[The Israelites’] cry for help because of 
their slavery went up to God. Exodus 2:23

Today’s Scripture

Exodus 2:23-25; 3:7-10

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While driving her nine-year-old son to camp, a mother got lost after taking a wrong turn and getting the car stuck on a rural forest road in the Sierra Nevada Mountains of California. Her GPS and phone quit working because of the remote area, so they were unable to retrace their way back. In desperation after being stranded for more than twenty-four hours and sleeping in their car overnight, they began to walk. They left a trail of notes along the way: “HELP. Me and my son are stranded with no service and can’t call 9-1-1.” Because they didn’t arrive at the camp on time, search-and-rescue teams went out looking. They discovered the car, the notes, and then quickly found them.

The Israelites desperately cried out to God for help because they were being severely mistreated by the Egyptians, who had enslaved them (Exodus 1:11-12). Working them ruthlessly, “they made their lives bitter with harsh labor” (vv. 13-14). The Israelites must have wondered if they’d even survive the cruelty. But God heard their cries and raised up Moses to deliver them (3:4-10). Eventually God used him to rescue them and lead them out of Egypt (see Exodus 14-15).

Whether we’re feeling lost or mistreated, God is always near and His ear is open to our cries. In His time and in His way, He’ll send the help we need.

Reflect & Pray

How can you learn to share your desperate cries with God? What desperate cry might you need to pray right now?

Please help me, loving God. I’m always in need of Your mercy. I bring my heart’s burdens to You now.

Today’s Insights

God worked through Joseph to preserve His people, who at the time of their migration to Egypt four hundred years earlier had been seventy in number (Exodus 1:5). Now, as the King James Version so poetically renders it, “There arose up a new king over Egypt, which knew not Joseph” (v. 8). This pharaoh enslaved the Hebrews, who were now numerous, and he began to commit infanticide against them (v. 22). But Pharaoh’s murderous net failed to get the baby Moses (2:1-10). As God had used Joseph to establish His people, He’d now use Moses to deliver them. But it would take time. Forty years would pass before Moses futilely tried to help his own people (Acts 7:23), and forty more would go by until God called him out of the desert (v. 30). Still another forty years would transpire as God corrected and instructed His disobedient people (v. 36; Deuteronomy 2:7; Joshua 5:6). As God was faithful to His people, He’ll also be near to us in our trials.

For further study, read: The Mercy of God

http://www.odb.org

There is a way that appears to be right, 
but in the end it leads to death. Proverbs 16:25

Today’s Scripture

Proverbs 16:20-25

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A loud thump came from a window in the classroom where I was teaching and startled the students. Then another thump! A bird had flown headlong into the glass and bounced off, only to make another run for yet another crash. Later, I read that more than a billion birds die each year from hitting windows in the United States alone. Collisions happen when they catch reflections of vegetation in the window and go after them, convinced they see food or nesting material. Sometimes they also catch their own reflection and think another bird needs to be fended off. They’re sure they see clearly, but they’re confused.

It’s dangerous to think that we always see what’s true—that we possess internal clarity about our lives. However, we suffer from a deadly confusion and repeatedly demonstrate that even our best wisdom—left to itself—eventually yields misery. “There is a way that appears to be right,” Proverbs says, “but in the end it leads to death” (16:25). We think we see what’s real, but too often we’re confused. Even our keenest insight is riddled with misperceptions. Even our clearest vision is still cloudy, imperfect, and often ruinous.

That’s why we need God’s wisdom (vv. 20-21). We need Him to illuminate the truth and guide us into what’s real. We need Him to lead us out of our deadly confusion and into wholeness and life.

Reflect & Pray

When has false perception led you into confusion? How does God’s wisdom offer a better way?

Dear God, I need Your wisdom. Please show me the way out of confusion and into life.

Today’s Insights

Proverbs 16 emphasizes our dependence on God in all things (vv. 1-3, 10, 11, 33). In verses 20-25, the focus narrows to hearing and speaking words wisely. The two are closely related. Verse 20 spells it out: “Whoever gives heed to instruction prospers, and blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord.” That is, a person who’s living in humble, trusting reliance on God is also someone who’s able to listen to wise instruction from others. Their reliance on God’s wisdom to illuminate truth equips them to be “discerning” and to speak “gracious words” that “promote instruction” (v. 21). Those who humbly learn from Him and others are able to speak words that flow from His wisdom (v. 23) and bring healing (v. 24).

For further study, read: Satan: Master of the Almost True

http://www.odb.org

Blessed is the one who perseveres. James 1:12

Today’s Scripture

James 1:2-12

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Nestled in a corner of the brick steps leading up to our front door is a hardy little scarlet begonia. We didn’t plant it—it must have grown there from a seed that fell out of a hanging basket. But we’ve let it remain. Year after year it’s a cheerful reminder to my wife and me that perseverance is a beautiful thing.

James offers even more beautiful encouragement to persevere, especially to those facing opposition for their faith in Jesus: “Consider it pure joy . . . whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance” (James 1:2-3).

Pure joy? We balk at those words, but the apostle is looking forward to the truth that God is over everything and is able to bring good out of even difficult circumstances. James completes the thought: “Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because . . . that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him” (v. 12). The word blessed is the same word Jesus uses in the Beatitudes (Matthew 5:3-12), and it carries the meaning—among other things—of “happy.”

Whatever we face, including spiritual battles and life’s hard challenges, God will sustain us in His love and will one day mercifully reward us with the beauty of His joy.

Reflect & Pray

How does it help you to know that God is able to 
bring good out of our most challenging circumstances? 
What do you most look forward to from Him today?

Thank You for persevering to the cross for me, dear Jesus. You bring the greatest happiness of all!

Today’s Insights

Jesus is the greatest example of one who persevered under trial. Hebrews instructs us to “[Fix] our eyes on [him], the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God” (12:2). The Greek word translated “endured” (hypomenō) is rendered “perseveres” in James 1:12: “Blessed is the one who perseveres.” What’s in view in both usages is hopeful endurance. The anticipation of God-honoring, soul-strengthening outcomes calls for “joy” (v. 2) even in the midst of our challenges. Because navigating life’s difficulties can be hard, we’re invited to ask God for wisdom (v. 5) and trust that He’ll bring good out of our trials.

For further study, listen to the following podcast: A Trust Trial

http://www.odb.org

Weeping may stay for the night, 
but rejoicing comes in the morning. Psalm 30:5

Today’s Scripture

Psalm 30:2-13

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The sound of the cascading water confirmed that I’d arrived at the 9/11 Memorial Pools in New York City, a place I’d avoided visiting for fear of being overwhelmed by sadness and grief from what took place there that tragic day in 2001. I walked around the two large reflection pools located where the Twin Towers once stood. It was deeply moving to see all the names of those who died etched on the walls—some with roses placed on them by loved ones.

I was in Manhattan on the morning of 9/11 but thankfully not near the World Trade Center. Still, as a native New Yorker, the tragedy hit too close to home. I was finally at Ground Zero, yet I wasn’t overcome by sorrow or fear. I felt peace as I stood there and recalled God’s sustaining grace. That peace was a gift from the God who knows how to comfort us.

As we read the Psalms, we see that David experienced sorrow, fear, and grief as well as divine comfort. In Psalm 30, he writes, “I called to you for help, and you healed me” (v. 2). “Weeping may stay for the night, but rejoicing comes in the morning” (v. 5). God turned David’s “wailing into dancing” and “removed [his] sackcloth and clothed [him] with joy” (v. 11).

When we’re feeling overwhelmed with sorrow, loss, or pain, let’s turn to the God of all comfort, who is close to the brokenhearted, and give thanks to Him as David did: “Lord my God, I will praise you forever” (v. 12).

Reflect & Pray

When have you experienced God’s comfort? How can you receive His comfort today?

Dear God, thank You for Your comfort.

Today’s Insights

Psalm 30 is a psalm of praise for the way God had delivered and healed David (vv. 1-3, 9-11). But as commentators Jacobson and Tanner put it, the psalm isn’t just a psalm of praise, but “a psalm about praise” calling hearers to “a complete life of praise.” It’s God’s merciful and restoring character that gives His people reason to live a life of praise (vv. 4-5). To be abandoned by God would be to be “silenced” (v. 9). But God won’t abandon us and instead comforts us in our sorrow and turns our “wailing into dancing” (v. 11); therefore, we have reason to “praise [Him] forever” (v. 12). Today, when we’re experiencing sorrow and pain, we can praise Him and turn to Him for comfort.

For further study, read: Past Rescure, Present Song

http://www.odb.org

A good person leaves an inheritance 
for their children’s children. Proverbs 13:22

Today’s Scripture

Proverbs 13:18-22

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Though we didn’t live in the same state as my maternal grandparents, I’m grateful to have known them as well as I did. They traveled regularly to Colorado to see us, and we enjoyed visits with them in California. As my sister and I became adults, our conversations with our grandparents expanded from playful childhood topics to include more serious discussion of finances. They explained to us that they wanted to share their resources with us while they were alive but that most of their estate would be given to charity at their passing.

My grandparents were, indeed, quite generous to us over their lifetimes. When they died, I was genuinely proud to see their remaining resources given to others. When I compare their real-life example with the words recorded in Proverbs 13:22, that “a good person leaves an inheritance for their children’s children,” I see their legacy to me from a broader perspective. We aren’t to live selfishly but instead care for those coming after us.

We won’t all have financial wealth to pass on to future generations. Yet in choosing to live generously toward others with whatever resources we have, even if just time and attention, our children (and theirs) receive a precious inheritance: a legacy of generosity. As we depend on God for our needs, we’re able to share both our faith and our resources with others.

Reflect & Pray

Whose example of faithful, generous living benefited you? How might you extend practical help to others today?

Dear Father, please help me to live generously.

Today’s Insights

In the book of Proverbs, people are often contrasted using categories such as wise or foolish, good or bad, honorable or shameful. Generosity is a characteristic of those who are “good.” Generous people desire to benefit those who’ll outlive them: “A good person leaves an inheritance for their children’s children” (13:22). The Proverbs teach us some dimensions of giving that are unexpected. For example, “One person gives freely, yet gains even more; another withholds unduly, but comes to poverty” (11:24). Another insight is that God takes our generosity to others personally: “Whoever is generous to the poor lends to the Lord” (19:17 esv; see 14:31). Believers in Jesus view money as an investment in God’s work and His people rather than a commodity to consume. And that’s the posture of a blessed person. There’s a mystery to giving that requires participation to fully appreciate. As God supplies our needs, we can choose to live generously toward others.

For further study, listen to this webinar: Christian Generosity

http://www.odb.org

Compel them to come in, 
so that my house will be full. Luke 14:23

Today’s Scripture

Luke 14:15-24

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Before my close friend’s wedding, we meticulously set the table for two hundred guests at the reception. With joyful anticipation we spent hours folding napkins, aligning cutlery, straightening tablecloths, and arranging flowers. After putting in all that work, we couldn’t wait for guests to arrive and enjoy it! But when many seats remained empty, we were sorely disappointed.

Jesus shared a similar story with some Pharisees as they ate together (Luke 14:15-20). He described a man who lovingly planned a great banquet for many people, but few attended and gave flimsy excuses. The man was angry at their rejection. He extended his invitation to society’s outcasts, “the poor, the crippled, the blind, and the lame” (v. 21). When there was still room, his servants went even further abroad to “compel [others] to come in” (v. 23).

This parable reminds us that many of God’s chosen people refused Jesus as their Messiah and rebuffed His invitation into His kingdom (John 1:11). To continue God’s plan to save the world despite their rejection, He opened His invitation to the gentiles, people not of Jewish heritage. All who receive Jesus by faith are welcome to God’s kingdom banquet, regardless of whether the world thinks they’re worthy. The invitation is still open today.

Reflect & Pray

What do you think the guest list to God’s kingdom banquet looks like? How can we spread the good news?

Dear Jesus, thank You for making a way for me to experience a personal relationship with You.

Today’s Insights

In the first century, feast invitations played a role in establishing and promoting social status. Invitations were typically extended to people at the same level of social standing or slightly lower. For someone’s banquet invite to be rejected by his peers (Luke 14:17-18) would’ve been humiliating, and responding to such rejection by inviting those far below the host’s own social class (vv. 21-23) would’ve been unheard of. In Jewish thought, God’s kingdom was often portrayed as a banquet (see Isaiah 25:6-9). Through this parable, Jesus challenged His listeners’ focus on securing social status (Luke 14:7). He emphasized that God’s kingdom is expansive and includes everyone. All who receive Him by faith are welcomed into His kingdom.

For further study, read: Having A Personal Relationship With God

http://www.odb.org

Stand firm in the one Spirit. Philippians 1:27

Today’s Scripture

Philippians 1:27; 2:1-4

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Rachel “church hopped” for three years before finding a Bible study group that provided what she couldn’t find in a traditional church—community. Rachel is Deaf. Around the world, many Deaf people face similar worship challenges. Her house church nurtures community by watching a Deaf church service on YouTube, discussing the teaching with each other, and then sharing a meal. The small group provides the Spirit-led church family Rachel craves.

The apostle Paul explains what makes a church a community: the fellowship of the Holy Spirit. Writing from prison, he urged this connection to the church at Philippi. His hope, in part, was to encourage spiritual unity in a congregation he’d formed and loved.

“Stand firm in the one Spirit, striving together as one,” Paul urged (Philippians 1:27). He added, “If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, . . . then make my joy complete by being like-minded” (2:1-2).

So don’t be selfish, he said, “not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others” (vv. 3-4). Those wise words can guide all church families. By the power of God’s Holy Spirit, our communities can serve Him in harmonious fellowship with each other.

Reflect & Pray

How do you sense the Holy Spirit working in your life? 
How can God’s Spirit help you grow His fellowship in your church?

Dear God, in a sometimes-unloving world, please inspire me to follow Your Holy Spirit’s leading to help build communities that reflect You.
For further study, read Give Me Jesus: Philippians 2 at odbm.org.

Today’s Insights

Paul made the appeal for unity among brothers and sisters in Jesus (Philippians 1:27) from a context of factions and persecution. As he wrote, he was imprisoned, yet he said, “What has happened to me has actually served to advance the gospel” (v. 12). He noted that some were “[preaching] Christ out of selfish ambition” (v. 17). He knew his own life was in danger (v. 20), and he warned his hearers that they’d also face opposition (vv. 27-28). Yet he knew they’d “stand firm in the one Spirit, striving together as one for the faith of the gospel” (v. 27). Their behavior needed to contrast with those whose motivation was prideful (2:3). Any suffering they might endure would serve to enhance their unity. Such courage and unity only take place through the power of the Holy Spirit. He guides us and helps us grow in fellowship with one another.

For further study, read: Give Me Jesus

http://www.odb.org

I will instruct you and teach you in the 
way you should go; I will counsel you 
with my loving eye on you. Psalm 32:8

Today’s Scripture

Psalm 32:6-8

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My wife, Sue, and I had just finished walking five miles across the Mackinac Bridge, which links Michigan’s two peninsulas. This annual Labor Day event in the United States is a tradition in our state dating back to 1958. We grabbed a seat on a park bench to rest. A man sat down next to us to catch his breath as well. Soon his wife and adult daughter joined him, and we learned that their family—also believers in Jesus—had suffered through the death of a teenage girl just as we did many years ago.

Together we were able to share how God has sustained us and given us strength and faith through the years. It was amazing to think that among the 33,000 walkers that day, we found a family that understood our hearts.

Two families with similar stories ending up together in a sea of people. It sounds a little like something that can happen only because of what God told King David in Psalm 32. After David expressed his appreciation to God for protection and deliverance, he got this encouraging word from Him: “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will guide you with My eye” (v. 8 nkjv).

God watches over His children, and He brings them together because they need each other. It’s another indication that “the Lord’s unfailing love surrounds the one who trusts in him” (v. 10).

Reflect & Pray

When have you experienced something that reminded you that God has His loving eye on you? What does His unfailing love mean to you?

Dear God, thank You that You’re real and that You’re always watching over me.

Today’s Insights

Psalm 32 is one of seven penitential psalms (Psalms 6, 32, 38, 51, 102, 130, 143), where the petitioner confesses his sins and turns to God for forgiveness. David penned Psalm 51 after repenting from his sins of adultery and murder (see 2 Samuel 11-12), and many scholars believe this was also the context for the writing of Psalm 32. The psalmist speaks of his heavy burden of guilt (vv. 3-4) and the joy of receiving God’s forgiveness (vv. 1-2). David notes the importance of confession of sin (v. 5) rather than stubbornly resisting like “the horse or the mule” (v. 9). God will deal graciously with the contrite and repentant, for “the Lord’s unfailing love surrounds the one who trusts in him” (v. 10). He’s promised us His watchful guidance and loving care: “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my loving eye on you” (v. 8).

For further study, listen to the Evening Meditations Podcast: The Lord Sees You

http://www.odb.org

Save others by snatching them from the fire; 
to others show mercy, mixed with fear. Jude 1:23

Today’s Scripture

Jude 1:20-23

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A twenty-seven-year-old student studying in Japan had to be rescued from Mount Fuji twice in one week! After being airlifted during his first climb due to dangerous conditions, he realized he’d left his phone and other belongings behind. Four days later, ignoring warnings, he returned to the mountain, only to need to be rescued again—this time suffering from altitude sickness. His story made headlines for its rarity but also because he’d knowingly trekked back into danger.

This account mirrors a spiritual reality—we often tend to head back to what God has rescued us from. Jude captures this tension in his little letter. Written to a church threatened by false teachers and moral compromises, he exhorted believers “to contend for the faith” (1:3), not just for themselves but for others too. Jude challenged them to snatch others “from the fire” (v. 23)—taking an active role in shielding struggling believers from false teachers. As believers in Jesus, we can’t simply stand back and watch others flounder and fail.

Today, God is calling us to rescue others and to resist returning to the place we were rescued from. His grace will rescue us more than once, but it also calls us to live like we’ve already been rescued. Through God’s strength, let’s contend for the faith and help others be built up in the “most holy faith” (v. 20).

Reflect & Pray

How can we show mercy to believers who doubt? 
What does it mean to show mercy mixed with reverent fear?

Dear God, please help me contend for the faith and help those experiencing doubt.

Today’s Insights

Because of the prevailing environment in Jude’s day—which included “ungodly” spiritual leaders who were promoting damaging doctrines (1:4)—he wrote an urgent, intense letter to believers in Jesus whom he addressed as “dear friends” (vv. 3, 17, 20), sometimes translated “beloved.” He strongly urged the believers “to contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to God’s holy people” (v. 3). The King James Version uses stronger language, rendering the Greek word epagōnizomai as “earnestly contend.” It means “to struggle for,” “to exercise great effort and exertion for something.” It was used of athletic contests to describe the struggle and effort expended by the athletes. The faith refers to the teaching of Christ and the apostles that was believed and practiced by His followers. Today, God will help those who’ve heard and responded to the truth of Scripture to earnestly “contend for the faith,” remain faithful, and encourage others who are being deceived by false teachers.

For further study, read: Reclaiming Hope

http://www.odb.org

The angel of the Lord asked him, “Why have you beaten your donkey these three times?” Numbers 22:32

Today’s Scripture

Numbers 22:22-23, 25-31

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In thirteenth-century France, legend has it that a knight left his baby boy at home guarded by his greyhound dog Guinefort. The knight returned to find chaos—the crib overturned, his son nowhere to be seen, and his hound’s mouth covered in blood. Assuming the dog had harmed his son, he killed it. Afterward, he found the body of a large snake covered in dog bites—and his son unharmed under the cradle. Guinefort had saved the baby’s life. The dog’s heroism and unjust fate so moved people that they misguidedly revered Guinefort as a saint.

Scripture records a similar incident, in which an animal was unjustly punished for protecting its owner. The prophet Balaam had been hired by the Moabite king to curse God’s people (Numbers 22:4-6). On Balaam’s journey, an “angel of the Lord . . . with a drawn sword” (v. 23) blocked his path. Balaam’s donkey, seeing the danger, avoided the angel twice—only to be beaten for his efforts (vv. 23, 25). When the donkey could no longer evade the angel, he refused to move and was again punished (vv. 26-27).

Finally, God enabled the donkey to speak and defend itself (vv. 29-30), and then He opened Balaam’s eyes to see the angel and heed God’s instructions (v. 31-32).

We’re not likely to hear an animal talk back to us anytime soon, but God can still open our eyes in unexpected ways. When that happens, let’s be prepared to listen.

Reflect & Pray

When has God opened your eyes? How has that changed you?

Gracious God, please help me to hear and respond to Your leading.

Today’s Insights

One wonders how Balaam, a non-Jewish prophet, knew about Yahweh, the one true God. Balaam had a reputation as an effective prophet; that’s why Midian’s King Balak commissioned him (Numbers 22:5-6). Yet even though God spoke to Balaam (v. 9), he wasn’t righteous. He later advised Midianite women to seduce Israelite men into sexual sin and idolatry (see 25:1-9; 31:15-16). We serve the God who can open the mouth of a donkey (22:28) and the eyes of a wicked prophet (vv. 31, 34). We can expect Him to open the eyes of those who trust Him and want to serve Him.

For further study, read: Who is Your Neighbor

http://www.odb.org

Let us throw off everything that hinders 
and the sin that so easily entangles. Hebrews 12:1

Today’s Scripture

Hebrews 12:1-7, 10, 14

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My smartphone occasionally reminds me I’m not good at digital housekeeping. “Junk files are taking up space,” the message reads. “Delete 675MB of junk files.” Now, I dislike being nagged by my phone. But if I clean out those files, I’ve got more space for things that really matter. Then, when I’m at my daughter’s swim meet, for instance, I’ll have enough digital storage to actually shoot a video of her winning a race instead of unexpectedly realizing that those pesky “junk files” have sabotaged my ability to capture the moment.

Junk files on our phones are easy to delete. But what about the “junk files” in our souls? Like our phones, our souls can be clogged with stuff that keeps us from flourishing spiritually. The author of Hebrews understood this reality, encouraging us to pay close attention to anything that trips us up in our walk with God. “Let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles,” he writes, followed by this challenge: “And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us” (Hebrews 12:1).

What weighs you down? What trips you up? Hebrews encourages us to fix “our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith” (v. 2), who alone can help us identify and delete the “junk files” that hinder our abundant life in Him.

Reflect & Pray

What most trips you up in your relationship with God? How does your faith help you identify and throw off sinful influences?

Dear Father, please give me the wisdom and courage to “throw off . . . the sin that so easily entangles” me.

Today’s Insights

The original audience of the letter to the Hebrews were Jewish believers in Jesus who may have considered reverting back to Judaism or were straying toward false teachings (see 2:1-4; 3:1-4). Many scholars believe the book was written before the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple in ad 70 because it includes references to Jewish ceremonies and sacrifices. Hebrews encourages believers to endure and hold fast to Christ (2:1-4; 3:7–4:13; 5:11–6:2). In chapter 11, known as the “Hall of Faith,” the author commends the many men and women of the Bible who lived by faith and sometimes died because of it. Therefore, because of their witness and example, believers in Jesus are prompted to “throw off everything that hinders” us—including sin—and “run with perseverance the race marked out for us” (12:1).

For further study, read: Sin is Awful, God is Gracious

http://www.odb.org

Fear the Lord your God. Deuteronomy 10:12

Today’s Scripture

Deuteronomy 10:12-15

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“I killed people in the past,” Tanitan said, “but ever since I chose to believe in Jesus Christ, He will not allow me to commit such practices anymore.” Tanitan, a member of the Ilongot tribe from the Sierra Madre mountains in the Philippines, came from a culture of head-hunting—the practice of hunting humans and severing their heads. In comparing his life before he knew God to his life now, Tanitan said, “Before, I was afraid to die but not afraid to kill. Now, I am afraid to kill but not afraid to die.”

As I read Tanitan’s story in the book To the Headhunters of Sierra Madre by Florentino Santos, I thought of how his newfound fear of or reverence toward God developed his desire to obey Him. I remembered Moses’ words to the Israelites before they entered the land God promised them: “What does the Lord your God ask of you but to fear the Lord your God” (Deuteronomy 10:2). Reverence toward God was to be reflected in obedience to Him. God’s people were to “walk in obedience to Him, to love Him . . . and to observe the Lord’s commands and decrees” (vv. 12-13).

As believers in Jesus, our deep respect for God’s holiness compels us to hate evil and do what pleases Him (Proverbs 8:13). Let’s ask Him to help us make reverence toward God a way of life.

Reflect & Pray

From today’s Scripture, how would you describe the “fear [of] the Lord”? Where do you find obeying God difficult, and how can the command to fear Him help you?

Holy God, please help me to experience reverent fear in Your presence.

Today’s Insights

“Moses summoned all Israel” (Deuteronomy 5:1), and he began to publicly review the covenant God had made with His people. They were about to cross the Jordan River (Joshua 3), and Moses would soon step across a “metaphorical” Jordan into eternity (Deuteronomy 34:7). Much of his speech recounts Israel’s rebellion during their meandering forty-year journey out of Egypt (9:7-24). Even as he assured them of their future success in inhabiting the promised land, Moses warned, “It is not because of your righteousness that the Lord your God is giving you this good land to possess” (v. 6). It was because God had chosen them, in spite of their failure: “They are your people, your inheritance that you brought out by your great power and your outstretched arm” (v. 29). Because God was their God, Israel was to follow Him. Although His holiness can’t tolerate sin, His Spirit enables believers in Jesus today to “fear” Him, “[obey]” Him, and worship Him (10:12).

For further study, read: The Fear of the Lord

http://www.odb.org

Therefore we do not lose heart. 2 Corinthians 4:16

Today’s Scripture

2 Corinthians 4:7-18

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Today’s Devotion

Before our trip to Switzerland, my mental snapshot was of snowy Alps, goats grazing, and mountain farmers blowing alpine horns. However, as we drove south from Zurich, the landscape was the same drab tangle of highways we saw in any city. When we got close to our lodging, we had to drive up a precarious one-lane dirt road. At our rental place, we hauled our suitcases up steep stone stairways. Exhausted and disappointed, we finally made our way onto the patio. And there, opening up before us, stretched an extraordinary vista: the Alps rising up majestically over the blue expanse of Lake Lucerne, with small towns glittering like fireflies below us. The ordeal was worth it.

I recalled the verse, “Therefore we do not lose heart” (2 Corinthians 4:16). The apostle Paul writes of his own struggles: “We are hard pressed on every side, but . . . not in despair” (v. 8). He reveals his positive outlook: “Our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all” (v. 17). He advises us to “fix our eyes . . . on what is unseen” (v. 18), to hope for that eternal landscape.

Sometimes our journey is drab and difficult. But in Christ, we’re assured that we’ll witness the ultimate snapshot. The ordeal will be worth it: His eternal glory far surpasses anything we can imagine.

Reflect & Pray

What are the difficult roads in your life these days? What does “eternal glory” mean to you?

Loving God, I need encouragement through this tough journey. I pray for assurance of Your eternal glory.


Today’s Insights

The encouragement about suffering that the apostle Paul expresses in 2 Corinthians 4:7-18 is similarly noted in Romans 8: “I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us” (v. 18). How encouraging it is to know that as believers in Jesus in a fallen world, we’ve been given God’s Spirit (v. 23) to be with us as we traverse life’s pleasant and unpleasant territory. When we face trials, the Bible reminds us that they’re “achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all” (2 Corinthians 4:17).

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

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The Lord God . . . breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being. Genesis 2:7

Today’s Scripture

Genesis 2:1-7

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Researchers discovered that the water anole can stay underwater for twenty minutes without a fresh gulp of air. The tiny lizard has water-repelling skin, and after taking a deep dive it exhales a bubble of air that sticks to its snout. The clever creature then rebreathes the bubble again and again—something scientists believe is the recycling of the trapped air supply. Although water anoles possess this special ability, like many creatures, they must breathe to live.

In Genesis 2, we read that God “breathed into [Adam’s] nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being” (v. 7). As He created all things in “the heavens and the earth” (v. 4), He also created man from “the dust of the ground” (v. 7). But it took God’s breath of life to make His creation fully alive. He transformed the first human into a living being—a living soul. Later, He formed Eve from Adam’s rib (v. 22). As spiritual beings, we’re able to enjoy fellowship with Him by belief in Christ. Jesus “breathed on” the disciples and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit” (John 20:22). One commentator writes that this “‘inbreathing’ of the Holy Spirit is essential in order for people to enjoy fellowship with God.”

Each breath we take is God’s gift of physical life. As believers in Jesus, it’s also a reflection of our eternal life and being indwelt by the life-giving Spirit (Romans 8:11).

Reflect & Pray

What does God’s breath of life mean to you? How has the Spirit made you spiritually alive?

Loving God, thank You for eternal life and Your breath of life.

Today’s Insights

Ancient Hebrew literature often conveyed meaning through intentional wordplays. In Genesis 2, the Hebrew word translated “man”—’adam (Genesis 2:7) is very similar to the Hebrew word translated “ground” (vv. 5-7)—’adamah. If a modern translation attempted to capture this wordplay, it might translate “man” (adam) as “earthling” and “ground” (’adamah) as “earth.” By pairing these words, the passage communicates key insights into human nature. Humanity was formed from the earth or ground (v. 7) and so is intimately connected to it. But humanity was also given a unique relationship to God, who gave human beings “the breath of life” (v. 7). Each breath we take is a reminder of God’s gift of physical life.

God is loving and merciful, and He chose to give us new life. God simply gives it to us. And once we’re alive in Him, He gives us the privilege of walking in this new life and serving Him. Read more on this: Alive with Christ

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Shammah took his stand. 2 Samuel 23:12

Today’s Scripture

2 Samuel 23:11-12

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The CEO was hurting employees with his sharp tongue. No one dared confront him. Everyone was afraid of him, including Gene. But one day the CEO berated a new employee, reducing her to tears. When Gene saw how everyone in the room stayed silent, he spoke up.

“I told him the way he was treating people was wrong,” Gene recalls. “He was astonished; it was the first time someone stood up to him. He didn’t change, but I’m glad I spoke up.”

Scripture tells us of another man who stood up to a challenge many were afraid of. Shammah, a military warrior of David, came to the future king from difficult circumstances (see 2 Samuel 23:11-12), but God used him to defeat the Philistines. “When the Philistines banded together at . . . a field full of lentils, Israel’s troops fled from them” (v. 11). Only Shammah had the courage to defend Israel’s food supply. Being the lone man against the Philistine army meant death, but Shammah “took his stand in the middle of the field. He defended it” (v. 12).

God helped Shammah defeat the Philistines (v. 12). He may have been the only Israelite in the field, but he wasn’t alone—God was with him, giving him great victory that day. There may be times when we’re called to stand up to a challenge that everyone else is avoiding. Like Shammah, let’s take our stand, relying on God’s presence and help.

Reflect & Pray

What challenge is God calling you to stand up to? How can you rely on Him for help?

Dear Father, please give me the courage to take a stand for You.

Today’s Insights

Thirty-seven loyal and fearless chief warriors led David’s army (2 Samuel 23:8-39). Collectively known as “the Thirty” (vv. 13, 23-24), God used these men to fulfill His purpose of making David king of the entire land of Israel (1 Chronicles 11:10). Of these chief warriors, a group called “the Three” (2 Samuel 23:8) were David’s top elite commanders. Josheb-Basshebeth killed eight hundred men at one time (v. 8). Eleazar struck down the Philistines after the rest of the Israelites had abandoned him (vv. 9-10). And Shammah stood his ground against the Philistines and was victorious through God’s power while the rest of Israel’s troops fled (vv. 11-12).

The apostle Paul likens the faith of believers in Jesus to warfare, urging us to “put on the full armor of God” in order to “stand [our] ground” (Ephesians 6:13). Today, God can give us courage as we fight our battles and enable us to “be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power” (v. 10).

If you would like to read “One Woman’s Inspirational Story of Trust and Courage: Click here: For This, I Have Jesus. 

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Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. James 4:7

Today’s Scripture

James 4:1-10

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In 2018, a man checked into a room at New York hotel for a one-night stay. Remarkably, he used the room for five years without paying another cent—exploiting obscure rent laws to hold on to it. His refusal to leave, however, eventually led to potential prison time for him.

Like an unwelcome tenant who overstays, James warns us that the devil lingers in our lives when left unchecked. “Resist the devil,” James writes, “and he will flee from you” (4:7). The apostle emphasizes that our struggles often come from impure “desires” and “wrong motives” (vv. 1, 3)—things like pride, divided loyalties, and impure thoughts residing in our hearts. To counter such temptation, James offers two commands: “submit . . . to God” and “resist the devil” (v. 7). To submit means surrendering every part of our lives to God. Resisting the devil is equally active, requiring prayer, vigilance, and the wisdom of Scripture.

Like a landlord evicting an unlawful tenant, in God’s strength we can refuse to let the temptation of the devil overtake us. As we resist him, God promises victory as James asserts, “He will flee from you” (v. 7).

When we evict sin and the devil’s influence and “come near to God” (v. 8), we allow His peace, joy, and purpose to dwell more fully in us. The enemy can’t stay where God reigns!

Reflect & Pray

What can you do to remove “unwelcome tenants” from your life? How does submitting to God help?

Sovereign God, please help me surrender every part of my life to You so I can stand firm against the enemy’s schemes.

Today’s Insights

In addition to the admonitions of Peter (1 Peter 5:8) and James (James 4:7) regarding spiritual vigilance in resisting temptation, Paul also had something to say about it. After noting how the Israelites had succumbed to temptation in the wilderness (1 Corinthians 10:1-11), he warned the Corinthians: “If you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall! No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful . . . . When you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it” (vv. 12-13). The apostle lists two examples of how the “way out” can sometimes involve fleeing. He says we’re to “flee from idolatry” (v. 14) and “sexual immorality” (6:18). The Holy Spirit helps us to stand firm against the enemy.

Read further to understand how a boy who grew up in the church moved from Hidden sin to honest surrender: From Hidden Sin to Honest Surrender.

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Three times a day [Daniel] got down on his knees, and prayed, giving thanks to his God, just as he had done before. Daniel 6:10

Today’s Scripture

Daniel 6:3-7, 9-11

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Academy Award-winning actor Denzel Washington encouraged a group of young actors to begin each day with prayer, suggesting they “put your shoes way under the bed at night” to ensure they “gotta get on your knees in the morning.”

Developing a regular habit of prayer might take some thoughtful and even creative planning, but it’s a practice that has sustained God’s people throughout history—especially in difficult times. We see this in the life of Daniel, who served in King Darius’ administration. He quickly distinguished himself as the top government advisor, which angered local officials (Daniel 6:3). Out of jealousy they plotted to oust the prophet, but quickly realized the only charge that would stick was related to Daniel’s devotion to the “the law of his God” (v. 5). Even after the officials tricked the king into making it illegal for Daniel to pray, Daniel still “got down on his knees, and prayed . . . just as he had done before” (v. 10).

A consistent prayer life was essential for Daniel to experience God’s sustaining strength and peace (Psalm 29:11). It helped him to triumph over the forces seeking to destroy him. In the same way, establishing a regular time to meet with God in prayer and making it a daily priority can help cultivate our relationship with Him. During each difficulty we face, it’s His strength that will sustain us.

Reflect & Pray

How has a regular pattern of prayer sustained you in difficulty? What example of prayer in the Bible encourages you?

Loving Father, please give me Your strength and mercy each morning.

Prayer is all about spending time with the one we love, Father God. To understand more about the joy of prayer listen to this video devotion: Luke 6:12 – A Master Class In Prayer| Our Daily Bread

Today’s Insights

Luke’s gospel includes snapshots of Jesus’ prayer life. As the news of His ministry spread, He “often withdrew to lonely places and prayed” (5:16). Prior to the selection of the twelve apostles, He “went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God” (6:12). And as was the case with Daniel, prayer was a prelude to a severe trial (Daniel 6:6-10). Before Christ faced the cross, He agonized in prayer in Gethsemane (see Luke 22:39-46). Being faithful in prayer cultivates our relationship with God, strengthens our soul, and helps us to be at peace during trials.

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I will keep my eye on them. Amos 9:4

Today’s Scripture

Amos 9:2-4, 11-12, 14-15

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Michael couldn’t help laughing as Grace hid behind a menu. They were playing a game of hide-and-seek at the table in a café while waiting for the food. The five-year-old thought that if she couldn’t see her father, then he couldn’t see her. It seemed silly at the time, but as Michael reflected on the situation later, he realized it contained an important lesson: Do we believe we can hide our sins from God? Do we think that if we can’t see Him, then He can’t see us?

In Amos 9, this same point is made when God, speaking through the prophet, warns Israel not to think they can escape judgment for their sins: “Though they hide themselves . . . I will hunt them down.” He said, “I will keep my eye on them” (vv. 3-4). Nothing escapes the eyes of the all-seeing, all-knowing God.

But the warning also came with a message of hope. In verses 11-15, God promises restoration: “I will restore David’s fallen shelter—I will repair its broken walls” (v. 11). After suffering the consequences of their sin, God’s people would be restored and given bountiful blessings (vv. 13-15).

Just as God sees our failings, He also sees our repentance, and He’s ready to forgive and restore. As we draw comfort from this truth, let’s hold on tightly to our holy and righteous God, who is full of mercy and grace.

Reflect & Pray

What sins are you struggling with? How will you respond to God’s readiness to restore?

All-knowing God, nothing I do, think, say, or feel is hidden from You. Thank You for Your mercy and grace, for my hope is in You alone.

Nearness not distance is what tax collectors and sinners need and it’s what sinners still need. Jesus showed that he took sin seriously when he came near to us—his fallen and sinful creation—so that he could take away our sins. If you and I are going to follow the way of Jesus we’re going to have to come to grips with the fact that taking sin seriously is not demonstrated by distance but through nearness. Taking Sin Seriously

Today’s Insights

We frequently encounter the metaphor of God’s “eyes” in Scripture, symbolism that speaks of His attentiveness to us. Before the Israelites entered the promised land, Yahweh told them: “If you then become corrupt and make any kind of idol, doing evil in the eyes of the Lord your God . . . you will quickly perish from the land that you are crossing Jordan to possess” (Deuteronomy 4:25-26). Centuries passed, and the people indeed became corrupt. God responded, “I will keep my eye on them for harm and not for good” (Amos 9:4). However, this “harm” (His discipline) ultimately was for their good. Although Yahweh said, “The eyes of the Sovereign Lord are on the sinful kingdom,” He also said, “I will not totally destroy the descendants of Jacob” (v. 8). God’s correction is for our benefit and intended to bring about our repentance. He’s quick to forgive and restore us.

For further study, read Taking Sin Seriously.

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The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still. Exodus 14:14

Today’s Scripture

Exodus 14:10-18

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Professional boxer Jim Braddock was known as someone who fought not for riches and fame but to put food on the table for his family. The movie Cinderella Man chronicles his fairytale-like comeback from a past-his-prime boxer to the world heavyweight champion. While facing extreme poverty during the Great Depression, Jim repeatedly sacrificed his own resources, health, and pride to provide for his children. He was never intimidated by an opponent and courageously endured pummeling in the ring to keep his family safe.

Jim’s legacy is one of passionate defense of his family. We, too, have a passionate defender who has promised to take our place in the ring. When the Israelites faced Pharaoh’s mighty army after their escape from slavery in Egypt, they were terrified and cried out to God. “It would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the desert!” they foolishly said (Exodus 14:12). But Moses replied in faith, “The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still” (v. 14). And without any action from the Israelites, their enemies were literally swept away by the sea as God supernaturally ended the battle before it even began.

Sometimes it feels like we’re facing the trials of life or arrows from the enemy, Satan, on our own (see Psalm 91:5). But God’s with us (Deuteronomy 31:6), and He fights for us; we need only to be still.

Reflect & Pray

What battle are you tempted to fight on your own? What does it look like to “be still” as you trust God to fight for you?

Dear Jesus, I trust You as You fight for me.

Waiting is hard; there’s no question. But some of life’s most important seasons happen in the in-between. Through Psalms, Romans, and Galatians, this five-day study explores how God draws us closer and shapes our hearts through seasons of waiting. Learn to release control, trust God’s timing, and experience his nearness as you wait with this reading plan from Reclaim Today: Hope In the In Between

Today’s Insights

The theme of God as a divine warrior (see Exodus 14:14) spans the landscape of Scripture. Exodus 15 poetically depicts God at war with Pharaoh’s army, saying, “The Lord is a warrior” (v. 3). One Bible encyclopedia has this to say: “In the New Testament, the Divine Warrior theme is fulfilled in the person and work of Jesus Christ. While the imagery shifts from physical battles to spiritual warfare, the essence of God as a warrior remains. In Revelation, Christ is depicted as the ultimate Divine Warrior who will defeat evil and establish His kingdom.” Today, when faced with temptation, we can rest in God, who fights for us.

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He was despised and rejected by mankind. Isaiah 53:3

Today’s Scripture

Isaiah 53:1-7

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A photography contest featured images created by artificial intelligence (AI). People from around the world submitted pictures they had fabricated by AI text prompts on computers. Only AI-generated images were allowed. One winner was a surreal depiction: something that looked like a pink flamingo curled into a feathery ball, against a sandy landscape.

There was only one problem. The winning image was a real photograph of a real flamingo. The photographer had entered an authentic photo in an AI-contest. His picture, “Flamingone,” was disqualified. That’s right—the authentic photo was rejected for being the real thing.

The prophet Isaiah vividly foretells a similar irony about the trial and crucifixion of Jesus Christ: “He was led like a lamb to the slaughter” (Isaiah 53:7). Christ was taken to court for claiming to be the Jewish Messiah. Yet he did not offer a defense: “He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth” (v. 7). Isaiah points to the ultimate contradiction: “He was despised and rejected by mankind” (v. 3). That’s right—the authentic Messiah, the true Son of God, was rejected as being fake.

Today, you and I are judges in that court of decision. Do we accept Jesus as the authentic Son of God? Or do we reject Him as something less? Even if we believe in Him, does our daily living sometimes reject Him as the real deal?

Reflect & Pray

How does your life reflect the authenticity of Jesus Christ? How might it reject Him?

Dear God, please help me to honor You as I live in Your genuine presence.

Kristen “KB” Newton is the creator and founder of HEARTConvos, an organization that helps people build authentic relationships through having hard conversations. In this episode, KB and Rasool discuss her military-family life and the difference between civilian life, how she learned to survive and adapt, and why she never truly had a place she called “home” while growing up. We also spoke about what prompted her to create HEARTConvos, and why she believes Jesus championed friendship more than any other relationship: Developing Real Friends With K B Newton

Today’s Insights

Isaiah 53 is the last of four messianic prophecies in the book of Isaiah known as the “Servant Songs” (chs. 42, 49, 50, 53) because they speak of the ministry, suffering, and exaltation of God’s Servant, the Messiah. Chapter 53 describes the rejection of Jesus (vv. 1-3), His suffering and death in our place (vv. 4-6), His sacrificial death and burial (vv. 7-9), and His resurrection (vv. 10-12).

The New Testament unequivocally applies Isaiah 53 to Christ (see John 12:38; Romans 10:16 [Isaiah 53:1]; Matthew 8:17 [Isaiah 53:4]; 1 Peter 2:22-25 [Isaiah 53:4-9]; Acts 8:32-33 [Isaiah 53:7-8]; Luke 22:37 [Isaiah 53:12]). Peter quoted Isaiah 53:4-9 (1 Peter 2:22-25) to encourage believers in Jesus who were suffering because of their faith (1:6) that Christ also endured unjust suffering. When we put our faith in Jesus—the authentic Son of God—He’ll help us reflect Him in our lives and “follow in his steps” (v. 21).

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