God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. Genesis 1:31

Today’s Scripture

Genesis 1:1-8, 31

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In 2021, Star Trek actor William Shatner enjoyed the opportunity to be catapulted into space in a rocket capsule. When he later reflected on the voyage, he said everything he had expected about the experience was wrong. He’d anticipated the vastness of space would give him a deep sense of connection to all living things, but instead he felt grief: He found the darkness of space cold and empty, which distilled in him a new awareness of earth’s beauty and fragility.

Not many people have ventured into space to have such an experience firsthand. The Bible’s account of God’s creative work in the cosmos invites us to see it through His eyes. God’s first recorded actions were to create “the heavens and the earth” bringing order to what was “formless and empty” and “[separating] the light from the darkness” (Genesis 1:1-2, 4). The rest of the creation account unfolds all the good things God brought into being, including vegetation, creatures, and, ultimately, His image bearers—humans.

While the entirety of creation—even the darkest, farthest reaches of space—reveals God’s power and might, we’ve been given special insight into His work right here on earth. The beauty that surrounds us beckons us to worship the one who made it all.

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Reflect & Pray

When has God drawn you to worship Him through His creation? For what in creation can you thank Him today?

Father God, thank You for making and sustaining the earth and those of us who inhabit it. I worship You as the creator of it all.

For further study, read How Nature Makes God Visible at ODBM.org.

Today’s Insights

God declared that “all that he had made . . . was very good” (Genesis 1:31). Scripture also records the thoughtful musings and celebrations of poets, prophets, and apostles regarding creation. In Psalm 8, observing God’s handiwork in creation, David wrote: “Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory in the heavens. . . . When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is mankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them?” (vv. 1, 3-4). Paul joined the biblical chorus with these words about Jesus’ role in creation: “In him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him” (Colossians 1:16). The wonders of creation compel us to worship the Creator.

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Fight the battle well, holding on to faith and a good conscience. 1 Timothy 1:18-19

Today’s Scripture

1 Timothy 1:12-20

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As a boy, I loved reading stories about pirates. How those adventures spurred my imagination! Now I live in an area where one of the most infamous of those pirates—Blackbeard (real name, Edward Teach)—had his headquarters. Shipwrecked in the waters off the coast here is Blackbeard’s ship, the Queen Anne’s Revenge.

We can easily romanticize the wrecks and the high-sea adventures of history. The apostle Paul, however, wrote about a very different kind of shipwreck that provides us with a caution and an exhortation. In his first letter to Timothy, Paul warned his son in the faith to “[hold] on to faith and a good conscience, which some have rejected and so have suffered shipwreck with regard to the faith” (1 Timothy 1:19). What is this “shipwreck”? Two men, Hymenaeus and Alexander, had in some devastating way departed from the true faith, and the apostle turned them over to Satan “to be taught not to blaspheme” (v. 20). Paul desired them to repent, but the consequences of their actions were dire.

Our faith isn’t static, nor can it exist in a vacuum. We must actively nurture and cultivate our relationship with God to grow strong and healthy in faith and good conscience. May we join with other believers, yield to God’s Spirit, and allow Him to work in us. We can avoid shipwreck.

Reflect & Pray

How would you describe your relationship with Jesus? If you’ve drifted from Him, what’s the first move you can make back to Him?

Wise Father, may Your Spirit work in my heart to keep me close to You and growing in my faith.

For further study, read A Prayer for the Holy Spirit, written by Reclaim Today.

Today’s Insights

Paul left Timothy in Ephesus to work with the young and troubled church there. Although Timothy was to aid the church in its struggles against false teachers (1 Timothy 1:3-7), Paul instructs him that he also needed to grow in his own faith (vv. 18-20). He was to “fight the battle well” (v. 18), most commonly referring to spiritual warfare (see Ephesians 6:10-18); “[hold] on to the faith” (1 Timothy 1:19), referring to trust in Jesus (see Titus 1:1-3); and maintain “a good conscience” (1 Timothy 1:19), keeping his actions commendable (see Titus 3:14-15). The journey of discipleship is lifelong. Actively nurturing our relationship with God helps us grow strong in our faith and avoid spiritual shipwreck.

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As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another. Proverbs 27:17

Today’s Scripture

Proverbs 27:17-27

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Louise, a project manager, regretted taking on the freelance job. Both the client and designer were testing her patience. Why is it so difficult? she wondered. Why can’t these people get it together?

Weeks later, as she read Proverbs 27, verse 17 stood out—“iron sharpens iron.” “You can’t file down rough edges with something soft, like silk,” she told her small group soon after. “You need something hard, like iron.”

Louise realized that the challenges in the project were smoothing down some rough edges of her own. She was learning to be more patient and humble, and to adapt to different working styles. God, she concluded, was using the project to expose her flaws and teach her new lessons about working with others.

Much of the book of Proverbs extols the value of godly wisdom, but this wisdom doesn’t come easily. It needs to be sought after with obedience and discernment (3:13; 13:20; 19:20), and refined in crucibles and furnaces, with mortars and pestles (27:21-22)—situations that may mean temporary pain and suffering.

Yet the Bible reminds us that challenges come with rewards: In seeking God’s wisdom diligently and obeying His ways, we’ll find true security, satisfaction, and blessing (vv. 26-27).

Reflect & Pray

What lessons can you learn from difficult situations you’re facing? How might God be refining and shaping you to be more like His Son, Jesus?

Loving Father, please grant me strength to endure my trials and a humble heart to learn from life’s challenges. Thank You for shaping and molding me each day.

Disover more about A Resilient Life.

Today’s Insights

Learning to view troubles and trials as instruments in God’s hand is an important key to our spiritual growth. His goal for us isn’t that we have an easy or pain-free life, but rather that we “be conformed to the image of His Son” (Romans 8:29). As fire purifies gold (Proverbs 17:3; 27:21), so the heat of trials can be God’s tool to purify us and make us more like Jesus. Christ’s half brother James affirms this in his letter: “The testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete” (James 1:3-4). Part of walking by faith is trusting that God doesn’t waste anything. We can be sure that when difficult times come, He has a purpose for those trials in refining and shaping us to become more like Jesus.

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

Today’s Scripture

Hebrews 2:7-15

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In his Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows, John Koenig offers a collection of new words, each invented to give a name to complicated feelings we previously lacked a word for. His book includes words like dés vu, “the awareness that this moment will become a memory,” and onism, “the frustration of being stuck in just one body, that inhabits only one place at one time.” Koenig says his mission is to shed light on all of the unique and strange experiences of being human, so that people can feel less alone in those experiences.

While we might not always be able to find a word for what we’re going through, believers in Jesus can take great comfort in knowing that God values and understands what it’s like to be human. He values people so much that He chose to entrust humanity with caring for creation (Hebrews 2:7-8). And because of Jesus, God understands completely what it’s like to live as a human. Christ is God made fully human, which means other believers are called Jesus’ “brothers and sisters” (v. 12).

Christ not only understands all our experiences and temptations (4:15) but He has also broken “the power of death” over our lives (2:14). Because of Him, our experiences need not cause us to feel afraid or alone. Instead, we can celebrate the gift of being human.

Reflect & Pray

What experiences do you sometimes struggle to find words for? How does it encourage you to know God understands and values your experience?

Dear God, thank You that You value being human and empathize with all that I experience.

Discover more by reading One of Us.

Today’s Insights

Hebrews 2:6-8 references Psalm 8:4-6. In this psalm, David is in awe of God for creating and caring for creation, particularly people: “What is mankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them?” (v. 4). It likewise amazes the psalmist that God entrusted the creation into our care (vv. 5-8). The author of Hebrews references Psalm 8 to point to Jesus, who, by becoming a man, lowered Himself so that He could die for our sins (Hebrews 2:7, 9). He loves us that much—and understands all we’re going through!

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Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith? Mark 4:40

Today’s Scripture

Mark 4:35-41

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My three-year-old niece is beginning to understand that she can trust Jesus in any situation. One night as she prayed before bedtime during a thunderstorm, she pressed her hands together, closed her eyes, and said, “Dear Jesus, I know You’re here with us. I know You love us. And I know that the storm will stop when You tell it to stop.”

I suspect she had recently heard the story of Jesus and the disciples as they crossed the Sea of Galilee. It’s the one where Jesus fell asleep in the back of the boat just before a squall nearly capsized the vessel. The disciples woke Him and said, “Don’t you care if we drown?” Jesus didn’t speak to them but instead addressed the natural world: “Quiet! Be still!” (Mark 4:38-39).

Immediately the water stopped splashing into the boat. The howling wind subsided. There in the silence, Jesus looked at His followers and said, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?” (v. 40). I imagine their wide eyes staring back at Him as water coursed down their faces and dripped from their beards.

What if we could live today with the awe the disciples felt in that moment? What if we could view every concern with a fresh awareness of Jesus’ authority and power? Maybe then our childlike faith would chase away our fear. Maybe then we would believe that each storm we face is at His mercy.

Reflect & Pray

What are the barriers to faith in your life? How can you recapture a sense of wonder of Jesus?

Dear Jesus, please increase my faith as I meditate on Your power and presence. 

Check out this video on The Compassion of Jesus.

Today’s Insights

The story of Jesus calming the storm in Mark 4:35-41 is the first in a series of four miracles in chapters 4-5 that demonstrate Christ’s power. In stilling the sea, He demonstrates His power over the chaos of nature. The disciples ask, “Don’t you care if we drown?” (4:38). Jesus’ calming of the storm is a concession to their doubt (v. 40).

But the next three miracles show that Christ does, indeed, care for the plight of the hurting, the desperate, and the grieving. He demonstrates His authority over demons (5:1-20), over illness (vv. 21-34), and over death itself (vv. 35-43). He expends His power not to gain influence or fame but to serve those who are suffering. Jesus’ miracles point to a future where, one day, fear and pain will completely disappear. When we face difficulties and trials today, we can trust His same power and presence to help us.

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The Lord said, . . . “Should I not have concern for the great city of Nineveh?” Jonah 4:10-11

Today’s Scripture

Jonah 4:5-11

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How could God possibly care about all these people? The thought hit me as I stepped off a busy train platform in a crowded city, thousands of miles from home. I was a teenager traveling abroad for the first time, and I was overwhelmed by the size of the world around me. I felt small by comparison and wondered how God could love so many people.

I had yet to understand the broad reach of God’s perfect love. In Scripture, the prophet Jonah couldn’t fathom this either. When Jonah finally obeyed God’s call to preach repentance to the city of Nineveh, the capital of the brutal Assyrian Empire that had oppressed his native Israel, he didn’t want God to forgive them. But the city did repent, and when God didn’t destroy them, Jonah was angry. God provided shelter for Jonah through a fast-growing plant but then took his shade away, which angered him all the more. Jonah complained, but God responded, “You have been concerned about this plant . . . . And should I not have concern for the great city of Nineveh, in which there are more than a hundred and twenty thousand people?” (Jonah 4:10-11).

God’s so great that He’s able to care deeply for those who are far from Him. His love goes to the lengths of the cross and empty tomb of Jesus to meet our ultimate need. His greatness manifests itself in goodness, and He longs to draw us near.

Reflect & Pray

How does it comfort you to know God cares for you? How will you respond to His love?

Loving God, thank You for coming to save me. Please help me to love others like You do.

For further study, read The Pouting Prophet.

Today’s Insights

Jonah 4 shows just how hardened the prophet’s heart had become. While it’s true that the people of Nineveh were far from the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, we see that Jonah himself was also very far from God’s heart. Having been God’s instrument to bring about a national revival in Nineveh (3:5-10), Jonah was angry at Him for rescuing his enemies. God’s love for Nineveh could’ve been a learning opportunity for him, but his heart was so filled with hate that all he could feel was his own rage. Still God loved and cared for the prophet (4:6), just as He loves and cares for us in spite of our hardened hearts.

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Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Romans 12:13

Today’s Scripture

Romans 12:9-16

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With extra time on my hands, my plan for the coming months centered on serving people as much as I could. But while helping a new friend, I tripped and fell and broke my arm in three places. Suddenly I was the one in need. God’s people cared for me with visits, gift cards, flowers, phone calls, texts, prayers, meals (and even a box of chocolates), and by running errands. I couldn’t believe how kind my family, friends, and fellow church members were! It was as if God were saying, “Sit down. You need help. You’ll see what caring looks like.” Because of them, I know more about serving from the heart and feeling grateful to God for others.

Fellow believers eagerly helped me in the ways Paul instructed the church members living in Rome to follow (Romans 12). He encouraged them in many ways, including to love sincerely, to be devoted to one another in love, to honor others, and to share with those in need (vv. 9-13). Paul taught them doctrine throughout his letter. But he also shared that life in Christ isn’t abstract theology—it’s shown in our practical daily living (chs. 12-16). God’s way is love. Receiving and then pouring out His love on others is one of many ways to express His love for us.

As we look for and find everyday ways to serve people in our churches or communities, they’ll be encouraged, we’ll be blessed, and God will be praised.

Reflect & Pray

Who needs your help this week? What will you do?

You’re kind beyond measure, God. Please help me to receive and give Your love to those around me.

For further study, read A Family Dedicated to Serving.

Today’s Insights

A pattern found in several of Paul’s church letters (see Ephesians and Colossians) is that he teaches a section of doctrine followed by a section of practical application and response. In Romans, the doctrinal teaching is found in chapters 1-11, with practical response dominating chapters 12-16. The key transition point is the word therefore in 12:1: “Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.” Paul is saying that because of the love and grace God has demonstrated for us as described in chapters 1-11, we can have the heart response described in chapters 12-16. As one pastor said, “What we believe must influence and impact how we behave as God’s ambassadors.” God’s love for us enables us to pour out His love on others.

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I have strayed like a lost sheep. Seek your servant, for I have not forgotten your commands. Psalm 119:176

Today’s Scripture

Psalm 119:169-176

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David Uttal is a cognitive scientist who studies navigation but has problems navigating his way around geographic locations. This isn’t a new problem for him—one that goes back to when he was thirteen years old and got lost for two and a half days on a hike. Uttal admits he’s still terrible with simple directions in life. But some people are natural navigators—knowing exactly where they are and how to get where they desire to go. Others, like Uttal, struggle even with clear directions and often get lost.

The psalmist also felt the disorientation of lostness: “I have strayed like a lost sheep. Seek your servant, for I have not forgotten your commands” (Psalm 119:176). He compared himself to a wandering sheep. Although sheep can be valuable creatures, they’re also notoriously rebellious and will sometimes drift away from their shepherd—putting them in need of rescue. The psalmist’s spiritual navigation skills had deteriorated, and his spiritual sense of direction had faded, so he needed God to pursue him and give him a “discerning mind” (v. 169 nlt).

When we wander away from God’s care, He loves us enough to seek us and lead us back to Himself. As He helps us understand the Scriptures and follow “all [His] commands” (v. 172), we can avoid getting spiritually lost.

Reflect & Pray

In what ways have you drifted away from God and His wisdom? In what ways will you remember His instruction today?  

Gracious God, I recognize that I’m often like a lost sheep—easily distracted and led astray. Please bring me back to Your side.

For further study, read Learning the Rhythms of Freedom.

Today’s Insights

The Bible is God’s gift to enable us to live a life that honors Him (Deuteronomy 4:1-8; 2 Timothy 3:14-17). Psalm 119 is the psalmist’s unwavering commitment to live out its truths. The psalm begins with a declaration that “those who keep his statutes and seek him with all their heart” are blessed (v. 2). Throughout the psalm, the psalmist spells out these blessings. Its 176 verses (arranged in 22 stanzas of 8 verses each) affirm the authority, supremacy, sufficiency, and transformative power of the words of Scripture. They provide assurance, hope, peace, joy, and delight (vv. 14, 16, 24, 97, 103, 111, 114, 165). Scripture provides wisdom and guidance to navigate life’s challenges (vv. 32, 98-100, 105) and comforts us in times of trouble (vv. 28, 50, 52, 92). It empowers us to live a life that honors God, keeping us from sin and correcting us when we go astray (vv. 9-11, 29, 133). Our loving God uses the Scriptures to draw us to Himself.

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If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth. 1 John 1:6

Today’s Scripture

1 John 1:5-10

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When my two nieces were younger, they’d coax me into a game after dinner. They’d turn off all the lights in the house, and we’d shuffle through the darkness, clutching each other and laughing. They enjoyed scaring themselves by choosing to walk in the dark, knowing they could turn on the light anytime.

In his letter to the early believers in Jesus, the apostle John talked about choosing to walk in a different kind of darkness. First John 1:6 refers to sin as “darkness.” Walking in darkness isn’t a momentary lapse but a choice to keep engaging in wrongdoing. John reminds us that our holy God “is light” and “in him there is no darkness” (v. 5). So when we claim a relationship with Him yet willfully continue sinning, “we lie and do not live out the truth” (v. 6). Jesus, the light of the world, came so that “whoever follows [Him] will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” (John 8:12).

By God’s grace, after we’ve wandered in spiritual darkness and we turn to Him in repentance, we can walk in His light again—in His ways and purposes. He will “forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9). Only when we live in obedience to God can we enjoy the full blessing of relationship with Him and with other believers (v. 7).

Reflect & Pray

When have you chosen to “walk in the darkness”? How did this choice impact your relationship with God and with other believers?

Thank You, God, for Your forgiveness and help. Please enable me to walk in Your light.

For further study, watch The Scenery of Forgiveness.

Today’s Insights

The prologue to the letter of 1 John (1:1-4) echoes the introduction to the gospel he’d written earlier (John 1:1-18). In the gospel of John, the apostle says, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (1:1). The letter of 1 John begins, “That which was from the beginning . . .” (1:1). John’s gospel says of Jesus, “In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind” (1:4). His letter says, “The life [Jesus] appeared” (1:2). The parallels continue as the gospel of John calls Christ “the true light” (1:9) and 1 John says, “God is light” (1:5). John then encourages us to “walk in the light, as he is in the light” (v. 7). Bringing our sin to the light of confession brings us forgiveness through the blood of Jesus (vv. 7, 9).

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Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed. Ecclesiastes 4:9 nlt

Today’s Scripture

Ecclesiastes 4:8-10

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Climbing Jamaica’s Dunn’s River Falls is an exhilarating experience. Water cascades over the smooth rocks of the falls on its way to the Caribbean. It’s a challenge as climbers battle the water’s flow to make their way to the top. For a teenager named JW, it’s a near impossibility. He’s sight-impaired, with only a pinhole view of the world.

But JW was determined to climb, and his friend Josiah was willing to team up with him. Josiah was JW’s eyes—telling him which slippery rocks to avoid and where to put his hands and feet. And JW was Josiah’s heart—showing him what courage looks like.

So much of life is like that daunting climb: We shouldn’t walk alone. King Solomon points us to that truth. “Two people are better than one, for they can help each other succeed” (Ecclesiastes 4:9 nlt). Both Josiah and JW were attempting something special—and they could do it only in tandem. The passage continues: “If either [person] falls down, one can help the other up” (v. 10). But neither fell and neither failed. Together, they reached their goals.

God’s design for people, presented clearly by Solomon and demonstrated vividly by these two teenagers, is that we work together. The tasks God calls us to do are best done with others—each using what skills and emotions God has given to bring an outcome that points to Him.

Reflect & Pray

Why is it important to serve with others? How does it feel when you team up to point people to God?

Dear God, please help me team up with You and others to accomplish Your mission on earth.

For further study, read The Absurdity of Chasing Dreams.

Today’s Insights

The book of Ecclesiastes—written from the perspective of “under the sun” (1:14) or the human experience on earth—seems to be one long lament. What’s it all about? Does anything ultimately matter? Why even try? That forlorn theme continues here, as the writer (called “the Teacher” in 1:1) observes “a man all alone” (4:8). Eventually this solitary figure asks himself, “For whom am I toiling?” The Teacher observes, “This too is meaningless—a miserable business!” (v. 8). Yet Ecclesiastes also recognizes that there is a life worth living. The wise man declares, “Two are better than one” (v. 9) and points to a specific reason why doing life together is preferred: “If either of them falls down, one can help the other up” (v. 10). God lovingly equips us to help each other and in turn to accept help. Our necessary interdependence reminds us of our complete reliance on God and His goodness.

Examine the original Hebrew meaning of key words in Ecclesiastes 1.

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You have taken from me friend and neighbor—darkness is my closest friend. Psalm 88:18

Today’s Scripture

Psalm 88:1, 6-18

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Charles had sunk into depression. Despite having a loving family, he felt all alone. “The overwhelming pressure of supporting them was continuing to build,” he said, “and I felt like taking my own life.” Surprisingly—or perhaps not—Charles Morris also led a Christian ministry.

A wise friend told him that when faced with depression, “We should soak in the Psalms.” Charles got through his deep despondency by reading relatable Bible passages, accepting prudent medical care, and pouring his heart out to God.

The Psalms are often brutally honest. Heman the Ezrahite wrote one of the most bitter. Hope is found only in the opening lines: “Lord, you are the God who saves me” (88:1). Heman seems to accuse God: “You have put me in the lowest pit” (v. 6). “You have overwhelmed me” (v. 7). And he had questions: “Why, Lord, do you reject me and hide your face from me?” (v. 14). Most psalms end with a message of hope. Not this one. Heman concludes, “Darkness is my closest friend” (v. 18). This is the prayer of a truly desperate man. Yet Heman directed all his pain to God.

When we read psalms such as this one, we realize we’re not alone. Others have experienced desperate feelings and have dared to put voice to them. God could take such honesty from Heman. He can take it from you too. He’s there, and He’s listening.

Reflect & Pray

What part of Psalm 88 do you most relate to? What will you ask God today?

Heavenly Father, sometimes I hurt too much even to pray. Thank You that You’re big enough to take all my pain and honesty.

Learn how to take wisdom from the book of Psalms.

Today’s Insights

Psalm 88 is an unusual song of lament. Lament psalms typically include a call for God’s help, a specific complaint or reason for lamenting, and an expression of trust in God. Some also offer thanksgiving after He responds. (Psalm 44 is a lament psalm that contains all these elements.) Psalm 88 includes the call for God’s aid (vv. 1-2) and reasons for lament (vv. 3-9, 15-18) but omits any expressions of trust in God. Instead, the psalmist asks accusatory questions (vv. 10-12, 14) and describes being completely alone and in excruciating pain (v. 18). That this psalm is part of inspired Scripture demonstrates that God welcomes complete honesty before Him when we’re struggling. In our pain, we can be assured that He’s there and He’s listening.

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I have seen a grievous evil under the sun: wealth hoarded to the harm of its owners. Ecclesiastes 5:13

Today’s Scripture

Ecclesiastes 5:13-20

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In the classic film Citizen Kane, Charles Foster Kane amasses wealth and power by building a newspaper empire. In a story reminiscent of Ecclesiastes 2:4-11, Kane spares himself no pleasure, building a castle with grand gardens full of artistic treasures.

Like other tycoons, what Kane really wants is adulation. He bankrolls his own political career and, when it fails, he blames the defeat on voter “fraud” to save face. He builds his wife an opera house and forces her into an ill-suited singing career to make him look good. Here too Kane’s story echoes Ecclesiastes, where wealth is found to harm those who chase and hoard it (5:10-15), leaving them eating “in darkness, with great frustration” (5:17). By the end of his life, Charlie Kane lives in that castle alone, isolated and angry.

Citizen Kane ends with the revelation that Charlie’s pursuits have been driven to fill a void in his heart—the parental love he lost as a child. I can imagine the author of Ecclesiastes agreeing. Our Father God has “set eternity in the human heart” (3:11), and life can only be enjoyed with Him (2:25). Charlie Kane’s cautionary tale speaks to us all: Don’t seek spiritual fulfilment through wealth and power, but through the one who pours His love into our hearts (Romans 5:5).

Reflect & Pray

How do you see yourself imitating Charlie Kane? What spiritual need does God need to meet in you today?

Loving God, please forgive my attempts to feel important through buying things or seeking praise. My spiritual need can only be met by You!

For further study read, Translucent Fruit: The Cost of Wealth.

Today’s Insights

In Ecclesiastes, Solomon seeks to answer the perplexing question of the meaning of life. He shows that life without God is futile, unfulfilling, miserable, and meaningless “under the sun” (see 1:3, 13-14; 12:8). Then he explains how and why God must fit into our lives (2:24-26; 3:11-14; 5:7, 18-20). He examines human accomplishments, pleasures, and intellectual pursuits (chs. 1-2); the repetitive mundane existential/experiential life (ch. 3); and social interactions and community (ch. 4). Though accumulating wealth through hard work in itself isn’t wrong, pursuing materialism for its own sake brings disillusionment and despair (chs. 5-6). But the person who reverently worships and fears God (5:1-7) will see and enjoy the fruit of his labor as a gift from God (vv. 18-20). Solomon offers us this recipe for a fulfilled life: “Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the duty of all mankind” (12:13).

See how the wisdom of Ecclesiastes matches the teaching of Jesus.

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I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Ephesians 4:1

Today’s Scripture

Ephesians 4:1-6, 11-16

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In 1997, Iowa State University named its football stadium after the school’s first black athlete: Jack Trice. Tragically, Trice had never even played in Ames, Iowa—he died from internal injuries sustained during a play in his second college game, played in Minneapolis, Minnesota on October 6, 1923.

Trice wrote a note to himself the night before the game, bearing witness to his determination:

“The honor of my race, family, and self are at stake. Everyone is expecting me to do big things. I will! My whole body and soul are to be thrown recklessly about on the field tomorrow. Every time the ball is snapped, I will be trying to do more than my part.” Trice profoundly understood that what he did flowed from the honor and dignity of who he was, infusing his character with courage.

The apostle Paul says something similar in his letter to the Ephesians, challenging believers to let who they were in Christ influence every decision: “As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received” (Ephesians 4:1). Paul challenges us to embrace a way of living shaped by Jesus’ work for us, in us, and through us, which yields humility, gentleness, patience, unity, love, and peace (vv. 2-3) as we use our God-given gifts to serve one another (vv. 15-16).

Reflect & Pray

What’s the connection between our beliefs and actions? What gifts has God given you to serve others?

Dear Father, thank You for inviting me into a life filled with meaning and significance. Please help me to love and serve others with the gifts You’ve given.

Today’s Insights

God’s love poured out through the creation of a new community made up of believing Jews and gentiles—something Paul calls “the mystery of Christ” (Ephesians 3:4)—is the foundation for the apostle’s encouragement to “live a life worthy of the calling you have received” (4:1). Jews and gentiles—two groups long estranged from each other—were called to devote themselves to cultivating the unity created through Christ’s Spirit (v. 3). They needed to serve one another “with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love” (v. 2 esv). Today, we’re also called to love and serve others with the gifts we’ve been given.

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Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. Galatians 6:2

oday’s Scripture

1 Corinthians 12:21-26

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When I injured my ring finger, I expected months of pain before regaining its full function. As I practiced the prescribed exercises, the finger next to it began to throb, so I consulted my doctor. “Sympathy pain,” he said. A branching between the nerves of the ring and pinky fingers causes dependence on one another. If one finger hurts, the other aches in sympathy.

The apostle Paul uses the human body to illustrate the uniqueness and unity of God’s people. In 1 Corinthians 12:21-26, he reinforces how valuable each individual member is to the healthy functioning of the whole. Then he turns his attention to the unity achieved when we connect with each other: “If one part suffers, every part suffers with it” (v. 26). His description of the church’s interconnectedness is echoed in these verses, as we ought to “mourn with those who mourn,” and “carry each other’s burdens” (Romans 12:15; Galatians 6:2).

Today, as I extend my hand to greet someone or grab a spoon to prepare a meal for guests, I notice the strain in both my ring finger and my pinky. The various parts of our physical bodies work together to express pain and to strengthen each other toward health. I thank God that He reveals our need for connection to each other in His spiritual body, the church, through sympathy pain.

Reflect & Pray

How is God inviting you to suffer with another in order to strengthen you both? How have others suffered with you?

Dear God, please help me be open to Your invitation to suffer with my brothers and sisters that we might all be strengthened.

Discover how to best help people through their pain.

Today’s Insights

Of the many metaphors Paul uses to describe the church’s identity and mission (for example, temple, fellow citizens, God’s family), “the body” is probably his favorite, using it often to promote the oneness, unity, and solidarity of all believers in Jesus under the headship of Christ (see Ephesians 5:23).

He uses the body metaphor in 1 Corinthians 12:12: “Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ.” He highlights the church’s unity in diversity and instructs believers to prioritize their mutual concern for each other’s well-being, saying that everyone “should have equal concern for each other” (v. 25). Elsewhere, he instructs believers to “be devoted to one another in love” (Romans 12:10) and to step up to serve each other in practical ways (vv. 3-13). Particularly, he tells believers to “be happy with those who are happy, and weep with those who weep” (v. 15 nlt).

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In humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. Philippians 2:3-4

Today’s Scripture

Philippians 2:1-11

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At electric vehicle charging stations across the United States, some drivers overstay their time at “fast-chargers,” which are designed to help drivers quickly charge their cars and get back on the road. To resolve this unkind behavior, one of the largest charging networks has implemented strict time limits at some of its busiest stations. When a vehicle’s battery charge reaches eighty-five percent, the driver must make room for the next car in need of a charge.

The apostle Paul encouraged believers in Jesus to humbly “value others above [themselves]” (Philippians 2:3). He addressed an issue that was grating the Philippian church—self-centeredness. The people desired recognition and distinction, not from pure motives but from “selfish ambition” (v. 3). Paul urged the believers to have the mind of Christ and to look “to the interests of the others” (v. 4). This didn’t mean that they should forget their own needs in an unhealthy way, but that they would care for others’ needs as those who “have the same mindset as Christ Jesus” (v. 5). The apostle encouraged the Philippians to empty themselves of pride and to humbly make room for others. The ultimate motivation for making room? Love.

As we seek to imitate Christ’s example each day (vv. 6-11), He can help us make room for others by viewing them with His loving eyes.

Reflect & Pray

How can you place others’ needs above your own? What does it mean to see others through God’s eyes?

Dear God, please help me empty myself and make room for others.

For further study, read Loving Your Neighbor through Prayer.

Today’s Insights

Paul’s teaching in Philippians 2:1-11 describes the core values that believers in Jesus are to exhibit. Christ exemplified these principles by becoming a man, living as a servant, and surrendering to death by crucifixion (vv. 7-8). Jesus’ example and teaching in John 13 amplify the need for believers to serve others. Hours before His crucifixion, John describes Christ having “a towel around his waist” (v. 4). Jesus ignored His status as their leader and washed the dusty feet of all present: “After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him” (v. 5). His actions were complemented with these words: “Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet” (v. 14). Christ calls us to imitate His example of love and humility and serve others.

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We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. 2 Corinthians 5:20

Today’s Scripture

2 Corinthians 5:9-10, 14-20

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On the first day of a camp where Alan teaches teens entrepreneurial skills, a student said, “You’re a Christian, aren’t you? I can tell.” Before Alan said he was a Christian or wore his favorite socks and ties decorated with Christian symbols, the teen said he saw Jesus through Alan’s words, actions, and attitude. They discussed how they could better represent Jesus wherever they go.

Saying we’re Christian and wearing clothes with Christian messages are good things. However, the Bible teaches that the way we live and love as we share the gospel is the true identifier of those who follow Jesus. The apostle Paul and the other believers in Corinth were compelled, or driven, to please God by living with an eternal perspective while sharing Him with others (2 Corinthians 5:9-14).

When we’re committed to living for Christ instead of for ourselves, the Holy Spirit changes our perspective, character, priorities, and ways of interacting with others (vv. 15-17). Our new life in Jesus is intended to represent Him while we point others to Him, “as though God were making his appeal through us” (v. 20).

Empowered by the Spirit, we’re given the joy and responsibility of representing Christ wherever we go.

Reflect & Pray

How have others pointed you to Jesus by the way they lived? How has God’s transforming work in your life helped you become a better ambassador for Christ?

Life-transforming Jesus, please change me by Your Spirit so that I can better represent You wherever You send me.

For further study, read Paul’s Pain and His Passion.

Today’s Insights

Paul says that the goal for believers in Jesus should be “to please him” (2 Corinthians 5:9). As we share the gospel with others, how we live and love identifies true believers. The pattern Christ established with the twelve disciples is also valid for today. Before witnessing for Him through their words and actions, they looked, listened, and learned from Him. Of two of the twelve it was said, “When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus” (Acts 4:13). Those who represent Christ best are those who’ve been drawn to Him, forgiven by Him, and empowered by the Spirit to bear witness to His love and grace.

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Instruct the wise and they will be wiser still. Proverbs 9:9

Today’s Scripture

Proverbs 9:1-6, 13-18

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After Kat learned she was pregnant, she dropped out of high school to care for her daughter. Fifteen years later, Kat was a working mother of three who dreamed of becoming a licensed beautician. With humility and tenacity, she became a student again in a free GED support program. It was humbling to go back to school after so long. “This program changed my life!” Kat said. “My teacher was amazing and offered so much encouragement.”

Remaining teachable may be one of the most difficult things we can do. The Bible speaks of having a teachable heart that’s open to God’s wisdom. The poetry of Proverbs paints a picture of two women calling out to passersby—Wisdom and Folly (Proverbs 9:1-6; 13-18). Those who listen to Wisdom receive correction with grace. They “add to their learning” and become even wiser (v. 9). They habitually “walk in the way of insight” (v. 6) and seat themselves at Wisdom’s table for instruction. Their obedience leads to a full life (v. 11). In contrast, those who listen to Folly hate being corrected or criticized. They insult anyone who tries to instruct them (vv. 7-8). Humility comes from fearing God—acknowledging that He’s “the Holy One” and we are not (v. 10). It’s not easy to stay teachable, but it also brings freedom to admit we don’t know it all and we still need help. Wisdom calls to us. How will we respond?

Reflect & Pray

What’s your default reaction to criticism? How could a humble response lead to growth and victory?

Receiving instruction doesn’t always come naturally to me, wise Father, but I trust Your ways.

For further study, read An Invitation to Wisdom.

Today’s Insights

“I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses,” Moses told Israel shortly before his death. Then he exhorted them: “Choose life . . . . love the Lord your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him” (Deuteronomy 30:19-20). Proverbs reinforces this prudent counsel to forsake deadly ways and choose life. Chapter 9 is the last of three chapters that contrast folly and wisdom by personifying these concepts as female characters. In chapter 7, a father urges his son, “Say to wisdom, ‘You are my sister’ ” (v. 4) but warns against the adulterous woman: “Do not let your heart turn to her ways” (v. 25). Chapters 7, 8, and 9 all conclude with warnings about the deadly end awaiting those who neglect wisdom (7:26-27; 8:35-36; 9:18). Instead, “Leave your simple ways and you will live” (9:6). By cultivating a teachable heart, fools grow wiser and draw closer to God.

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The people walking in darkness have seen a great light. Isaiah 9:2

Today’s Scripture

Isaiah 9:2-7

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The tugboat sank twenty miles off the coast of Nigeria, turning upside down as it fell to the sea floor. Eleven crew members drowned, but the ship’s cook, Harrison Odjegba Okene, found an air pocket and waited. He only had one bottle of Coke for provisions, and both of his flashlights died within the first twenty-four hours. For three terrifying days, Okene was trapped alone in darkness at the bottom of the ocean. He’d begun to give up hope when divers on a mission to recover dead bodies found him hunkered and shivering deep in the hull.

The image of Okene alone in the dark for sixty hours is unnerving. He told reporters he still suffers nightmares from the horrifying ordeal. But can you imagine what he felt when he saw the diver’s powerful lamp piercing the darkness? What joy and elation, what hope. The prophet Isaiah foretold how, when the Messiah came, all “the people walking in darkness” would see “a great light” (9:2). Left to our own devices, we live “in the land of deep darkness,” but in Jesus, “a light has dawned” (v. 2).

Christ is “the light of the world,” and in Him we need never again fear the darkness for we “have the light of life” (John 8:12). We may feel trapped or hopeless, alone or in despair, but God illuminates good news. Jesus carries us out of the dark and into His marvelous light.

Reflect & Pray

What darkness are you facing? How do you need Jesus to be your light and bring you out of it?

Dear God, I need Your light in my life. Please bring me out of my dark place.

For further study, read Deceived by Disappointment.

Today’s Insights

Oppressed by an Aram-Israel alliance, King Ahaz of Judah turned to Assyria for help (2 Kings 16:7-9; Isaiah 7:1-6). God told Ahaz He’d use Assyria to defeat Israel and Aram (Isaiah 7:7-9; 8:4-7), and because of Ahaz’s unfaithfulness, Judah too would be punished (7:13-25; 8:8). The punishment would be so severe the Israelites would “be thrust into utter darkness” (8:22). But God promised deliverance and restoration, starting with Zebulun and Naphtali (9:1), lands in Israel’s far north that had been ravaged by the Assyrians. Isaiah prophesied that with the birth of the Messiah, “the people walking in darkness [would see] a great light” (v. 2).

Seven hundred years later, Jesus fulfilled this prophecy as He began His ministry in that region (Matthew 4:12-17). Christ, that “great light,” calls us to follow Him: “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” (John 8:12).

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

Today’s Scripture

Ephesians 2:1-10

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A French sailor, along with his cat, was sailing from Dutch Harbor—located on an island south of Alaska—to San Diego, California, when his yacht was capsized by a huge wave. The vessel righted itself, but the mariner lost his rudder and rigging to the violent swells. He reported his dire situation to the Coast Guard, saying he was stranded, had no control, and his boat was “pretty much dead in the water.” Eventually the Coast Guard contacted an oil drilling ship nearby, and they came to the sailor’s rescue. However, he still had to make a literal leap of faith—with his cat tucked under his jacket—from his boat to the rescue vessel.

In Ephesians 2, Paul described the sinful and hopeless condition of humanity—dead in the water spiritually and separated from God (v. 1). Moreover, we were disobedient to all that He desires (v. 2) and depraved—unable to do anything to merit salvation (v. 3). But “by grace,” Jesus made it possible for us to be “saved, through faith,” and this salvation is a “gift of God” (v. 8).

We were all stranded in the raging seas of sin and death, but praise God that we have a Savior who made it possible for us to leap into His saving arms by faith. Christ alone can rescue us and carry us to safety.

Reflect & Pray

What is the means of the rescue Jesus has made possible? How are faith in Him and the salvation He’s made possible linked?

Dear Jesus, Your mercy and grace led me to—by faith—leap into Your saving arms.

For further study, read What’s Wrong with the Sinner’s Prayer.

Today’s Insights

Our need of Christ’s rescue is undeniable, given Paul’s clear teaching in Ephesians 2. Apart from Jesus we “were dead” (v. 1), and the dead can do absolutely nothing on their own behalf. How grateful we should be that God, out “of his great love for us” and His rich mercy (v. 4) has given us life through Christ’s death and resurrection on our behalf. In addition to giving us life, He’s given us a place “in the heavenly realms” (v. 6). All this was done to express God’s “kindness to us” (v. 7). Apart from Jesus (vv. 8-9), we’d be both lost and helpless, but He came and took our place. He’s rescued and brought to safety those who’ve believed in Him!

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Jesus called in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” The dead man came out. John 11:43-44

Today’s Scripture

John 11:38-44

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Football fans were stunned when Damar Hamlin of the Buffalo Bills collapsed on the field on live television after executing a seemingly routine tackle in January 2023. The twenty-four-year-old was in sudden cardiac arrest. His heart stopped beating but was restored by medical professionals while on the field. Amazingly, three months after dying and being resuscitated on the field, Hamlin was cleared to play football again.

Hamlin has stated that he’s grateful to God and the medical staff for saving his life. He plans to continue being an inspiration to others. In John chapter 11, Lazarus also had a remarkable recovery.

By the time Jesus had arrived in Bethany, Lazarus had been dead for four days. His distraught sisters, Mary and Martha, witnessed Jesus’ power over death and that He is “the resurrection and the life” (John 11:25). “Jesus called in a loud voice, ‘Lazarus, come out!’ The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face” (vv. 43-44).

We’re also examples of Christ’s resurrection power. We were once dead in our sins, but we’re now alive in Christ (Romans 6:1-11). As believers, the same Spirit who raised Jesus from the dead lives inside of us (8:10-11). Be encouraged. While we’ll all die a physical death, that’s not the end of our story. We’re promised eternal life with Jesus.

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Dear God, thank You for Your resurrection power.

Today’s Insights

In John 11:1-2, Lazarus, the brother of Martha and Mary, is sick. Yet, instead of rushing to Bethany and the home of this beloved family, Jesus “stayed where he was two more days” (v. 6). The gospel tells us He waited because He would “be glorified through it” (v. 4). God is glorified when we acknowledge His sovereignty and power and trust in Him. In our passage today, Christ tells Martha, “Did I not tell you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?” (11:40). Jesus was telling her to trust and believe in Him. Soon she’d see God’s supernatural, transcendent power (His glory) displayed. Martha, Mary, the disciples, and all those gathered at the graveside witnessed the miraculous resurrection of a man dead for four days (vv. 41-44)! We too are recipients of God’s miraculous power. He gives eternal life to all who turn from their sins and follow Him.

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