Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not people. Ephesians 6:7

Today’s Scripture

Ephesians 6:1-8

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I trudged into the grocery store to buy a Father’s Day card. I had forgiven my father. I’d tried reconciling over the years—prayerfully processing the hurts inflicted before and after I’d left home at fifteen. Sadly, decades later, I still couldn’t relate to the cards that had messages gushing with gratitude for the “greatest” dads. So, desperate to honor my heavenly Father, I stood in that card aisle and prayed for my earthly father.

From Adam and Cain to David and Absalom to my father and me, sin has caused multigenerational strife and heartbreak. Still, the apostle Paul encouraged children to obey their parents “in the Lord, for this is right” (Ephesians 6:1). Honoring parents is a command that comes with a promise and a reward (vv. 2-3). In turn, fathers were meant to raise children to know and love God (v. 4). God’s people are designed to serve each other “wholeheartedly, as if [we] were serving the Lord, not people” (v. 7). Unfortunately, sin can destroy these relationships.

No matter what our relationship status with our parents is, we can thank God for the people He chose to use when He gave us life, and we can pray they enjoy a life-transforming relationship with Christ. Prayer that leads to Jesus is a gift of love and honor that can lead to changed relationships and lives.

Reflect & Pray

How can you honor God when a relationship is difficult? How will you pray for someone who is estranged from you?

Good Father, please show me how I can honor You in and through both healthy and strained relationships.

Today’s Insights

Family relationships aren’t exempt from challenges of various kinds. In Ephesians 5:21-6:9, Paul spoke to the households of believers in Jesus in the first century. The form of his teaching was similar to how the ancient Greco-Roman world usually structured their households. Several features, however, are noteworthy and distinct for believers in the context of the family (6:1-8). The apostle’s teaching regarding how to relate to each other is preceded by the command to “be filled with the Spirit” (5:18). Dynamics of Spirit-filled living include singing (v. 19), thanksgiving (v. 20), and “[submitting] to one another out of reverence for Christ” (v. 21). Prayer is another essential dimension of Spirit-filled living: “Pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests” (6:18). Today, when we’re confronted with difficult family relationships, the Spirit can help us pray for them as we seek to honor God.

Watch this video to learn about repairing broken relationships.

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Walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. Galatians 5:16

Today’s Scripture

Galatians 5:13-25

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In his 1937 book Think and Grow Rich, author Napoleon Hill said, “Whatever your mind can conceive and believe, it can achieve.” Hill’s quote epitomizes the American Dream: If you work hard, you can achieve your wildest dreams.

Hard work may lead to earthly benefits; many passages of Scripture—especially in Proverbs—link those things. But as I grow older, I also see a real danger in following Hill’s ideas: My grasping attempts to achieve my dreams can be a self-focused attempt to live independently from God.

In Galatians 5, Paul contrasts two ways of life: “Walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh” (v. 16). Eugene Petersen paraphrases it this way: “Live freely, animated and motivated by God’s Spirit. Then you won’t feed the compulsions of selfishness” (The Message). A few verses later, Paul describes what a flourishing life in Christ looks like: “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control” (vv. 22-23).

Many voices in this world compel us to grasp our desires with both hands. The life we long for, though, is not one we earn but one we receive as we yield to the Holy Spirit—freely walking with Him—rather than striving desperately to grasp blessing on our own terms.

Reflect & Pray

How have you tried to achieve your dreams? What habits help you to be in a posture to receive blessings from God?

Dear Father, sometimes I try to fill myself apart from You. Please help me yield to Your Spirit’s guidance and trust You to fill me.

Today’s Insights

In Galatians, Paul sternly warns against believing that the law will make us right with God. He wrote, “A person is not justified by the works of the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ” (2:16). But the apostle knew this might cause some to believe it no longer matters how we live (v. 17). So he cautioned, “Do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh” (5:13). The role of the Holy Spirit in the life of the believer is crucial here. As we yield to the Spirit, He’ll fill us. The apostle urges, “Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit” (v. 25).

Watch this video to learn how our plans can be a part of God’s plan.

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In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. Proverbs 3:6 kjv

Today’s Scripture

Proverbs 3:1-6

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He was born a slave in the 1860s. A sickly baby, he was sold to a slave owner for the cost of a horse. As a teenager, he witnessed the killing of a black man by a group of white people. Remarkably, George excelled in school, but when he applied to Highland University in Kansas, he was denied admission because of his skin color. Yet through it all, the young man maintained a deep faith in God. George Washington Carver’s life verse was Proverbs 3:6: “In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.”

We sometimes feel overwhelmed by our circumstances. We experience setbacks. We find ourselves at a loss for where we should go. But Proverbs encourages us, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding” (v. 5). This is the Bible’s way of saying, “Let go and let God” lead your life.

George Washington Carver followed God’s path, persevering against all odds, teaching himself botany and geology and eventually becoming a renowned scientist. He famously developed hundreds of uses for the peanut plant but also developed methods of crop rotation that revolutionized agriculture in the United States. God has a way of making the best out of bad situations. Whatever you’re facing today, the key is to “acknowledge Him” and listen for His voice. Watch Him open up the paths of your life.

Reflect & Pray

What circumstances are troubling you? How can you seek God’s direction for your life?

Loving God, please help me focus on You always and listen for Your direction for my life.

For further study, read Hope in Sorrow.

Today’s Insights

Proverbs 3 emphasizes the benefits of aligning one’s life with wisdom. The advantages of being guided by wisdom as described in this chapter—“peace and prosperity” (v. 2), “a good name” or reputation (v. 4), and “health” (v. 8)—shouldn’t be understood as promises of an easy life. Throughout Scripture, we also find that in this fallen world God’s people often experience great hardship. Instead, the chapter points to the principle that since the world was created by God’s wisdom, human beings are most likely to thrive when they live in alignment with that wisdom.

Peace in verse 2 is the Hebrew word shalom, a rich word capturing not just absence of conflict but flourishing. It describes a rich and abundant life. Shalom points to the world as it’s meant to be. When there’s harmony between God and creation, everyone thrives. Whatever we face, seeking God’s wisdom and direction can bring new life and hope to our situation.

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I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress. Psalm 91:2

Today’s Scripture

Psalm 91:9-16

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As the outdoor concert started, I felt a single raindrop on my cheek. Looking up, I saw ominous dark clouds. Having paid a steep price for tickets, however, I wasn’t inclined to leave because of a little bad weather. Then umbrellas began to pop open. One woman pulled a plastic grocery bag over her hair. It took just one deafening boom of thunder for the performer to grab her microphone and beg us to take refuge somewhere.

As the rain began to come in torrents, we splashed through muddy puddles and rushed into a nearby school gym. Thoroughly soaked, we huddled with strangers for the next half hour, still hoping the storm would end. When we ventured back out, we saw that the band was packed up and ready to leave.

When the storms of life come, where can we run? Sorrow, worry, illness, and confusion can make us fearful and in need of refuge. We need a strong shelter that’ll protect us. Psalm 91 reminds us that God has promised to rescue us and to be with us in trouble. “Because he loves me . . . I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name” (v. 14). When we need help, we can call on His name and He “will answer” us (v. 15).

When our courage fails us, we can lean into His strength. He’s our shelter in any storm.

Reflect & Pray

What storms are you experiencing? How can you gain the shelter and refuge that God has promised you?

Gracious God, I take refuge in You. Please be my place of protection and shelter as I trust in You.

Today’s Insights

Both Psalms 90 and 91 focus on the similar theme of making God our “dwelling place” (90:1; see 91:2, 9)—a place of safety and security. Some scholars suggest that Moses wrote both psalms as an elaboration of Deuteronomy 33:27-28: “The eternal God is your refuge, . . . [you] will live in safety; . . . [you] will dwell secure.” The psalmist warns that we live in a wicked and dangerous world where we’ll encounter the schemes and attacks of men and suffer from disease, disasters, and trouble (91:3-6). He doesn’t say that those who trust in God will be immune from such adversities. Rather, he assures us that when we trust in God and make Him “[our] refuge and fortress . . . [our] dwelling” (v. 9), He’ll “rescue” and “protect” us (v. 14). Today, as we face adversity, we can “[dwell] in the shelter of the Most High [and] rest in the shadow of the Almighty” (v. 1).

Find rest in the presence of God by listening to Evening Meditations.

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To God belong wisdom and power; counsel and understanding are his. Job 12:13

Today’s Scripture

Job 11:7-20

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“I know you better than you know yourself!” As a young man, I heard that confident declaration from a friend. Her intentions were good, but my complicated life as an adopted missionary kid had been shaped across four continents and cultures. She didn’t really know me.

Zophar, a friend of Job’s, sounded wise in his assessment of Job’s difficulties. “Can you fathom the mysteries of God?” Zophar asked him (Job 11:7). “They are higher than the heavens above” (v. 8). Who can argue with that? But then Zophar dared speak of something he couldn’t know: Job’s heart. Without evidence, he proclaimed, “If you put away the sin that is in your hand and allow no evil to dwell in your tent, then . . . you will stand firm and without fear” (vv. 14-15).

Job responded sarcastically, “Wisdom will die with you! But I have a mind as well as you; I am not inferior to you. Who does not know all these things?” (12:2-3). Job’s reality was so complex that even he didn’t know what was taking place (see Job 1-2). He correctly said, “To God belong wisdom and power” (12:13). It didn’t come from Zophar, who presumed to have authority and insight that weren’t his.

Our friends may need our loving counsel from time to time. But usually friends in crisis need us to bring their names in prayer to the one who truly does know them.

Reflect & Pray

When has someone been truly helpful to you in a crisis? How can you help another in a difficult situation today?

Heavenly Father, please help me rejoice and relax in the wonderful truth that you truly know me and still love me.

Today’s Insights

Some scholars have claimed that the remarkable story of Job is mere allegory and didn’t really happen. The Scriptures, however, refer to Job as an historical figure. Ezekiel twice mentions “Noah, Daniel, and Job” (Ezekiel 14:14, 20). And James writes of Job’s perseverance and how God used it (James 5:11). These writers of inspired Scripture considered Job to be real. His story warns us against the dangers of offering mere words instead of compassion and understanding as we comfort suffering friends. Instead of telling them where they’re wrong, how much better it is to listen to them and pray with them.

Read a prayer for when you struggle to ask for help.

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A highway will be there; it will be called the Way of Holiness. Isaiah 35:8

Today’s Scripture

Isaiah 35:8-10

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After Jennifer was diagnosed with early onset dementia, she couldn’t read the Bible easily, so she started listening to it. Scripture passages now mean something new to her. For example, she gets lost easily, often doesn’t know who people are, and sees hallucinations of wild animals. When she’s disoriented and fearful, she receives God’s comfort as she hears Isaiah speak of “the Way of Holiness” set aside “for those who walk on that Way” (Isaiah 35:8). On that road will be no wicked fools, “nor any ravenous beast”; instead, “only the redeemed will walk there,” those whom God rescues (v. 9).

The prophet Isaiah shared God’s promises to His people, those exiled from their home. Away from the temple, where they would experience His presence, they must have felt bereft and forlorn. The promises, therefore, of the Way of Holiness, the path to God, would give them hope and strength. To think of entering “Zion with singing,” without fear or sorrow, would lead them to rejoice (v. 10).

Even as Jennifer holds on to these assurances from centuries ago, so too can we who believe in Jesus trust that as we journey with Him, we’ll know gladness and joy (v. 10). Whatever trials we face in this life—however taxing or life-altering—we know that God’s way leads us home to Him.

Reflect & Pray

What do these promises from God mean to you? As you experience trials outside of your control, how can you turn to Him?

Saving God, please help me to release my fears to You as I walk on the Way of Holiness. I long to be with You.

Today’s Insights

Isaiah prophesied that the Israelites would be disciplined and exiled to Babylon for their covenantal unfaithfulness (Isaiah 39:6-7; see Jeremiah 25:11). He also prophesied that once the seventy-year chastisement was completed, God would bring them back to the promised land and restore and prosper their land (29:10-11). Isaiah pictures them making their way back to Him on “the Highway of Holiness,” traversing “a great road . . . through that once deserted land . . . only for those who walk in God’s ways” (Isaiah 35:8 nlt). In our journey of faith, God wants us to come to Him with our fears and struggles. The prophet says, “Let us go to the house of God. There he will teach us his ways, and we will walk in his path” (2:3 nlt). This road of repentance, redemption, trust, and obedience is the road He wants us to take: “This is the way; walk in it” (30:21).

Learn more about the promises of God.

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God is able to bless you abundantly, so that . . . you will abound in every good work. 2 Corinthians 9:8

Today’s Scripture

2 Corinthians 9:6-15

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Stanley’s generosity never ceased to amaze me. He often bought meals and gifts for elderly church members, cleaners in his neighborhood, or anyone who needed cheering up.

Equally amazing was that even though Stanley wasn’t wealthy or savvy at investing, his small investment did impressively well, enabling him to keep giving. Whenever someone thanked him, he’d point upwards and smile, as if to say, “It came from God, not me.” God, he often said, helped him to help others.

This was what Paul alluded to in 2 Corinthians 9 as he wrote about giving. Proud of the Corinthians’ readiness to help fellow believers (v. 2), he hoped to pick up a collection they had started (v. 3). Imploring them to give generously and cheerfully, he noted that God would not only reward those who gave (vv. 6-7) but also bless people so they could give even more (v. 8).

God doesn’t expect us to give what we’re unable to give (8:12). Rather, He entrusts us with money, time, or talent to “abound in every good work” (9:8), and He supplies what we need so we “can be generous on every occasion” (v. 11). That’s why we can give in faith and with a cheerful heart (v. 7), knowing that we give only from what we’ve been given. In the process, we bring praise to God’s name (v. 13).

Reflect & Pray

What has God given to you? To whom can you give today, sharing from what you’ve received?

Dear God, please open my eyes to Your blessings and open my heart to bless others generously and cheerfully.

Go deeper into go.odb.org/0615262 Corinthians.

Today’s Insights

The instructions in 2 Corinthians 9:6-15 about the generous giving believers in Jesus at Corinth should employ weren’t given in a vacuum. In the previous chapter, Paul had described the ultimate model for giving—what Christ has given us (8:9)—as the example that should also characterize our giving. The Macedonians had already embraced this heart of generosity (vv. 1-6), and as the Corinthians had displayed growth in so many other areas, the apostle wanted them to know the joy of giving as well (v. 7). Today, we can experience the blessing and privilege of giving cheerfully from what God has given us.

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“Let us start rebuilding.” So they began this good work. Nehemiah 2:18

Today’s Scripture

Nehemiah 2:17-18; 3:6-12

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Serendipity Bookstore, a popular spot in Chelsea, Michigan, needed to expand. The owner found a building twice the size just a block away. She wanted to make the move quickly instead of closing the store for days and boxing up all the books. So she requested help from the community. More than three hundred people showed up! They stood shoulder to shoulder, forming a human conveyor belt, and passed the books from one person to the next, moving 9,100 books in just under two hours. The owner said, “[The bookstore] is really a part of the community, and [the people] have ownership.” They all enthusiastically worked side by side.

When Nehemiah, a Jew who was the trusted cupbearer to the Persian king, learned that the wall surrounding Jerusalem lay in shambles, he cried out for God’s guidance (Nehemiah 1:3-11). The Babylonians had destroyed the walls in 587 bc. After investigating, Nehemiah recruited help from the community. He said to the Jewish leaders, “You see the trouble we are in: Jerusalem lies in ruins . . . . Come, let us rebuild the wall” (2:17). Chapter 3 describes how leaders and citizens alike willingly repaired the section of the wall that was right in front of each one. They worked side by side.

We too can impact our community by serving together under God’s direction and in His strength.

Reflect & Pray

What are your God-given abilities? How might He be calling you to work side by side with others?

Please open my eyes, dear God, to those around me so I might serve You in ways that help my community.

Today’s Insights

Cooperation is on display in Nehemiah 3 as people with various gifts, talents, and callings stacked their hands to accomplish one good work. Among them were priests (vv. 1, 22, 28) and Levites (v. 17); goldsmiths, perfumers, and merchants (vv. 8, 31-32); rulers (vv. 12-19), and others. The wall-building project, like other worthwhile community endeavors, required good leadership, and Nehemiah provided that. A survey of his qualities reveals that he was a man of prayer (1:4; 2:4), vision (2:5, 11-16), good communication skills (2:7-8, 17-18), and courage (vv. 19-20). Today, we can also serve others by working together with God’s strength.

Learn more about the gifts of the spirit.

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My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. 2 Corinthians 12:9

Today’s Scripture

2 Corinthians 11:23-29

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Tungsten is something of a paradox. It has the highest tensile strength of any pure element, making it extremely difficult to pull apart. But the Mead Metals website notes, “In terms of impact strength, tungsten is weak—it’s a brittle metal known to shatter on impact.” It’s fascinating that tungsten, the strongest natural metal, is also so weak and brittle.

Human beings display a similar characteristic. Though capable of great strength both physically and mentally, we’re easily crushed under the weight of this fallen, broken world. Paul experienced this personally. In 2 Corinthians 11, he described experiences that overwhelmed him (vv. 23-29). But God encouraged him, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Paul resolved, “Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me” (2 Corinthians 12:9).

Earlier in 2 Corinthians, Paul had written, “We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed” (4:8). There’s hope, even though the strongest child of God knows all too well that this world is simply too much for us. We’re happily dependent on the strength of His grace if we are to endure. May we, like Paul, embrace our weaknesses so God’s power can carry us through.

Reflect & Pray

When did you experience a moment that felt like it would crush you? How will you rest in God’s strength the next time you’re in a crisis?

Dear Father, please help me to rest in Your strength to carry me through life’s crushing moments.

Today’s Insights

When we feel weak and powerless, God wants us to turn to Him. As Isaiah wrote, our “everlasting God, the Creator of the [earth],” doesn’t “grow tired or weary” (Isaiah 40:28). “He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak” (v. 29). When we put our trust in Him, He renews our strength (v. 31).

Paul reminds us that when we turn to God in our weakness, we can rejoice because through our weakness God’s power is seen (2 Corinthians 11:29-30; 12:9). Romans tells us that “the Spirit helps us in our weakness” and “intercedes for us” even when we don’t know how we should pray (8:26). We can find hope, comfort, and joy “through him who gives [us] strength” (Philippians 4:13). God provides what we truly need to persevere and to live for and serve Him.

Learn more about how God can be our strength.

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At just the right time . . . Christ died for us. Romans 5:6-8

Today’s Scripture

Romans 5:6-8

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Flowers don’t have to be in bloom to be beautiful, says famed landscape designer Piet Oudolf. Even in the dead of winter, the Dutch gardener’s award-winning designs are known for their stunning appeal. “Beauty is in so many things you wouldn’t think of,” Oudolf says, although some may disagree. “The moment you say I love plants that are dead [dormant],” he said, “then you have a problem because people don’t like dead plants.”

Oudolf’s appreciation of plants’ life cycles echoes a core spiritual principle: While we were dead in our sins, God still loved us. “You see,” explained the apostle Paul, “at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly” (Romans 5:6). Paul continued, “God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (v. 8).

Jesus chose disciples with flaws. He ate meals with known sinners. He healed outcasts. Oudolf, likewise, is “interested in plants not only for their flowers, but also for their personality”—seeing beauty “in things that, on first sight, are not beautiful.”

As bearers of God’s image, we show Him to the world in how we relate to Him and each other. Planted in His love, we’re anointed by our Father to bloom anew in Him—once-dead sinners showing His beauty to a world longing for a glimpse of Him.

Reflect & Pray

In what season of your life did God call you? How can you spiritually bloom so others can see His image in you?

You called me when I was dead in my sins, dear God. Thank You for saving me to bloom anew in You.

Today’s Insights

Romans 5:6-10 uses several unflattering terms to describe those who were apart from God: powerless, ungodly, sinners, enemies. Verse 6 says that “when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly.” The Greek word for powerless is asthenēs, which means “without strength,” “feeble,” “weak,” “infirm.” Ungodly is the word asebēs, which describes one who is “destitute of reverential awe toward God.” Paul says that “while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (v. 8). The Greek word for sinners (hamartōlos) describes one who is “devoted to sin,” “wicked ones.” Finally, the apostle describes those apart from God as enemies (v. 10).

The same passage that highlights human despair, however, includes rays of brilliant hope—God’s love expressed through Jesus’ death (v. 8). Because of God’s love and grace, believers are now alive in Christ and can show His beauty to those around us.

Learn more about evangelism in the Twenty-first Century.

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Be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. 1 Peter 3:15

Today’s Scripture

1 Peter 3:13-17

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The teenager stood her ground. While her high school group was visiting a home for people in rehab from addictions, Claire engaged in conversation with a twentysomething man who towered over her in size. They talked about faith.

Claire clearly presented the gospel of Jesus. He countered with his spiritual views, which were very different. Back and forth they went in a friendly give-and-take way. Finally, the young man looked at Claire and said, “You got me. I can’t argue with what you’re saying.”

Though he didn’t put his faith in Jesus, a seed had been planted. And while Claire would have loved for the young man to have received Christ, her disappointment was balanced by the reality that she’d done what God had called her to do that day: “Be prepared to give an answer” (1 Peter 3:15). She had lovingly shared God’s plan of salvation.

Claire wasn’t ashamed of the gospel (Romans 1:16). She was prepared to “give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have” (1 Peter 3:15). And she knew how to let her “conversation be . . . full of grace” so she would “know how to answer” (Colossians 4:6) the young man in the right spirit.

What a privilege God gives us to make Christ known to others! Let’s be ready to share with others as He provides what we need.

Reflect & Pray

How can you prepare for an opportunity to share your faith? Who do you know who needs to hear the gospel?

Dear God, please encourage my heart and open my mouth so I can “give an answer” to others who need You.

Learn how to effectively share your witness.

Today’s Insights

The key idea in 1 Peter 3:13-17 is that a hope-filled life in Christ can trigger conversations about the gospel. Notice how the apostle puts it: “Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have” (v. 15). In a world filled with brokenness and despair, when people see someone living with hope that transcends this world, it gets their attention and can cause them to desire what that person has. When they ask about this hope, we can point them to the message of Jesus, who’s “given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade” (1:3). When we’re prepared to share God’s love with others, we’ll have the privilege of telling them about Jesus, our living hope.

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The old order of things has passed away. Revelation 21:4

Today’s Scripture

Revelation 21:1-5

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Visiting Switzerland had been my dad’s lifelong dream. After his diagnosis of frontotemporal dementia, my mom decided to go with him while he was still physically able. “One day, with the snow blowing around us on Mount Titlis,” she said, “I saw the profound joy in your father’s face. It was the joy of a dream come true.” Later, however, my mom’s tears flowed when my dad asked, “Where are we again?”

My dad may have forgotten he was in Switzerland, but “the visit was worth it,” my mom said. “At least for one moment, he knew, and he was happy.”

God reassures us of a time when joy will never be taken away from us again. Because of our hope in Jesus, we can look forward to “a new heaven and a new earth” (Revelation 21:1), where we’ll be free from sin and death (Romans 5:12). In this perfect world, God will make “everything new” (Revelation 21:5). “ ‘He will wipe every tear from [our] eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away” (v. 4). Whatever suffering we experience now is temporary. God promises that one day “the former things will not be remembered” (Isaiah 65:17). They will forever be no more.

I know that one day, when we’re with God (Revelation 21:3), I’ll see profound joy on Daddy’s face. This time, it will stay.

Reflect & Pray

How does the hope of your future dwelling place give you hope now? What do you look forward to seeing there?

Dear Jesus, I praise You. One day, You’ll make all things new.

Today’s Insights

The “new heaven and . . . new earth” (Revelation 21:1) will permanently reestablish God’s original design that was present in the garden of Eden (see Genesis 1-2). In this new creation, predicted in Isaiah 65:17, His sovereign provision and protection will be enjoyed forever (Revelation 7:14-17). God offers His presence to His people throughout Scripture: the flood (Genesis 8:13-21), the exodus (Exodus 15), settling into the promised land (Deuteronomy 8:7-10; 12:10), the inauguration of the temple (1 Kings 8:27-29), and, especially, the ministry of Jesus (John 1:14, 18; 14:16-17). Believers in Christ have been “born again” (3:3) and have become a “new creation” (2 Corinthians 5:17). The presence of God once enjoyed in Eden and then accessible primarily in the temple became available to all when Jesus came as Immanuel—“God with us” (Matthew 1:23). His Spirit indwells all believers who await His coming (Romans 8:9, 23). We can look forward to a future with Christ where we’ll experience His presence and joy that will never be taken away.

For further study read Yet We Shall Live.

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You said in your heart, “I will ascend to the heavens . . . .” But you are brought down to the realm of the dead. Isaiah 14:13, 15

Today’s Scripture

Isaiah 14:12-15

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Today’s Devotion

The ceiling of London’s Banqueting House is magnificent. Painted by Sir Peter Paul Rubens between 1629 and 1634, it was commissioned by King Charles I to glorify his family’s reign. In one painting, the goddess Minerva celebrates the achievements of Charles’ father, King James I. In another, James is carried to heaven on the wings of an eagle. Gazing up at the ceiling, banquet guests got a clear message: Kings like Charles and his father were virtually divine.

In the prophet Isaiah’s day, the king of Babylon felt similarly about himself. Here was a king who longed to “ascend to the heavens” and “sit . . . on the mount of assembly,” where the gods were thought to reign (Isaiah 14:13). Instead, Isaiah prophesied that this king would fall (vv. 3-4), being “brought down to the realm of the dead” (v. 15) without even a tomb to be remembered by (vv. 18-19). Charles I met a similar fate. In an ironic twist, he was marched beneath the very ceiling depicting his supposed divinity before being executed outside Banqueting House in 1649.

It’s a sad fact that has repeated through time: Powerful people who claim divine glory for themselves will one day discover how human they are. For there is only one who is worthy of reigning from heaven, and all power, glory, and majesty are His alone (1 Chronicles 29:11).

Reflect & Pray

Why do you think rulers throughout history have claimed divinity for themselves? How does Jesus compare to the attitude of such rulers?

Heavenly Father, You are God, and all power and glory are Yours!

For further study, read The Chilling Tale of a King.

Today’s Insights

In Daniel 4:37, Nebuchadnezzar, King of Babylon, declares, “Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and exalt and glorify the King of heaven, because everything he does is right and all his ways are just. And those who walk in pride he is able to humble.” This ancient king had to learn the crucial lesson of humility the hard way.

His words of praise to God (vv. 2-3, 34-37) contrast with his words of self-adulation before his humiliation: “Is not this the great Babylon I have built as the royal residence, by my mighty power and for the glory of my majesty?” (v. 30; see vv. 31-34). The Babylonian ruler of Isaiah 14:12-14 said something similar. Indeed, kings and kingdoms will all pass away but God’s kingdom endures forever (see Daniel 2:44; 4:3, 34). To Him alone belong all power and glory and majesty.

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I am amply supplied, now that I have received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent. Philippians 4:18

Today’s Scripture

Philippians 4:10-19

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When Melanie began having regular headaches, her doctors discovered she had a benign tumor in her pituitary gland. The tumor was about the size of a plum and was surgically removed in 2003 and again in 2006 when it recurred. Then in 2017, when it came back a third time, Melanie underwent radiation treatment instead, which caused her to lose her hair. Her twenty-seven-year-old son, Matt, decided to grow out his own hair to make a wig for her.

Matt’s selfless, loving act illustrates how one person’s abilities and resources can supply the needs of another person or group. Paul highlights the beauty of such reciprocal generosity in his letter to the Philippians. The believers in Philippi had shared in his “troubles” and “sent . . . aid more than once when [he] was in need” (Philippians 4:14, 16). Having received their gifts, Paul recognized that God had provided amply for his needs.

Our willingness to share with one another is often the conduit of God’s provision in our lives. Sometimes we’re in a position to give of our time, talent, or treasure; other times we’re in need ourselves and must rely on the support of another. Through His Spirit working in us, our gifts are “pleasing to God” and a manifestation of our shared life in the body of Christ (v. 18).

Reflect & Pray

When has God supplied your needs through another person? How might He provide for someone else through your generous giving today?

Father God, thank You for providing for me. Please help me share what You’ve given me as I seek to cheerfully and generously help others.

Today’s Insights

The church in Macedonia received high praise from Paul. Not only were the Macedonians quick to respond to his needs, in this case they were the only church to do so (Philippians 4:15). Additionally he notes, “You sent me aid more than once when I was in need” (v. 16). Indeed, in 2 Corinthians 8, the apostle pointed to the economically poor Macedonian church as an example for the wealthy church in Corinth (vv. 1-2). This is the context in which the apostle writes, “My God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:19). As God provides for us today, we can in turn give to others.

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Ruth replied, . . . “Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God.” Ruth 1:16

Today’s Scripture

Ruth 1:11-18

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A restaurant employee discovered an unconscious man beside a dumpster. He was sunburned, bitten by ants, and showed signs of blunt force trauma. He had no memory of who he was. The man, later self-named “Benjamin Kyle,” lived in limbo for more than a decade. He couldn’t work, collect benefits, or even reclaim his past. His healing began when a community of strangers helped him rediscover his identity through genetic testing and investigation. “I have a history,” he said. “I’m not just some stranger that materialized out of thin air.”

The story of Ruth in the Bible can also be seen as one of rediscovered belonging. After losing her husband and leaving her homeland, she chose to bind herself to her mother-in-law Naomi and her people. She said, “Where you go I will go . . . . Your people will be my people and your God my God” (Ruth 1:16). Ruth connected her identity and destiny to that of Naomi and her people in life and in death. She was “determined to go with her” (v. 18)—prioritizing community over clarity, belonging over certainty. In doing so, she stepped into God’s redemptive story and is remembered forever as part of the lineage of Christ (4:18-22; Matthew 1:3-5).

When we as believers in Jesus forget who we are—or when life’s pain leaves us disoriented—God often uses community to reconnect us with our most authentic identity. In Him we’re beloved, chosen, and known.

Reflect & Pray

Who is God using to help you remember who you are in Him? What does it mean to be known by Him?

Dear God, please help me remember who I am in You.

Today’s Insights

Ruth’s devotion to her mother-in-law Naomi was a hard choice that carried with it the prospects of great difficulties. Ruth, a Moabitess, would’ve faced tremendous challenges in moving to Bethlehem. Moab, though a distant cousin of Israel, had become Israel’s enemy (Judges 3), resulting in significant hostilities. Additionally, being a widow in a strange land where she didn’t have the support of family and friends (aside from Naomi) would’ve been potentially dangerous. Through Naomi’s extended family (Boaz), however, God would provide both sustenance and safety (Ruth 2:1, 8-9). Ruth would eventually be enfolded into that community as the wife of Boaz and would become the great-grandmother of King David (4:17). For us today as well, God often uses community to remind us of His great care for us.

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The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures. Psalm 23:1-2

Today’s Scripture

Psalm 23:1-6

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I was putting my grandson to bed during a sleepover. When his Bible bookmark opened to Psalm 23, he objected, “We already read this one.” After I suggested we might learn something new, he read aloud, “The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastries.” Green pastries?! I explained that the word was pastures, not pastries. Hours earlier, he’d stood before a bakery shelf, selecting treats. His interpretation came into focus: To him, a bakery conveyed a place of rest and enjoyment.

Psalm 23 may be so familiar to us that we miss its deep offering. David, a king well acquainted with shepherding, describes God’s provision over a lifetime of things both idyllic (vv. 5-6) and challenging (v. 4). He points out that our good God leads us to places where we can partake of His presence, be rejuvenated, and prepare for what will come. “Green pastures” (v. 1) and “quiet waters” (v. 2) are such dwellings for sheep, and we are God’s sheep (v. 1).

My grandson’s innocent interpretation opened my eyes to the “green pastures” God provides for me—places of rest and enjoyment in everyday life where He restores me. A gold-hued sunset. A verdant field. A quiet corner. A bakery shelf of green pastries, wafting out delight. I’m so glad we read Psalm 23 again!

Reflect & Pray

What unexpected “green pasture” moment have you experienced? How does Psalm 23 invite you into the provision of God’s presence?

Dear God, please open my eyes to the “green pasture” moments You provide. Help me to enter Your presence each day.

For further study, read Why Doesn’t God Answer Me?.

Today’s Insights

Despite David’s failings, he was a man who loved God and was loved by Him. We see this clearly expressed in the psalmist’s writings. Psalm 23 is a classic example that still speaks to us today. With God as our “shepherd,” we truly “lack nothing” (v. 1). He leads, refreshes, guides, and comforts us (vv. 2-4); and our “cup overflows” with His blessings (v. 5). He surrounds us with His love and goodness in this life and for all eternity (v. 6). With such a God, we don’t need to live in fear (v. 4). In Psalm 27:4, David exudes, “One thing I ask from the Lord, this only do I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze on the beauty of the Lord and to seek him in his temple.” Like David, may our longing be for God. In His presence, we find rest and restoration.

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From inside the fish Jonah prayed to the Lord his God. Jonah 2:1

Today’s Scripture

Jonah 2:1-10

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One moment Adrián Simancas was kayaking in the Strait of Magellan in Chile with his father. The next, the twenty-four-year-old was engulfed in the mouth of a humpback whale. “I thought I was dead,” Adrián told a news outlet. After a few seconds, the whale released Adrián into the frigid waters. His life vest caused him to float to the water’s surface, and his father helped him to safety.

The Old Testament prophet Jonah also had an encounter with a large sea creature. Jonah refused to follow God’s directive to preach a message of repentance to the Israelites’ enemies, the Ninevites, so he boarded a ship in the opposite direction of Nineveh. When the ship got caught in a storm, Jonah convinced the crew to throw him overboard (Jonah 1:11-12, 15). “Now the Lord provided a huge fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights” (v. 17). Jonah went from fleeing from God to crying out to Him: “From inside the fish Jonah prayed to the Lord his God” (2:1).

God heard Jonah and rescued him (v. 10). Then Jonah preached to the Ninevites, and they repented (3:8-10).

If God could hear Jonah’s plea from inside a big fish, He can hear us and rescue us from wherever we are. Instead of running from God, let’s run to Him in prayer, knowing that He will answer us when we cry out to Him.

Reflect & Pray

Why do you sometimes run from God? How can you run to Him today?

Dear God, thank You for the rescue You alone provide.

Today’s Insights

The Bible records various places where people cried out to God. Samson prayed while chained in a pagan temple (Judges 16:28), Jesus prayed from a cross (Luke 23:46), and Paul frequently prayed while in prison (Philippians 1). One of the most unusual places of prayer was in the belly of “a huge fish” (Jonah 1:17; 2:1-9). Imagine how different his story might have been had Jonah prayed while still at home, rather than after God had pursued him to the depths of the sea. When Jonah cried out to God in prayer, He delivered him and gave him a second chance to fulfill his mission (3:1-2). Running from God only makes our problems worse. But when we walk in obedience to Him and cry out to Him in prayer, He’ll hear us and do what’s best within His perfect plans.

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If we confess our sins, [God] . . . will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9

Today’s Scripture

1 John 1:5-9; 2:7-10

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If you’ve ever heard the expression “albatross around my neck”—a phrase referring to a tiresome burden—you’ve heard an allusion to English poet Samuel Coleridge’s famous poem “Rime of the Ancient Mariner.” In the poem, a sailor shoots and kills a harmless, friendly albatross. The crew believes the mariner’s cruel deed curses their voyage and forces him to wear the dead bird around his neck as punishment.

Are there regrets in your life that feel like a heavy weight around your neck? All of us have moments we’d do anything to take back. It can feel like we’re cursed to carry the weight of our guilt and regret forever.

Yet God’s grace can free our hearts from even the most painful regret. We all have sin (1 John 1:8, 10), but when we honestly confess our burdens to God, we’re promised he “will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness” (v. 9). As His grace rushes in, His light and love can flow through us (2:10), freeing us to love those around us (3:14).

In Coleridge’s poem, the tormented mariner also eventually experiences this grace. When love for God’s creation rushes into his heart and compels him to pray, the albatross falls off his neck, vanishing forever “like lead into the sea.”

Reflect & Pray

What can feel like an “albatross” around your neck? What does it mean for you to accept God’s grace for your guilt?

Dear God, thank You that the guilt I carry doesn’t exclude me from experiencing Your beauty and grace. Please help me find freedom in Your love today.

Learn more about the power of forgiveness.

Today’s Insights

The apostles wrote during a tumultuous time in the history of the church. They had to correct misunderstandings of the gospel, including who were truly part of the church as well as a broad range of misunderstandings of what God’s grace really meant.

In his first letter, John addressed early church teachings that openly tolerated worldly sin while still claiming one could be in fellowship with Jesus. The apostle shuts that down by saying that only those who “walk in the light” (1 John 1:7) have a true relationship with God. But that doesn’t mean believers in Christ don’t sin (v. 8). Instead, it means that because of their relationship with God, they can confess their sin and enjoy both forgiveness and fellowship no matter how heavy the burden of regret (v. 9).

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David would take up his lyre and play. Then relief would come to Saul. 1 Samuel 16:23

Today’s Scripture

1 Samuel 16:14-23

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On November 21, 1915, the hope of Sir Ernest Shackleton and his twenty-seven crew members sank, along with their ship Endurance, into the darkness below the Antarctic ice. They were stranded thousands of miles from home. Later, the crew shared several things that aided their survival, including a banjo. Embarking on their brutal trek, Leonard Hussey (the expedition’s meteorologist) was the only person allowed more than two pounds of personal gear. He was allowed to bring his twelve-pound Windsor banjo. “It’s vital mental medicine,” Shackleton told Hussey, “and we shall need it.” The crew’s journals explained the power of Hussey’s music. “The banjo does . . . supply brain food,” wrote one sailor. Another reflected on “Hussey’s indispensable banjo.”

The Bible presents music as one of God’s immense gifts, a way His healing and comfort enter the human heart. In the tragic story of King Saul, we hear how (due to his disobedience) he was oppressed by an “evil spirit” (1 Samuel 16:14). And what did Saul’s attendants believe the king needed to provide relief? Music. So they found young David with his harp: “David would take up his lyre and play. Then relief would come to Saul; he would feel better, and the evil spirit would leave him” (v. 23).

Music offers more than mere entertainment. It can bring joy, renew hope, and comfort weary souls. It’s truly one of God’s powerful gifts.

Reflect & Pray

What encouragement has music offered you? How has it deepened your relationship with God?

Dear God, thank You for the gift of music!

Today’s Insights

In the ancient Near East, it was common for court musicians to be hired for reasons such as entertainment or religious ceremonies. In the case of King Saul in 1 Samuel 16, his attendants believed his mental torment would be eased by lyre music (v. 16). Since David was a skilled lyre player as well as a warrior (v. 18), he became both a musician and armor-bearer—carrying Saul’s shield and weapons (vv. 21-23). David’s father, Jesse, sent gifts of food and wine with David (vv. 19-20), perhaps showing gratitude for the honor of having his son chosen to serve the king. Today, we can remember that God can use music to renew our hope and bring us joy.

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It is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose. Philippians 2:13

Today’s Scripture

Philippians 2:12-13, 3:12-16

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In Singapore, the government encourages people to support good causes by donation-matching. It “tops up” donations to specific charities by contributing an equal amount or more. By effectively multiplying people’s contributions, it hopes to encourage them to become more involved in charitable giving.

This two-pronged approach reminds me of how believers in Jesus are called to God’s standards of holiness in our discipleship journey. In his letter to the Philippians, Paul urges them “to work out [their] salvation” (2:12) and “press on” (3:12, 14). At the same time, he stresses that “it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose” (2:13).

Believers in Jesus aren’t made right with God by good works or performance. But there is an idea of partnership in our spiritual growth. It requires heart and effort on our part, yet we do not do it by human strength. Having saved us by grace, God calls us to be holy—set apart for Him—and we respond in sincerity and gratitude. As we seek to obey and please Him, He enables and helps us to do so. He shows us when we go wrong (Philippians 3:15), gives us strength to resist temptation (1 Corinthians 10:13), and empowers us to do what’s right in His eyes (Ephesians 2:10).

Reflect & Pray

What are your biggest challenges in seeking to be faithful and pleasing to God? How can you rely more on the Holy Spirit’s strength?

Holy God, please help me to be holy and faithful in my journey, for I know that You desire me to be like Your Son Jesus.

Learn more here about having a personal relationship with God

Today’s Insights

In today’s text, the apostle Paul encourages us by his example to “press on toward the goal to win the prize” (Philippians 3:14). Elsewhere he writes, “I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace” (Acts 20:24). Paul’s goal is to be more like Christ and to spread the gospel, and the ultimate “prize” (Philippians 3:14) he refers to is eternal life with Jesus (vv. 10-11, 20-21). The reward isn’t based on our deeds. In Ephesians 2, he states, “It is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God” (v. 8). Good works are evidence of God’s Spirit working in and through us. As God enables us, we can strive to live holy and faithful lives.

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