I want to know Christ. Philippians 3:10

Today’s Scripture

Philippians 3:10-16

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After getting fired from his job without prior notice, Wil became so depressed that he admitted himself into an inpatient mental health facility. Then one day, after weeks with no progress, he was taking his daily walk when his therapist, seeing him, smiled and called out, “I bet I’ll beat you to the community room.” Wil recalls, “That small act triggered something inside of me.” Suddenly he felt he had a purpose. Walking fast, he raced his therapist to the room and won. To his surprise, having one inspiring goal and meeting it gave him hope—a key to his recovery.

The apostle Paul understood the power of a clear goal. “I want to know Christ,” he told church members (Philippians 3:10). He wanted to know the power of the resurrected Jesus, for that power would help the apostle become more like Him. To achieve that aim, Paul followed one strategy: “Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus” (vv. 13-14). Feel like you’re falling short? God helps us refocus our goals as we “live up to what we have already attained” in Christ (v. 16).

Paul’s goal, therefore, wasn’t focused on earthly things. He knew that “our citizenship is in heaven” (v. 20). With this eternal perspective in view, we find new hope to thrive in Christ.

Reflect & Pray

What goals do you have? How might you need to change them to align with Christ’s purpose?

Please shape my goals, dear Father, so they inspire me to know Jesus.

Today’s Insights

Paul is driven by his urgent passion “to know Christ” (Philippians 3:10). He wants to “know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection” (vv. 10-11). Being transformed to be like the resurrected Jesus requires us to pursue that goal with everything we have (vv. 13-14, 17). Yet even as we “press on toward the goal” (v. 14), we know it’s only possible through complete reliance on God. He’ll help us shape our goals so that we’ll know Him better. One day, we’ll be resurrected and will finally reflect Him perfectly (v. 21).

For further study, read: 3 Tips for Discerning God’s Will

http://www.odb.org

A gentle answer turns away wrath. Proverbs 15:1

Today’s Scripture

Proverbs 15:1-6

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“Close it up. I’ve seen enough.” Those were the words of an older, experienced beekeeper to me one afternoon when I was learning how to tend a hive. My movements had been quick and forceful, causing vibrations that alarmed the bees and resulted in a growing swarm around my head. Even though I was trying to care for them, I was only making them angry. My friend proceeded to show me the importance of moving “softly,” using gentle motions that were less likely to disturb the bees. Today (years later), when I go into a hive, my motions are so much smoother that my wife tells me it almost looks like I’m dancing.

Sometimes difficult conversations are like dancing with bees. When others are upset and emotions are tense, reacting angrily only makes matters worse. As King Solomon observed, “A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger” (Proverbs 15:1). Responding kindly and peacefully to those who are irritated or unreasonable may take time to learn. But because gentleness is a fruit of the Holy Spirit at work within us (see Galatians 5:22-23), with God’s help we can make progress in it.

These days I’m learning to pray for wisdom and gentleness whenever I go into a hive or a difficult conversation. When we walk with God into tense moments, our “help in trouble” is never far away (Psalm 46:1).

Reflect & Pray

How can God help you react gently to someone who’s angry? What will you say to someone who needs a gentle response from you today?

Dear Jesus, please help me to gently share Your love in the ways I respond to others today.

Today’s Insights

Wisdom is one of the great themes of the Bible. In fact, in Old Testament wisdom literature, poetry is designed to show the difference between wisdom and folly. This is often done through the poetic device of parallelism. In antithetical parallelism, a verse will contain two lines that contrast with one another, as seen in Proverbs 15:1: “A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.” This device is found throughout Proverbs and Ecclesiastes and makes a vivid case for living a life of wisdom in a world wracked by foolishness. The book of Proverbs offers practical advice for how to use our words wisely. We can ask God for wisdom when we don’t know how to respond in difficult situations. In the New Testament, James tells us, “If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you” (1:5).

For further study, read: Guided by the Spirit

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Hollow and deceptive philosophy . . . depends on human tradition and the elemental spiritual forces of this world rather than on Christ. Colossians 2:8

Today’s Scripture

Colossians 2:6-15

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In Santa Fe, New Mexico, thousands gather each year to burn Zozobra—a fifty-foot towering effigy stuffed with their worries, bills, and regrets. They shout, “Burn him!” as they hope the flames will devour their anxieties and troubles and reset their lives. The ritual reflects a deep human longing to be cleansed of fear, shame, and failure. It’s dramatic. But it’s also powerless. Fire can destroy paper but not guilt. It can consume ashes but not shame.

The apostle Paul wrote, “See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the elemental spiritual forces of this world rather than on Christ” (Colossians 2:8). He reminded his readers that they shouldn’t trade Jesus for empty substitutes, and he explains why: Christ is the visible “image of the invisible God” (1:15), is supreme over creation (1:16), fully God in human flesh (2:9), and victorious over “every power and authority” (v. 10). Because of His death and resurrection, we’re “rooted and built up in him” (v. 7), and fully alive and forgiven by Him (v. 13). Human rituals and cultural ceremonies can mesmerize a crowd, but only Jesus can cancel sin’s debt and break its grip forever.

Instead of yielding our burdens to rituals and traditions, let’s surrender them to Christ. He alone frees us from captivity and fills us with hope.

Reflect & Pray

How can human rituals be dangerous substitutes for Christ? In what ways does He offer us freedom from them?

Dear Jesus, only You can truly set me free.

Today’s Insights

Paul wrote, “[God] has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation—if you continue in your faith . . . and do not move from the hope held out in the gospel” (1:22-23). The apostle is combatting false teaching here—probably Gnosticism. Among its claims were that Christ didn’t have a physical body. This isn’t a biblical teaching, as it denies the crucifixion and resurrection. Paul warned, “See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy” (2:8). As he said, “You were dead in your sins” but now “God made you alive with Christ” (v. 13). When we accept Jesus’ sacrifice as payment for our sin, we become free from sin’s burden.

For further study, read: Teach Us to Pray

http://www.odb.org

After all, God is in heaven, and you 
are here on earth. So let your words be few. Ecclesiastes 5:2 nlt

Today’s Scripture

Ecclesiastes 5:1-5

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In a TED Talk, Celeste Headlee outlines “10 Ways to Have a Better Conversation.” One of those might appear to be counterintuitive: In order to have good conversation, we need to listen. Often when the other person is talking, we aren’t really listening to them but forming in our minds what we next want to say. Headlee quotes author Stephen Covey: “Most of us don’t listen with the intent to understand. We listen with the intent to reply.”

Scripture has much to say about listening, especially when it comes to God. Ecclesiastes is rather blunt: “Keep your ears open and your mouth shut” (Ecclesiastes 5:1 nlt). It reminds us that God knows a whole lot more than we do—“God is in heaven” (v. 2)—so it’s wise for us to listen to Him. A verse in Proverbs seems to resonate with the quotes from Headlee and Covey: “Fools find no pleasure in understanding but delight in airing their own opinions” (18:2).

What does this mean for us? As we come before God in prayer, we would do well to make time to actually listen to Him, not just rattle on with our lists of concerns and worries. And as we find ourselves in conversations with others today, we might be surprised at how our relationships deepen when we’re really listening to them, not just figuring out what we want to tell them.

Reflect & Pray

When it comes to listening, how might you think 
differently about your prayer time with God? 
How can you take more time to listen to Him?

Dear God, please help me to truly listen to others. I want to make time in my prayers to really listen to You.

Today’s Insights

Having the posture of a listening and responsive heart is an important part of prayer. We often hear from God as His Spirit nudges us to the Scriptures (John 14:26), which challenge us to listen to and obey His words and enlighten us to wisdom for the challenges of life. This may explain why obey and listen are the same word (shema) in Hebrew. To hear God and not obey Him is the greatest of follies. In 1 Samuel 15:22, Saul is chastened by Samuel’s words: “Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the Lord? To obey is better than sacrifice.” These words echo Ecclesiastes 5:1: “Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. Go near to listen rather than to offer the sacrifice of fools.” Today, the Spirit can help us take time to listen to what God is saying to us when we pray.

For further study, read Teach Us to Pray.

http://www.odb.org

The Spirit of the Lord came on Jephthah. Judges 11:29

Today’s Scripture

Judges 10:17–11:8, 29

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He was the doctor who never turned away a patient—even if some couldn’t pay him and even though he himself had experienced rejection from society. In spite of Harold’s outstanding record in his medical studies, no hospital in London hired him because of the color of his skin. So in 1913 he opened his own practice in his home, often treating the poor for free. Dr. Harold Moody spent his life helping those discriminated against, earning him the title “Britain’s Martin Luther King.”

Dr. Moody shows that our life need not be determined by the rejection of others. Scripture also shows us this truth in the story of Jephthah. Although a mighty warrior, Jephthah was rejected by his half brothers and driven away from their town. They told him, “You are not going to get any inheritance in our family . . . because you are the son of another woman” (Judges 11:2). “So Jephthah fled from his brothers” and settled in another area (v. 3).

Although his family rejected him, God didn’t. When an enemy made war on Israel, it was Jephthah that the people turned to for help (vv. 4-6). They said, “Be our commander, so we can fight the Ammonites” (v. 6). God used and helped Jephthah to subdue their enemy (vv. 29, 32-33) and to later lead Israel (Judges 12:7).

When we’re rejected by others, let’s keep trusting and obeying God. It’s how He sees us and what He wants us to do that matters.

Reflect & Pray

How does rejection affect you? How does God’s acceptance of you encourage you?

Thank You, Father, for Your love and acceptance.
For further study, read The Peace that Jesus Brings at odbm.org.

Today’s Insights

Jephthah the warrior was rejected by others, but God used him for His purpose (Judges 11:2-3, 29). Jesus also understood rejection. He was rejected by the people of His hometown of Nazareth, who doubted His authority (Mark 6:1-6). He was rejected by the Pharisees and other Jewish religious leaders who plotted to kill Him (3:6). Many of His followers deserted Him (John 6:60-66). For a time, His siblings failed to believe He was the Messiah (7:5). His disciple Judas Iscariot betrayed Him (18:2-3). At His trial, the people shouted for His crucifixion (Mark 15:13). When we face rejection, we can bring our pain to Him knowing He understands. He sees us, loves us, and accepts us.

For further study, read: The Peace that Jesus Brings

http://www.odb.org

Will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills 
and go to look for the one that wandered off? Matthew 18:12

Today’s Scripture

Matthew 18:10-14

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The movie Sully depicts the heroic landing of a stalled passenger plane on New York’s Hudson River. As Captain “Sully” strode off the rescue ferry, he told an official, “I need to know who’s hurt and how badly and I need a count. One hundred fifty-five. That’s my number. That’s passengers and crew.” The man said, “Okay. How about you?” Sully replied, “I’ll answer that question when we’ve counted to one hundred fifty-five.”

Jesus is interested in a count too. He’s the Good Shepherd who leaves the ninety-nine to search for the one lost sheep. When He finds it, He “is happier about that one sheep than about the ninety-nine that did not wander off” (Matthew 18:13). This doesn’t mean the one lost sheep counts more than the others. But there is the joy of relief when it’s found. As Sully’s passengers rejoiced to escape almost certain death, so heaven celebrates when someone receives salvation.

Do you know any lost sheep? Anyone who seems particularly unreachable? Pray for them. Seek to share the love of Jesus with them. Don’t give up until they’re in the fold.

Sully badgered anyone who would listen, “I need a count. We’ve got to have a count.” At long last, an official entered the hospital room where Sully was being examined. He smiled. “Got a count. One hundred fifty-five.”

Reflect & Pray

Who are three people who need Jesus you could pray for on a regular basis? How might you share the love of Jesus with them?

Dear Jesus, please help me to see Your “sheep” like You see them.

Today’s Insights

Jesus’ words in Matthew 18 are a direct reflection of God’s concern for those in need of Him. The example of a shepherd searching for his lost sheep (vv. 12-14) shows the seeking nature of God. The essence of verse 14—“your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should perish”—is seen in 2 Peter 3:9, where Simon Peter says, “The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead, he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” This was Christ’s own mission in coming to this world—to seek with the heart of the Father. He said, “The Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost” (Luke 19:10). As we pray for those who need Jesus, we’re joining God in His great work of rescue.

For further study, read: The Power of Prayer in Sharing the Gospel

http://www.odb.org

Then the Lord asked him, “What is that in your hand?” “A shepherd’s staff,” Moses replied. Exodus 4:2 nlt

Today’s Scripture

Exodus 4:1-5, 10-11

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Captain Tim Mullane diligently worked at sinking the SS United States—a massive ocean liner. In fact, he was paid to send it down to the depths. Mullane repurposes ships from sailing the seven seas to serving as instant artificial reefs on the ocean floor. Sunken vessels provide attractive destinations for scuba divers and help protect coastlines as they curb the erosion of beaches. While no longer riding ocean waves, the ships continue to provide value lying far beneath them.

Moses’ shepherd’s staff was repurposed for something that would prove to be invaluable for the Israelites. God asked him, “What is that in your hand?” Moses replied, “A shepherd’s staff” (Exodus 4:2 nlt). Moses cared for sheep for forty years (Acts 7:29-30), but his staff would now be used to shepherd his people out of Egypt. The staff was a symbol of God’s working through Moses, and as he “[performed] the signs with it” (Exodus 4:17), God’s power was revealed. As Moses stretched out his “staff toward the sky” God rained hail on Egypt (9:23) and later allowed the Israelites to pass through “the sea on dry ground” (14:16).

God repurposed Moses’ staff and role to accomplish His purposes. He’ll often use our gifts and talents in fresh ways too. How might He be using your “staff” in a new way during this season of life?

Reflect & Pray

Why can it be hard to let go of roles and responsibilities? 
How might God be using your gifts and talents in new ways?

Loving God, please help me see how You’re using my gifts and talents in fresh ways.

Today’s Insights

Exodus 4 records how God repurposed Moses’ staff (vv. 1-5) to accomplish His purpose. The gospel of John describes how a boy’s meager meal was repurposed. A great crowd of people had followed Jesus and were hungry. Christ asked His disciples, “Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?” (6:5). A boy had a boy-sized lunch, barely enough to satisfy a boy-sized appetite. But when the seemingly insignificant was surrendered to God (v. 9), hungry people were fed (vv. 10-13), and God received the glory (v. 14). Today, we can ask God to use us to accomplish His purposes.

For further study, read: The Confidence to Grow

http://www.odb.org

The other events of Josiah’s reign 
and his acts of devotion . . . are written 
in the book of the kings of Israel and Judah. 2 Chronicles 35:26-27

Today’s Scripture

2 Chronicles 35:20-27

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Like all early departures from this life, Joe’s death shocked those who knew him. Just before he died, he’d begun making poor decisions. Now this husband, father, coach, and youth leader would no longer be there for those who’d relied on him.

It’s easy to focus on Joe’s recent bad choices. Yet when his daughter spoke at his funeral, she rightly highlighted how her dad, though flawed like all of us, had served Jesus with his life.

We find something similar in the story of Judah’s King Josiah. When Egypt’s King Necho mounted a military offensive against Babylon, Josiah foolishly “marched out to meet him in battle” (2 Chronicles 35:20). Necho had no intention of attacking Judah (v. 21), and Josiah’s intervention ignored “God’s command” (v. 22). It cost him his life (vv. 23-24).

Though Josiah finished unwisely, the prophet Jeremiah “composed laments for Josiah” (v. 25). The story concludes, “The other events of Josiah’s reign and his acts of devotion . . . are written in the book of the kings of Israel and Judah” (vv. 26-27). Acts of devotion. A timely epitaph for an untimely death.

It’s good to ponder the apostle Paul’s words: “There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1). As we consider how our heavenly Father sees us in Christ, it’s easy to recall the acts of devotion done by His children who’ve left us.

Reflect & Pray

Who have you lost to death? What acts of devotion might you recall in memory of them?

Thank You, heavenly Father, that You see Your children in Christ.
For further study, read The Oldest Theology: Jesus’s Victory over Adam’s Curse at odbm.org.

Today’s Insights

In addition to authoring Jeremiah, the longest book in the Bible, the prophet Jeremiah also wrote the book of Lamentations, a record of his mourning over the fall of Jerusalem to Nebuchadnezzar and the Babylonians. In 2 Chronicles 35:20-27, we’re told that Jeremiah was also a songwriter, and the songs mentioned were tributes to Josiah, the king of Judah (v. 25). We don’t need to be songwriters, however, to honor the memories of those who’ve gone before us. We can encourage others as we share our memories of them. And we also receive comfort ourselves when we privately reflect on their acts of devotion to Jesus.

For further study, read: The Oldest Theology

http://www.odb.org

[None of Job’s friends] said a word to him, 
because they saw how great his suffering was. Job 2:13

Today’s Scripture

Job 2:7-13

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As I sat in a Bible class at the age of twenty-six, I was baffled. 
 Some of my classmates’ comments were discouraging. They 
 seemed to have so many problems. I responded by asking, “If we’re Christians, why are we so down? Don’t we know how this thing really ends?” I was referring to the promise of eternal life in Christ but also to the many promises in the Bible of God’s care for His people. The instructor simply smiled and moved on. But my comment has stuck with me for years.

Eventually life hit me. Job loss, bereavement, illness, and more led me to feel discouraged. Yes, God’s promises are comforting and true, but they don’t promise an easy life. Jesus said we “will have trouble” (John 16:33).

Quite naturally, we feel the impact of such troubles, just as a man named Job did. He was tested, and it hit him hard: He lost his children, his property, and his health (Job 1:13-20; 2:7). His friends came to visit him to console him (2:11-13). In the beginning they simply supported their friend quietly, noting “how great his suffering was” (v. 13). But then they began asking unhelpful questions, not too dissimilar to the one I posed in Bible class.

As we encounter others going through trouble, the Holy Spirit can help us respond with love and compassion. And as we experience sorrow, we can remember the comfort of God’s promises.

Reflect & Pray

How has a friend helped you during a rough time? 
How can you help others by using sensitivity and discernment?

Loving God, please teach me to use wisdom when sympathizing with others.

Today’s Insights

For seven days, Job’s friends were a silent presence with their suffering friend (Job 2:13). Silence tends to make us uncomfortable, so we may try to fill that void with words. But in times of great suffering (like Job’s), words alone are often inadequate to express the comfort or help that the hurting person truly needs. Job’s friends caused more hurt when they began to offer answers that didn’t ease his hurt, pain, or loss. We can ask God to give us wisdom to know when to speak and when to offer the comfort of a silent presence with those who are hurting.

For further study, listen to the Discover the Word Podcast: Rediscovering Friendship

http://www.odb.org

Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind. 1 Thessalonians 4:13

Today’s Scripture

1 Thessalonians 4:13-18

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The call from my mother came around 9 p.m. “It’s about your dad,” she said. “He’s gone.” While I’d been expecting this call for days and was relieved my father was no longer in pain, the news still hit hard. I sobbed deeply as grief took its course over the following days and weeks.

While losing my father was hard on us all, it was particularly hard for some of my unbelieving family members. To their understanding, Dad was gone forever. It was then that I realized how believing in Jesus helps us to grieve.

Paul explained it this way: Since Jesus rose again from death, those who believe in Him will one day rise again too (1 Thessalonians 4:14). This will happen on the day He gathers us up to spend eternity together with Him (vv. 16-17). Paul tells us this “so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope” (v. 13). Knowing I will see my father again brings comfort amidst the tears.

Scripture never promotes griefless loss. Even Jesus wept for a dead friend he knew would return to life (John 11:34-44). And sometimes we don’t know what a loved one believed before they died. Still, our grief has a safety net. Because of Him, we will see our believing loved ones again, and we can entrust all into His care.

Reflect & Pray

When have you realized the power of hope in Christ? 
How do you think that hope differs from the world’s idea?

Dear Jesus, thank You that my loved ones who believed in You are held safe in Your arms even in death, and one day You’ll bring us together again.

Today’s Insights

Grieving the loss of a loved one is a natural and necessary process that takes time. With death can come gut-wrenching pain and heartache. But in 1 Thessalonians 4, we’re instructed not to grieve like “the rest of mankind”—nonbelievers—“who have no hope” (v. 13). Our grief is made more bearable because the Holy Spirit, our Comforter, is with us (John 14:15-17); and we have the assurance of one day being reunited with our believing loved ones and of enjoying our Savior together, forever. Believers in Jesus know this life isn’t all there is. We have the promise of eternal life (3:16). Our loved ones are safe in Christ’s arms, and we can entrust them into His care. One day we’ll be reunited and “there will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain” (Revelation 21:4).

For further study, read: Hope

http://www.odb.org

Every day they continued to meet together. Acts 2:46

Today’s Scripture

Acts 2:42-47

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When I was a child, I gladly accompanied my family to church every Sunday morning and evening. Our pastor exuded joy and always included the children in the service—and even encouraged my writing. My Sunday school teachers and pastor instilled in me a love for Scripture. And Sunday nights often meant a guest speaker or missionary who stirred my heart toward missions. Our church truly earned the slogan our pastor created: “The warmhearted church on Coldwater Road.” It wasn’t perfect, but we were a family. Since that day, I’ve continued attending church (even when it was hard to find the right one), and I’ve been encouraged and have grown in my faith as a result.

Just as we do today, believers in Jesus in the early church needed support and encouragement, and they understood the importance of meeting together with fellow believers (Acts 2:46). They were a family. Together they built each other up when doing life and serving God became difficult. They gathered to pray, study Scripture, praise God, enjoy fellowship, and eat meals together (v. 42). As a result, God caused their numbers to grow (v. 47).

Finding a like-minded church may take time, but it’s vital. Life is difficult to face on our own, and that’s why God gave us families and communities. A church is a great place to build community.

Reflect & Pray

Why do you think it’s important to have a church community? How might participating in church activities encourage you?

Dear God, thank You for giving me Your church, where I can learn more about You and be encouraged.
For further study, read Should We Be the Acts 2 Church? at odbm.org.

Today’s Insights

The early church in Acts recognized the need for community (Acts 2:46). The author of Ecclesiastes also confirmed this truth: “Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up” (4:9-10). Strength in numbers is one reason community is so important. Families and churches that are grounded in God’s truth can support us and help us to survive and thrive. Jesus reminded us that “where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them” (Matthew 18:20). In such a Christ-centered community, we’re enabled to “carry each other’s burdens” (Galatians 6:2), “pray for each other” (James 5:16), and “be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith” (Romans 1:12).

For further study, read: Should We be the Acts 2 Church?

http://www.odb.org

People look at the outward appearance, 
but the Lord looks at the heart. 1 Samuel 16:7

Today’s Scripture

1 Samuel 16:6-12

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On a teaching trip to Moscow, I decided to take the subway to get lunch. Standing in the subway car, I started whistling simply because I felt good after an enjoyable morning teaching and the day was pleasant. The passengers stared at me like I was insane. When I got back to the school, I told one of the office workers that the people were so discouraged and downhearted they stared when I whistled. She politely informed me, “Yes, their lives are very hard, but that isn’t why they stared. They stared because it’s rude to whistle in public here.”

When we make assumptions, we base them on external factors that may not have any bearing on the moment. It’s helpful to recall the story of David’s selection as future king of Israel. As the prophet Samuel considered Jesse’s eldest son, he thought, “Surely the Lord’s anointed stands here before the Lord” (1 Samuel 16:6). But God told Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart” (v. 7).

Basing judgments on appearances will lead to wrong conclusions. We do well to let God do the judging. He sees the heart of the matter.

Reflect & Pray

How do you feel when someone makes wrong assumptions 
about you? Why is it so easy to make assumptions about others?

Wise Father, please forgive me for judging people’s motives when I don’t know the truth about their hearts. Help me to entrust such judgments to You.

Today’s Insights

When Samuel saw Jesse’s son Eliab, he assumed that “the Lord’s anointed” (1 Samuel 16:6) stood before him, for he was strong, impressive, and outwardly fit for kingship. Yet God interrupted Samuel’s confident judgment with a sobering truth: “The Lord does not look at the things people look at” (v. 7). We can sometimes be quick to measure others based on outward appearance, to mistake confidence for calling and stature for faithfulness. But God searches deeper: “[He] looks at the heart” (v. 7). He alone understands the full story within each person, and He’s the only righteous judge. The apostle Paul says that “when the Lord comes,” He’ll “bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of the heart” (1 Corinthians 4:5). Today, when we’re tempted to judge others, God can help us entrust judgment to Him, who sees the heart.

For further study, watch the daily video devotional: It’s Easy to Judge

http://www.odb.org

If our hearts condemn us, we know that God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything. 1 John 3:20

Today’s Scripture

1 John 3:18-24

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One of my favorite books of optical illusions always astounds me as the pictures deceive my eyes—like one with two lines of the same length appearing to be different sizes, or the famous “impossible staircase” in which four flights of stairs seem to link in a continuous loop. It can also be a little disconcerting to realize we don’t always see things as they truly are.

But it’s not only our eyes that deceive us. We can sometimes believe illusions about our identity as God’s children when we’re bombarded daily with the world’s deceptive claims. Author Henri Nouwen wrote, “Jesus came to announce to us that an identity based on success, popularity and power is a false identity—an illusion!”

Our true identity, possible because of God’s lavish love, is that when we receive Jesus as our Savior we become “children of God” (1 John 3:1). As the apostle John recognized, sometimes “our hearts condemn us” (v. 20), and we begin to doubt God’s love or even question if we truly belong to Him. However, “God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything” (v. 20). Instead of being deceived by damaging illusions, we can believe the truth that we are God’s beloved children.

Whatever illusions you may encounter about your identity today, hold fast to the truth that you’re God’s beloved child.

Reflect & Pray

What illusions about your identity have you encountered? How does the truth that you are God’s child encourage you?

Heavenly Father, even when I can’t see or feel it, please help me remember the truth of Your love for me.

Today’s Insights

When we believe in Jesus as our Savior, we become “children of God” (John 1:12). The Holy Spirit “testifies [confirms] with our spirit” that this is true (Romans 8:16; see 1 John 3:24). Our sonship is a gift of God “through faith” (Ephesians 2:8). We can’t earn it. As God’s beloved children, He “has lavished” love on us (1 John 3:1), which includes a personal relationship with Him, eternal life, and guidance by the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:14)—and we’re considered “heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ” (v. 17). He provides all we need in this life—comfort, hope, joy, strength—to live for and serve Him. As God’s children, nothing—“neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future” (v. 38)—can separate us from His great love (v. 39).

For further study, listen to the Discover the Word Podcast : Who Am I?

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He will crush your head and you will strike his heel. Genesis 3:15

Today’s Scripture

Genesis 3:8-15

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When a father learned his five-year-old daughter had fallen overboard from the fourth deck of the cruise ship they were on, he plunged into the ocean forty feet below to rescue her. He held on to his daughter while treading water for more than ten minutes before the ship’s rescue team brought them safely back on board. As soon as the father heard his daughter was in trouble, he risked everything to save her.

All throughout the Bible, we read how our heavenly Father’s love compelled Him to give His all to rescue us from drowning in our sin. God first declared His divine rescue plan in the garden of Eden. After Adam and Eve were tempted by the serpent and sinned, God cursed the serpent and said, “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel” (Genesis 3:15). This verse refers to the spiritual battle between Satan and God’s children and how at His appointed time God would send His Son, Jesus, to redeem the world through His Son’s sacrificial death and resurrection.

God has been ready to save us long before we realized we needed His help. Whenever we feel like we’re sinking in an ocean of sin, we can be encouraged that Jesus is our divine lifeline. We can cry out to Him. He will rescue and restore us.

Reflect & Pray

When have you experienced God’s forgiveness? How does it feel knowing He loves you?

Heavenly Father, thank You for loving and rescuing me.

Today’s Insights

When Adam and Eve sinned, the consequences were both immediate and future. Immediately, they lost access to the garden and the presence of the Creator (Genesis 3:23-24), and eventually, they’d physically die. In between, the life that they’d enjoyed in a paradise created specifically for them would now be tainted with pain, loss, frustration, and failure (vv. 16-19). This is what makes Jesus’ death and resurrection so vital. Only by what Christ did on our behalf can we be rescued and restored to the heavenly Father and have a hope of life after death (Romans 8:1-4). Life continues to be difficult in this world that’s been broken by sin. But when we cry out to Jesus, He’ll rescue us. And one day, God “will wipe every tear from [our] eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain” (Revelation 21:4).

For further study, read: The Forgiveness of God

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Seek first [God’s] kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Matthew 6:33

Today’s Scripture

Matthew 6:25-34

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My young grandson was spending the night in our new home, in a bed unfamiliar to him. He giggled with excitement as we read books under the dinosaur tent I’d pitched atop his cozy comforter, but when it was time to sleep, his eyes widened with worry. “How will I find you if I need you?” he asked. An idea emerged, and I grabbed a roll of ribbon from the gift wrap stash in the closet. Together we unspooled it from his bed, onto the floor, down the hall, and into my bedroom. “Don’t worry,” I said. “If you need me in the night, follow the string and you’ll find me!” He beamed in response.

In Matthew 6, Jesus speaks straight to our struggle with worry about what we’ll eat and drink, about our body and what we’ll wear (v. 25). The Greek root of the word translated “worry” means to be torn in two directions—the direction of faith versus self-reliance. In verse 33, Jesus offers the solution to worry: “Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” It’s a challenge to us to choose and follow the one direction that leads straight to His heart.

When we struggle with worries, we can follow the “string” that directs us to God’s kingdom, His ways, and His presence, knowing that He will provide all we need.

Reflect & Pray

How does knowing that God has given His presence in your days and nights help you resolve your worries? How might you follow the “string” to find God’s presence today?

Dear God, please help me seek Your kingdom each day, knowing that You long to meet my needs.

Today’s Insights

In Matthew 6:25-33, Jesus used a principle for logic and interpretation sometimes called qal wahomer, Hebrew for “light and heavy.” It argues that if something is true for something less important (“light”), it’s also true for something more important (“heavy”). Christ used this principle to emphasize that if God cares for the birds and clothes the fields, how much more must He care for His beloved children (Matthew 6:26-30). When we trust God, we exchange our preoccupation on what’s less important for a devotion to what’s most important. Today, when we struggle with worry, God can help us focus on Him, knowing that He’ll take care of all our needs (v. 33).

For further study, read: Our Help, His Presence

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By ourselves we will not be able to rebuild 
the wall. . . . Remember the Lord, who is great 
and awesome. Nehemiah 4:10, 14 esv

Today’s Scripture

Nehemiah 4:6-14

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Elise felt the panic rising. The book layout was due the next day, but the printer had rejected the photos. It could take days to sort it out.

“Don’t worry,” said her husband, Sam. “Let’s ask God for help. Then we’ll work through the night. This software might help us fix the photos quickly.”

As they prayed, Elise started to feel more assured. Just keep looking to God, she told herself. With this God-given peace of mind and Sam’s practical tip, she went to work—and completed the task in time.

As she did so, Elise recalled the Israelites’ mammoth task of rebuilding their city wall (Nehemiah 4). As if it wasn’t difficult enough, enemies mocked them and conspired to sabotage their work. But Nehemiah encouraged them to keep looking to God. “By ourselves we will not be able to rebuild the wall,” Judah said, but Nehemiah replied, “Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome.” (vv. 10, 14 esv). Then he deployed the men to work on the wall and guard against attackers, with leaders behind them (v. 16). He also encouraged them, saying, “Our God will fight for us” (v. 20).

Whenever we face overwhelming challenges, let’s keep looking to God for help and strength. We can pray for wisdom to find practical solutions, take the necessary steps, and trust in God for the outcome—whatever it might be.

Reflect & Pray

What challenges are you facing? What will help you keep your eyes on God, and what will you pray for?

All-powerful, all-loving God, no matter how big my task, I can rely on Your help and strength. Please teach me to keep trusting in You.

Today’s Insights

A central theme in the grand narrative of Scripture is that God is a God of rescue. In Nehemiah 4, the wise decisions and prayers of God’s people countered the plots of their enemies, resulting in safety (vv. 8-9). In Exodus 2, the Israelites “cried out, and their cry for help because of their slavery went up to God” (v. 23). He heard “their groaning” and “remembered his covenant . . . . [He] looked on the Israelites and was concerned about them” (vv. 24-25). Today, when we’re faced with the menacing challenges of life, we can remember how great and awesome God is and trust in Him.

For further study, watch the following video devotional: God Will See You Through

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John 11:17-27

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On England’s south coast, two women who are both named Kate run the Coffin Club. They created this place for people to prepare for their eventual death through selecting and decorating their coffins. Kate’s dad died when she was thirteen, and she said, “It was horrendous. No one wanted to talk about death.” Their club is a way to normalize an experience we will all go through one day.

Death may be “normal” because it will happen to everyone. But those who love and serve Jesus can prepare for their death without fear, as we see in Jesus’ conversation with His beloved friend Martha after her brother had died. Jesus promised her that Lazarus would “rise again” (John 11:23). He told her that He is “the resurrection and the life” and that “the one who believes in [Him] will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in [Him] will never die” (vv. 25-26). Martha responded by making one of the few professions in the New Testament that Jesus was the Messiah, the Son of God (v. 27). She believed.

We may or may not be keen to decorate our own coffins, but we all can prepare for death by placing our hope in God, trusting in the salvation Jesus offers. Knowing that we will continue to live after we die gives us true comfort, hope, and peace. We can join Martha in believing that Jesus is the Messiah, the one who saves.

Reflect & Pray

How do you react to the idea of a “Coffin Club”? What could you do today to celebrate life and eternity with God?

Dear Jesus, You’re the Messiah. Please help me to trust in You now and always.

Today’s Insights

During Jesus’ earthly ministry, He demonstrated His power over death by raising several individuals from death to life. These included Jairus’ daughter (Mark 5:21-24, 35-43), the son of the widow of Nain (Luke 7:11-17), and Lazarus (John 11:1-44). Christ not only had power over death, but He had within Himself the power of life: “In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind” (1:4). The cross of Christ was the necessary payment to rescue us from our sins, and His resurrection offers to us the way of eternal life (see 1 Corinthians 15:54-58). When we place our trust in Jesus, His resurrected life becomes ours—forever. Because of His resurrection, we can confidently say, “Death has been swallowed up in victory” (v. 54).

For further study, read: 3 Ways Celebration Connects Us to God

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Be patient, bearing with one another in love. Ephesians 4:2

Today’s Scripture

Ephesians 4:1-6

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Shiro Oguni once visited a group home for adults with dementia. Heartbroken at their isolation from the hum of society, he felt there ought to be a better way. Oguni’s creative genius led to what is known as the Restaurant of Mistaken Orders, an actual restaurant with this added twist—all the wait staff struggle with memory loss. Yes, you read that correctly. Every person in that pivotal role, which requires a strong memory, suffers in that exact area. Now, from the usual business perspective, the results were poor—thirty-seven percent of the time, the guests did not receive what they ordered. But those guests also expect such problems, so they understand. After these “surprises,” apologies and hearty laughter ensue, and customers leave happy.

Paul writes, “Be patient” (Ephesians 4:2)—and we all know that’s so much easier said than done because it involves bearing with each other, a word that can mean everything from “carrying” to “enduring” to “supporting.” In other words, effort is involved. Yet if the effort has its source in God’s love as opposed to our own strength, the burden is lightened and leads to a lighthearted way of living, full of surprises and apologies and even laughter. It’s a way of living where you may not get what you asked for, but you end up getting what we all really want—“a life worthy of the calling you have received” (v. 1).

Reflect & Pray

Who are two people you have little to no patience for? How will you show them patience this week?
Dear God, I want to be patient. Please help my impatience.
For further study, read Speaking in the Love of the Spirit at odbm.org.

Today’s Insights

At the start of his letter to the Ephesian church, Paul reminds us how much God loves us: “Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ . . . to adopt us into his own family” (1:4-5 nlt). To this undeserved love, the apostle urges us “to live a life worthy of the calling [we] have received” (4:1) and to manifest the Christlike virtues of humility, gentleness, patience, and love (v. 2). In humility, we “value others above [ourselves], not looking to [our] own interests but . . . to the interests of the others” (Philippians 2:3-4). In gentleness and patience, “we bear with each other and forgive one another . . . as the Lord forgave [us]” (Colossians 3:12-13). Because “God lives in us, and his love is brought to full expression in us” (1 John 4:12 nlt), He’ll help us demonstrate His love to others by being patient with them.

For further study, read: Speaking in the Love of the Spirit

http://www.odb.org

[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

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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

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