Choices Matter
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Posted:Apr 17, 2024 6:38 am
Last Updated:Apr 17, 2024 11:43 pm 13 Views
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Today's Devotional
Read: Proverbs 14:8-12
Bible in a Year: 2 Samuel 1-2; Luke 14:1-24
There is a way that appears to be right, but in the end it leads to death.
Proverbs 14:12
Pastor Damian’s schedule included hospital visits to two people nearing death who’d chosen two different life paths. In one hospital was a woman beloved by her family. Her selfless public service had endeared her to many. Other believers in Jesus had gathered around her, and worship, prayer, and hope filled the room. In another hospital, the relative of a member of Pastor Damian’s church was also dying. His hardened heart had led to a hard life, and his disheveled family lived in the wake of his poor decisions and misdeeds. The differences in the two atmospheres reflected the contrasts in how each had lived.
Those who fail to consider where they’re headed in life often find themselves stuck in uncomfortable, undesirable, and lonely places. Proverbs 14:12 notes that “there is a way that appears to be right, but in the end it leads to death.” Young or old, sick or well, wealthy or impoverished—it’s not too late to reexamine our path. Where will it lead? Does it honor God? Does it help or disrupt others? Is it the best path for a believer in Jesus?
Choices do matter. And the God of heaven will help us make the best choices as we turn to Him through His , Jesus, who said, “Come to me, . . . and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28.
What about your path of life needs reexamination or correction? What’s keeping you from asking for God’s help and courage to make corrections?
Dear Jesus, You’re the source of life. Please give me the courage and strength to surrender my life to You and do what honors You.
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Ready to Go for God
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Posted:Apr 16, 2024 5:15 am
Last Updated:Apr 17, 2024 11:43 pm 58 Views
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Today's Devotional
Read: Ephesians 4:1-7, 11-16
Bible in a Year: 1 Samuel 30-31; Luke 13:23-35
I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Ephesians 4:1
The book Hidden Figures recounts preparations for John Glenn’s flight into space. Computers were newfangled inventions in 1962, subject to glitches. Glenn didn’t trust them and worried about calculations for the launch. He knew one brainy woman in the back room could run the numbers. He trusted her. “If she says the numbers are good,” Glenn said, “I’m ready to go.”
Katherine Johnson was a teacher and mother of three. She loved Jesus and served in her church. God had blessed Katherine with a remarkable mind. NASA tapped her in the late 1950s to help with the space program. She was Glenn’s “brainy woman,” one of the “human computers” they hired at the time.
We may not be called to be brilliant mathematicians, but God calls us to other things: “To each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it”
(Ephesians 4.7). We’re to “live a life worthy of the calling” we’ve received (v. 1). We’re part of one body, in which “each part does its work” (v. 16).
Katherine Johnson’s calculations confirmed the course trajectory. Glenn’s launch into orbit was like “hitting a bull’s-eye.” But this was just one of Katherine’s callings. Remember, she was called also to be a mother, teacher, and church worker. We might ask ourselves what God has called us to, whether big or small. Are we “ready to go,” exercising the grace-gifts He’s bestowed, living “a life worthy of [our] calling” (v. 1)?
What has God called you to do? How has He gifted you?
Dear God, please help me embrace what You’ve given me and live a life worthy of Your calling.
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At Home In Jesùs
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Posted:Apr 15, 2024 6:00 am
Last Updated:Apr 17, 2024 11:43 pm 90 Views
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Today's Devotional
Read: John 14:1-7
Bible in a Year: 1 Samuel 27-29; Luke 13:1-22
If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me. John 14:3
“There’s no place like home,” says Dorothy, clicking the heels of her ruby slippers. In The Wizard of Oz, that was all it took to magically transport Dorothy and Toto from Oz back to their home in Kansas.
Unfortunately, there aren’t enough ruby slippers for everyone. Although many share Dorothy’s longing for home, finding that home—a place to belong—is sometimes easier said than done.
One of the consequences of living in a highly mobile, transient world is a sense of detachment—wondering if we’ll ever find a place where we truly belong. This feeling may also reflect a deeper reality, expressed by C. S. Lewis: “If I find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world.”
The night before the cross, Jesus assured His friends of that home, saying, “My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you?” (John 14:2). A home where we are welcomed and loved.
Yet we can be at home now too. We’re part of a family—God’s church, and we live in community with our brothers and sisters in Christ. Until the day Jesus takes us to the home our hearts long for, we can live in His peace and joy. We’re always home with Him.
What makes you feel at home and why? How does knowing Jesus will take you to be with Him forever help you live here on earth?
God of love and grace, help me look forward to being at home with You, in Your presence, forever.
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God Knows Our Needs
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Posted:Apr 14, 2024 6:05 am
Last Updated:Apr 17, 2024 11:43 pm 131 Views
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Today's Devotional
Read: Matthew 6:25-34
Bible in a Year: 1 Samuel 25-26; Luke 12:32-59
Seek the Kingdom of God above all else. Matthew 6:33
Lando, a jeepney (a form of public transport in the Philippines) driver in Manila, gulped down coffee at a roadside stall. Daily commuters were back again after the Covid-19 lockdowns. And the sports event today means more passengers, he thought. I’ll get back lost income. Finally, I can stop worrying.
He was about to start driving when he spotted Ronnie on a bench nearby. The street sweeper looked troubled, like he needed to talk. But every minute counts, Lando thought. The more passengers, the more income. I can’t linger. But he sensed that God wanted him to approach Ronnie, so he did.
Jesus understood how difficult it is not to worry (Matthew 6:25-27), so He assures us that our heavenly Father knows exactly what we need (v. 32). We’re reminded not to be anxious, but to trust Him and devote ourselves to doing what He wants us to do (vv. 31-33). As we embrace and obey His purposes, we can have confidence that our Father who “clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire” will provide for us according to His will—just as He provides for all creation (v. 30).
Because of Lando’s conversation with Ronnie, the street sweeper eventually prayed to become a believer in Christ. “And God still provided enough passengers that day,” Lando shared. “He reminded me my needs were His concern, mine was simply to follow Him.”
What anxieties weigh on your heart? What steps can you take to surrender your cares to God?
Dear God, I don’t need to worry because You’ve promised to care and provide for me.
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The God of Order
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Posted:Apr 13, 2024 5:55 am
Last Updated:Apr 17, 2024 11:43 pm 164 Views
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Today's Devotional
Read: Genesis 1:1-10
Bible in a Year: 1 Samuel 22-24; Luke 12:1-31
The earth was complete chaos, and darkness covered the face of the deep, while a wind from God swept over the face of the waters. Genesis 1:2
Seth took all the medications he could find in the medicine cabinet. Raised in a family filled with brokenness and disorder, his life was a mess. His mom was regularly abused by his father until his dad took his own life. Now Seth wanted to “just end” his own. But then a thought came to mind, Where do I go when I die? By God’s grace, Seth didn’t die that day. And in time, after studying the Bible with a friend, he received Jesus as his Savior. Part of what drew Seth to God was seeing the beauty and order in creation. He said, “I . . . see things that are just beautiful. Someone made all this.”
In Genesis 1, we read of the God who indeed created all things. And although “the earth was complete chaos” (v. 2 , He brought order out of disorder. He “separated the light from the darkness” (v. 4), placed land amid the seas (v. 10), and made plants and creatures according to their “kinds” (vv. 11-12, 21, 24-25). The One who “created the heavens and earth and put everything in place” (Isaiah 45:18 ) continues to, as Seth discovered, bring peace and order to lives surrendered to Christ.
Life can be chaotic and challenging. Praise God that He’s not “a God of disorder but of peace” (1 Corinthians 14:33). Let’s call out to Him today and ask Him to help us find the beauty and order He alone provides.
What chaos are you experiencing in your life? How can God help you bring order and peace to it?
Creator God, thank You for the peace and order You alone provide. In You, broken things become beautiful.
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God’s Agents of Peace
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Posted:Apr 12, 2024 5:53 am
Last Updated:Apr 12, 2024 5:55 am 206 Views
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Today's Devotional
Read: Acts 21:27-22:2
Bible in a Year: 1 Samuel 19-21; Luke 11:29-54
The Lord stood near Paul and said, “Take courage! As you have testified about me in Jerusalem, so you must also testify in Rome.” Acts 23:11
Nora went to the peaceful protest because she felt strongly about the issue of justice. As planned, the demonstration was silent. The protestors walked in powerful quietness through the downtown area.
Then two buses pulled up. Agitators had arrived from out of town. A riot soon broke out. Heartbroken, Nora left. It seemed their good intentions were fruitless.
When the apostle Paul visited the temple at Jerusalem, people who opposed Paul saw him there. They were “from the province of Asia” (Acts 21:27) and viewed Jesus as a threat to their way of life. Shouting lies and rumors about Paul, they quickly stirred up trouble (vv. 28-29). A mob dragged Paul from the temple and beat him. Soldiers came running.
As he was being arrested, Paul asked the Roman commander if he could address the crowd
(vv. 37-38. When permission was granted, he spoke to the crowd in their own language, surprising them and seizing their attention (v. 40). And just like that, Paul had turned a riot into an opportunity to share his story of rescue from dead religion (22:2-21).
Some people love violence and division. Don’t lose heart. They will not win. God is looking for courageous believers to share His light and peace with our desperate world. What seems like a crisis might be your opportunity to show someone God’s love.
When have you been in a crisis that you couldn’t make sense of? How do you think the Holy Spirit might help you find the wisdom for what to do in that moment?
Father, my heart aches for our broken world. Help me realize Your Spirit’s presence is far more powerful than any attack the world can throw at me.
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Singing Meadows
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Posted:Apr 11, 2024 5:05 am
Last Updated:Apr 17, 2024 11:43 pm 240 Views
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Today's Devotional
Read: Psalm 65:8-13
Bible in a Year: 1 Samuel 17-18; Luke 11:1-28
The valleys are mantled with grain; they shout for joy and sing. Psalm 65:13
I’ve often affectionately joked with my mother-in-law about her ability to talk to her dogs. She responds to their barks with loving understanding. Perhaps now she and owners everywhere will also listen for their canine pals to laugh. Scientists have discovered that many animals, including dogs, cows, foxes, seals, and parakeets, all have “vocal play signals”—otherwise known as laughter. Identifying these accompanying sounds helps distinguish an animal’s play behaviors from what might otherwise look like fighting to a human observer.
That animals express laughter and joy gives us a delightful glimmer of what it might look like for other parts of creation to praise God in their own way. As King David looked over his surroundings, it seemed to him “the hills [were] clothed with gladness” and the meadows and valleys were “[shouting] for joy” (Psalm 65:12-13). David recognized that God had cared for and enriched the land, providing both beauty and sustenance.
Even though our physical surroundings don’t “sing” in a literal way, they bear witness to God’s active work in His creation and, in turn, invite us to give praise to Him with our voices. May we—as part of the “whole earth”—be “filled with awe at [His] wonders” and respond to Him with “songs of joy” (v. 8. We can trust that He’ll hear and understand them.
How do your physical surroundings encourage you to praise God? Where have you seen His handiwork elsewhere?
Thank You, God, for Your continued work in creation.
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Eyes To See
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Posted:Apr 10, 2024 5:22 am
Last Updated:Apr 17, 2024 11:43 pm 279 Views
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Today's Devotional
Read: Isaiah 42:5-9
Bible in a Year: 1 Samuel 15-16; Luke 10:25-42
I . . . will make you to be a covenant for the people and . . . to open eyes that are blind. Isaiah 42:6-7
Genevieve had to be the “eyes” for her three , each born with congenital cataracts. Whenever she took them into their village in the Republic of Benin of western Africa, she strapped the baby onto her back and held on to the arm and hand of her older two, always looking for danger. In a culture where blindness was thought to be caused by witchcraft, Genevieve despaired and cried out to God for help.
Then a man from her village told her about Mercy Ships, a ministry that provides vital surgeries to honor Jesus’ model of bringing hope and healing to the poor. Uncertain if they could help, she approached them. When the woke up after their surgeries, they could see!
God’s story has always been about coming alongside those shrouded in darkness and bringing His light. The prophet Isaiah declared that God would be “a light for the Gentiles” (Isaiah 42:6). He would “open eyes that are blind” (v. 7), restoring not only physical sight but spiritual vision as well. And He promised to “take hold” of His people’s hand (v. 6). He restored sight to the blind and brought light to those living in the darkness.
If you feel overcome by darkness, cling to hope as you embrace the promises of our loving Father while asking for His light to bring illumination.
How has God opened your eyes, physically or spiritually? How can He remove the blinders you may have?
Heavenly Father, You desire that no one would live in darkness. Release Your love on those who are blinded in any way, that they might see.
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Clothed in Christ
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Posted:Apr 9, 2024 5:07 am
Last Updated:Apr 17, 2024 11:43 pm 324 Views
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Today's Devotional
Read: Romans 13:11-14
Bible in a Year: 1 Samuel 13-14; Luke 10:1-24
Let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of lightRomans 13:12
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I was so excited to put on my new glasses for the first time, but after just a few hours I wanted to throw them away. My eyes ached and head throbbed from adjusting to the new prescription. My ears were sore from the unfamiliar frames. The next day I groaned when I remembered I had to wear them. I had to repeatedly choose to use my glasses each day in order for my body to adjust. It took several weeks, but after that, I hardly noticed I was wearing them.
Putting on something new requires an adjustment, but over time we grow into it, and it suits us better. We may even see things we didn’t see before. In Romans 13, the apostle Paul instructed Christ followers to “put on the armor of light” (v. 12) and practice right living. They had already believed in Jesus, but it seems they had fallen into “slumber” and become more complacent; they needed to “wake up” and take action, behave decently and let go of all sin (vv. 11-13). Paul encouraged them to be clothed with Jesus and become more like Him in their thoughts and deeds (v. 14).
We don’t begin to reflect the loving, gentle, kind, grace-filled, and faithful ways of Jesus overnight. It’s a long process of choosing to “put on the armor of light” every day, even when we don’t want to because it’s uncomfortable. Over time, He changes us for the better.
What does it look like to “put on” Jesus today? How does practicing Christlikeness become more comfortable over time?
Dear Jesus, thank You that You’re transforming me day by day.
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Joy in the City
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Posted:Apr 8, 2024 5:51 am
Last Updated:Apr 17, 2024 11:43 pm 362 Views
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Today's Devotional
Read: Proverbs 11:1-11
Bible in a Year: 1 Samuel 10-12; Luke 9:37-62
When the righteous prosper, the city rejoices. Proverbs 11:10
When France and Argentina met in the 2022 World Cup final, it was an incredible contest that many dubbed the “greatest World Cup match in history.” As the final seconds ticked off in extra time, the score was tied 3-3, sending the soccer teams to penalty kicks. After Argentina made the winning goal, the nation erupted in celebration. More than a million Argentineans overwhelmed downtown Buenos Aires. Drone footage spread across social media showing this raucous, happy scene. One BBC report described how the city quaked with “an explosion of joy.”
Joy is always a wonderful gift. Proverbs, though, describes how a city, a people, can experience joy that goes even deeper and lasts far longer. “When the righteous prosper,” Proverbs says, “the city rejoices” (11:10). When those who truly live by God’s designs for humanity begin to influence a community, then this signals good news because it means God’s justice is taking hold. Greed diminishes. The poor find support. The oppressed are protected. Whenever God’s right way of living flourishes, then there’s joy and “blessing” in the city (v. 11).
If we’re genuinely living out God’s ways, then the result will be good news for everyone. The way we live will make the community around us better and more whole. God invites us to be part of His work to heal the world. He invites us to bring joy to the city.
Where do you see the need for joy in your city? How can you bring God’s joy there?
Dear God, please help me to join You in bringing joy to others.
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