents God, the son represents us, and heaven’s joy is glimpsed when we too return to our heavenly Father.

Forgiveness lifts a weight off a guilty soul. But like a gift, what’s offered to us must be received. Hemingway never tells us if the father in this story finds his own Paco. Will the Father in Jesus’ story have His sons and daughters return? His arms are outstretched, awaiting our response.

Reflect & Pray

How would you feel if you were Paco’s father? What can hold you back from receiving divine forgiveness?

Father, knowing what I’ve done, Your offer of forgiveness is overwhelming. I receive it, thank You!

For further study, read A Child’s Compassion.

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When the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us. Titus 3:4-5

Today’s Scripture

1 Peter 3:8-12

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In 1 Peter 3:10-12, Peter strengthens his point on how to respond to suffering by quoting from Psalm 34:12-16, a psalm that came out of one of David’s frightening experiences. Having escaped King Saul’s murderous pursuit, David ended up in Gath—the home of his former Philistine opponent, Goliath. When David’s identity is exposed, he pretends to be insane (1 Samuel 21:10-15) and escapes from Gath. The account in 1 Samuel focuses on David’s apparent ingenuity in cleverly escaping danger, but in Psalm 34, as he reflects on the event, he sees that his rescue came from God, not his own scheme (v. 17). Peter’s use of this psalm captures the hopeful optimism of David, whose trust in God’s kind protection and care had been rewarded in his escape from Gath.

Today’s Devotional

When Jackie Robinson, the first Black player in modern-day Major League Baseball, played at Shibe Park in Philadelphia on May 9, 1947, ten-year-old Doris was in the upper-deck stands with her father. When an elderly Black man made his way down the aisle to a seat next to them, her father led the way in getting acquainted. Doris said their conversation about scorekeeping made her feel “grown up.” She later reflected, “I’ve never forgotten that man and his smiling face.” The delightful interaction between Doris, a young White girl, and the kind, elderly man, who was the son of slaves, was a bright spot that day.

This was in stark contrast, however, to the hateful conduct Robinson had experienced at another game that season. He recounted that “in terms of race, they yelled everything at me; it was quite vicious.”

Vicious conduct isn’t limited to sports fields. Homes, neighborhoods, workspaces, and even our churches can be places where ugliness wins. Those who believe in the God who displayed kindness through His Son (see Titus 3:4), however, are called to do the same. Peter writes: “Be like-minded, be sympathetic, love one another, be compassionate and humble. Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult” (1 Peter 3:8-9). Kindness triumphs when those who’ve received it from God share it generously with others as the Spirit helps them.

Reflect & Pray

When are you tempted to be unkind? How have you been the recipient of kindness?

Dear Father, I’m grateful for the kindness You’ve given through Jesus.

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Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst. 1 Timothy 1:15

Today’s Scripture

1 Timothy 1:12-17

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The apostle Paul (Saul) was there at the very beginning of the church in Jerusalem (Acts 8:1-4), but at the time, he held no love or loyalty for Jesus and His people. Instead, he approved of the murder of Stephen, a leader in the new church (6:1-6; 7:57–8:1) and then actively hunted down believers in Christ in Jerusalem and “put them in prison” (8:3). He requested letters to travel around the area with the full intention of murdering any believer he could get his hands on or—at the very least—imprisoning them (9:1-2). It’s that very violence—something Paul thought he was doing in the name of God—that the apostle said made him the “worst of sinners” (1 Timothy 1:16). Jesus took a violent, angry man and turned him into someone who would lay down his own life for the salvation of the very people he once sought to murder (Romans 9:3).

Today’s Devotional

Eric’s childhood challenges included a severe skin rash, difficulties in school, and getting high on alcohol or drugs daily from a very early age. Yet the one who dubbed himself as the “king of bad” found that he excelled on the baseball field—until he abandoned baseball after becoming discouraged by discrimination. This allowed him even more time for using and dealing drugs.

Things changed for Eric, however, when he had a life-altering encounter with Jesus while attending a church service. At his job the next day, a dedicated believer in Jesus invited Eric to attend yet another church service, where he heard these words that encouraged him in his newfound faith: “If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new” (2 Corinthians 5:17 kjv). Eric’s life has never been the same.

Like Eric, Saul of Tarsus (also known as Paul) would’ve been classified as a “tough case.” He said, “I am the worst” of sinners (1 Timothy 1:15). He was “once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man” (v. 13). Like Saul, Eric was just right for Jesus. And so are we, even if we don’t view ourselves in the same league as Saul or Eric, for “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). We’re all just right for Jesus.

Reflect & Pray

How do Eric and Saul’s stories help you to see God as a forgiving God? What does it mean for you to be just right for Jesus?  

Dear God in heaven, please help me to see that the blood of Jesus cleanses from “big” and “little” sins.

Read more about overcoming sin.

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The Lord told [Samuel]: “. . . It is not you they have rejected, but they have rejected me.” 1 Samuel 8:7

Today’s Scripture

1 Samuel 8:1-9

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God set the Israelites apart to be His chosen people. They were to obey His laws and not follow the practices and customs of the surrounding nations (Leviticus 18:1-5; 20:26). Four hundred years later, His people demanded a king to rule over them “such as all the other nations have” (1 Samuel 8:5; see v. 20). Samuel—who faithfully served as Israel’s judge, military leader, priest, and prophet for thirty-five years—was now old, and his sons were unfit to succeed him (v. 5). Faced with external threats, the Israelites wanted a human king to lead them to war. In so doing, they rejected God as their king (v. 7; 12:12). They asked Samuel to intercede for them, and he assured them of his prayers. He exhorted them to remain faithful to God—to obey His laws and to serve Him wholeheartedly because they were God’s covenant people (12:14-15, 20-24).

Today’s Devotional

Nuñez tumbled down the mountain and into a valley where everyone was blind. A disease had robbed the original settlers of sight, and subsequent generations—all born blind—had adapted to life without being able to see. Nuñez tried to explain what it was like to possess eyesight, but they weren’t interested. Eventually, he found a passage through the mountain peaks that had prevented him from leaving the valley. He was free! But from his vantage point he now saw that a rockslide was about to crush the blind dwellers below. He tried to warn them, but they ignored him.

This tale by H. G. Wells, “The Country of the Blind,” would likely resonate with the prophet Samuel. Toward the end of his life, his “sons did not follow his ways” in loving and serving God (1 Samuel 8:3). Their spiritual blindness was mirrored by “the elders of Israel” (v. 4), who told Samuel to “give us a king” (v. 6). They’d all turned their eyes from God and faith in Him. God told Samuel, “It is not you they have rejected, but they have rejected me” (v. 7).

It can hurt when those we care for reject God in spiritual blindness. But there’s hope even for those whom “the god of this age has blinded” (2 Corinthians 4:4). Love them. Pray for them. The one who “made his light shine in our hearts” (v. 6) can do the same for them.

Reflect & Pray

How does it encourage you to know that God sees those who can’t see Him? Why is there always hope for even the spiritually blind?

Loving God, please help me to pray for those who are blind to Your love and to trust You with them.

We all need mercy, justice, and hope. Reclaim yours today: Read more

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Like clay in the hand of the potter, so are you in my hand. Jeremiah 18:6

Today’s Scripture

Jeremiah 18:1-10

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It’s a dangerous misconception that the God of the Old Testament is angry and judgmental, while the God of the New Testament is loving, merciful, gracious, and forgiving. We see abundant evidence of God’s grace and mercy throughout the Old Testament. God said through His prophet Jeremiah, “If at any time I announce that a nation or kingdom is to be . . . destroyed, and if that nation I warned repents of its evil, then I will relent” (18:7-8). The book of Jonah demonstrates this. When Jonah brought his message of repentance to the degenerate city of Nineveh, its citizens heeded God’s warning and were spared (3:4-10). In Jeremiah, God offers a similar opportunity to Judah (18:11). These are just two examples of God’s love and mercy in the Old Testament. God’s character is consistent. He loves His children too much to permit them to persist in sin.

Today’s Devotional

Dan Les, a lifelong potter, creates decorative vessels and sculptures. His award-winning designs are inspired by the town in Romania where he lives. Having learned the craft from his father, he made this comment about his work: “[Clay needs to] ferment for a year, to have rain fall on it, to freeze and thaw out [so that] . . . you can shape it and feel through your hands that it is listening to you.”

What happens when clay “listens”? It’s willing to yield to the artisan’s touch. The prophet Jeremiah observed this when he visited a potter’s house. He watched as the craftsman struggled with a vessel and finally reshaped it into something new (Jeremiah 18:4). God said to Jeremiah, “Like clay in the hand of the potter, so are you in my hand” (v. 6).

God has the ability to build us up or bring us down, yet His ultimate purpose isn’t to overpower or destroy us (vv. 7-10). Rather, He’s like a skilled craftsman who can identify what isn’t working and reshape the same lump of clay into something beautiful and useful.

Listening clay doesn’t have much to say about this. When prodded, it moves in the desired direction. When molded, it stays in place. The question for us is this: are we willing to “humble [ourselves] under God’s mighty hand” (1 Peter 5:6) so He can shape our lives into what He wants them to be?

Reflect & Pray

How are you listening to God today? What do you think His purpose is for refining you through your life’s experiences?

Dear God, please help me to trust You. I want to submit my life to You.

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The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. Romans 8:7

Days of Praise – Seeds of Doubt

by Daryl Robbins

“He [Satan] was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.” (John 8:44)

Satan loves to plant seeds of doubt into the minds of both believers and nonbelievers alike. Jesus warns in today’s passage that Satan is an old pro at lying, so to speak. He has been at it “from the beginning.”

The first example we see in the Bible of Satan’s lying is in Genesis 3:4. When tempting Eve to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, he says, “Ye shall not surely die.” Going back one chapter to Genesis 2:17, we see God’s original command concerning the tree: “But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shall not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.”

Notice that Satan removed the “not” from “thou shall not eat of it” and inserted it into “thou shalt surely die.” That change was enough to plant seeds of doubt into the minds of Adam and Eve, damaging their relationship with God and ultimately bringing about the Curse of the Fall on the earth and all mankind who would come after them.

Since we have the benefit of recorded Scripture to study and learn from, let’s be aware of Satan’s tactics to spread lies. We know one of Satan’s devices is to attack the validity of God’s Word. “Did God really say…?” seems to be the approach taken in this instance. Satan may also attack the accuracy of God’s Word, adding or removing words from the Holy Scripture to advance his deadly agenda.

Let’s be “vigilant” (1 Peter 5:8) and informed about the ways Satan attacks so we can stand strong in the faith, “for we are not ignorant of his devices” (2 Corinthians 2:11). DWR

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Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Romans 12:11

Today’s Scripture

Matthew 28:16-20

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Today’s Insights

Matthew 28:19-20 is referred to as the Great Commission: “Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.” This evangelism mandate appears in varying forms in the New Testament: “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation” (Mark 16:15). “Repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations” (Luke 24:47). “As the Father has sent me, I am sending you” (John 20:21). “You will be my witnesses . . . to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8).

The Great Commission is more than proclaiming that Jesus died for our sins and rose again. We carry out the mandate to “go and make disciples” when we baptize believers, teach them to obey the Scriptures, and encourage them to follow Christ as their master.

Today’s Devotional

George Verwer’s life changed dramatically when he became a believer in Jesus during a Billy Graham crusade in 1957. Soon after his conversion, he began Operation Mobilization (OM), and in 1963 the mission sent two thousand missionaries to Europe. OM went on to become one of the largest mission organizations of the twentieth century, sending out thousands each year. At the time of George’s death in 2023, the mission had more than 3,000 workers from 134 countries working in 147 countries, and nearly 300 other mission agencies had been established as a result of contact with OM.

Like the apostle Paul, George had a passion to bring people to saving faith in Christ. After Paul’s dramatic conversion on the road to Damascus, he became a zealous missionary for God, fervently following Jesus’ command to “go and make disciples of all nations” (Matthew 28:19). In his missionary journeys, he also trained Timothy and others to go out and do the same.

Because of Paul’s Spirit-inspired writings, people throughout the centuries have been emboldened to share the gospel. He knew the vital importance of Jesus’ Great Commission (vv. 19-20). That’s why, in Romans 12, he reminds us: “Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord” (v. 11). When we have the Holy Spirit living inside us, He makes us zealous to tell others about Christ.

Reflect & Pray

Who has inspired you in your faith journey? How can you prepare to share your faith with others?

Dear God, please help me be a bold witness for You.

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Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine. Isaiah 43:1

Today’s Scripture

Isaiah 43:1-7

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More than one hundred years before it occurred, Isaiah prophesied Jerusalem’s destruction in 586 bc and Judah’s seventy-year exile in Babylon (Isaiah 39:6-7; see 2 Chronicles 36:15-21; 2 Kings 20:16-18; Jeremiah 52:4-27). But God wouldn’t abandon His people, even though He’d punish them for their covenantal unfaithfulness. In Isaiah 40-66, the prophet speaks of the deliverance from that exile and Judah’s restoration. Chapters 40-48 focus on the return from the Babylonian captivity and the means by which God would accomplish it. God assured His people of His unfailing love because they’re His chosen people. He’s their God and Savior who has chosen, redeemed, and honored them. They need not fear the Babylonians, the exile, or their future. “You are precious and honored in my sight,” He assured them. “Do not be afraid, for I am with you” (Isaiah 43:4-5).

Today’s Devotional

One day, while serving as my mom’s live-in caregiver, we visited an art exhibit. We were emotionally and physically drained. I gazed at two wooden row boats filled with colorful blown-glass shapes inspired by Japanese fishing lures and flower arrangements. The display Ikebana and Float Boats sat in front of a black wall on a reflective surface. Speckled, spotted, and striped glass orbs, like oversized gumballs, were piled into the smaller boat. From the hull of the second boat, long, twisted, and curved glass sculptures rose like vibrant flames. The artist had shaped each piece of molten glass through the refining fires of the glassblowing process.

Tears streaked my cheeks as I imagined God’s caring hand holding me and my mom—His beloved children—through our hardest days. As God shapes the character of His people through refining fires in life, He affirms that our hope comes from being known and knowing we belong to Him (Isaiah 43:1). Though we can’t escape hardship, God promises to protect us and be present (v. 2). His identity and His love for us make His promises secure (vv. 3-4).

When life’s circumstances heat up, we may feel fragile. We may even be fragile. But God holds us firmly in love, no matter how blazing hot the furnace gets. We are known. We are loved. We are His!

Reflect & Pray

Why does knowing you belong to God bring you hope during times of affliction? How has God used refining fires to shape your character?

Loving God, thank You for holding me, molding me, and reminding me that I’m Yours.

How are we to respond when we face hardship? Watch this video to learn how God is with us in our toughest moments.

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Your grief will turn to joy . . . and no one will take away your joy. John 16:20, 22

Today’s Scripture

John 16:16-24

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Today’s Insights

The Upper Room Discourse (John 14-16) is the main teaching focus of John’s gospel. The night before Jesus went to the cross, He was preparing His disciples for His crucifixion, resurrection, ascension, and return. He told them that their “grief [would] turn to joy” (John 16:20). One of the main features of Jesus’ teaching in these chapters is the promise of the coming Holy Spirit—Christ’s provision for His people after His departure. This promise was eventually fulfilled on the day of Pentecost (see Acts 2), some ten days after Jesus’ ascension to heaven when the Spirit came to indwell believers in Christ.

Today’s Devotional

“I have the right to be happy,” said a teenager as she spoke before a legislature. Yet she could have been anyone, anywhere, speaking for everybody. It’s our human cry. One self-help guru even said, “God wants you to be happy.”

Is that true? It’s not wrong to pursue happiness. That desirable state of mind, however, ebbs and flows with our moment-by-moment circumstances, and the fulfillment of one person’s desires can crush the happiness of another.

Jesus points us to something better. He knew He was about to be nailed to a Roman cross, where He would bear the weight of the world’s sin. Yet His concern was for His disciples. He told them, “You will weep and mourn while the world rejoices.” But He also said, “Your grief will turn to joy” (John 16:20). Then He promised, “No one will take away your joy” (v. 22).

This kind of joy is more than a good feeling based on desirable things happening to us. It grows out of doing the will of our Father in heaven. Jesus also said, “Seek first [God’s] kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well” (Matthew 6:33).

Happiness can slip away with the next unpleasant circumstance. The joy that comes from following Jesus can thrive despite those circumstances.

Reflect & Pray

How does chasing what you want ultimately leave you unhappy? What’s the difference between happiness and joy?

Dear Father, please teach me to learn the difference between temporary happiness and lasting joy.

For further study, read Jesus Is in the Room.

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He has sent me . . . to bestow on them . . . a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. Isaiah 61:1-3

Today’s Scripture

Isaiah 61:1-3, 10-11

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Today’s Insights

In the synagogue of Nazareth (Luke 4:16-19), Jesus read from the scroll of Isaiah portions of what we know as Isaiah 61. Isaiah’s prophecy was perfectly fulfilled in Christ (Luke 4:21). Prior to this, the Holy Spirit had descended upon Christ (3:22). He was full of the Spirit and was empowered by Him (4:1,14). Other passages in Isaiah likewise speak of the Spirit as the unique garment of Christ (God’s anointed, His designated ruler). One such passage is Isaiah 11:2-3: “The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him—the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of might, the Spirit of the knowledge and fear of the Lord—and he will delight in the fear of the Lord.” While Jesus donned the Spirit uniquely and perfectly (see John 3:34), those who belong to Christ are similarly dressed

Today’s Devotional

Two eight-year-old boys in Maine—a rural American state—made their mark by wearing business suits to school on Wednesdays. Soon “Dapper Wednesdays” became a favorite day, as other classmates and school staff dressed up too. James, who launched the idea, loved hearing compliments. “It just made my heart feel really good.” Their Wednesday attire set the kids apart as proud students of their school.

Our spiritual clothing, which sets us apart as God’s own, gladdens our hearts too. “My soul rejoices in my God,” said Isaiah, “for he has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of his righteousness, as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels” (Isaiah 61:10).

As the Israelites went into exile, their clothing—spiritual and material—was threadbare and worn. Isaiah offered them a hopeful promise: God’s Spirit would “bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair” (v. 3).

The same promise rests on God’s people today. Jesus said that by His Spirit we would be “clothed with power from on high” (Luke 24:49). Christ provides us with a wardrobe of “compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience” (Colossians 3:12). Clothed by Him, we reflect His love to the world.

Reflect & Pray

How does God’s Spirit help you “dress” in compassion, kindness, and patience? How are others affected by your Spirit-led behavior?

When I wear worldly values, dear God, please change my spiritual clothing.

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I have filled [Bezalel] with the Spirit of God, with wisdom, with understanding, with knowledge and with all kinds of skills—to make artistic designs. Exodus 31:3-4

Today’s Scripture

Exodus 31:1-11

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Today’s Insights

God told Pharaoh to “let my people go, so that they may worship me” (Exodus 7:16; 8:1, 20; 9:1, 13; 10:3). Two months after leaving Egypt, the Israelites encamped at the base of Mount Sinai (19:1-2) where God gave His people the law (chs. 20-24) and instructions on how they were to live, worship, and serve Him (chs. 25-31). The tabernacle, built according to God’s exact blueprint, was His dwelling place—“a holy sanctuary so [he could] live among [his people]” (25:8 nlt). God appointed two master craftsmen, Bezalel and Oholiab, and gave them special abilities to lead the work and teach other craftsmen and artisans (31:1-6; see 35:30-34). God also endowed others with enhanced skills to accomplish the work (31:6-11; see 35:35–36:2).

Today’s Devotional

Some of the most famous pianists in the world, including Van Cliburn and Vladimir Horowitz, relied on Franz Mohr, chief concert technician at Steinway & Sons in New York, to ensure that their concert pianos were ready for performances. A master piano tuner, Mohr was sought after for his intricate knowledge of pianos and great skill developed over decades. Mohr believed his skills were an avenue to serve God, and he regularly shared his faith with pianists and performance staff.

When the nation of Israel was preparing to build the tent of meeting and other items necessary for worship, they needed individuals with expert skills (Exodus 31:7-11). God appointed two skilled artisans, Bezalel and Oholiab, to do the work and filled them with the “Spirit of God, with wisdom, with understanding, with knowledge and with all kinds of skills—to make artistic designs” (vv. 3-4). In addition to their specialized skills, God empowered them with His Spirit to guide their work. Their willingness to use their unique talents in service to God allowed the Israelites to appropriately worship Him.

Whether or not we consider ourselves artistic, each of us has unique, God-given gifts that we can use to serve others (Romans 12:6). Empowered by the Spirit, we can serve and worship God through our work using the wisdom, understanding, and skills He’s given us.

Reflect & Pray

What are some of the talents God’s given you? How might you use them to serve Him?

Heavenly Father, please remind me that the abilities You’ve given me are to be a holy offering.

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God was pleased . . . to reconcile to himself all things . . . by making peace through [Christ’s] blood, shed on the cross. Colossians 1:19-20

Today’s Scripture

Colossians 1:15-20

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Today’s Insights

Colossians 1:15-20 has been abused by false teachers who attempt to claim that the Son of God is a created being. So, what does Paul mean when he says, “The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation” (v. 15)? Did Jesus have a beginning? The immediate context provides the answer. “In him [the Son] all things were created: things in heaven and on earth . . . ; all things have been created through him and for him” (v. 16). The next verse says, “He is before all things” (v. 17). This makes it clear that the Son (Jesus the Messiah) wasn’t the first to be born among all created things, as some false teachers say. Rather, He is preexistent with the Father and hence was present at the creation of all things. The Creator isn’t a created being.

Today’s Devotional

High-wire artist Philippe Petit became famous in 1971 when he walked a tightrope between the towers of Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris. Three years later, he got arrested for an unauthorized walk between the Twin Towers that once distinguished New York’s skyline. But in 1987, Petit’s walk looked different. At the invitation of Jerusalem mayor Teddy Kollek, Petit walked across the Hinnom Valley on a high wire as a part of that year’s Israel Festival. At the midway point, Petit released a pigeon (he’d hoped for a dove) to symbolize the beauty of peace. A strange and dangerous stunt, but all for the cause of peace. Petit later said, “For a moment, the entire crowd had forgotten their differences.”

Petit’s high-wire walk reminds me of another breathtaking moment—the one that occurred when Jesus’ body hung between heaven and earth. The apostle Paul tells us, “God was pleased . . . to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through [Christ’s] blood, shed on the cross” (Colossians 1:19-20). Paul writes that “once [we] were alienated from God” (v. 21), but no longer. Far from a spectacle to promote peace, Jesus the Messiah actually made peace by shedding His blood on the cross. His was a feat never to be surpassed, as there is no need. His peace is everlasting.

Reflect & Pray

What does the word peace mean to you? How would you say you’re experiencing the peace of Jesus?

Praise to You, dear Jesus, for Your everlasting gift of peace.

3 Ways to Practice Peace

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We are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works. Ephesians 2:10

Today’s Scripture

Ephesians 2:6-10

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Today’s Insights

The creation account in Genesis says that “God created mankind in his own image” (1:27). Ephesians 2:10 also declares that “we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” Jesus set the example for us during His earthly ministry by doing “many good works from the Father” (John 10:32). Peter elaborates and says: “God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, . . . he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him” (Acts 10:38). As believers in Christ, the Spirit will provide the opportunities and empowerment to follow in Jesus’ footsteps and do good works. The fruit of the Spirit’s work in us is “love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness gentleness and self-control” (Galatians 5:22-23).

Today’s Devotional

At first, I ignored the card fluttering to the ground. The father and his little girl who dropped it were just twenty feet away, and I was late for work. Surely they would have realized it, I told myself. But they kept walking. My conscience got the better of me, and I went over to pick it up. It was a prepaid bus ride pass. When I gave it to them, their effusive thanks left me feeling unexpectedly satisfied. Why do I feel so good about doing such a small thing? I wondered.

It turns out that the human body produces chemicals that improve our mood when we’re kind to others. We’re made to feel good when we do good! That’s not surprising, because we were created by a good God who made us to be like Him.

Ephesians 2:10 shows us that blessing others is a part of our very purpose: “We are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” This verse doesn’t simply give an instruction to do good; in a way, it also reflects a part of our God-made nature. We don’t have to be doing great things all the time. If we do something small to help others in our daily lives, we not only get the reward of satisfaction, but we also know that we’re pleasing God—doing exactly what He made us to do.

Reflect & Pray

Who needs a helping hand or an encouraging word? What kind word or simple gesture can you extend to a friend, colleague, or neighbor?

Dear Father, please open my eyes to see how I can be kind to someone today.

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I will remove from them their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh. Ezekiel 11:19

Today’s Scripture

Ezekiel 11:14-21

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Today’s Insights

Just prior to today’s reading from Ezekiel 11, the prophet Ezekiel saw a vision of God’s glory. He looked on the throne of God in the holy of holies (10:1) and saw “the glory of the Lord” rise and move (v. 4). We see the movement of God’s glory from His inner sanctuary in the temple to its threshold and then from the threshold out into the city (vv. 4, 18). Finally, the glory of God left the city by the eastern gate (v. 19).

Ezekiel’s vision shows something the exiled Israelites may not have at first realized: their God went with them. He followed on the same road they traveled, which is why Ezekiel says, “I have been a sanctuary for them in the countries where they have gone” (11:16).

Today’s Devotional

Brock and Dennis were childhood friends, but as they grew up, Brock showed little interest in Dennis’ faith in Jesus. Dennis loved his friend and prayed for him because he knew the path he was going down was dark and depressing. In praying for Brock, Dennis adapted the words of the prophet Ezekiel: “Please God, remove from Brock a heart of stone and give him a heart of flesh” (see Ezekiel 11:19). He longed that Brock would walk in God’s way so he would flourish.

Ten years later, Dennis was still praying faithfully. Then he received a call from Brock: “I just gave my life to Jesus!” Dennis rejoiced, tears brimming, to hear his friend exclaim that he’d finally come to the end of himself and trusted God with his life.

In his prayers, Dennis focused on God’s promises to His people through Ezekiel. Although they’d turned from God with detestable practices, He said He would change their hearts: “I will give them an undivided heart and put a new spirit in them; I will remove from them their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh” (v. 19). With changed hearts, they would follow their God faithfully (v. 20).

No matter how far we’ve turned from God, He delights to give us warm and loving hearts. We need only to turn to Him with faith and repentance as we trust in Jesus to save us from our sins.

Reflect & Pray

How have you experienced God melting any stubbornness or coldness within? How can you pray for a friend today?

Loving God, thank You for releasing me from my sin and shame.

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There should be no division in the body, but . . . its parts should have equal concern for each other. 1 Corinthians 12:25

Today’s Scripture

1 Corinthians 12:21-26

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Today’s Insights

The concept of unity that Paul highlights in 1 Corinthians 12 depends on two things. The first is its diversity. Each part of the body has a different function, yet every part is vital. Paul wrote to a society steeped in slavery, and the church brought together groups of people unaccustomed to equality with each other—slave and free, Jew and gentile (v. 13). How could such a diverse body experience unity? Because of God’s Holy Spirit, who unites us in one purpose. This kind of unity was unique in the world. Paul tells us, “We were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body . . . and we were all given the one Spirit to drink” (v. 13). Whether great or small, each member is important for the body to perform properly. As Paul said, “God has put the body together” (v. 24). Many members. One body. One Spirit.

Today’s Devotional

Late one night, a Kenyan elephant sanctuary received a call that an elephant calf had fallen into a well. The rescue team arrived to cries of despair flooding the darkness and discovered that two-thirds of the baby’s trunk had been lost to hyenas. Transporting the calf to their safe haven, they named him Long’uro, which means “something that has been cut.” Though he possessed only one-third of his trunk, Long’uro healed and was embraced by the rest of the herd at the sanctuary. Elephants innately know they need each other, so they help each other.

In 1 Corinthians 12, Paul underscores our need to help each other within the body of Christ. He uses the metaphor of the human body and its individual parts to describe how God intends His people to welcome all gifts in all people because all are needed for His body to function (vv. 12-26). Then Paul explains how unity in diversity is accomplished. “God has put the body together,” he wrote, “giving greater honor to the parts that lacked it, so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other” (vv. 24-25).

Whether weak or strong, fancy or common, let’s help each other. Like the elephants, people need each other too.

Reflect & Pray

When have you received help from the family of God? What will you do to help other believers today?

Dear God, please help me to understand the vital value of each member in the body of Christ and show me how to both receive and give help so that together we’re stronger.

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As long as an heir is underage, he is no different from a slave, although he owns the whole estate. Galatians 4:1

Today’s Scripture

Galatians 4:1-7

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Today’s Insights

Huiothesia is used only five times in the New Testament (and only by Paul). This word, translated as “adoption to sonship” in Galatians 4:5, is packed with meaning. Huiothesia is a compound Greek word from huios (“son”) and thesia (“placing”). Adoption took place when a child (almost exclusively males in the ancient world) was placed in a family that lacked a suitable heir. With adoption came privileges, rights, and responsibilities of family membership. Paul used the term adoption, but the concept of family membership is also present in John’s writing: “See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! . . . Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is” (1 John 3:1-2).

Today’s Devotional

When Abigail’s parents died tragically in a car accident, she inherited a large real estate portfolio. She also learned that her parents had arranged to place the portfolio in a trust. For the time being, she could access only enough money for her college tuition. The rest would come when she was older. Abigail was frustrated, but she later realized her parents’ wisdom in planning a measured delivery of the inheritance.

In Galatians 4, Paul uses a similar example to illustrate Israel’s situation as promised heirs of God’s covenant with Abraham. God had made a covenant with Abraham to bless him, and circumcision was a sign of that promise (see Genesis 17:1-14). However, the sign wasn’t the promise. Abraham’s descendants would await a future descendant who would fulfill it. Isaac was born and pointed to the future birth of a Son who would redeem God’s people (Galatians 4:4-5).

Israel, like Abigail, had to wait until the “time set by his father” (v. 2). Only then could Israel take full possession of the inheritance. What they wanted immediately would arrive in due time with Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection. All who put their faith in Christ were no longer slaves to sin, “but God’s child” (v. 7). A new covenant has been established. We have access to God! We can call him “Abba, Father” (v. 6).

Reflect & Pray

If you profess Jesus as Savior, how are you no longer a slave to sin but a child of God? What does it mean to know Him as Father?

Loving Father, thank You for sending Your Son to address the sin problem of the world. 

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