You were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things.
Matthew 25:21

 Recommended Reading: Matthew 25:14-23

Booker T. Washington said, “Success in life is founded upon attention to the small things rather than to the large things; to the everyday things nearest to us rather than to the things that are remote and uncommon.”¹

The Lord assigns our daily tasks, and sometimes they’re as simple as washing a child’s face, picking up a piece of litter, showing up at a worship service, or taking chicken soup to a sick friend. Small acts of kindness catch the attention of heaven, and faithfulness in small things pleases the Lord. Somehow in His providence, the accumulation of small things, done faithfully, becomes a pathway of purpose and fulfillment in life.

In the middle of the mundane routines of the week, it can be difficult to remain faithful in our responsibilities. Yet God often uses our faithfulness in these small tasks to prepare us for bigger ones. Thank God today that He is always preparing you for what He has in store for you next. As the Lord sees us faithful in the small, He will assign more work to be rendered with joy and done for His glory.

Faithfulness is faithfulness, on whatsoever scale it be set forth!
Alexander Maclaren

¹ Robert L. Caslen Jr and Michael D. Matthews, The Character Edge (New York, NY: St. Martin’s Publishing Group, 2020).

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But one and the same Spirit works all these [spiritual gifts], distributing to each one individually as He wills. . . . But now God has set the members, each one of them, in the body just as He pleased.
1 Corinthians 12:11, 18

 Recommended Reading: Psalm 139:13-14

Identical twins share many of the same physical traits: hair and eye color, height, facial characteristics, and others. Research suggests that 25 percent of identical twins can be said to be mirror images of one another except in one specific area: Identical twins have different fingerprints.

That fact confirms the biblical testimony that we were knit together in our mother’s womb, that we were “fearfully and wonderfully made” (Psalm 139:13-14, NIV). We are not only made in God’s image (Genesis 1:26-27), but we are also uniquely made in God’s image. We are all different, unique, and special in God’s sight. The apostle Paul extends the idea of uniqueness by saying that God gives each Christian spiritual gifts “individually as He wills” and puts us in the Body of Christ “as He please[s].” When we compare who we are with others, we stand on the precipice of succumbing to envy, pride, or jealousy (2 Corinthians 10:12). 

Cultivate contentment as you seek God’s will for your life. Look for every opportunity to serve God and others as only you can.

God gives gifts where He gives a calling.
Henry Wilkinson

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For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.
Mark 10:45

 Recommended Reading: Philippians 2:5-9

Robert K. Greenleaf, born in 1904, spent four decades working in corporate management for one of America’s largest telecommunications companies. Toward the end of his tenure there, he became disenfranchised with corporate management philosophy. He saw it as a top-down, authoritarian, and power-based approach. So he resigned and founded a non-profit to research the idea of servant leadership. His work planted seeds of change that continue bearing fruit to this day.

The style of leadership Greenleaf reacted to—authoritarian, top-down—was the style Jesus identified in His day among Gentile rulers: They “lord it over” and “exercise authority over” their subjects (Mark 10:42). But Jesus demonstrated a different style: He came not to be served by others but to serve those He came to save. And His style was evident throughout His life and ministry. His service was sacrificial, costly, and humble—but it changed the world. And God “highly exalted Him” and lifted up His Name (Philippians 2:9). 

Look for ways today to lead by serving. It’s a simple but powerful way to show Jesus to the world.

Our humility serves us falsely, when it leads us to shrink from any duty.
J. R. Miller

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Then Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed [David] in the midst of his brothers; and the Spirit of the Lord came upon David from that day forward.
1 Samuel 16:13

 Recommended Reading: 2 Timothy 3:16-17

On the day of His ascension to heaven, Jesus prepared His disciples for the task that was before them. He explained the Old Testament Scriptures to them (Luke 24:45), He outlined their mission (Luke 24:47), and He told them they would receive “power from on high” (Luke 24:49) from the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:8). Thus, He revealed the two dynamics that would equip all who would follow Him: Word and Spirit.

The equipping of believers by the Word of God and the Holy Spirit became the hallmarks of Christian discipleship. By the Spirit, we are given gifts, abilities, and traits to manifest the ministry of Christ in the world (Romans 12; 1 Corinthians 12; Galatians 5). And by the Word of God we are taught, challenged, corrected, and trained so we “may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16-17). 

Do you want to be useful to God in ministry? Yield to the Spirit of God and live in the Word of God, and you will be thoroughly equipped.

Every man who is divinely called to the ministry is divinely equipped.
A. W. Pink

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But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature, because I have refused him. For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”
1 Samuel 16:7

 Recommended Reading: Acts 13:22

On August 28, 1963, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. delivered his “I Have a Dream” speech on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. In his speech, he said, “I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.”¹

That dream has not yet been realized. But God does not see people based on their race, nationality, or social background. When Samuel was choosing Israel’s next king from among Jesse’s sons, God specifically told him not to look at external qualities. Instead, he was to choose as God chooses—on the basis of the heart (1 Samuel 16:1-13).

When we look at people, let us view them as God does, not as the world does. Let us appreciate their heart above all. 

When we begin to see people through God’s eyes, our focus will change from looks to life. 
David C. McCasland

¹ “Martin Luther King Jr.: I Have a Dream,” American Rhetoric.

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A man’s heart plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps.
Proverbs 16:9

 Recommended Reading: Jeremiah 1:4-8

When the pilot of a Cessna 208 traveling from the Bahamas to Florida became incoherent and fell against the controls, one of the passengers, Darren Harrison, radioed traffic control for help. Darren wasn’t a pilot, but suddenly he was responsible for flying and landing the plane. Thankfully, one of the air traffic controllers was also a flight instructor and calmly helped him safely land the plane.¹

I’m certain the air traffic controller didn’t anticipate walking someone through how to land a plane when he arrived at work that day, but he was “in the right place at the right time” to help.

Whatever God has for you today, whether it’s teaching children or running errands, He has placed you exactly where He wants you to be. You are “in the right place at the right time” to make a difference for Him through your words and actions. You never know how or when He will use you to encourage or help those around you. Be ready to be used by Him today!

God’s plans for you are better than any plans you have for yourself.
Greg Laurie

¹ “Untrained Passenger Lands Florida Plane After Pilot Falls Ill,” BBC News, May 12, 2022.

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This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief.
1 Timothy 1:15

 Recommended Reading: 1 Timothy 1:12-16

Before Semere came to Christ, he was a leader in the Muslim community in his Ethiopian village. Semere was adamantly opposed to Christianity and “since [he] was a young man, [he] wanted to persecute and even kill Christians.” But after burning the house of a Christian woman in another village, God crushed him and drew him to Himself. Since his conversion, Semere has been used by God to bring more than one hundred people to a saving knowledge of Christ.¹

Like the apostle Paul, Semere’s story is just one of countless stories of how God uses those who were opposed to Him before they became Christians to bring many to Him after they accept Christ as Savior. 

In His sovereignty and goodness God uses our past mistakes and failures to bring glory to Himself. Don’t disqualify yourself from serving your Heavenly Father because of what you have done in the past. Remember: He uses us in spite of us.

The greatness of sin is no bar to our acceptance with God… nor to our being employed for him, if it be truly repented of.
Matthew Henry

¹ “Former Ethiopian Sheikh Burned Houses; Own House Burned After Conversion,” The Voice of the Martyrs, September 6, 2022.

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I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.
Romans 12:1-2

 Recommended Reading: 1 Peter 3:13-17

On a regular basis we hear about athletes, students, teachers, small business owners, and others taking a stand for Christ. Sadly, they are often ridiculed and at times punished for their actions. In a world that is increasingly anti-Christian, it is not easy to stand up for one’s biblical beliefs.

In his letter to the church at Rome, Paul exhorted the believers to live their lives as a sacrifice to God. He also challenged them not to conform to the anti-Christian culture of their day.

Why are we to live boldly for Christ? Because of God’s mercy. Think about all God has done for you—the gift of salvation, spiritual blessings, the certain hope of eternity in heaven with Him. When we remember His mercy and what He has saved us from, how can we not live boldly for Him?

As you go about your day, remember God’s mercy and choose to live a life of boldness for Him.

Stop assuming an outward expression which is patterned after this world.
Kenneth Wuest

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All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.
2 Timothy 3:16

 Recommended Reading: 2 Timothy 3:14-17

Years after the Budik people in Senegal heard the Gospel, the Budik believers showed little evidence of spiritual growth, and the church itself wasn’t growing. But one event changed everything. “The Budik believers received the New Testament in their own language.” As one believer said, “Because [of] the Word of God that was brought to us… now the Word is available to everyone…. Now when we have meetings, everyone brings their Bibles, and they’re using the meetings to learn and grow more than they were able to before.”¹

The transforming power of God’s Word is the same no matter the language or the culture of the person studying it. When we read and study God’s Word, our life is changed. We begin to grow in our Christian walk, and we are equipped to live a life that is different from the world.

Take a few minutes today to thank God for the gift of His life-changing Word!

Bible study has torn my life apart and remade it. That is to say that God, through his Word, has done so.
John White

¹Ian Fallis, “The Importance of the Book,” Ethnos360, March 13, 2018.

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The grass withers, and its flower falls away, but the word of the Lord endures forever.
1 Peter 1:24-25

 Recommended Reading: 1 Peter 1:22-25

Last year during the World Cup, businessman Karl Baxter was convinced England would win. He printed eighteen thousand beautiful shirts with the words: “ENGLAND / CUP WINNERS / 2022 / It’s Finally Home.” But England lost to France, and Baxter sold the shirts at a steep discount, suggesting people use them to clean their windows.¹

The world seems certain of its opinions, and pundits think they can guess what’s coming next. They’re almost always wrong, for no one except God knows tomorrow. We can’t trust the media, but we can trust the Master. His Word never fails.

Rely on God’s truth, realizing that the Scriptures speak louder than the latest scoops by the reporters. Regardless of the trends of our culture, we must stand firm in God’s truth, never wavering. Regardless of the threats by our enemies, we must never back down from our biblical worldview. Its pages are powerful. It’s God’s personal message to His children. Let’s grasp the Bible firmly in our hands—until we are finally Home.

Christians should be grateful to God for the gift of his written Word, and conscientious in basing their faith and life entirely and exclusively on it.
J. I. Packer

¹ Jess Sharp, “Firm Left With 18,000 England ‘World Cup Winners’ T-Shirts After Gamble Backfires,” Sky News, December 13, 2022.

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For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night.
1 Thessalonians 5:2

 Recommended Reading: 2 Peter 3:11-12

A boss assigns a young worker a task in the warehouse. Later the boss stops by unexpectedly to find his employee scrolling through his phone. The worker hops up and points to his completed task. But the boss says, “You could have looked for other things to do or at least asked for your next assignment. Don’t be satisfied with doing the bare minimum; there are always things to be done.”

The Bible says that Jesus’ return for His Church—the beginning of the Day of the Lord—will come like “a thief in the night.” That is, it will come unexpectedly, which raises the apostle Peter’s question: “What manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness” in light of Christ’s unexpected return (2 Peter 3:11-12)? As we wait for the return of Christ and the end of the age, are we content to do “the bare minimum” as believers? Or are we looking and asking for ways in which to serve Him as faithful disciples until He returns (Luke 12:35-38)?

Look and ask today for ways to serve Jesus as you watch for His appearing.

The highest honor in the church is not government but service.
John Calvin

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Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it.
Revelation 1:3, NIV

 Recommended Reading: Psalm 119:33-40

Tom Meyer is known as the “Bible Memory Man.” He has memorized much of the Scripture and quotes it often. According to Fox News, Meyer suggests people spend more time reading the Bible aloud during their devotions. “We live in a world where nobody reads aloud,” he said. “Originally, the Bible was meant more for the ears than the eyes…. Just listen to a chapter again over and over.”¹

It’s wonderful to discover various ways of studying God’s Word. We can read it silently and aloud, in small bits or large sections; we can copy it in our notebooks. We can study it, pray it, sing it, quote it, convert it into teaching, and share it with others.

As we do so, we’re learning more and more of the mind of God, growing in wisdom and maturity. Diligent study of God’s Word helps us grow spiritually, becoming more like Christ. Thank God for the gift of His Word and spend time learning from it today. You might even read it to yourself aloud!

How can you afford not to be in God’s Word?
Howard Hendricks

¹ Brittany Kasko, “New Year’s Resolution: ‘Bible Memory Man’ Shares Tips for Memorizing the Bible in 2023,” Fox News, December 27, 2022.

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Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits.
Psalm 103:2

 Recommended Reading: Psalm 103:1-5

We live in a world that is both material and spiritual. On the material side, we access our world through our five senses: sight, touch, taste, smell, and hearing. It is no wonder the apostle John warned about “the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life”—“all that is in the world” (1 John 2:16). It is easy to be enticed by the things of this world, to think they will bless our life.

But the Bible says that God’s blessings are both material and spiritual. He forgives our sins, heals our diseases, redeems us from destruction, loves us, shows compassion to us, satisfies our life with good things, and renews our youth (Psalm 103:3-5). The world cannot offer anything to compare with the dual dimensions of God’s blessings—spiritual and material. When we are tempted to seek blessing and contentment in the things of this world, we need to look to God’s promised blessings.

Look around you today and count your blessings. Thank God for His provision and commit all your needs to Him.

The vast majority of mankind never gives a thought of gratitude towards God for all His care and blessings.
Donald Grey Barnhouse

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So Jesus answered and said, “Assuredly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My sake and the gospel’s, who shall not receive a hundredfold now in this time—houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions—and in the age to come, eternal life.”
Mark 10:29-30

 Recommended Reading: Luke 14:25-27

We usually hear it in the context of athletics, but it applies to all areas of life: “No pain, no gain.” We tell our children that in order to make an A in history, they will have to sacrifice time spent on other activities and commit to studying. In order to have funds to live on in retirement, we have to sacrifice purchases now and commit to saving.

Jesus had to convince His early followers that any cost to following Him would be rewarded later: “a hundredfold now in this time… and in the age to come, eternal life.” Such a commitment required trust. To prioritize Jesus over family and property was a big decision. But Jesus was proving Himself to be trustworthy, and His early disciples took Him at His word.

 When the cost of following Jesus seems to go up, consider the cost in light of the return.

And all thou spendest, Jesus will repay.
Mary Ann Thompson

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Should such a man as I flee?
Nehemiah 6:11

 Recommended Reading: Nehemiah 6:1-14

In the United States, Michigan and Minnesota are the states least likely to face natural disasters, such as hurricanes, tornados, and earthquakes. But they’re also two of the coldest states in America, and, of course, there are no truly safe places on this earth. We never know when a disaster will strike our community. Sometimes we know immediately that a crisis is happening—we feel the earth shake or see the lightning strike. Other times we hear sirens, receive a phone call or text, or turn on the news and see a tragic event occurred.

Our first reaction is shock, but God’s children must quickly move into action mode. For two thousand years, Christians have been the ones running toward the need, toward the hurt, and toward the danger. When Nehemiah was threatened by his critics, he refused to flee. He stood his ground and continued the work that had to be done in the moment.

When times of crisis come to our neighborhoods, let’s look for ways to reach out and help others. God will provide us with the strength and ability to minister to those around us in ways large and small.

God has given us two hands, one to receive with and the other to give with.
Billy Graham

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They shall still bear fruit in old age; they shall be fresh and flourishing.
Psalm 92:14

 Recommended Reading: Psalm 92

Springtime makes us feel fresh! Fresh flowers, fresh leaves on the trees, the fragrance of fresh air. It’s a kind of rebirth.

The same thing happens for the believer every single day. God gives us a fresh start as we awaken! Psalm 92 tells us to sing His praises and declare His lovingkindness every morning (verses 1-2). As we begin each day with worship, keeping our eyes on Him, the Lord keeps us fresh with a renewed spirit, an excited faith, a hopeful heart, and a smile. It’s a lifelong experience.

The ruts and routines of life have a way of dragging us into the zone of mediocrity. But remember: “The righteous shall flourish like a palm tree, he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon. Those who are planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the courts of our God. They shall still bear fruit in old age; they shall be fresh and flourishing” (verses 12-14).

Flourish in your faith today by keeping your eyes on Him.

Fresh faith is compelling. It’s clean and crisp like the beginning of a new day…. Freshness comes by staying whole with God…. Middle age and old age aren’t for complaining, but for proclaiming the goodness of God.
Boyd Bailey

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Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.
John 14:27

 Recommended Reading: Mark 4:37-39

One of the ironies of the naming of hurricanes and tropical storms is the fact that some are named Irene. There were tropical storms named Irene in 1947 and 1959, and hurricanes named Irene in 1971, 1981, 1999, 2005, and 2011. The irony? Irene comes from the Greek word eirene—the word for “peace.”

Jesus showed His disciples it is possible to experience peace in the face of a storm. When a squall came up as He and the disciples were crossing the Sea of Galilee, Jesus “arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, ‘Peace, be still!’ And the wind ceased and there was a great calm” (Mark 4:39). Storms and squalls of all kinds arise in our world. Jesus told His disciples that they would experience trouble in this world but assured them He had “overcome the world” (John 16:33). He tells us the same.

We can have peace and calm in this world knowing that Jesus gives us His peace and He has overcome the world.

Faith that goes no further than the head can never bring peace to the heart.
John Blanchard

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I have become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some.
1 Corinthians 9:22

 Recommended Reading: 1 Corinthians 9:19-23

Danica McKellar, a star from The Wonder Years, recently used Instagram to surprise her fans with an announcement. After years of skepticism, she has embraced Jesus as her Savior. Her decision followed a conversation with a fellow actress who gave her a Bible and invited her to church. Though her spiritual journey is new, it’s already been spread to thousands.¹

Like every other channel of human communication and technology, Satan wants to dominate our modern laptops and phones, but the followers of Christ are to use every means available to share the Gospel and encourage others with the power of Scripture.

Technology has allowed our world to become smaller, making it easier to share the Gospel with people who haven’t heard the Good News. Should we take advantage of new technology and use it to share the Gospel with others? By all means!

How beautiful upon the web are the thumbs of him who shares good news, who publishes the peace of God in Christ, who shares the good news of our happiness and joy in him, and who publishes in his feeds: “God reigns!”
Tony Reinke
 

¹ Talia Wise, “‘Wonder Years’ Actress Closes 2022 Grateful for New Relationship With Jesus Christ: ‘It Feels Miraculous,’” CBN News, December 27, 2022.

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Now on the first day of the week…the disciples came together to break bread.
Acts 20:7

 Recommended Reading: Acts 20:7-12

Earlier this year, the American Enterprise Institute released a study showing that since the outbreak of COVID-19, a third of Americans who previously attended church have stopped going.¹ Another study last year by the Barna Group found the rate of burnout among pastors rose dramatically between 2021 and 2022.²

If these statistics seem discouraging to you, remember this—you can do something about it! You have a vital part to play. Fighting against the changing of culture can be difficult, but gathering with other believers allows us to encourage each other to stand strong for Christ. What a blessing to be part of the Body of Christ in times like these!

Go to church on Sunday. Get involved in a small group. Pray for your pastor and church staff. Invite someone to join you at church. Find a personal ministry to pursue. You’ll be following the great pattern anchored in the glorious pages of the book of Acts.

Christians cannot grow spiritually as they ought to in isolation from one another.
Gene Getz

¹ David Roach, “Church Attendance Dropped Among Young People, Singles, Liberals,” Christianity Today, January 9, 2023.

² Jeff Brumley, “Yet Another Study Confirms: Many Pastors Are Hanging on by a Thread,” Baptist News Global, April 28, 2022.

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If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.
Luke 9:23

 Recommended Reading: John 16:31-33

One of Jesus’ strongest admonitions to those who would be His disciples came when He told them to take up their cross daily (Luke 9:23). In the Roman world, the cross was a symbol of death. Jesus’ words were a warning: following Him might result in death.

Not until the night of Jesus’ arrest, when He was alone with His disciples for the Passover meal, did Jesus expand on His earlier words and provide them with comfort (John 14–16). He told them that the world would hate them when He was gone because they hated Him first. If they persecuted Him, they would persecute them (John 15:18-21). But He also told them, “Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid” (John 14:27). His peace—that is, the peace that comes from knowing and trusting Him (Philippians 4:6-7)—would be their peace in a world that would reject them. 

We don’t know exactly what the future holds for Christians. But we know who does know. We can trust Him to keep us “until that Day” (2 Timothy 1:12). 

Peace rules the day when Christ rules the mind. 
Unknown

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