Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. Romans 12:21

Today’s Scripture

Romans 12:14-21

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Doctor Dolittle, the fictional doctor who converses with animals, has delighted fans through books, movies, and plays. However, few people know that author Hugh Lofting first wrote the Dolittle tales to his children from the ghastly trenches of World War I. He later said that the war was too awful to recount in his letters—so he wrote and illustrated stories instead. These whimsical, joy-filled tales were Lofting’s way of pushing back against the war’s horror.

It’s inspiring to see a person moving against the menacing, degrading forces that seem too powerful to thwart. We admire this resilient courage because we fear that injustice, violence, and greed will triumph. Sometimes we fear that the whole world will be “overcome by evil” (Romans 12:21). And these fears are well-founded if we’re left to ourselves. However, God has not left us to ourselves. He fills us with His divine strength, places us in the action, and calls us to “overcome evil with good” (v. 21).

We each overcome evil with good in whatever ways God has put into our hearts. Some of us write beautiful stories. Some of us care for the poor. Some of us make our homes places of welcome. Some of us share God’s story through melody, poetry, or conversation. In a myriad of ways, we carry His goodness and peace into the world (v. 18), overcoming evil as we go.

Reflect & Pray

Where do you see evil lurking? How can you be part of overcoming evil with good?

Dear God, please help me be part of overcoming evil with good.

Check out this article to learn how to live a wholehearted life for Christ.

Today’s Insights

Romans 12 is a marvelous treatise from the apostle Paul on how to live out Jesus’ challenge to be salt and light to this dark world (see Matthew 5:13-14). Through the lives of believers in Christ, the world has the opportunity to see God’s goodness and peace on display. Why? Because of the dramatic contrast goodness and peace provide to the evil and conflict around us. Paul’s words also give a powerful picture of how we’re to live out the gospel. Living out our faith isn’t optional—it’s inherent to being witnesses to the life-changing power of the gospel. What we believe must necessarily make a difference in how we live, and when we live out our faith through the power of the Spirit, we put the heart of God on display.

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Go and make disciples. Matthew 28:19

Today’s Scripture

Matthew 28:16-20

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Early in the basketball season, the coach at our neighborhood middle school seemed to work hardest convincing his players to risk shooting the ball. “Shoot!” he pleaded from the sidelines. His players eagerly passed the ball. Dribbling was a favorite too. The season was half over before most of them would shed their doubts and try to shoot the ball to score. But “going for it” made all the difference. By obeying their coach, letting go of doubt, and trying—even if they often missed the target—they learned to win.

Jesus teaches us to let go of doubt to obey His call to make disciples. He explains, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you” (Matthew 28:18-20).

In practical terms, this can mean stepping out of our comfort to share our story of what God has done for us. Or getting involved in the lives of our hurting neighbors, showing them Jesus’ love. Such approaches work, but only if we let go and try them.

Above all, we go in Jesus’ authority to attempt what may look hard—making disciples. But we need not fear. Jesus promised: “Surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age” (v. 20).

Reflect & Pray

What fears and doubts do you have about making disciples? Why? How can you obey Christ’s call?

I need practice making disciples, dear Father, but please encourage me to let go of doubt and try.

Learn more about the work God is doing in our lives by reading the Mission of God.

Today’s Insights

The Gospels describe Jesus as a man who “taught as one who had authority” (Matthew 7:29) and one who “has authority on earth to forgive sins” (9:6). God has “granted him authority over all people that he might give eternal life to all those [God has] given him” (John 17:2). When Christ sent His twelve disciples out to preach, He gave them His authority to do the work (Matthew 10:1). Before He returned to the Father after His death and resurrection, Jesus entrusted to us the task of telling the world the good news. He commanded us to tell others about what He’s done for us and to disciple them (28:19-20). We can let go of doubt, for we’re not going out on our own. Christ promised, “Surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age” (v. 20).

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Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure . . . think about such things. Philippians 4:8

Today’s Scripture

Philippians 4:4-9

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Lap after lap, Katie Ledecky was in a familiar spot during the 1500-meter freestyle race at the 2024 Paris Olympics. For some fifteen minutes, she was far ahead of the rest of the swimmers and alone with her thoughts. What was Ledecky thinking about during the long race? In an interview conducted immediately following her gold-medal-winning performance in which she set a new Olympic record, Ledecky said she was thinking about her training partners and saying their names in her head.

Distance swimmers aren’t the only ones who need to focus their minds on the right things. We as believers in Jesus also need to guard our thoughts throughout our faith journey.

The apostle Paul encouraged the Philippian church to “rejoice in the Lord,” not be “anxious about anything, but pray about everything (Philippians 4:4, 6). The result? “The peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (v. 7). Jesus, the Prince of Peace, helps put our worries and troubles in perspective.

Paul also encouraged believers: “Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things” (v. 8).

As we go about our day, let’s be aware of our thoughts. When we see God’s hand in our life, we can count our blessings and worship Him.

Reflect & Pray

What have you been thinking about lately? How can you honor God with your thoughts?

Dear God, may my thoughts be pleasing to You.

Learn how to grow in faith by reading The Confidence to Grow.

Today’s Insights

In this “joyful” letter (Philippians 1:4, 25; 2:2, 29; 4:1), Paul challenged believers in Jesus to “rejoice in the Lord always” (4:4). He explains why he’s rejoicing and encourages believers to do the same (1:18; 2:17-18; 3:1; 4:4, 10). When he first visited the Roman colony of Philippi on his second missionary journey about ten years earlier, he’d been falsely accused of disturbing the social peace of the city. Even though he’d been illegally beaten and unjustly imprisoned (Acts 16:20-24), he was a picture of calmness and peace, “praying and singing hymns to God” (v. 25). In Philippians 4, Paul says not to “worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. . . . Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise” (vv. 6, 8 nlt). As we focus our thoughts on what God’s done, we can worship Him even in the midst of trials.

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See, Lord, how distressed I am! I am in torment within, and in my heart I am disturbed. Lamentations 1:20

Today’s Scripture

Lamentations 1:20-22

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I viewed the opening displays of the 9/11 Memorial & Museum in New York City with curiosity but kept my emotions in check. That changed when we entered the inner exhibit, which the curators have wisely closed off from children and those wanting to shield themselves from the more heartrending images. As I encountered story after story of heartbreak and loss, waves of lament rose within me.

When we witness or remember such destruction and pain, we can join the cries of those who have voiced their distress to God. This includes the words of anguish found in Lamentations, which many scholars believe the prophet Jeremiah wrote after the destruction of Jerusalem. In the tightly formed structure of this poem, he releases his sorrow and grief over the pain of God’s people: “See, Lord, how distressed I am! I am in torment within, and in my heart I am disturbed” (Lamentations 1:20). And yet he looks to God as the ultimate judge, knowing that only He can deal with the sins and destruction: “Let all their wickedness come before you” (v. 22).

This kind of honest crying out to God can help us to grapple with painful atrocities such as what happened on September 11, 2001, or other current-day evil deeds. We look to God for help, hope, comfort, and justice.

Reflect & Pray

When you witness wickedness, how do you keep your heart tender before God? How might He lead you to pray for those who are hurting today?

God of truth and love, I know that Your heart breaks over the pain in the world. Please envelop me in Your grace and mercy and heal my wounds.

Today’s Insights

When we think of lament in the Bible, Jeremiah—known as the weeping prophet—comes to mind (see Jeremiah 9:1). However, he’s not the sole exemplar of lament in the Scriptures. Other examples are Job, David, and Jesus.

In Lamentations 1:20-22, the prophet Jeremiah expresses the rawness and weightiness of lament even in the choice of his words. It’s the consequence of something so powerful or heartbreaking—where something of value has been lost—that it prompts uncommon expression. Jeremiah exclaims, “See, Lord, how distressed I am! I am in torment within, and in my heart I am disturbed” (v. 20). The situation was such that it generated “groaning” (v. 21). Lament is the appropriate language of those who have personally come to grips with their pain and the conditions that caused it. As we grapple with pain, God invites us to express our honest, prayerful, and worshipful lament to Him.

Visit GO.ODB.org/091125 to learn how lament can help us praise God in the midst of loss.

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We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you. 2 Chronicles 20:12

Today’s Scripture

2 Chronicles 20:2-4, 6-12, 15

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Anita Bailey’s heart was warmed when she got this social media message about her son Jalen: “I was a greeter today at [church] and a young man with a child in his arms came up to me and put his arms around me. . . . I stared for a second, then I recognized him and said, ‘Jalen!’ We embraced and chatted briefly. What a fine young man!” The greeter knew Jalen in his rebellious days when Anita and her husband, Ed, had felt powerless to save their son from the consequences of his unwise choices, which had resulted in twelve years in prison for him.

Though the Baileys felt powerless, they were not prayerless. And neither was King Jehoshaphat in 2 Chronicles 20. When harassed by a menacing coalition of enemy forces, he called a prayer meeting (vv. 1-4). “Our God, will you not judge them?” he prayed. “For we have no power to face this vast army that is attacking us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you” (v. 12).

Have you ever felt powerless or clueless in the face of circumstances that were out of your control? Why not call a prayer meeting—either alone or with others? That’s what Jesus did in the face of His coming crucifixion (Luke 22:39-44). Prayer space is the sacred place where the petitions of powerless people are offered to our almighty God in the name of Jesus.

Reflect & Pray

What’s keeping you from bringing your challenges to God in prayer? How can you partner with others in prayer for mutual support?

Almighty God of resurrection power, please help me in my powerlessness today as I fix my eyes on Jesus.

Today’s Insights

The temple in Jerusalem is where the Israelites sought God in prayer during national crises (2 Chronicles 6:18-40). When Israel was threatened by a large enemy military coalition, Jehoshaphat assembled the nation at the temple and prayed for God’s help (20:1-12; see 6:34-35). Responding to the people’s faith, God assured them of victory: “Do not be afraid or discouraged . . . . For the battle is not yours, but God’s. . . . Stand firm and see the deliverance the Lord will give you” (20:15, 17). Prayer is where powerless people offer petitions to an almighty God.

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Do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord. 2 Timothy 1:8

Today’s Scripture

2 Timothy 1:6-12

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Before he was martyred for his steadfast faith in Jesus, an African minister whose name has not been preserved penned “A Martyr’s Prayer.” This profound message from another era has become known as “The Fellowship of the Unashamed.”

This pastor’s words present a challenge to all believers in Jesus—a challenge that echoes the words of the apostle Paul, who wrote in his letter to his young friend Timothy: “Do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord” (2 Timothy 1:8) because the Holy Spirit gives us “power, love and self-discipline” (v. 7).

Here, in part, is what that faithful African pastor wrote: “I am part of the fellowship of the unashamed. The decision has been made. I am a disciple of [Jesus] and I won’t back up, let up, slow down, back away, or be still. My past is redeemed. My present makes sense. My future is secure. . . . I live by faith, lean on His presence, walk by patience, lift by prayer, and labor by the Holy Spirit’s power.”

Both Timothy and that pastor faced difficulties we may never experience, but their words challenge us to stand strong when our faith is tested. We can remain unashamed because God “is able to guard what [we] have entrusted to him” (v. 12)—our lives and our future.

Reflect & Pray

What gives you courage to be unashamed for Christ? How can you follow the examples of others who were unashamed of the gospel?

Dear God, You promised that the Holy Spirit gives us power. Please help me to stand up for You and be unashamed in all kinds of situations.

Dive deeper into the wisdom shared in 1 and 2 Timothy.

Today’s Insights

In 2 Timothy 1:6-14, Paul’s advice to Timothy was in no way arrogant, nor was it given flippantly. He wrote out of his own deep suffering. In fact, he was imprisoned at that moment and understood that he’d soon be executed. “The time for my departure is near,” he wrote (2 Timothy 4:6). And yet the apostle was forward-looking. Just as Jesus gave instructions to His disciples the night before His crucifixion, so too Paul focused on developing the faith and ministry of his younger protégé Timothy, who would carry on the work. “Fan into flame the gift of God,” he urged him (1:6). “Join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God” (v. 8). Paul didn’t fear death because he anticipated “the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel” (v. 10). We can also stand strong when our faith is tested.

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Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life.” John 14:6

Today’s Scripture

John 14:1-7

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When my friend Connor takes pictures on his old film camera, he doesn’t bother to find attractive lighting or airbrush blemishes or crop out anything unsightly. His photos are startlingly raw. They stand out in my social media feed next to heavily edited photos of gorgeous people and places. Though unconventional, his work is beautiful because it communicates truth about how things really are.

We all long for what’s real, but sometimes the truth isn’t attractive to us. Close to the time of His death, Jesus declared, “I am . . . the truth” (John 14:6). His disciples were wondering how they could get to the Father’s house that Jesus spoke so longingly about (vv. 2-3). They failed to see that Jesus standing in front of them was the answer. They struggled to understand that He would bring victory through His own sacrifice.

Isaiah prophesied that the coming Messiah would have no beauty or majesty, “nothing in his appearance that we should desire him” (Isaiah 53:2). Much of what Jesus said was so challenging and unexpected that it turned religious people against Him (John 11:45-48). Yet He gave an open invitation to know the truth and find real life. “If you really know me,” said Jesus, “you will know my Father as well” (John 14:7). In the midst of an airbrushed and unrealistic world, we can embrace that beautiful, raw truth today!

Reflect & Pray

When and why have you sought superficial beauty instead of truth? How can you embrace Jesus’ words more and more?

Dear Jesus, I choose to follow You as the source of all truth.

Watch this video to see how Jesus is the way!

Today’s Insights

In John 13-17, we encounter a scene best viewed with reverence and awe. These chapters contain Christ’s final instructions to His disciples before His arrest and crucifixion. Immediately after Judas had departed to betray Christ, Jesus said, “Now the Son of Man is glorified and God is glorified in him” (13:31). The reality of His violent death for us was the pivot point of Christ’s entire mission. At first, the disciples couldn’t accept this. The crucifixion brought the rawest truth they would absorb. Yet His death was essential to providing restoration to our heavenly Father. Jesus promised, “My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you?” His words “I will come back and take you to be with me” (14:2-3) convey the culmination of that raw truth—eternal joy with our Father.

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Walk in obedience to all that the Lord your God has commanded you, so that you may live and prosper. Deuteronomy 5:33

Today’s Scripture

Deuteronomy 5:28-29, 32-33

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A team of landscape architects studied the effects of providing a fence around a preschool playground. On playgrounds without fences, children tended to gather close to the school building and their teacher and didn’t stray away. But on fenced-in playgrounds, they enjoyed the entire area. The researchers concluded that boundaries can create a greater sense of freedom. This seems counterintuitive to so many of us who think boundaries restrict enjoyment. Yet fences can provide freedom!

God underlines the freedom His boundaries provide for us. In offering the Ten Commandments to Israel, He promised that a “prosperous” life would result from living within His divine boundaries. “Walk in obedience to all that the Lord your God has commanded you, so that you may live and prosper and prolong your days in the land that you will possess” (Deuteronomy 5:33). Here the concept of prosperity includes a life lived with good results—a life of quality.

Jesus, who fulfilled the law with His death on the cross, proclaimed, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (John 8:31-32). Indeed, God’s boundaries are for our good. “Fences” can free us to enjoy the life God created us to experience with Him.

Reflect & Pray

In what ways do God’s commands free you? How can you better embrace the freedom such boundaries offer?

Dear God, thank You for the wise parameters You put in place for my good.

Explore five reasons why Christians should read the Old Testament.

Today’s Insights

Deuteronomy records Moses’ words to the fledgling nation of Israel as they’re about to enter the promised land. Here in chapter 5, Moses reminds them of the Ten Commandments (vv. 6-21) given forty years earlier on Mount Sinai. At that time, God had spoken to them “face to face out of the fire on the mountain” (v. 4). The people feared this awesome God and told Moses, “This great fire will consume us, and we will die if we hear the voice of the Lord our God any longer” (v. 25). God was pleased with their reverential fear and said, “Oh, that their hearts would be inclined to fear me and keep all my commands always” (v. 29). He knew their inclination to violate His boundaries, which were given because He loved them. That’s why Moses urged them, “Be careful to do what the Lord your God has commanded you” (v. 32).

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Ezra had devoted himself to the study and observance of the Law of the Lord. Ezra 7:10

Today’s Scripture

Ezra 7:6-11, 27-28

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Ginnie Hislop received a standing ovation as she received her master’s degree in 2024. Why? It came eighty-four years after she’d completed her coursework! In 1941, she needed only to submit her thesis. But her then boyfriend, George, was suddenly called to serve during World War II. The two quickly married and headed to his army outpost—leaving Ginnie’s nearly realized degree behind. But after a lengthy pause, she was finally able to complete what she’d started.

Ezra was a student of Scripture—one who truly had an “advanced degree” in God’s law—who’d been waiting years to return to Jerusalem from exile in Babylon. “Ezra had devoted himself to the study and observance of the Law of the Lord, and to teaching its decrees” (Ezra 7:10). Zerubbabel and a group of Israelite exiles had been permitted to return from Babylon to rebuild the temple in Jerusalem decades earlier (2:1-2). And now Ezra, who had “the gracious hand of his God . . . on him” (7:9), was leading more exiles to Jerusalem. God would use him to reform and restore the proper worship of Him according to Scripture: “Ezra opened the book [of the Law]. All the people . . . bowed down and worshiped the Lord” (Nehemiah 8:5-6).

Ezra had to wait decades, but he completed his calling in God’s strength. In His power, let’s persist in finishing the work He has for us.

Reflect & Pray

What can you do to press on in your calling from God? How can you persist in His power and wisdom?

Dear God, please help me finish well what You’ve called me to do.

Learn how to find and follow your calling.

Today’s Insights

The book of Ezra records the two returns of Jewish exiles from Babylon. Zerubbabel, a descendant of David (Matthew 1:12), led the first return of fifty thousand in 538 bc (Ezra 1-6). Some eighty years later (458 bc), Ezra led another five thousand in the second return (chs. 7-10). Nehemiah, a contemporary of Ezra, led the third return in 444 bc. Ezra, a priest and a teacher well-versed in the law of Moses, faithfully taught the Scriptures to the people, leading them in two spiritual renewals (Ezra 9-10; Nehemiah 8-10). As God helped Ezra, He can help us persist in finishing the work He has for us.

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Join me in my struggle by praying to God for me. Romans 15:30

Today’s Scripture

Romans 15:30-33

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A pack of hyenas surrounded a lone lioness. When the cackling beasts attacked, the lioness fought back. Biting, clawing, growling, and roaring in a desperate attempt to ward off her enemies, she finally fell. As the clan engulfed her, another lioness came to the rescue with three helpers only seconds behind her. Though outnumbered, the big cats fought off the hyenas until they scattered. The lionesses stood together, scanning the horizon as if expecting another attack.

Believers in Jesus desperately need help from others too. The most powerful help we can offer is prayer. The apostle Paul wrote in a letter to the church in Rome, “I urge you, brothers and sisters, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to join me in my struggle by praying to God for me” (Romans 15:30). Paul asked them to pray that he would “be kept safe from the unbelievers in Judea” and that the “Lord’s people” would receive him and his gifts “favorably” (v. 31). He acknowledged the rewards of being a part of their community (v. 32). He stood with them in prayer, too, ending his letter with a blessing: “The God of peace be with you all” (v. 33).

As we live for Jesus, we’ll face adversaries in the physical and spiritual realms. God promises to be with us and fight on our behalf, however, as we stand together . . . always ready to pray.

Reflect & Pray

How has God used intercessory prayer to strengthen you? How does He keep you ready to pray?

Mighty God, please make me steadfast in prayer as I thrive in community with You and others.

Discover the life-changing power of prayer.

Today’s Insights

When Paul asked believers in Jesus to “join” him in earnest prayer (Romans 15:30), the Greek word used conveys the idea of straining or striving together. Like athletes struggling to reach the finish line, he wanted the Roman believers to wrestle faithfully with God in prayer for the challenges he’d soon be facing. Paul’s concerns about the likelihood of facing fierce opposition in Judea (v. 31; Acts 20:22-25) were well founded. In Acts 21-27, we read of what the apostle experienced there. He was seized by a mob and arrested (21:27-36), religious leaders conspired to murder him (23:12-15), and he spent two years in prison before finally being sent to Rome (24:27; 26:32–27:1).

This likely wasn’t what Paul was hoping for when he asked for prayers to “be kept safe” (Romans 15:31), but he was able to trust in “God’s will” (v. 32) and powerful presence. As believers in Jesus, we can also trust in the one who’s with us and who will fight for us.

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Suddenly a light from heaven flashed around [Saul]. He fell to the ground and heard a voice. Acts 9:3-4

Today’s Scripture

Acts 9:1-6, 8, 10-12, 15

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Morse was the son of a Protestant minister and a struggling painter of landscapes. In the 1820s, he made a meager living as a limner—“an itinerant painter” of colonial America. But his was a life God led in another direction. Morse also had an interest in science. He learned about electromagnets, conceiving an idea that would change the world. In 1832, Samuel F. B. Morse conceived the idea of an electric telegraph and later went on to make the first working telegraph.

Probably the most dramatic biblical account of “career change” was that of Saul, who was “breathing out murderous threats” against believers in Christ (Acts 9:1). Jesus appeared to him in a great light (v. 3) saying that Saul was persecuting Him. Essentially, Saul was told to stop because he was under new orders now (v. 6). Saul did a U-turn in his life and assumed a new identity in Christ as the apostle who would eventually spread the gospel wherever he went.

Sometimes what we think is our future really isn’t. God leads us in another direction. Perhaps He needs to call us out of our sin. Or maybe it’s a change of ministry or vocation. When God redirects our lives, we do well to stop what we’re doing and follow our new orders. And as our new path opens before us, we might just echo the joy of the first dot-and-dash message of Morse’s telegraph: “What hath God wrought!”

Reflect & Pray

How has God led your life in a different direction? What word has He given you today to encourage others?

Dear God, please help me be open to Your leading as You guide my path and career in this current season.

For further study, read It’s Not Fair: Trusting God When Life Doesn’t Make Sense.

Today’s Insights

The book of Acts contains three accounts of Saul’s conversion: 9:1-19; 22:3-16; and 26:9-18. Saul (later called Paul) made “murderous threats” (9:1) against those who “belonged to the Way” of Christ (v. 2). The second and third times we read of his conversion, Paul is giving testimony of how he turned to Christ. He admitted, “I persecuted the followers of this Way to their death” (22:4). The apostle would’ve continued in the way of opposition to Christ had not Jesus intervened (9:3-5) and led him in a different direction. At times, God will also lead us in a different direction for our good and His honor.

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I saw the Holy City . . . coming down out of heaven from God. Revelation 21:2

Today’s Scripture

Revelation 21:2-5, 9-11

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On a warm evening, I met up with friends in a downtown area. We were excited to eat at a restaurant that offered live jazz music outside, but when we arrived, the patio was full. Disappointed, we left and had to walk several blocks to find another place to eat.

On earth, disappointments come in all sizes, both big and small. Beloved pets pass away. Careers fizzle. Health problems occur. We lose relationships with loved ones. In our setbacks, we have God’s comfort, but our life stories don’t always contain the blissful endings we long for. Believers in Jesus, however, have the hope of a joyful eternity.

The book of Revelation records God giving John a breathtaking vision. John saw “the Holy City, the new Jerusalem” (21:2). “Prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband” (v. 2), it radiated God’s glory. God would inhabit the place along with all His people. In His city there would be no crime, no darkness, and no fear (vv. 25-27). Light, peace, and goodwill would abound.

On the night I met my friends for dinner, we ended up walking back past the first restaurant. White lights lit the sidewalk, and we stopped to listen to the music as we ate ice cream. I savored the moment, but we know that no earthly joy can compare with the ultimate ending believers will enjoy forever.

Reflect & Pray

What are you most looking forward to in the next life? How does the promise of a joyful future encourage you?

Dear God, please help me see my pain in light of eternity, knowing You have a better future prepared for me.

Today’s Insights

God gave the apostle John a glimpse of “what must soon take place” (Revelation 1:1) when Jesus returns to rule the world as king and usher in eternity (vv. 1-3). Satan and the unbelieving, sinful world will be judged and punished for their evil and wickedness (chs. 4-20). John saw “a new heaven and a new earth” (21:1). Eight hundred years earlier, Isaiah had prophesied that God would create “new heavens and a new earth” (Isaiah 65:17; see 66:22). Scholars say both Isaiah and John are describing heaven or “paradise” (Luke 23:43; 2 Corinthians 12:4; Revelation 2:7), “God’s dwelling place” where God will live with His people forever (Revelation 21:3). Jesus affectionately called heaven “my Father’s house” (John 14:2). “Only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life” (Revelation 21:27) will be allowed to experience the fullness of joy in God’s home.

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I myself will tend my sheep and have them lie down, declares the Sovereign Lord. Ezekiel 34:15

Today’s Scripture

Ezekiel 34:11-16

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Today’s Devotional

Traffic came to a halt, but I had no idea why. There were few cars on the road, and I could see no obvious reason to be stopped. And then, suddenly—to my great surprise and delight—thousands of sheep emerged and crossed the freeway. As a newcomer to Idaho, I wasn’t yet familiar with the annual migration of the sheep into the Boise foothills each spring. Local ranchers escort their flocks into the foothills, where they graze on the native grasses over the summer.

Because I’d only lived in urban and suburban areas throughout my life, the sight was something of a spectacle to me. Yet sheep were a regular part of living in the days of Ezekiel (and much of the Bible’s recorded history). The prophet drew on something familiar to the people—sheep and shepherding—to convey God’s message to them of comfort and hope.

Ezekiel offered comforting, hopeful words to the Israelites, telling them that despite the years of hardship in Babylon—the consequence of their recurrent rebellion against God—He’d one day restore them to “their own land” (Ezekiel 34:13). God would then, like a shepherd, “tend them in a good pasture,” and they would “lie down in good grazing land” (v. 14).

God shows similar care for His people. We can trust Him, our Shepherd, to lead us forward through life—though we may feel “scattered” like sheep in the midst of difficulties (v. 12)—toward good pastures (vv. 13-14).

Reflect & Pray

When has God led you through seasons of difficulty? How can you trust Him to be your Shepherd today?

Thank You, God, for being my tender, trustworthy Shepherd.

Today’s Insights

In the Old Testament, Israel’s kings were also known as shepherds of God’s people (Numbers 27:17; 2 Samuel 5:2; Ezekiel 37:24). As monarchs, kings were to rule the nation with justice and righteousness. As shepherds, they were to provide for, guide, care, and protect God’s flock. Israel’s kings failed in their dual roles of kingship and shepherding (Ezekiel 34). God declared, “I myself will search for my sheep and look after them” (v. 11). Isaiah speaks of God as the Shepherd-King: “[The Sovereign Lord] rules with a mighty arm. . . . He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart” (40:10-11). Micah prophesied of a “ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old,” born in Bethlehem, who will come and “shepherd [God’s] flock” (5:2, 4). Jesus, the God-Shepherd, is our Good Shepherd who knows us and lays down His life for us (John 10:11, 14).

Visit GO.ODB.org/082625 to learn more about shepherding in the Middle East.

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The Lord lifts up those who are bowed down. Psalm 146:8

Today’s Scripture

Psalm 146

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On Chantale’s thirteenth birthday, after hours of joyful celebration in her quiet home village, gunfire shattered the peaceful evening. Chantale and her siblings ran into the forest, obeying their mother’s frantic command to hide. All night, they huddled underneath the sanctuary of a tree. “The sun appeared in the morning. But not our parents,” Chantale recounts. She and her siblings were now orphans and refugees, joining tens of thousands in a refugee camp.

When we hear stories like Chantale’s, it can be tempting to turn away from such overwhelming loss. But those who believe in the God of Scripture believe in a God who never looks away from suffering, who attentively “watches over the foreigner and sustains the fatherless and the widow” (Psalm 146:9).

The “Maker of heaven and earth . . . remains faithful forever” (v. 6), ever at work upholding “the cause of the oppressed” and providing “food to the hungry” (v. 7).

Chantale Zuzi Leader, who founded an organization to educate refugee girls, says her experience taught her that “anyone can become a refugee—to lose that place of safety they once had.”

May our response to those who’ve lost a place of safety reflect the heart of the God, who is an ever-faithful “refuge for the oppressed” (9:9), who “lifts up those who are bowed down” (146:8).

Reflect & Pray

How have you or someone you know lost a place of safety? How can God work through such experiences?

Faithful God, thank You for being a refuge for all who hurt. Please help me reflect Your heart.

For further study, read Broken Down Cars: Grieving with Those Who Grieve

Today’s Insights

The book of Psalms is Israel’s hymn book. The final five praise songs (Psalms 146-150) are known as the “Hallelujah Psalms” because each one begins and ends with the very definition of hallelujah—“praise the Lord!” The psalmist calls us to celebrate the greatness of our faithful God, the powerful Creator (146:6), the loving Deliverer (vv. 7-9), and the everlasting King (v. 10). He also calls us to celebrate His grace, thanking Him for His many acts of deliverance, provisions, and sustenance (vv. 7-9). The object of our faith is crucial. It’s futile to “trust in princes, in human beings, who cannot save” (v. 3). We’re to trust God only and to look to Him for help. For “blessed are those whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the LORD their God” (v. 5). We can reflect the heart of God by being a refuge for the oppressed and caring for the “fatherless and the widow” (v. 9).

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No one claimed that any of their possessions was their own, but they shared everything they had. Acts 4:32

Today’s Scripture

Acts 4:32-37

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Lisa and Freddie McMillan own a unique restaurant in Brewton, Alabama. They offer a full hot meal to all who stand in line—at no charge. This couple has invested from their own savings to make a difference for senior citizens who often go without meals and rarely enjoy a restaurant experience. A donation box receives contributions. Lisa says, “Sometimes we find nothing there. Sometimes a thank-you note. Sometimes $1,000. Always, we have everything we need. Our goal is to feed the need, restore dignity, and develop community.”

Caring for the needy can seem a daunting task—unless we depend on God! The Gospels include records of Jesus feeding thousands by inviting His disciples to participate: “You give them something to eat” (Matthew 14:16). In the book of Acts, we learn that in the early church, believers “shared everything they had” and “there were no needy persons among them” (4:32, 34). Many of them sold property and gave the proceeds to the apostles, who “distributed to anyone who had need” (vv. 34-35). Understanding that their possessions ultimately belonged to God, they voluntarily invested in the lives of others from what they owned.

God provides. Sometimes by His own hand and sometimes through the hands of His people. He feeds our need so that we can feed the need of others.

Reflect & Pray

How has God provided for you? How can you join God in providing for those around you?

Dear God, I’m so grateful for Your abundant provision in my life! Please help me to give to others from what You’ve given to me.

Today’s Insights

Twice Luke mentions the willingness of believers in Jesus to sell property and share possessions (Acts 2:41–47; 4:32–35). The Holy Spirit had come to Jerusalem as the city swelled with visitors for the Jewish feast of Pentecost. Overwhelmed by the apostles’ assurance that God was willing to forgive them, those who stepped forward to believe in Christ saw one another’s needs and felt one another’s pain. It was then, after again mentioning their mutual care, that Luke describes a husband and wife who tried to leave a false impression of generosity. Ananias and Sapphira were caught lying about the details of their gift, and suddenly both died (5:1–10). The generosity Luke emphasized was the result of those whose hearts had been changed by the Spirit of Jesus.

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Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus. Hebrews 12:1-2

Today’s Scripture

Hebrews 12:1-3

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Teaching his son to ride a bicycle, Andrew discovered, was frustrating. The five-year-old kept swerving to one side and falling. Realizing that this happened because his son kept looking to one side, Andrew had an idea. “See that pole?” he asked his son. “Just keep your eyes on it and pedal.” His son did just that, and this time he kept going and going!

The incident was a lesson for Andrew himself. Recounting what happened to his small group later, he concluded, “Whatever we fix our eyes on is where we’re headed.” No wonder Hebrews 12:2 calls on us to keep “fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith.”

Life’s responsibilities and routines can draw our attention away from our spiritual walk, as can sinful habits and obsessions that entangle us (v. 1). But if we keep our eyes on Jesus and ask Him to help us put Him first in our thoughts, decisions, and actions, He’ll guide us in everything we do and say, enabling us to stay close to Him in the race on earth. This can be challenging, but God desires to help us fulfill the roles He’s given us. He will give us strength to endure and overcome anything that opposes our walk so we won’t “grow weary and lose heart” (v. 3).

Reflect & Pray

What’s the first thing you think or do when you have to make a decision or respond to a situation? How can you let your words, actions, and thoughts be guided by Jesus?

Dear Jesus, please help me to keep my eyes fixed on You as I go about life. Please also teach me to turn to You first, for You’re all I need.

Are you afraid you’ll step out of the will of God? Learn about making decisions God’s way.

Today’s Insights

The writer of the book of Hebrews encourages his readers by pointing to a gallery of “faith-filled” believers in the Old Testament (see Hebrews 11) and refers to them collectively as “a great cloud of witnesses” (12:1). Verse 2, however, urges the readers to fix their gaze on the premier example of faith—Jesus. He’s described as “the pioneer and perfecter of faith.” The term is pioneer (archēgos)—or author in some versions. One commentator defines it as a “chief leader—one that takes the lead in anything and thus affords an example.” Archēgos is used only four times in the New Testament: (Acts 3:15; 5:31 [Prince]; Hebrews 2:10; 12:2). The word translated “perfecter” (teleiōtēs) is used only in Hebrews 12:2. According to Thayer’s Greek Lexicon, Christ is the “one who has in his own person raised faith to its perfection and so set before us the highest example of faith.” By staying focused on Him, we have the perfect example to imitate.

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The one who sat there had the appearance of jasper and ruby. A rainbow that shone like an emerald encircled the throne. Revelation 4:3

Today’s Scripture

Revelation 4:1-4, 6-11

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Australian photographer Christian Spencer has spent more than twenty years taking pictures in the Itatiaia National Park in Brazil. One amazing aspect of his photography is that he’s captured the effect of sunlight passing through the open wings of the hummingbird. He found that the wings create a prism-like rainbow of colors when birds fly between the bright sun and his camera lens. Other photographers have also captured this in birds other than just the hummingbird.

Finding rainbows of colors in birds’ wings is an example of some of the hidden treasures God has placed in His creation. Such beauty and magnificence can pique our curiosity for what believers in Jesus will observe when they see Him sitting on His throne. When John saw the heavenly throne in Revelation 4, he must have been mesmerized. He describes Christ on the throne with “a rainbow that shone like an emerald” encircling it (v. 3). Words cannot describe the glory of God that was revealed to the apostle.

As we find hidden treasures in God’s creation, may we enjoy each one, knowing there’s so much more awaiting us in heaven. There, we will worship our Creator and praise Him forever: “You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being” (v. 11).

Reflect & Pray

What hidden treasures have you found in God’s creation? How can you use creation to point others to Christ?

Dear God, thank You for the hidden gems in Your creation that point to Your majesty.

Learn more about a different kind of power.

Today’s Insights

In Revelation 4:1-11, John receives a vision that shows him the throne of God in heaven (v. 2). He describes “four living creatures” who worship God incessantly (vv. 6-9). Who are they? These magnificent beings appear not only here but also in 5:6-14; 6:1-8; 14:3; 15:7; and 19:4. Their description is remarkably similar to the creatures mentioned by the Old Testament prophets (Ezekiel 1:4-24; 10:15-22; Isaiah 6:1-3). In Ezekiel 10, these are called cherubim—fearsome angelic beings. We can surmise that the “living creatures” John refers to here are powerful angels. The magnificence of God’s creation can remind us of what awaits us in heaven.

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Today’s Scripture

1 John 3:1-6

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Wealthy benefactors in communities across the United States have made an inspiring promise to students. If they get good grades throughout their thirteen years of school in their district, the benefactors will pay for four years at a public community college or university in their state. Statistics have shown in some cities that this motivates the students, rich and poor, to start doing well immediately after they hear the news. One teacher said, “It’s been a total shift in mindset. Every kindergartener will tell you they’re going to college. It’s reality.” The promise of what’s to come increases their desire and hope for their future.

The apostle John talked about a promise of what’s to come that helped motivate the early believers in their faith. Jesus promised to return; and when He does, John says, “We shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is” (1 John 3:2). He encouraged his readers: “All who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure” (v. 3). We have the confident hope that one day we will see Jesus. And because of that promise, our desire to be more like Him increases because we’re loved by Him and love Him in return.

What a time that will be when we see Jesus face to face! Until then, we keep following Him, growing in our faith, and anticipating His coming. God will keep His promise.

Reflect & Pray

How can you keep walking closely with Jesus? In what ways do you want to become more like Him?

I look forward to seeing You, Jesus, and to being made whole in every way.

Becoming more like Jesus means loving others in need. Learn more by reading Love’s Proof Is in the Provision.

Today’s Insights

In 1 John 3:1-6, the first and second appearances of Christ come into view. Verse 5 references His first appearance: “You know that he appeared so that he might take away our sins.” The second coming of Jesus is referred to in verse 2: “We know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.”

This passage also describes three aspects of God’s saving grace: justification, glorification, and sanctification. Because of Jesus’ sacrifice, all who receive Him by faith are justified or made right with God and become “children of God” (vv. 1-2). God’s children have the hope of being “like him” (v. 2), fully conformed to His likeness. That’s glorification. But in the meantime, “All who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure” (v. 3). That’s sanctification.

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You are a gracious and merciful God. Nehemiah 9:31

Today’s Scripture

Nehemiah 9:1-2, 13-21

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What’s the first thing that comes to mind when you hear the word property? Your mind may go to a piece of real estate. But you might also consider “a quality or trait belonging to an individual or thing”; for instance, the property of a certain type of wood provides insight about it. What is the wood’s texture? How prone is it to shrinkage? Is it water-resistant? In other words, what are the qualities of the wood you can depend on?

My wife and I attend a church with a traditional feel—corporate prayers, kneeling, Scripture reading, Communion. One of the prayers we pray each Sunday holds this phrase: “But thou art the same Lord whose property is always to have mercy.” Not God’s real estate but a quality or trait belonging to God—to have mercy not just once in a while but always.

Nehemiah 9 gives us a picture of the Israelites gathered together, fasting, wrapped in sackcloth and covered in ashes (v. 1), confessing their sins and the sins of their ancestors (vv. 2, 16). They praised God for His patience in Israel’s history: “Because of your great compassion you did not abandon them” (v. 19). God could have put an end to them or abandoned them, but He never did. Why? That’s not God’s property, for He is “a gracious and merciful God” (v. 31).

In our prayers of confession, let’s include praise for that dependable property of God—His mercy.

Reflect & Pray

What properties of God can you think of? How will You praise Him for those?

Thank you, Father, that Your property—Your character—is always to have mercy.

Nehemiah 9 is a chapter of repentence and returning to God. Learn more by reading Remembering in the Rubble.

Today’s Insights

Nehemiah lived and wrote in the post-exilic era—the period when Israel was returning in stages from their seventy-year captivity in Babylon. He’d formerly been the cupbearer to the king and had been sent at his own request to oversee the rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem (see Nehemiah 1-2). In chapter 9, the people are called to confess and mourn over their sins as God’s chosen people (vv. 1-2). This call came following the reassertion of the law of Moses in chapter 8. In light of that law, the Levites and singers recounted the sins of the nation all the way back to the wilderness wanderings of their ancestors and their spiritual failures there. And they praised Him for His grace and mercy (9:31). He extends those things to us as well.

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Their eyes were opened and they recognized [Jesus], and he disappeared from their sight. Luke 24:31

Today’s Scripture

Luke 24:13-16, 25-35

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When Carlotta was young, she thought her mother had a remarkable gift for recognizing other people. But it was Carlotta who was remarkable. She had a rare condition called prosopagnosia. She couldn’t recognize or remember faces.

Shortly after Jesus’ resurrection, two disciples walking from Jerusalem seemed as if they had such a condition when they encountered someone they should have recognized. The two were talking about the exciting news of the past few days (Luke 24:14), but the third person seemed unaware of the events. They gave Him a quick summary, only to be surprised as this unknown person (Jesus) “explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself” (v. 27). Then Christ broke bread with them (v. 30)—something He’d done many times before. At that moment, “Their eyes were opened and they recognized him, and he disappeared from their sight” (v. 31). They hurried back to Jerusalem to tell others (vv. 33-35).

Those disciples didn’t recognize Jesus when they were with Him, and they hadn’t recognized Him in the Old Testament—something they read often and thought they knew well. They needed Jesus to reveal Himself to them because they couldn’t see on their own.

We need that help too. Let’s ask God to open our eyes to see Jesus on the pages of the Bible and in our lives.

Reflect & Pray

When have you failed to recognize God’s presence in your life? Why do you think this happens?

Dear Father, thank You for revealing Jesus to me so that I may follow Him.

Jesus’ resurrection changed the course of human history. Learn more by reading Expected Reactions to a Most Unexpected Event.

Today’s Insights

In Luke 24, we see that despite Jesus’ promise to rise from the dead (9:22; 18:32-33), His disciples weren’t expecting His resurrection. Women went to the tomb with spices to anoint a decaying body (24:1), not to investigate whether Christ had risen. Even after the women shared the angels’ announcement that Jesus had risen, the other disciples didn’t believe them (v. 11). And on the Emmaus road, even when Jesus Himself walked with two disciples, they didn’t recognize Him (vv. 13-16). Only after Christ shares bread are their eyes opened (v. 31). By God’s grace, we can also see our need for Jesus and come to Him.

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