The LORD said, “I have indeed seen the misery of my people in Egypt.” Exodus 3:7

Today’s Scripture

Exodus 3:1-10

Today’s Insights

Moses’ burning bush experience (Exodus 3) involves what’s known as a theophany, “a theological term to refer to either a visible or auditory manifestation of God” (Evangelical Dictionary of Theology). The sight or sound grabs one’s attention, but the message is what’s paramount. God assured Moses: “I have indeed seen the misery of my people . . . . I have heard them crying out because of their slave drivers and I am concerned about their suffering” (v. 7). Another example of a theophany is when God appeared in fire and smoke at Mount Sinai (19:16-20).

Today’s Devotional

The acclaimed painting Let My People Go by Aaron Douglas uses vibrant colors of lavender, green, and gold, along with traditional African imagery, to tell the biblical story of Moses and connect it with black Americans’ struggle for freedom and justice.
The painting portrays God’s appearance to Moses in a burning bush when He revealed that He’d seen the plight of the Israelites in Egypt. The artist uses a beam of light to symbolize God and His message, ‘So now, go. I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt’ (Exodus 3:10).
In Let My People Go, Moses kneels in obedient submission to God’s instructions, but the eye is drawn to the dark waves and horses trained for war surrounding him–reminding viewers of the struggles the Israelites would face as they left Egypt. But the beam of light shines brightly as a reminder that God would be with the Israelites.
The emotions evoked by the painting resonate because the struggle against injustice continues; many use their power to oppress men, women, and children around the world. As those who are suffering cry out for God to be “a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble” (Psalm 9:9), we can plead with God to respond to their cries for help. And, like Moses, we can be willing to act on behalf of the oppressed.

Reflect & Pray

How might you pray for oppressed people? How might you learn more about caring for those suffering from injustice?

Heavenly Father, please make Your presence known to all those who suffer unjustly.

Need help with you prayer life? Check out Prayer Basics to develop good prayer habits.

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While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:8

Today’s Scripture

Romans 5:6-11

Today’s Insights

The book of Romans tells us that all humanity is sinful (3:23). We were once enemies of God (5:10) and objects of His wrath (1:18; 2:5). But “God, in his grace, freely makes us right in his sight . . . through Christ Jesus [who] freed us from the penalty for our sins” (3:24 nlt). In Romans 5:1-11, Paul points to the intensity of God’s love for us. First, “we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love” (v. 5 nlt). Second, while we were still His enemies and sinners, God gave us His one and only Son to atone for our sins (see 1 John 4:9-10), save us from God’s wrath (Romans 5:9-10), and restore our relationship with Him: “So now we can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God because our Lord Jesus Christ has made us friends of God” (v. 11 nlt)

Today’s Devotional

“Did your sin also put Jesus on the cross?” That’s the question Dutch painter Rembrandt seems to be asking in his 1633 masterpiece, The Raising of the Cross. Jesus appears in the center of the picture as His cross is lifted and put in place. Four men are doing the lifting, but one stands out in the light surrounding Jesus. His clothing is different; he’s dressed in the style of Rembrandt’s day, wearing a cap the painter often wore. A closer look at his face reveals that Rembrandt has put himself into the painting, as if to say, “My sins had a part in Jesus’ death.”

But there’s another who also stands out. He’s on horseback, looking directly out of the painting. Some see this as a second self-portrait by Rembrandt, engaging all who observe with a knowing glance that seems to ask, “Aren’t you here too?”

Paul saw himself there, and we may also, because Jesus suffered and died for us as well. In Romans 5:10, he refers to himself and us as “God’s enemies.” But even though our sins caused Jesus’ death, His death reconciles us to God: “God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (v. 8).

We stand with both Rembrandt and Paul: sinners in need of forgiveness. Through His cross, Jesus offers us what we could never do for ourselves and meets our deepest need: a new beginning with God.

Reflect & Pray

How were you once God’s enemy? In what ways can you live as His friend today?

Dear Jesus, thank You for giving Yourself for me. Please help me to live in Your love today.

Listen how the grace of God transforms us.

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Enoch walked faithfully with God. Genesis 5:24

Today’s Scripture

Genesis 5:21-24

Today’s Insights

The metaphor of walking with God is a prominent theme in the Bible. Walking describes a life of obedience and submission to His instruction. Genesis 5 says that “Enoch walked faithfully with God” (vv. 22, 24). This imagery is also used throughout the book of Deuteronomy to remind Israel to follow the law by walking in it (5:33; 8:6; 10:12; 11:22; 19:9; 26:17; 28:9; 30:16). In chapter 6, we see the explicit origin of this idea. Verses 4-9 are referred to as the Shema, which means “hear,” the first word in this section of Scripture: “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one” (v. 4). In the Shema, Israel is encouraged to make God’s law central to everything they do. Observant Jews today still recite this prayer daily. Other examples of walking imagery appear in the Psalms (see 1, 15, 119, 128) and in the New Testament (see Colossians 3:7; 1 John 1:7; 2 John 1:6).

Today’s Devotional

For years, fitness experts have stressed the importance of running for cardiovascular health. But recent scientific studies have demonstrated that daily walking also has a range of health benefits. According to the US National Institute of Health, “Adults who took 8,000 or more steps a day had a reduced risk of death over the following decade than those who walked only 4,000 steps a day.” Walking is good for us.

Throughout the story of the Bible, walking is used as a metaphor for communing with God. In Genesis 3, we’re told how God walked with Adam and Eve “in the cool of the day” (v. 8). Genesis 5 shares the story of Enoch, who “walked faithfully with God 300 years” (v. 22). One day Enoch’s regular time spent with his Creator led to him being taken directly to be with God (v. 24). In Genesis 17, God invited Abram to “walk before” Him as He renewed His covenant with him (v. 1). And Jacob, near the end of his life, described God as his shepherd and spoke of his ancestors who had “walked faithfully” (48:15). In the New Testament, Paul instructed us to “walk by the Spirit” (Galatians 5:16).

Like Enoch and the patriarchs in Genesis, we can walk with God daily. We do so by surrendering our lives to Jesus and being guided by the Holy Spirit. That’s the path to true health.

How’s your walk?

Reflect & Pray

How would you describe “walking with God”? Today, as you reflect on Scripture, how will you follow and obey it?

Father, please forgive me when I’ve chosen not to walk with You but pursued my own agenda. Help me keep in step with You.

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Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry. James 1:19

Today’s Scripture

James 1:19-27

Today’s Insights

When James warns that believers in Jesus should be “slow to become angry, because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires” (1:19-20), the context suggests he has in mind angry outbursts. Instead of lashing out at someone in anger, believers ought to be “quick to listen, slow to speak” (v. 19). Outbursts of anger fall short of “the righteousness that God desires” (v. 20). It’s impossible to aim at how God wishes us to live our lives if our tempers are leading our behavior. Instead, we ought to humbly depend on Him and His standards for a life of service (vv. 21, 25). James even goes so far as to say that “those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless” (v. 26).

Today’s Devotional

Reflecting on why people tend to be entirely convinced they’re right—even when they’re not—author Julia Galef suggests that it has to do with a “soldier mindset”—where we’re focused on defending what we already believe against what we see as threats. Galef argues a more helpful mindset is that of a scout—someone focused not primarily on eliminating threats but on seeking the complete truth: comprehending “what’s really there as honestly and accurately as you can, even if it’s not pretty or convenient or pleasant.” People with this outlook have the humility to continually grow in understanding.

Galef’s insights bring to mind James’ encouragement that believers adopt a similar mindset—one where they’re “quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry” (James 1:19). Instead of being driven by knee-jerk reactions to others, James urges believers in Jesus to remember that human anger doesn’t lead to God’s righteousness (v. 20). Growth in wisdom is only possible through humble submission to His grace (v. 21; see Titus 2:11-14).

When we remember that each moment of our lives is dependent on God’s grace—not on us—we can let go of a need to always be right. And we can rely on His leading for how to live and care well for others (James 1:25-27).

Reflect & Pray

What examples have you seen of a spirit of humble willingness to learn and change? How can you cultivate a willingness to learn from others?

Dear God, please help me to surrender the need to always be right in exchange for the gift of unending learning as I journey with You.

Watch this video to learn how to Grow in Humility.

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Many deceivers, who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh, have gone out into the world. 2 John 1:7

Today’s Scripture

2 John 1:4-11

Today’s Insights

Love is a major theme of John’s writings, and he continues it here in his second letter. The apostle says, “I am not writing you a new command but one we have had from the beginning. I ask that we love one another” (2 John 1:5). But in John’s gospel, he records Jesus telling His disciples, “A new command I give you: Love one another” (John 13:34). Is the command to love old or new? It’s old, because Christ affirmed that the greatest two commands are to “love the Lord your God” (Matthew 22:37; see Deuteronomy 6:5) and “love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22:39; see Leviticus 19:18). It’s also new because Jesus expanded the scope of these commands when He instructed His disciples to love each other “as I have loved you”—completely and sacrificially (John 13:34). “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples” (v. 35).

Today’s Devotional

In April 1817, a disoriented young woman was found wandering around in Gloucestershire, England, wearing exotic clothes and speaking an unknown language. Assuming she was a beggar, authorities placed her in prison. However, she convinced her captors that she was Princess Caraboo from the island of Javasu. For ten weeks, the community treated her as royalty until a boardinghouse keeper revealed that the woman was, in fact, a servant girl named Mary Willcocks.

We may wonder how this young woman deceived an entire community for almost three months. But the book of 2 John warns us that deception is nothing new as it mentions “many deceivers who . . . have gone out into the world” (1:7). These are people who deny that Jesus Christ came “in the flesh” (v. 7), or those who go beyond what Christ taught (v. 9)—proclaiming that the Bible isn’t adequate for us today. Both these types of deceivers can cause us to not “receive [our] full reward” (v. 8 nlt) and can even trick us into helping them in their work (v. 11).

No one likes to be deceived. The people of Gloucestershire didn’t lose much, just some clothing and a few meals. But the Bible says that the consequences of sin and deception continue to threaten us. As we engage with Scripture, God will help us avoid deception as we “walk in obedience to his commands” (v. 6).

Reflect & Pray

How do you watch for false teachers today? What will help you read, reflect on, and respond to Scripture?

Dear Father, please help me to stand firm on the wisdom of Scripture and not be deceived.

Satan is known as the “father of all lies.” Check out Satan – Master of the Almost True to learn how to perceive his lies.

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Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you. Psalm 63:3

Today’s Scripture

Psalm 63

Today’s Insights

David wrote seventy-five psalms, seventy-three of which bear his name. Acts 4:25 confirms he also wrote Psalm 2 and Hebrews 4:7 confirms he wrote Psalm 95.

Psalm 63 includes a note about its historical background. We’re told that David penned it “when he was in the Desert of Judah.” On several occasions, David retreated into the wilderness when he was fleeing from Saul (see 1 Samuel 23:14-15; 24:1) and also when his own son Absalom rebelled to usurp his throne (see 2 Samuel 15:13-30). When he wrote Psalm 63, he was probably fleeing from Absalom because David refers to himself as “the king” (v. 11), and he wasn’t yet king when Saul pursued him.

Today’s Devotional

After another unexpected health setback, I joined my husband and others during a retreat in the mountains. I trudged up the wooden staircase that led to the tiny church on the top of a hill. Alone in the dark, I stopped to rest on a splintered step. “Help me, Lord,” I whispered as the music began. I walked slowly until I stepped into the small room. I breathed through the lingering pain, grateful that God hears us in the wilderness!

Some of the most intimate moments of worshiping God recorded in Scripture took place in the wilderness. While hiding in the Desert of Judah and most likely on the run from his son Absalom, King David sang: “You, God, are my God, earnestly I seek you; I thirst for you, my whole being longs for you” (Psalm 63:1). Having experienced God’s power and glory, David deemed God’s love as “better than life” (v. 3), and it was the reason he committed to a lifetime of worship—even while in the wilderness (vv. 2-6). He said, “Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings. I cling to you; your right hand upholds me” (vv. 7-8).

Like David, regardless of our circumstances or the fierceness of those standing against us, we can demonstrate confidence in God by praising Him (v. 11). Though we’ll suffer, sometimes by no fault of our own, we can trust that God’s love is always better than life.

Reflect & Pray

How can knowing God loves you help when you’re feeling attacked or defeated? When has praising Him strengthened your faith during hard times?

My God, Your love is better than life!

Wondering if God loves you? Be assured of His unfailing love with this video.

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[Jesus] too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might break the power of . . .  the devil. Hebrews 2:14

Today’s Scripture

Hebrews 2:9-18

Today’s Insights

Why does Hebrews 2:10 say that Jesus was made “perfect”? As God in human flesh, wasn’t He perfect already? According to scholar Marvin R. Vincent, the Greek word translated “perfect,” teleioō, literally means “to carry to the goal” and possesses the connotative meaning of “consummation.” The idea is that Christ was made “complete” by His suffering and death. He understands in the fullest way possible what we face in this difficult world. This provides us with a greater understanding of His words from the cross: “It is finished” (John 19:30). He’d completed the mission His Father gave Him to do.

Today’s Devotional

To improve her sign language skills, Leisa immersed herself in the world of the Deaf. Soon she learned the problems they face. The Deaf are awkwardly ignored by hearing people, expected to lip-read flawlessly, and routinely get passed over for promotions at work. Most public events go uninterpreted.

Leisa’s signing steadily improved to the point where she felt at home with the Deaf. At a party, a Deaf person was surprised to learn Leisa could hear. Before Leisa could respond, another friend signed, “She has a Deaf heart.” The key had been Leisa’s willingness to live in their world.

Leisa didn’t “condescend” to be with the Deaf. Except for her hearing, she was like them. But Jesus did stoop to reach all of us—to live in our world. He “was made lower than the angels for a little while” (Hebrews 2:9). Christ “shared in [our] humanity so that by his death he might break the power of him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil” (v. 14). In doing so, He freed “those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death” (v. 15). More than that, He was “fully human in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God” (v. 17).

Whatever we face, Jesus knows and understands. He hears our heart. He’s with us in every way.

Reflect & Pray

What does it mean to you that Jesus has experienced the same hardships you face? How might you step into someone else’s world for a while?

Thank You, Father, for the gift of Your Son, who brings me into Your family.

Whatever your situation is in life, Jesus is there with you. Check out Walk with Me: Traveling with Jesus and Others on Life’s Road.

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My ears had heard of you but now my eyes have seen you.

Today’s Scripture

Job 42:1-6

Today’s Insights

Job’s friends insisted that his suffering was caused by his sins (Job 3-37). Job relentlessly defended his innocence and sought his vindication from God (23:1-7). Instead of answering his questions, however, God asked Job a series of questions pertaining to His creation (chs. 38-41). Instead of providing an explanation as to why He permitted evil and suffering in this world, God revealed His character.

Job didn’t need to fully understand God’s ways, for no man can (Isaiah 55:8-9). He only needed to humble himself, seek to know God deeply, and trust Him wholeheartedly. His suffering taught him to run to God as the only sure place of refuge—the safest place to go for comfort, sustenance, and strength (Job 42:2-6). Job wasn’t given a reason for suffering, but he discovered that when life comes out short, God is enough (see Psalm 23:1, 4).

Find out more about why we believe in a God who allows suffering.

Today’s Devotional

Kenny stood before the congregation he’d left years before after he’d lost faith in God. He shared that his belief had been restored. How? God had touched his heart through the beauty and design he saw in creation. Kenny was in awe of Him once more through the witness of God’s general revelation seen in the natural world, and he now embraced the wisdom found in the special revelation of Scripture. After sharing his story, Kenny stepped into the tank of water at the front of the sanctuary. His father, tears of joy in his eyes, baptized him based on his faith in Jesus.

After he’d lost much in life, Job’s faith had also been shaken. He said, “I cry to you, O God, but you don’t answer. I stand before you, but you don’t even look” (Job 30:20 nlt). God “spoke to Job out of the storm” (38:1), declaring that it wasn’t about Him not seeing Job but that Job’s vision needed to be expanded as he considered God’s amazing, intricate creation. The “earth’s foundation” and the “morning stars” (vv. 4, 7) and all the creatures, plants, and waters found between (vv. 8-41), pointed to the one whom Job could trust—the God of amazing love and power. Job responded by saying, “My ears had heard of you but now my eyes have seen you” (42:5).

When doubts threaten your faith in Christ, consider the magnificence of God’s creation. He reveals Himself in it if we only have eyes to see.

Reflect & Pray

How has God revealed Himself in creation? How are awe of God and faith in Him linked?

Creator God, thank You for helping me see You in creation.

Dive into the backstory of Jesus by reading Origin Story: Following Jesus Back to the Beginning.

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Matthew 2:1-11

Today’s Insights

Matthew’s gospel emphasizes gentile (non-Jewish) inclusion into God’s redemption story. His genealogy, for example, highlights three gentile women—Tamar, Rahab, and Ruth (Matthew 1:3, 5). And Bathsheba, Solomon’s mother, was previously married to a gentile, Uriah the Hittite (v. 6). In Matthew 2, gentiles—the magi (who may have been members of the Persian royal court)—come to worship Jesus (vv. 1-2). By highlighting gentile inclusion in Christ’s story, Matthew leads his readers to the good news that God’s redemption is for all people and His followers are called to “make disciples of all nations” (28:19).

Today’s Devotional

Phillips Brooks wrote the lyrics to the beloved carol “O Little Town of Bethlehem” after visiting Bethlehem. Brooks, pastor of a church in the United States, was so moved by his experience that he wrote this to his Sunday school students: “I remember . . . on Christmas Eve, when I was standing in the old church at Bethlehem, close to the spot where Jesus was born, when the whole church was ringing hour after hour with the splendid hymns of praise to God, how again and again it seemed as if I could hear voices that I knew well, telling each other of the ‘Wonderful Night’ of the Savior’s birth.”

In 1868, Brooks put his thoughts into a poem, and his church organist set it to music. The song spoke stillness and peace into the unsettling aftermath of the American Civil War: “O little town of Bethlehem / How still we see thee lie! / . . . The hopes and fears of all the years / Are met in thee tonight.”

Matthew wrote of our Savior’s birth in Bethlehem in Matthew 2. When the “Magi from the east” (v. 1) followed the star to Bethlehem (see Micah 5:2), “they were overjoyed” to find Jesus (Matthew 2:10).

Today, as we celebrate Epiphany, we too need the glorious news of our Savior’s birth. As the hymn reminds us, He came to “cast out our sin and enter in” and “be born in us.” In Him, we find peace.

Reflect & Pray

Where in your life do you need the peace the Savior offers? What aspect of Jesus’ story touches you most?

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In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world. John 16:33

Today’s Scripture

John 16:31-33

Today’s Insights

In John 16, as Jesus addressed His disciples’ fears and the grief and suffering that would come during and after His death, it’s noteworthy that nowhere did He suggest they’d be rescued from experiencing fear and pain. As Christ faced death, they’d abandon Him in terror—“leave [Him] all alone” (John 16:32). The grief they’d experience from His death was unavoidable—they’d “weep and mourn while the world [rejoiced]” (v. 20).

Instead of a comfort based on escaping suffering, however, Jesus offered His disciples hope rooted in His resurrection (16:22). They couldn’t avoid the pain they’d experience, but because Christ has “overcome the world” (16:33), their suffering would be like that of childbirth—the pain wouldn’t be purposeless but would “turn to joy” (v. 20)—tremendous joy that “no one will take away” (v. 22).

Today’s Devotional

Fear woke me at 3 a.m. on the first day of the new year. The year ahead weighed heavily on me, overwhelming me with dread. Illness in the family had long wearied me, and now, thoughts of the future made me afraid. Will more bad things happen? I wondered.

Jesus’ disciples understood the fear of bad things happening. Even though their Master had prepared and reassured them the day before He died, they were still afraid. They fled when He was arrested (Matthew 26:56); Peter denied Him (John 18:15-17, 25-27), and they went into hiding (20:19). Their fear during the upheaval of Jesus’ arrest and crucifixion, as well as of persecution, led them to act contrary to His command to “take heart” and His promise, “I have overcome the world” (16:33).

But Christ’s death and resurrection proved His authority and power over life and death. He has the ultimate victory. Even though the sinful state of our world makes suffering a certainty, we can rest in the truth that all things are subject to the authority of our wise and loving God. Jesus’ presence is with us (16:32-33), just as it was with His disciples, who later confidently went on to share the gospel to the world. May God’s promise that He’s in control strengthen our hearts to trust Him in this new year and be courageous even when we don’t know what the future will bring.

Reflect & Pray

What’s your response to difficulty, suffering, and trials? What would “taking heart” look like for you?

Thank You, Jesus, for helping me with my fears and for showing me how to live courageously.

Visit ODBU.org/OT315 for further study on suffering and trials from the book of Job.

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The heavens will vanish like smoke . . . . But my salvation will last forever. Isaiah 51:6

Today’s Scripture

Isaiah 51:1-6

Today’s Insights

What does Isaiah 51:1 mean? “Listen to me, you who pursue righteousness and who seek the Lord: Look to the rock from which you were cut.” God is challenging His exiled people to “look to Abraham, your father, and to Sarah, who gave you birth” (v. 2). The people were trying to gain righteousness by keeping the law. What they needed was the faith of their spiritual father Abraham. The apostle Paul wrote, “It was not through the law that Abraham and his offspring received the promise that he would be heir of the world, but through the righteousness that comes by faith” (Romans 4:13).

Today’s Devotional

As Hurricane Laura raged through the Gulf of Mexico toward the US coastline of Louisiana, the warnings were dire. One sheriff, noting the 150-mile-per-hour winds, issued this jolting message: “Please evacuate. But if you choose to stay and we can’t get to you, write your name, address, social security number, and next of kin and put it in a Ziploc bag in your pocket. Praying that it does not come to this.” Rescue crews knew that once Laura hit land, they could only watch the storm’s destructive path—helpless in its wake.

Whenever God’s people in the Old Testament faced natural or spiritual calamity, His words were far more certain and hopeful, promising His presence despite destruction. He said that He would “look with compassion on all her ruins; [and would] make her wastelands . . . like the garden of the Lord” (Isaiah 51:3). And more, God always assured His people of the rescue and healing that would certainly follow if they would only trust Him. Even though “the heavens [would] vanish like smoke,” God said, His “salvation [would] last forever” (v. 6). Whatever the damage, His ultimate goodness toward them wouldn’t be thwarted, ever.

God doesn’t safeguard us from hardship, but He does promise that His restorative healing extends far beyond the ruin.

Reflect & Pray

Where are you facing calamity and ruin? How do you hear God’s promise to be with you, to heal and rebuild after the ruins?

Dear God, the ruins are so devastating. I’m not sure I can believe that You have a promise big enough for this. But I choose to believe.

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My own hand laid the foundations of the earth, and my right hand spread out the heavens. Isaiah 48:13

Today’s Scripture

Isaiah 48:12-19

Today’s Insights

Isaiah warned that God would discipline the Israelites for their idolatrous unfaithfulness. He prophesied about one hundred years before the destruction of Jerusalem, their temple, and their seventy-year exile in Babylon (Isaiah 39:6-7; see Jeremiah 25:11-12). Isaiah also prophesied that God would bring His people back, restore them, and bless them (chs. 40-66). In Isaiah 48, the prophet affirmed that whatever God had purposed for His people, He would bring to pass. For He’s the only true, everlasting God—the almighty Creator who chose them to be His people (vv. 12-15). He’s also the “Redeemer” (v. 17) who will teach and guide them (vv. 18-19).

Today’s Devotional

In 1939, with the recent outbreak of war for Britain, King George VI sought in his Christmas Day radio broadcast to encourage citizens of the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth to put their trust in God. Quoting a poem that his mother found precious, he said: “Go out into the darkness, and put your hand into the Hand of God. / That shall be to you better than light, and safer than a known way.” He didn’t know what the new year would bring, but he trusted God to “guide and uphold” them in the anxious days ahead.

The image of God’s hand appears in many places in the Bible, including in the book of Isaiah. Through this prophet, God called His people to trust that He as their Creator, “the first and . . . the last” (Isaiah 48:12), would remain involved with them. As He says, “My own hand laid the foundations of the earth, and my right hand spread out the heavens” (v. 13). They should put their trust in Him and not look to those less powerful. After all, He’s their “Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel” (v. 17).

Whatever we face as we look toward the new year, we can follow the encouragement of King George and the prophet Isaiah and place our hope and trust in God. Then, for us too, our peace will be like the river, our “well-being like the waves of the sea” (v. 18).

Reflect & Pray

As you consider the new year, what situations or relationships could you entrust to God? How does the image of His hand speak to you?

All-powerful God, You created the heavens and the earth and yet You cherish me. I place my trust in You.

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How long, Lord? Will you forget me forever? Psalm 13:1

Today’s Scripture

Psalm 13

Today’s Insights

Psalm 13 is an urgent prayer for God’s aid (vv. 3-4) as well as a lament of the psalmist’s long period of suffering, which is experienced as if God is absent and hiding His face (v. 1). When the psalm asks, “How long?” (vv. 1-2), the point isn’t asking for a specific end date but lamenting how long something has been endured and urging God to end the long wait—to act and make things right. Yet despite Psalm 13’s intense desperation, it’s also a psalm of deep trust (vv. 5-6). Through our bond with a God who we know to be good and faithful, we have the confidence and trust to honestly voice our lament. The reformer Martin Luther called prayer like that expressed in Psalm 13 the “state in which hope despairs, and yet despair hopes at the same time.”

Today’s Devotional

Jim has been battling a motor neuron disease for more than a year. The neurons in his muscles are breaking down, and his muscles are wasting away. He’s lost his fine-motor skills and is losing his ability to control his limbs. He can no longer button his shirt or tie his shoelaces, and using a pair of chopsticks has become impossible. Jim struggles with his situation and asks, Why is God allowing this to happen? Why me?

He’s in good company with many other believers in Jesus who have brought their questions to God. In Psalm 13, David cries out, “How long, Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and day after day have sorrow in my heart?” (vv. 1-2).

We too can take our confusion and questions to God. He understands when we cry out “How long?” and “Why?” His ultimate answer is given to us in Jesus and His triumph over sin and death.

As we look at the cross and the empty tomb, we gain confidence to trust in God’s “unfailing love” (v. 5) and rejoice in His salvation. Even in the darkest nights, we can “sing the Lord’s praise, for he has been good to [us]” (v. 6). Through our faith in Christ, He’s forgiven our sins, adopted us as His children, and is accomplishing His eternal good purpose in our lives.

Reflect & Pray

What questions do you need to bring to God? How has He shown His goodness to you, even in your darkest night?

Loving Father, thank You that You care for me. Please help me to trust that You’re making something beautiful of my life.

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Do not kill them . . . . Set food and water before them so that they may eat and drink. 2 Kings 6:22

Today’s Scripture

2 Kings 6:18-23

Today’s Insights

Author Ray Stedman draws an intriguing comparison between the prophets Elijah and Elisha. Elijah first appears in 1 Kings 17. He displays God’s power and judgment, calling down fire from heaven as he faced 450 prophets of the false god Baal (18:30-39). Then in 2 Kings 1:9-12 he did it again, killing the soldiers sent by evil King Ahaziah to arrest him. Then Elisha “took the mantle” (2 Kings 2:14 nkjv), or role, of Elijah. He had a powerful yet less fiery ministry than did Elijah. Stedman notes that Jesus’ ascension into heaven after His resurrection (Acts 1:8-9) was foreshadowed by Elijah, who ascended into heaven in a chariot of fire (2 Kings 2:11-12). Similarly, he also points out that Elisha foreshadows the ministry of the Holy Spirit—the Helper Jesus promised to send us after He returned to His Father. Again and again, we see the Scriptures pointing to Christ.

Today’s Devotional

In the novel About Grace, David Winkler longs to find his estranged daughter, and Herman Sheeler is the only person who can help him. But there’s a hitch. David’s daughter was born from David’s affair with Herman’s wife, and Herman had warned him never to contact them again.

Decades pass before David writes to Herman, apologizing for what he’s done. “I have a hole in my life because I know so little about my daughter,” he adds, begging for information about her. He waits to see if Herman will help him.

How should we treat those who’ve wronged us? The king of Israel faced this question after his enemies were miraculously delivered into his hands (2 Kings 6:8-20). “Shall I kill them?” he asks the prophet Elisha. No, Elisha says. “Set food and water before them so that they may eat and drink and then go back to their master” (vv. 21-22). Through this act of grace, Israel finds peace with its enemies (v. 23).

Herman replies to David’s letter, invites him to his home and cooks him a meal. “Lord Jesus,” he prays before they eat, “thank You for watching over me and David all these years.” He helps David find his daughter, and David later saves his life. In God’s hands, our acts of grace toward those who’ve wronged us often result in a blessing to us.

Reflect & Pray

Whose acts of grace have inspired you in the past? What act of grace could you offer someone today?

Dear Jesus, please give me the wisdom and power today to offer grace to those who’ve wronged me.

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Let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds.  Hebrews 10:24

Hebrews 10:19-25

Today’s Insights

The words priest/high priest occur nearly forty times in the book of Hebrews. The priestly ministry of Jesus comes into view in the earliest verses of the book: “After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven” (Hebrews 1:3). Accolades for Jesus as high priest include words like “merciful and faithful” (2:17) and “great” (4:14; 10:21). The chorus of praise in 7:26 is of note: “Such a high priest truly meets our need—one who is holy, blameless, pure, set apart from sinners, exalted above the heavens.” What are the implications for believers in Jesus that He occupies this role? The “therefore” and “let us” phrases help us. “Therefore, . . . since we have confidence . . . and since we have a great priest . . . let us draw near to God . . . let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess . . . let us consider how we may spur one another on” (10:19-24).

Today’s Devotional

Gregory of Nazianzus and Basil of Caesarea were celebrated leaders in the fourth-century church and also close friends. They first met as philosophy students, and Gregory later said that they became like “two bodies with a single spirit.”

With their career paths so similar, rivalry could’ve arisen between Gregory and Basil. But Gregory explained that they avoided this temptation by making a life of faith, hope, and good deeds their “single ambition,” then “spurring each other on” to make the other more successful in this goal than themselves individually. As a result, both grew in faith and rose to high levels of leadership without rivalry.

The book of Hebrews is written to help us stay strong in faith (Hebrews 2:1), encouraging us to focus on “the hope we profess” and to “spur one another on toward love and good deeds” (10:23-24). While this command is given in the context of a congregation (v. 25), by applying it to their friendship, Gregory and Basil showed how friends can encourage each other to grow and avoid any “bitter root,” such as rivalry that might grow between them (12:15).

What if we made faith, hope, and good deeds the ambition of our own friendships, then encouraged our friends to become more successful in this goal than ourselves individually? The Holy Spirit is ready to help us do both.

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The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God endures forever. Isaiah 40:8

Today’s Scripture

Isaiah 40:1-8

Today’s Insights

We tend to make the phrase “the Word of God” (see Isaiah 40:8) into a synonym for Scripture itself. And it’s true that the Bible is an integral and vital way in which God reveals Himself to us. Ultimately, however, the greater revealer of God is a living and enduring person: Jesus. Isaiah 40:1-11 has a strong messianic message as it describes this eternal Word in whom we trust. This is who Isaiah is pointing to—the Word made flesh as revealed in John 1 (see especially vv. 1, 14). The words of God given to us in the pages of the Bible point to the Word of God (Jesus) spoken of in John 1.

Today’s Devotional

When he was younger, my son Xavier and I read a fictional children’s story about a boy who rebelled against his teacher by referring to a pen by a made-up name. The student convinced his fellow fifth graders to use the new name he created for pens. News about the boy’s replacement word spread through the whole town. Eventually, people across the country changed the way they referred to pens, simply because others accepted one boy’s made-up reality as a universal truth.

Thank you for being a faithful reader of Our Daily Bread devotions. If you would like to help others connect with God’s Word all across the globe, please consider partnering with us this holiday season.

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Throughout history, flawed human beings have embraced ever-changing versions of truth or personal preferred realities to suit their desires. However, the Bible points to one truth, the one true God, and one way to salvation—the Messiah—through whom “the glory of the Lord will be revealed” (Isaiah 40:5). The prophet Isaiah affirmed that people, like all created things, are temporal, fallible, and unreliable (vv. 6-7). He said, “The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God endures forever” (v. 8).

Isaiah’s prophecy of the coming Messiah provides a dependable foundation, a safe refuge, and a secured hope. We can trust God’s Word because Jesus Himself is the Word (John 1:1). Jesus is the Truth who never changes.

Reflect & Pray

When have you been tempted to reject what the Bible says simply because others accepted another view as truth? How does knowing Jesus is the Word and the fulfillment of all God’s promises comfort you?

Dear Jesus, please help me live in a way that shows I believe the Bible is the truth that never changes.

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And God saw that it was good. Genesis 1:10

Today’s Scripture

Genesis 1:1-10

Today’s Insights

The word genesis means “origin” or “beginnings.” The book of Genesis is about beginnings: the beginning of the world, of God’s chosen people, and of His plan to save us. It begins: “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth” (1:1). The gospel of John has a similar opening: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning” (1:1-2). These verses reveal much about the world’s origin: The Word (Jesus) was with God in the beginning—and is God. Not only was Jesus with the Father and Spirit from the very beginning, He gave life and created all things (1:3; Genesis 1:2). In Genesis 1:3, God speaks light into the world; in John 1:4, we read that Jesus is “the light” (see also 8:12).

Today’s Devotional

It was 1968, and America was mired in a war with Vietnam, racial violence was exploding in cities, and two public figures had been assassinated. A year before, fire had taken the lives of three astronauts on the launchpad, and the idea of going to the moon seemed like a pipe dream. Nonetheless, Apollo 8 managed to launch a few days before Christmas.

It became the first manned mission to orbit the moon. The flight crew, Borman, Anders, and Lovell—all men of faith—broadcast a Christmas Eve message: “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth” (Genesis 1:1). At the time, it was the most watched TV event in the world, and millions shared the God’s-eye view of Earth in a now iconic photo. Frank Borman finished the reading: “And God saw that it was good” (v. 10).

Thank you for being a faithful reader of Our Daily Bread devotions. If you would like to help others connect with God’s Word all across the globe, please consider partnering with us this holiday season.

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Sometimes it’s hard to look at ourselves, all the hardships we’re mired in, and see anything that’s good. But we might return to the story of creation and see God’s view of us: “In the image of God he created them” (v. 27). Let’s pair that with another divine-eye view: “For God so loved the world” (John 3:16). Today, remember that God created you, sees the good despite the sin, and loves the you He created.

Reflect & Pray

What hardships and sins are you mired in today? What does it mean that you’re created in the image of God?

Dear God, I’m struggling these days. Please help me to see what You see in me—You’re the God’s-eye view.

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The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you . . . . You must listen to him. Deuteronomy 18:15

Deuteronomy 18:15-18

Today’s Insights

Two months after leaving Egypt, the Israelites assembled at the foot of Mount Sinai to receive God’s laws (Exodus 19:16-25). Trembling in fear after God revealed Himself in thunder, lightning, billowing smoke, and a violent shaking of the whole mountain (vv. 16-18), the Israelites asked Him not to speak to them directly, but through Moses, lest they be destroyed by His holiness (20:18-19). Forty years later, Moses prophesied that God would provide a prophet—a mediator who would make known to them God’s words (Deuteronomy 18:15-20). God commanded His people not to imitate the detestable occultic practices of the pagan nations; specifically, not to consult with sorcerers, diviners, witches, spiritists, and mediums (vv. 9-14). They were to listen only to the “prophet like [Moses]” (v. 15) that God would send. This prophet would be far greater than Moses (Hebrews 3:1-6). Jesus, the “new Moses,” is the sole mediator between God and humanity (Acts 3:22-23; 1 Timothy 2:5).

Today’s Devotional

“I’ve got to declare an emergency. My pilot’s deceased.” Doug White nervously uttered those words to the control tower monitoring his flight. Minutes after takeoff, the pilot of the private plane Doug’s family had chartered suddenly passed away. Doug stepped into the cockpit with just three-month’s training in flying less sophisticated aircraft. He then carefully listened to controllers at a local airport who talked him through landing the plane. Later, Doug said, “[They] saved my family from an almost certain fiery death.”

We have one who alone can help us navigate the challenges in life. Moses, speaking to the Israelites, said, “The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you . . . . You must listen to him” (Deuteronomy 18:15). This promise pointed to a succession of prophets God provided for His people, but it also spoke of the Messiah. Both Peter and Stephen would later state that this ultimate prophet was Jesus (Acts 3:19-22; 7:37, 51-56). He alone came to tell us the loving and wise instructions of God (Deuteronomy 18:18).

During Christ’s life, God the Father said, “This is my Son . . . . Listen to him!” (Mark 9:7). To live wisely and avoid crashing and burning in this life, let’s listen to Jesus as He speaks through the Scriptures and the Holy Spirit. Listening to Him makes all the difference.

Reflect & Pray

Why is it sometimes challenging to hear Christ’s voice in this world? How can you better follow His wise and loving words today?

Dear Jesus, please help me hear and obey Your voice.

For further study, read Unknown Caller: Recognizing Jesus and the Kingdom

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You are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins. Matthew 1:21

Today’s Scripture

Matthew 1:18-25

Today’s Insights

Matthew clearly states that Mary was pregnant “before [she and Joseph] came together” (1:18). Joseph would have considered this apparent violation of their engagement to be the same as adultery, which carried the death penalty (Leviticus 20:10). That Joseph, who was “faithful to the law” (Matthew 1:19), planned to divorce Mary discreetly reveals his gracious character. Just as important, he believed what the angel told him (v. 24) and married Mary. This exposed them both to public ridicule. When Jesus later returned to “his hometown” to carry out His ministry, the people wondered, “Where did this man get this wisdom and these miraculous powers? . . . Isn’t this the carpenter’s son?” (13:54-55). But He was more than just “the carpenter’s son.” He was the Messiah.

Today’s Devotional

What began as a normal cable car ride across a Pakistani valley turned into a frightful ordeal. Shortly after the ride began, two supporting cables snapped, leaving eight passengers—including school children—suspended hundreds of feet in the air. The situation sparked an arduous twelve-hour rescue operation by the Pakistani military, who used ziplines, helicopters, and more to rescue the passengers.

Those well-trained rescuers are to be commended, but their work pales in comparison to the eternal work of Jesus, whose mission was to save and rescue us from sin and death. Prior to Christ’s birth, an angel instructed Joseph to take Mary home because her pregnancy was from “the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 1:18, 20). Joseph was also told to name his son Jesus, because He would “save his people from their sins” (v. 21). Yet, while this name was common in the first century, only this child was qualified to be the Savior (Luke 2:30-32). Christ came at the right time to seal and secure the eternal salvation of all who repent and believe in Him.

We were all trapped in the cable car of sin and death, suspended over the valley of eternal separation from God. But in His love and grace, Jesus came to rescue us and bring us safely home to our heavenly Father. Praise Him!

Reflect & Pray

What significant mission would Mary’s baby have? What does the rescue Jesus secured mean to you?

Dear Jesus, please help me to rejoice in the reality that though I once was lost, I can now be found because of Your grace.

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