The Lord Almighty says: “Give careful thought to your ways.” Haggai 1:5

Today’s Scripture

Haggai 1:1, 5-11

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Ken avoided the migrant workers in his building. Their habits and way of life, so different from his, annoyed him. One day, however, while Ken was praying, a thought pierced him: They’ve been your neighbors for years, yet not once have you shared the gospel with them. Think carefully about your attitude towards them.

Scripture tells us of when God confronted the Israelites with a similar warning: “Give careful thought to your ways” (Haggai 1:7). After their captivity in Babylon, His people returned to Jerusalem, tasked to rebuild the temple. God had “moved the heart of Cyrus king of Persia” (Ezra 1:1) to order the construction and provide funds (vv. 2-4). But after the people laid the foundation, opposition grew (4:1-5), so they neglected the project for fourteen years.

Through the prophet Haggai, God told them, “Give careful thought to your ways. . . . My house . . . remains a ruin, while each of you is busy with your own house” (Haggai 1:7, 9). God was saying, “Think carefully about how you’re living. Are you doing what I want you to do?”

God disciplined His people (vv. 5-11), but when they resumed construction, He encouraged them, “I am with you . . . . Do not fear” (2:4-5). And the temple was completed in less than five years.

In what area of life do we need to “give careful thought to [our] ways”? Let’s ask God to show us and help us follow His correction.

Reflect & Pray

How is God’s way different from yours? What things do you need to change to truly obey Him?

Dear God, please help me to follow Your way.

Today’s Insights

When the Babylonian captivity ended, the Jewish people returned with a mandate from King Cyrus to rebuild the house of God (Ezra 5:13-14). When the prophet Haggai wrote, it had been eighteen years since their return, and the project remained unfinished due in part to spiritual lethargy. This became, in a sense, the theme for the book of Haggai—spiritual lethargy that dulls the enthusiasm of the people of God for the things of God. To follow His way requires a heart and passion for Him. Today, God likewise wants to show us where we need to follow Him in obedience.

Learn more about the blessings that come when we follow Him wholeheartedly.

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God has wronged me and drawn his net around me. Job 19:6

Today’s Scripture

Job 19:5-12

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After the horrors of Auschwitz, Elie Wiesel lost his faith. “Where were you, God of kindness?” he asked, recalling the evil he and others suffered. “In my childhood I did not expect much from human beings. But I expected everything from you.”

And yet, Wiesel realized later that his faith had never really left him. “It is because I believed in God that I was angry at God,” he told a journalist, “and still am.” You don’t get angry at someone you don’t believe exists.

We might feel uncomfortable expressing anger at God, but biblical characters did. “You deceived me, Lord,” the prophet Jeremiah cried (20:7). “Will you forget me forever?” David wrote (Psalm 13:1). “God has wronged me,” Job said (19:6). Unaware of Satan’s role in his misfortune, Job accused God of being cruel (10:3) and even subpoenaed Him to court (31:35)! While Job later discovered that his understanding was limited (42:3), it’s important to note God never rebukes his feelings.

Despite his questions, Elie Wiesel prayed, “Let us make up. It is unbearable to be divorced from you so long.” We too might be angry at God for not limiting the suffering in our world, but our expressing it to Him can become prayer in disguise—keeping us close to the God who wants us to bring not just our praise but our anger to Him too.

Reflect & Pray

When have you felt angry at God? How can Job’s story help us express and keep a clear perspective?

Dear God, I’m angry at the suffering in this world, but choose to trust You.

For further study, read Job and the God Who Would Not Be Chained at odbm.org.

Today’s Insights

In Job 19:5-12, Job speaks with striking candor, not only hurling accusations at his friends but also at God. He says that God has “walled up” (v. 8 esv) his path, a translation of the Hebrew word that conveys building a barrier or enclosing something so it can’t escape. Job also claims God has “set darkness upon [his] paths” (v. 8 esv), suggesting not mere inconvenience but the removal of light itself, a symbol of life and order. He describes himself as a besieged city: God’s “troops” advance together, building “a siege ramp” against him (v. 12), implying a military approach.

Job refuses to sanitize his language. He dares to depict God as his attacker, one who “tears [him] down” and “uproots [his] hope like a tree” (v. 10). This isn’t blasphemy but rather the brutal honesty of a sufferer. His speech can remind us today that we can bring both our praise and our honest anger to God in prayer.

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The Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore. Psalm 121:8

Today’s Scripture

Psalm 121

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Trina received a free ticket to a sold-out event and tucked it into her Bible. Later, her son saw her frantically searching through the pantry. When she explained that she’d lost her Bible, he asked why she was looking in the food cupboard. “Because I’ve looked everywhere else, and the event starts in thirty minutes,” she said. “I don’t want to miss one moment.” Her son chuckled. “Breathe, Mom,” he said. “I think you’re suffering from FOMO, the fear of missing out.” She laughed. As her son joined the search, Trina’s husband entered. “You left this in the car,” he said, holding up the Bible.

While it’s not wrong to enjoy unexpected blessings, big breaks, or once-in-a-lifetime opportunities, a desire for enjoyment can easily turn into a fear of missing out. We can even be tempted to think God holds out on us or loses sight of us. However, the “Maker of heaven and earth” (Psalm 121:2) is our ever-watchful and never-sleeping provider and protector (vv. 3-7). So we don’t have to fret over detours, delays, or even missed opportunities. God will watch over our “coming and going both now and forevermore” (v. 8).

During times of affliction, seasons of abundance, and in every mundane moment God plans for us in-between, we’re always in His line of sight. We won’t miss out on anything God has planned for us to experience.

Reflect & Pray

How does being in God’s line of sight impact your life? When has missing out on something led to an unexpected blessing?

Faithful God, thank You for keeping me in Your line of sight.

Today’s Insights

Psalm 121 is part of a collection of songs designed for use during the high holy days of Israel’s calendar. People from all over the land would journey to Jerusalem for the celebration of “the Festival of Unleavened Bread, the Festival of Weeks and the Festival of Tabernacles” (Deuteronomy 16:16). However, most of them made the journey on foot (as Jesus did with His family in Luke 2:41-52), and the trek could be treacherous. Most pilgrims made the journey from the lowlands around Jerusalem, so going to the city meant climbing up Mount Zion. That’s why Psalms 120-134 are called Songs of Ascents. Psalm 121, in particular, promises that the God who lives on Zion watches over all those journeying to His city, and He’ll protect them on their way. Even today, we can trust that the God who lives in the heavenly Zion watches over us no matter where we are.

Watch Jack Beck explain more on seasons in the wilderness.

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The potter formed it into another pot, shaping it as seemed best to him. Jeremiah 18:4

Today’s Scripture

Jeremiah 18:1-6

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Not much is known about Adelaide Pollard, and that’s sort of the point. She was a humble servant of God who wanted no recognition for herself. At the age of forty, she felt a strong calling to be a missionary to Africa, but that door was closed to her, leaving her greatly discouraged. Yet Adelaide was reminded of a verse: “Like clay in the hand of the potter, so are you in my hand” (Jeremiah 18:6). Later, she penned a hymn with these lyrics: “Thou art the potter, I am the clay.”

The image in Jeremiah has much to speak into our lives today: “The pot he was shaping from the clay was marred in his hands; so the potter formed it into another pot, shaping it as seemed best to him” (18:4). This is a picture of how God reshapes us into His better purpose. Whatever we think we should do and be, God may have another shape for our lives: “Like clay in the hand of the potter, so are you in my hand” (v. 6).

Eventually Adelaide did go to Africa, but it may be that God’s shape for her life had more to do with other things—perhaps writing that hymn, “Have Thine Own Way,” which has inspired millions in the years since. When we feel “on hold” in what we want to do, we might think about how God is shaping us in the meantime. We do well to let God have His own way and wait, “yielded and still,” for His greater purpose.

Reflect & Pray

How do you feel discouraged in your life goals today? How might you let God have His way with your life?

Dear God, please help me yield myself to Your potter’s hand.

Today’s Insights

Jeremiah 18:6 reminds us that God is “the potter” who shapes and uses us for His purpose. Moses is an example of someone who was used by God. In Acts 7, Stephen says of him, “When Moses was forty years old, he decided to visit his own people, the Israelites. . . . Moses thought that [they] would realize that God was using him to rescue them, but they did not” (vv. 23-25). He overestimated his readiness. His instincts were good, but his timing wasn’t. Eventually, after forty years of “relative” silence, he was ready for God’s assignment and rescued his people: “This is the same Moses they had rejected. . . . He was sent to be their ruler and deliverer by God himself . . . . He led them out of Egypt and performed wonders and signs in Egypt, at the Red Sea and for forty years in the wilderness” (vv. 35-36). Today, when we yield ourselves to God, He’ll use us for His purpose in His timing.

Learn about God’s invitation into wholeness.

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Encourage one another and build each other up. 1 Thessalonians 5:11

Today’s Scripture

Ezra 2:68; 3:1, 3-7

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In April 2019, a fire broke out in Notre-Dame de Paris—the city’s famed medieval cathedral—destroying the spire and a “forest” of oak beams supporting the lead roof. Almost immediately, plans formed to restore the cathedral. Donations poured in from across the globe, and craftsmen have undertaken restoration using the same building techniques and the same types of timber and stone employed in the original structure.

When Nebuchadnezzar instructed his armies to set fire to God’s temple in 586 bc as part of his siege on Jerusalem, the structure was decimated (2 Kings 25:9). When the people returned to Jerusalem after decades in captivity in Babylon, they “gave freewill offerings toward the rebuilding of the house of God” (Ezra 2:68).

After tending first to the altar, they “gave money to the masons and carpenters” and secured “cedar logs by sea from Lebanon” to lay the temple’s foundation (3:7). Though their rebuilding efforts were opposed and even sabotaged, the task was finally completed, and God’s people once again worshiped Him in His temple (6:14-22).

As believers in Jesus, we—together—are God’s temple (1 Corinthians 3:16-17). God equips us to continuously restore fellow believers and “build each other up,” not with wood or stone, but with encouraging words, prayer, and spiritual gifts (1 Thessalonians 5:11).

Reflect & Pray

How are you building up fellow believers in Jesus? How has someone built you up recently?

Thank You, loving Father, for supplying what I need to build up and restore others as Your temple.

Today’s Insights

Just as God equipped the leaders and priests to encourage the Israelites (Ezra 2-3), throughout the ages, He’s equipped others to be encouragers. A prime example is “Joseph, a Levite from Cyprus,” better known as Barnabas, which means “son of encouragement” (Acts 4:36). God used him to speak on Paul’s behalf to the disciples, who were fearful because of the apostle’s former role as persecutor of the church (9:1-4, 26-28). Barnabas also taught the believers in Jesus in the church of Antioch, where he “encouraged them all to remain true to the Lord with all their hearts” (11:23). Later, Barnabas sought out and brought Saul to work with him. Just as God gave others the tools needed to encourage others, He can do the same for us.

The words we speak can encourage or discourage, so we need to choose our words wisely.

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In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus. Philippians 2:5

Today’s Scripture

Philippians 2:3-8

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As I visited a patient in the hospital, I was struck by the actions of a young doctor standing with a team of other inexperienced physicians. The group listened as a more seasoned doctor explained about the patient’s health. Suddenly, the patient anxiously announced that she needed to use the bathroom and couldn’t get up. In fact, she couldn’t wait for a nurse’s aide to be summoned to the room.

Amid the frantic scene, the young doctor got a bed pan off the shelf and assisted the patient. When the nurse’s aide arrived, she was shocked to find someone had already assisted the patient. The lead physician proudly acknowledged the assistance of the young doctor.

Jesus didn’t cling to His divinity and refuse to assist humanity. Though He was “in very nature God, [He] did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage” (Philippians 2:6). As a human, Christ was able to become our sin offering and sacrifice Himself for us. He saw our need for help and salvation, and He humbly laid down His life (v. 8). Paul wrote, “He made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant” (v. 7).

We’re called to imitate Jesus’ attitude and sacrificial ways in our relationships with others. As He helps us, let’s humbly serve them no matter how lowly the job may seem.

Reflect & Pray

How can you reflect the attitude and ways of Jesus? What will it look like for you to humbly serve someone today?

Thank You, Jesus, for humbly giving Yourself for my sin. Please show me how to sacrificially serve others.

The Forgiveness of God.

Today’s Insights

There’s been some debate about the meaning of Philippians 2:7: “[Jesus] emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men” (esv). The word translated “emptied” comes from the Greek word kenoō, resulting in what is known as the kenosis theory. If Christ “emptied himself” (or “made himself nothing” niv), of what did He empty Himself? Some suggest He emptied Himself of His deity or His divine attributes, but then His sacrifice on the cross would’ve been insufficient. Colossians 2:9 says, “In Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form.” Rather, He emptied Himself of the right to choose how to live and how to make use of His divine attributes—making Himself utterly subject to the Father’s will and “taking the very nature of a servant” (Philippians 2:7) Today, we can imitate Jesus’ attitude of humility and sacrifice as we serve others.

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I am with you as I was with Moses. Joshua 3:7

Today’s Scripture

Joshua 3:9-11, 13-17

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When Chris McCandless wandered off the grid and into the Alaskan wilderness, he expected to return. But he crossed the Teklanika in April, well before summer ice-melt would swell that river into an impassable torrent. Months later, out of food, McCandless couldn’t get back. His tragic death is memorialized in book and film.

The people of ancient Israel faced a crucial river crossing in order to enter the promised land. However, “the Jordan [was] at flood stage” (Joshua 3:15), a challenge that would grow their faith. God told Joshua, “Today I will begin to exalt you in the eyes of all Israel, so they may know that I am with you as I was with Moses” (v. 7).

Joshua told the people, “The ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth will go into the Jordan ahead of you” (v. 11). Taking the ark, the priests stepped into the Jordan, and “the water from upstream stopped flowing” (vv. 15-16). The entire nation stepped across on a dry riverbed (v. 17).

From time to time we’ll face “river crossings”—impossible situations that can grow our faith if we’ll turn to the one who makes the way across. The greatest of these crossings is from this life into the next. No matter what it is, the God who was with Moses, Joshua, and the Israelites also makes a way for us.

Reflect & Pray

What “river crossing” do you face today? How have you seen God show His power on your behalf in the past?

Thank You, dear Jesus, that You make the way across any river I face, including the final one.

Today’s Insights

God personally led Israel out of Egypt, through the sea, across the wilderness, and through the Jordan River (Joshua 3:13-17) into the promised land. These miracles are explainable only by God’s presence among them. At Mount Sinai, Moses had confessed, “If your Presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here. How will anyone know that you are pleased with me and with your people unless you go with us? What else will distinguish me and your people from all the other people on the face of the earth?” (Exodus 33:15-16). God’s presence is vital for us today too and the primary source of our witness to an onlooking world. No matter what situations we face, He’ll go with us and make a way for us.

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Accept one another . . . to bring praise to God. Romans 15:7

Today’s Scripture

Romans 15:5-7

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Lillian Colón, who grew up in an orphanage, beat out four hundred dancers to win a coveted spot on a world-renowned dance team. She performed with that group, with its tightly ordered synchronized choreography, until her mid-forties. Now teaching dance at age seventy, she imparts to students her greatest lesson from precision artistry: Work together. “On and off the stage, our lives are deeply intertwined,” she said, “and we all fare better when we support and care for one another.”

The apostle Paul knew the importance of this principle. Harmony in Christ points praise to its true purpose—glorifying God. Paul taught this lesson to believers in Rome, both Jewish and gentile, to encourage their unity. “May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had,” he wrote (Romans 15:5). This was “so that with one mind and one voice you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ” (v. 6).

Competing voices won’t produce this result. Joining together to praise God, with no one person or group discounting another, gives unity in Christ its true purpose. “Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you,” wrote Paul, “in order to bring praise to God” (v. 7). When we seek God’s help to do this, He inspires our common voice as we step together and give Him glory.

Reflect & Pray

Whose voice can you join in praise to God? How can you prioritize unified praise?

Please open my heart, dear God, to unified praise with others.

Today’s Insights

In Romans 15, Paul says the foundation for the unity of believers in Jesus is to have “the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had” (vv. 5-6). Unity is found in following Christ’s example of self-giving love, not in having identical beliefs, backgrounds, or preferences. The goal of this unity is worship “so that with one mind and one voice you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ” (v. 6). In fact, unity itself is a form of worship: “Accept one another . . . in order to bring praise to God” (v. 7).

Romans is especially focused on Jewish and gentile unity. Paul quotes Israel’s Scriptures to emphasize that Jews and gentiles worshiping and glorifying God together fulfills God’s promises (vv. 8-12). In the apostle’s vision, Jewish and gentile believers finding unity in worship is evidence that the united worship of believers offers a picture of creation’s full restoration, when all will join in praising their Creator (see 8:18-23; Isaiah 45:23).

Be inspired by a lifestyle of worship and how it impacts you today

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He will deliver . . . the afflicted who have no one to help. Psalm 72:12

Today’s Scripture

Psalm 72:12-14

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As the Taliban swiftly overran the Afghanistan government in 2021, and tens of thousands were trapped with no way to escape, many were isolated and desperate. Ordinary citizens jumped to action, including one young man who launched an Instagram campaign, raising $7 million to pay for chartered evacuation flights. “We’ve shed the political divisions in this situation,” he told a news outlet, “and really come together from all walks of life to rally together and save these people.” They chose to jump into the fray.

It’s not just Afghanistan. From skyscrapers to villages around the world, so many people are alone—enduring crushing sorrows. It’s stunning, however, to see God’s attention turned toward these places of suffering and hopelessness. Somehow, ultimately, in His own way and time, He will “deliver the needy who cry out, the afflicted who have no one to help” (72:12). And remarkably, one way God’s help arrives is through us. Psalm 72 refers to both King Solomon’s work and God’s work—and it’s not always easy to disentangle which is which. God is the rescuer, but He calls us to move with Him.

When we encounter injustice or suffering, we can join Him, moving right into the middle of the ruin. We can follow God and go into the places where no one else is there to help.

Reflect & Pray

What situation have you encountered where it seems like there’s no one else to help? How can you join God in that place?

Dear God, thank You for promising to help us—and for calling us to join You in helping others.

Today’s Insights

Psalm 72 is one of only two psalms attributed to King Solomon (see also Psalm 127). The Expositor’s Bible Commentary says of Psalm 72, “This psalm is a royal psalm wherein petition is made for the prosperity of the Lord’s anointed. The psalm is messianic in the sense that Jesus is the ‘Christ’ (‘anointed one’) who shares in all the promises made to David and to his descendants (see 2 Samuel 7).” Seen as a messianic psalm, it anticipates the time when Jesus will return as “King of kings and Lord of lords” (1 Timothy 6:15; see Revelation 19:16) and bring an end to all injustice and suffering. In fact, this psalm was the inspiration for the classic hymn “Jesus Shall Reign” by Isaac Watts, which celebrates the future worldwide reign of Christ. Today, as we wait for His return, we can join Him and help those who are suffering.

Learn how you can be moved to helping those in need.

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Rejoice with me; I have found my lost coin. Luke 15:9

Today’s Scripture

Luke 15:8-10

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When I visited Ecuador’s Amazon region with my father many years ago, we took a fun speedboat ride to a small village to take in the sights and learn about the local tribes. My dear dad bought me handmade jewelry, including a set of earrings. I only wore those earrings on special occasions, including when I went to visit my sister for my birthday. When I came back from my trip, I was horrified to discover I’d lost one of my earrings. I looked everywhere.

It was just an earring, but I’d have to travel all the way back to the Amazon jungle to replace it. Amazingly, when my sister returned to the restaurant we had visited for my birthday, she spotted my missing earring in their lost and found. I was overjoyed!

Jesus told a parable about a woman who’d lost her silver coin. She wouldn’t rest while her valuable coin was missing. “Doesn’t she light a lamp, sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it?” Jesus asked (Luke 15:8). And when she found her coin, she greatly rejoiced (v. 9).

Jesus told this story to demonstrate how precious we are to God. He “came to seek and to save” those who are lost (19:10). Although we were once lost, heaven rejoiced when we were found.

Reflect & Pray

How does it feel to know you’re precious to God? How does it feel to know heaven rejoices when we’re found?

Dear God, thank You for searching for me.

Learn more about having a personal relationship with God.

Today’s Insights

God’s love for us is described throughout the Bible. John 3:16-17 declares, “God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” He “did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” God “lavished” great love on us by “[sending] his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins” (1 John 3:1; 4:10). We were deserving of death, but because of God’s merciful love, He “made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions” (Ephesians 2:5; see Romans 5:8). When we turn away from our sins and place our faith in Jesus, heaven rejoices (Luke 15:10).

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Who am I, Lord God, and what is my family, that you have brought me this far? 1 Chronicles 17:16

Today’s Scripture

1 Chronicles 17:16-22

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A pilot and his two daughters took off from Soldotna, Alaska, on a sightseeing trip. Their small plane, however, never made it to its destination. After several local pilots began searching for the missing aircraft, one named Terry Godes finally spied its nearly submerged wreckage on a partially frozen lake. The three family members were standing on its wings as they had been for hours. Thankfully, the trio was soon rescued by the National Guard. Godes humbly sacrificed his time and resources for others—leading to lives being saved. In humility, he said of his efforts, “I was just the guy that saw the plane first.”

King David sacrificed much for the people of Israel, including battling to save them from their enemies (1 Chronicles 14:8-17). Then he heard from the prophet Nathan that through his bloodline a throne would be “established forever,” as fulfilled in Christ (17:14; see Luke 1:30-33). He replied in humility, “Who am I, Lord God, and what is my family, that you have brought me this far?” (1 Chronicles 17:16). He knew that his life was established by God and His will (v. 19) and that He had ultimately done the work of rescue and redemption for David and his people (vv. 20-22).

Jesus “humbled himself” and made the ultimate sacrifice for us (Philippians 2:8). As He helps us, let’s humbly sacrifice our lives for others.

Reflect & Pray

Why is humility before God so important? What will it mean for you to humbly sacrifice for others?

Loving God, please help me to humbly sacrifice for You and others.

Today’s Insights

The books of Samuel, Kings, and Chronicles offer two approaches to Israel’s kingdom story. In 1 and 2 Samuel and 1 and 2 Kings, the focus is on the kings and prophets of Israel—from Saul to the final kings of the divided kingdom era. By contrast, 1 and 2 Chronicles focus on the kings of Judah and the priesthood and development of the temple. The writer of 1 Chronicles—which Jewish tradition says was Ezra the priest—considers David’s prayer (1 Chronicles 17:16-22; see 2 Samuel 7:18-29). The prayer has a priestly tone to it, with its emphasis on Yahweh as the covenant-keeping God of Israel. David humbly sacrificed for the people of Israel, but he acknowledged that God is the one who has redeemed His people: “You made your people Israel your very own forever, and you, Lord, have become their God” (1 Chronicles 17:22). Today, as we reflect on the ultimate sacrifice that Jesus made for us, we can humbly respond in sacrifice to Him and others.

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[A person] who wrongs another . . . must confess the sin they have committed. They must make full restitution for the wrong they have done. Numbers 5:6-7

Today’s Scripture

Numbers 5:5-10

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A judge used a unique approach to address shoplifting—sentencing offenders to wash cars in a local store’s parking lot as part of their community service. He hoped it would deter future thefts and serve as a vivid reminder of the consequences of wrongdoing. He emphasized that actions have consequences and accountability matters.

The judge’s sentence reflects the instruction in Numbers 5:6-7: “[One] who wrongs another . . . must confess the sin they have committed. They must make full restitution.” In these verses, we see the importance God places on acknowledging wrongdoing, confessing sin, and seeking restoration. And they underscore a profound truth: Every offense revealed disloyalty to the ideals of Israel’s society and showed that the offender was “unfaithful to the Lord” (v. 6).

Just as washing cars in public serves as a humbling consequence that encourages reflection and responsibility, God called Israel to recognize their sins honestly—confessing them and seeking forgiveness. True freedom came when they confronted their actions, made amends, and embraced His grace.

Today, let’s take a moment to reflect sincerely on our lives before God. As we seek reconciliation and restitution where necessary (see Matthew 5:23-24; Luke 19:8-10), His mercy and forgiveness will restore us to wholeness.

Reflect & Pray

How can you pursue reconciliation with someone you’ve wronged? Why is restitution so important?

Dear God, please show me where I’ve been wrong and help me pursue reconciliation and restitution.

Today’s Insights

Numbers 5 restates a law first given in Leviticus 6:1-7 that when someone harms a neighbor through deceit, theft, or fraud, they must confess and not only make full repayment but add a fifth of the value to it. They must also sacrifice a ram as a guilt offering. Numbers 5 adds a further stipulation that if restitution can’t be made directly to the person wronged, and if they have no close relative to pay restitution to, then repayment should be given to the priest—returning what they’d wrongly taken back to God (v. 8).

This highlights the truth that harming another also damages someone’s relationship with God (v. 6). Yet this provision of offering a sacrifice and making restitution to a priest also highlights God’s grace. Even when it’s impossible to correct the wrong done to another, because of Christ’s sacrifice, when we confess our sin, God still provides a way to a restored relationship with Him.

Watch more on restored relationships.

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You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses . . . to the ends of the earth. Acts 1:8

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Today’s Devotion

Kiribati, an island country in the Pacific Ocean, is the only nation in the world that exists in all four hemispheres of the globe. The thirty-three islands of Kiribati straddle both the equator and the 180^th meridian. It’s also one of the most remote nations in the world.

We serve a God who cares about these remote places. As Jesus prepared His disciples for His return to heaven, He told them, “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8). “To the ends of the earth” is a call to take the message of the gospel to the world’s most isolated spots. But the call wasn’t limited to remote places only. It included their current location of Jerusalem and the nearby regions of Judea and Samaria.

After Jesus gave these parting words to His disciples, “He was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight” (v. 9). Two angels appeared and said, “This same Jesus . . . will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven” (v. 11).

The gospel of Jesus Christ is the most important news anyone can ever hear. The challenge for us as His ambassadors is to share that news. With the Holy Spirit’s help, we can see that everyone—near and far—gets a chance to hear.

Reflect & Pray

What does it mean to be Jesus’ witnesses “to the ends of the earth”? How does His command inspire you to share His love with others?

Dear Father, please give me a heart for those who don’t know You.

Today’s Insights

The plan that Jesus gave His disciples in Acts 1:8 unfolds throughout the book of Acts. In the very next chapter, the power that Christ promised would come to all the disciples who were gathered in the upper room (2:1-12). Immediately after this event, Peter proclaimed to thousands of listening ears in Jerusalem the story of Jesus and the promise of salvation through Him (vv. 14-39). Over the next several chapters, Peter would go to the believing Samaritans who’d heard Philip’s preaching, and they too would receive the power of the Holy Spirit (8:4-17). Finally, the gentile centurion Cornelius and his family would respond to the gospel and, through Peter’s preaching, they and all who heard the message and believed in Christ—both Jews and gentiles—were marked with the Spirit (ch. 10). When we embrace His call and follow His plan, we can carry the message of the gospel wherever we go in the power of the Holy Spirit.

Discover more about evangelism and reaching out through relationships.

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I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 2 Timothy 4:7

Today’s Scripture

2 Timothy 4:6-8

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Mark—a marathoner and a dedicated pastor who served two churches over the span of thirty-five years—recently retired. One gift presented to him was a pair of new running shoes. I ran with Mark once over twenty years ago, but throughout his life, he’s run the 26.2-mile race in numerous cities across the country. At his retirement celebration, people from the community and the churches he served also expressed their appreciation for Mark’s faithfulness. Because of God’s power and grace, Mark finished well.

Life’s more like a marathon than a sprint. At times we experience fatigue and we feel like giving up. Yet God’s grace and strength are unending for those who trust Him. As the imprisoned apostle Paul neared the finish line of life (2 Timothy 4:6), he encouraged his protégé Timothy, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith” (v. 7). Life’s paths take us to different places. But regardless of where we are on life’s journey, it’s always good to remember that faith-filled endurance is essential and rewarding (v. 8); that God is the source of our strength (v. 17); and that, by His grace, he “will bring [us] safely to his heavenly kingdom” (v. 18).

Reflect & Pray

When have you experienced God’s strength even as you wanted to give up? How can others’ Spirit-empowered endurance inspire you?

Dear Father, please help me to ever be mindful that those who trust in You are candidates for supernatural strength—“they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint” (Isaiah 40:31).

For further study, read For When I Am Weak, Then I Am Strong.

Today’s Insights

It’s remarkable to consider how much the apostle Paul suffered in his service for Christ and the gospel (see 2 Corinthians 11:23-28), and yet he stayed true to his calling and “finished the race” that had been set before him (2 Timothy 4:6-8). How was he able to endure such hardship? He answered that question himself in 2 Corinthians 12:9 while discussing one particular season of suffering. He learned that God’s grace was sufficient, and his weakness wasn’t a liability: “[The Lord] said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ ” It was the opening through which God’s mighty power could flow. Today, when we face trials that cause us to feel like giving up, we can lean into His grace and rest in His power and strength.

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A gossip betrays a confidence, but a trustworthy person keeps a secret. Proverbs 11:13

Today’s Scripture

Proverbs 11:11-13

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When explaining how valuable he found time with an older advisor who regularly listened to his concerns, Tomáš said, “He is my hollow willow.” When I looked at him blankly, Tomáš explained that the phrase is a Slovak expression signifying someone who keeps your secrets. In essence, the person is like a willow tree holding confidential information safely within its trunk.

It’s a treasure to have someone to whom we can confide our deepest fears and longings. Perhaps speaking from his own experience, in a section of Proverbs highlighting the power of our words, King Solomon commended the individual who displays discretion or can “[hold] their tongue” (Proverbs 11:12). He also contrasted two people: “A gossip betrays a confidence, but a trustworthy person keeps a secret” (v. 13). The comparison is a helpful reminder to carefully steward private conversations, though we shouldn’t remain silent if we’re genuinely concerned for someone’s safety.

In our digital world where we can quickly spread information, it can be tempting (and easy) to share juicy details that might generate reactions. But gossip not only hurts the individual who trusted you enough to share, it also causes significant damage to relationships when confidences are broken. We can all aspire to be “hollow willows,” people of integrity who can be trusted to keep a confidence.

Reflect & Pray

Who’s someone you know that embodies the ideal of a “hollow willow?” How might you hold others’ words well?

Dear God, please help me steward others’ words responsibly.

Today’s Insights

Along with today’s passage, the book of Proverbs has much to say about the trouble gossiping causes. Proverbs 16:28 states, “A perverse person stirs up conflict, and a gossip separates close friends.” Twice we read, “The words of a gossip are like choice morsels; they go down to the inmost parts” (18:8; 26:22). In the NLT Study Bible, a note on 18:8 says: “It’s as hard to refuse to listen to rumors or gossip as it is to turn down a delicious dessert. Taking just one morsel of either one creates a taste for more.” Verse 20:19 warns, “A gossip betrays a confidence; so avoid anyone who talks too much.” Listening to or spreading gossip destroys friendships and leads to a desire for more gossip. As believers in Jesus, God can help us be people of integrity who use speech that honors Him.

Listen and learn more about rediscovering friendship. 

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Our citizenship is in heaven. Philippians 3:20

Today’s Scripture

Philippians 3:4-11

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Anna and her husband lived in Argentina with their two children. They kept to themselves and spoke only fluent Spanish. But they weren’t Argentines. They were sleeper agents, spies who’d been born in another country. They’d mastered blending into their host culture, down to how to hold their forks. But a change in their civil registry aroused suspicion, and eventually the couple was caught. As the family was being flown to their true homeland, Anna looked at her eleven-year-old daughter. How would she break the news that they weren’t who her daughter thought?

Believers in Jesus have a citizenship even more vital. We’re agents of a higher king, for “our citizenship is in heaven” (Philippians 3:20). The citizens of Philippi were proud of their Roman citizenship; they loyally served Rome as they lived in Philippi. Paul said their loyalty stretched even further. Their highest allegiance was to Jesus, who ruled Rome and Philippi from heaven.

Unlike Anna and her husband, we’re not working secretly against our “host country.” We’re openly working for its good. Our loyalty to Jesus prompts us to serve our neighbors and pray for “all those in authority, that we may live . . . in all godliness” (1 Timothy 2:2). With God’s help we will “seek the peace and prosperity” of our city. We will “pray to the Lord for it, because if it prospers,” we “too will prosper” (Jeremiah 29:7).

Reflect & Pray

How might your allegiance to Jesus serve your neighbors? How might you show that help today?

Gracious Father, please help me encourage my neighbors.

Today’s Insights

The church at Philippi, established by Paul on his second missionary journey (Acts 16:6-40), was a faithful church that actively supported his ministry (Philippians 1:5; 4:15-19). The apostle encourages the believers in Jesus to live exemplary lives “in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ” (1:27) even though they lived in a city that opposed and persecuted them (v. 28). Paul tells them to serve the church and the city with much joy in “the same mindset as Christ Jesus” (2:5), imitating His selfless, humble, and sacrificial servanthood (vv. 1-8). As citizens of heaven (3:20), believers are to “work hard to show the results of [their] salvation, obeying God with deep reverence and fear” (2:12 nlt). Because of our faith in Jesus, we’re to be “blameless and pure, ‘children of God without fault’ ” (v. 15) as we serve our neighbors and pray for those in authority.

Learn how to “love your neighbor as yourself” in every aspect of your everyday life.

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I will put my dwelling place among you. Leviticus 26:11

Today’s Scripture

Leviticus 26:3-12

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Alan is a fifth-generation fruit farmer who manages his family’s cherry, peach, and apple orchard. Over the years, his family has perfected growing trees with maximum yield. They’ve carefully planted saplings for the future, put up a deer fence, and invested in special fans that help keep the air warm when frost threatens their crops. Even so, they’re never assured of a good harvest. Factors like weather, pollinators, and disease are beyond their control.

Yet all of nature is under God’s control. He knows we need physical provision like healthy crops, but He encourages us to look even higher to the ultimate good—Himself. The book of Leviticus contains decrees that God gave the Israelites governing everything from sacrifice and worship to relationships and criminal justice. Obeying His direction would lead to blessing, including provision of a bountiful harvest (26:3-4), but disobedience would result in a curse, where their enemies would enjoy the fruit of their labor (v. 16). More than just plentiful crops (v. 10), God’s blessing included a promise to dwell with His people (v. 11) and look on them “with favor” (v. 9).

The Israelites messed up again and again. So will we. But we can repent, submit, and turn back again to enjoy the gift of His presence (vv. 40-42), manifested in Jesus and now expressed through the Holy Spirit.

Reflect & Pray

In what ways are you seeking peace and provision on your own? What does it look like to walk in God’s presence and in His ways?

May I dwell with You as I follow Your pattern for life, dear God.

Today’s Insights

In Leviticus 26, God promised His people that obedience to His commands would result in their land flourishing with abundant harvest and peace from war. The most significant promise is found in verse 12: “I will walk among you and be your God, and you will be my people.” At the same time, the chapter warns that rejecting God’s ways would result in famine, defeat in war, and eventually exile from God’s land and presence (vv. 14-35). Yet God assured them that, even then, if His people repented, He’d “remember [His] covenant” (v. 42) with them and bring restoration. Because of God’s faithfulness (v. 44), there’d always be a path back to His presence. The same is true for us today. When we confess our sins, we can enjoy the gift of His presence.

Learn more about overcoming what keeps us from Jesus.

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It is by grace you have been saved, through faith. Ephesians 2:8

Today’s Scripture

Ephesians 2:1-9

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When Mark was pulled over by an officer for driving while intoxicated, he was afraid his college football career was over. He was sure he was going to jail. But the policeman instead dropped him off at his college. When Mark asked why, he said, “I’m giving you grace.”

Still, the young man was certain his coach would find out, and he’d lose his scholarship. So when his coach asked to see Mark after practice the next day, he was very apprehensive. Surprisingly the coach said, “I know what happened last night, but I’m giving you grace.” He then suggested that Mark consider attending church the next Sunday.

He went. And guess what the pastor talked about? The grace of Jesus in offering us salvation when we don’t deserve it. Mark got the message. That day, he trusted Jesus as Savior, and he spent the rest of his life serving Him—starting a ranch for boys who need a second chance—who need grace.

It’s by God’s grace that believers in Jesus “have been saved” (Ephesians 2:8). Grace does what good works can’t do (v. 9; Romans 11:6). It’s a gift provided by Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross.

The burden of our sin doesn’t have to weigh us down. As Mark discovered, God’s grace can free us and give us life “to the full” (John 10:10).

Reflect & Pray

How have you experienced God’s grace in your life? What are some ways you can show it to others?

Dear God, thank You for showering Your grace on me. Please help my life to be marked by grace and mercy.

Today’s Insights

When C. S. Lewis was asked what makes Christianity unique, he didn’t hesitate: “Oh, that’s easy. It’s grace.” God’s grace is the overarching theme of Ephesians 2. Paul points out how, without grace, we wouldn’t even be aware of our spiritual condition. “You [all of us] were dead in your transgressions and sins,” he wrote (v. 1). A dead body can do nothing to rescue itself. And we were all spiritually dead, “gratifying the cravings of our flesh and following its desires and thoughts” (v. 3). But God “made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved” (v. 5). It’s all God’s grace, “so that no one can boast” (v. 9). God’s grace draws us to Him. God’s grace keeps us. His grace sets us free “to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do” (v. 10).

Visit go.odb.org/041326 to learn about the extent of God’s grace in offering us salvation.

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[The Lord] is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love. Joel 2:13

Today’s Scripture

Joel 2:12-18

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“Slow television” is the term used to describe marathon coverage of an event, typically shown in real time. The genre gained popularity in 2009 after the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation broadcast a seven-hour train journey. Yes, seven hours, on a train. Sounds . . . boring. But it’s gained an audience that finds the scenic ride mesmerizing.

The concept behind slow TV is to show something at the rate it’s experienced instead of the speed with which a narrative drama is told. It’s built around transition and movement instead of tension and plot. Slow TV is a step toward savoring life’s minutes as opposed to counting them.

The poet Francis Thompson wrote of God’s “unperturbed pace.” Thompson meant that God moves methodically, patiently, with steps measured and intentional. We see this slowness even with God’s emotions. In Scripture, the prophet Joel’s call for the people of Judah to repent is grounded in the reality that our God is “slow to anger” (Joel 2:13). Unlike our dramatic narratives, often fueled by tempers and flying-off-the-handle selfishness, God takes a different approach. His anger arrives slowly. To a people who had rebelled against Him, God says, “Rend your heart and not your garments. Return to the Lord your God” (v. 13).

God’s anger isn’t like ours. He’s slow to anger, a reality that allows us to return to Him with all our hearts.

Reflect & Pray

When and how has God seemed to move slowly in your life? Why is He slow to anger and quick to be compassionate?

Dear God, You’re slow to anger, and I’m ever thankful.

Today’s Insights

The prophet Joel warns Judah of the coming “day of the Lord,” a dreadful, fearful time of judgment upon God’s people for their unfaithfulness (Joel 1:15; 2:1, 11, 31; 3:14, 18). But for those who “[call] on the name of the Lord” (2:32), this day will be a day of salvation and deliverance. God invites Judah, “return to me with all your heart” (v. 12). Joel says that sincere repentance may change God’s mind about sending such discipline (v. 14) because He’s “merciful and compassionate, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love. He is eager to relent and not punish” (v. 13 nlt). Earlier in their history, against the backdrop of the great sin of idolatry (Exodus 32), God had similarly revealed Himself as “the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness . . . forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin” (34:6-7). God invites everyone to “rend your heart and . . . return to the Lord” (Joel 2:13).

Learn to love like Jesus.

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I cling to you; your right hand upholds me. Psalm 63:8

Today’s Scripture

Psalm 63

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As I write these words, our Lhasa Apso dog, Winston, lies curled up at my feet. He’d watched me move from where I had been—the chair next to him—to the dining room table. That extra ten feet had been too far away from me.

I’ve been traveling for work a lot lately, and I think it’s getting to him. If I even hint that I’m leaving, or use the word “go,” he’s right on top of me. Practically clinging to me.

In human relationships, someone being “clingy” isn’t normally a compliment. But I see in my dog’s clinginess a vivid portrait of trusting dependence—one that’s mirrored in Psalm 63.

Here, David paints a picture of loving dependence upon God: “You, God, are my God,” he begins in verse 1. “Earnestly I seek you; I thirst for you, my whole being longs for you.” In verse 3, he adds, “Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you.” Near the end, we read, “I cling to you; your right hand upholds me” (v. 8).

Like David—and maybe even a bit like my dog depends on me—I want to depend on God with my whole being, earnestly seeking Him. Sometimes, I do. Other times, my heart may be cooler, less trusting. But when I repent of my fickle mistrust and return to Him, I remember that He alone fills me. He alone is the one who will leave me “fully satisfied as with the richest of foods” (v. 5).

Reflect & Pray

What helps you experience God’s character as a loving Father most fully? How does trusting Him help us depend on Him?

Dear Father, thank You for Your lavish love. Please help me depend upon You in all that I do.

Today’s Insights

The header for Psalm 63 identifies the author and the situation that inspired the song: “A psalm of David. When he was in the Desert of Judah.” There’s good reason to believe that it was written when he fled from his son Absalom, who sought to overthrow him as king over Israel (2 Samuel 15-19). In a time of personal and national stress, David poetically and intensely expressed his dependence upon God. Uncomfortable physical, emotional, relational, or spiritual conditions have a way of showing us our dependence on God. Today, weary, wandering people can go to the psalmist’s “wilderness prayer room” for language that helps to give expression to our prayers of dependence. In times of desperation, we can say, “I seek you; I thirst for you, my whole being longs for you . . . . I cling to you” (Psalm 63:1, 8). When we confess our sins, we see that God alone brings satisfaction to our own wilderness.

Learn more about A Portrait of Dependence.

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