Quiet Faithfulness in Christ
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Posted:Jan 4, 2024 2:49 am
Last Updated:May 2, 2024 8:19 am 21847 Views
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Today's Devotional
Read: 1 Thessalonians 4:1–2, 9–12
Bible in a Year: Genesis 10–12; Matthew 4
Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life: You should mind your own business and work with your hands. 1 Thessalonians 4:11
I didn’t notice him at first.
I’d come down for breakfast at my hotel. Everything in the dining room was clean. The buffet table was filled. The refrigerator was stocked, the utensil container packed tight. Everything was perfect.
Then I saw him. An unassuming man refilled this, wiped that. He didn’t draw attention to himself. But the longer I sat, the more I was amazed. The man was working very fast, noticing everything, and refilling everything before anyone might need something. As a food service veteran, I noticed his constant attention to detail. Everything was perfect because this man was working faithfully—even if few noticed.
Watching this man work so meticulously, I recalled Paul’s words to the Thessalonians: “Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life: You should mind your own business and work with your hands . . . so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders” (1 Thessalonians 4:11–12). Paul understood how a faithful worker might win others’ respect—offering a quiet testimony to how the gospel can infuse even seemingly small acts of service for others with dignity and purpose.
I don’t know if the man I saw that day was a believer in Jesus. But I’m grateful his quiet diligence reminded me to rely on God to live out a quiet faithfulness that reflects His faithful ways.
How should your faith affect the way you work? In what ways is being a faithful worker a powerful testimony?
Father, please help me to remember that there are no small jobs in Your kingdom and to faithfully serve You each day.
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Spotting Hope
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Posted:Jan 3, 2024 4:37 am
Last Updated:May 2, 2024 8:19 am 21947 Views
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Today's Devotional
Read: Psalm 33:6–9, 12–22
Bible in a Year: Genesis 7–9; Matthew 3
May your unfailing love be with us, Lord, even as we put our hope in you.
Psalm 33:22
Oceanographer Sylvia Earle has seen the deterioration of coral reefs firsthand. She founded Mission Blue, an organization devoted to the development of global “hope spots.” These special places around the world are “critical to the health of the ocean,” which impacts our lives on earth. Through the intentional care for these areas, scientists have seen the relationships of underwater communities restored and lives of endangered species preserved.
In Psalm 33, the psalmist acknowledges that God spoke everything into existence and ensured that all He made would stand firm (vv. 6–9). As God reigns over generations and nations (vv. 11–19), He alone restores relationships, saves lives, and revitalizes hope. However, God invites us to join Him in caring for the world and the people He created.
Each time we praise God for the whisper of a rainbow splashed across a clouded, gray sky or the glistening waves of the ocean crashing against a rocky shore, we can proclaim His “unfailing love” and presence as we “put our hope” in Him (v. 22).
When we’re tempted toward discouragement or fear as we consider the current state of the world, we may begin to believe we can’t make a difference. When we do our part as members of God’s care team, however, we can honor Him as the Creator and help others spot hope as they place their trust in Jesus.
How has God used nature to affirm your hope in Him? How can you serve as part of His care team?
Loving Creator and Sustainer, help me be a hope-spotter who faithfully serves on Your care team.
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The Also Rises
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Posted:Jan 2, 2024 5:03 am
Last Updated:May 2, 2024 8:19 am 22062 Views
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Today's Devotional
Read: Ecclesiastes 1:1–11
Bible in a Year: Genesis 4–6; Matthew 2
The sun also rises, and the sun goes down. Ecclesiastes 1:5
Ernest Hemingway’s first full-length novel features hard-drinking friends who’ve recently endured World War I. They bear the literal and figurative scars of the war’s devastation and try to cope with it via parties, grand adventures, and sleeping around. Always, there is alcohol to numb the pain. No one is happy.
Hemingway’s title for his book The Sun Also Rises comes straight from the pages of Ecclesiastes (1:5). In Ecclesiastes, King Solomon refers to himself as “the Teacher” (v. 1). He observes, “Everything is meaningless” (v. 2) and asks, “What do people gain from all their labors?” (v. 3). Solomon saw how the sun rises and sets, the wind blows to and fro, the rivers flow endlessly into a never satisfied sea (vv. 5–7). Ultimately, all is forgotten (v. 11).
Both Hemingway and Ecclesiastes confront us with the stark futility of living for this life only. Solomon, however, weaves bright hints of the divine into his book. There is permanence—and real hope. Ecclesiastes shows us as we truly are, but it also shows God as He is. “Everything God does will endure forever,” said Solomon (3:14), and therein lies our great hope. For God has given us the gift of us His , Jesus.
Apart from God, we’re adrift in an endless, never satisfied sea. Through His risen , Jesus, we’re reconciled to Him, and we discover our meaning, value, and purpose.
What occupies your time and what meaning does it hold? How might you change your priorities to follow Jesus?
Loving Father, help me find my fulfillment in You.
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New Identity in Jesus
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Posted:Jan 1, 2024 9:00 am
Last Updated:May 2, 2024 8:19 am 21982 Views
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Today's Devotional
Read: 2 Corinthians 5:14–21
Bible in a Year: Genesis 1–3; Matthew 1
See what great love the Father has lavished on us. 1 John 3:1
“I’m not who I once was. I’m a new person.” Those simple words from my , spoken to students at a school assembly, describe the change God made in his life. Once addicted to heroin, Geoffrey previously saw himself through his sins and mistakes. But now he sees himself as a of God.
The Bible encourages us with this promise: “If anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” (2 Corinthians 5:17). No matter who we’ve been or what we’ve done in our past, when we trust Jesus for our salvation and receive the forgiveness offered through His cross, we become someone new. Since the garden of Eden, the guilt of our sins has separated us from God, but He has now “reconciled us to himself through Christ,” “not counting” our sins against us (vv. 18–19). We are His dearly loved (1 John 3:1–2), washed clean and made new in the likeness of His .
Jesus liberates us from sin and its dominating power and restores us into a new relationship with God—where we’re free to no longer live for ourselves but “for him who died for [us] and was raised again” (2 Corinthians 5:15). On this New Year’s Day, let’s remember that His transforming love compels us to live with new identity and purpose. It helps us point others to our Savior, the One who can make them new people too!
What does it mean to you that a new beginning is possible with God? How can you live as His “new creation”?
Abba, Father, thank You for sending Your to save me. Please send me to someone who needs You too.
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The Righteous City
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Posted:Dec 31, 2023 6:26 am
Last Updated:May 2, 2024 8:19 am 21851 Views
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Today's Devotional
Read: Hebrews 13:14–21 | Bible in a Year: Malachi 1–4; Revelation 22
May he produce in you . . . every good thing that is pleasing to him. Hebrews 13:21
On New Year’s Eve 2000, officials in Detroit carefully opened a hundred-year-old time capsule. Nestled inside the copper box were hopeful predictions from some city leaders who expressed visions of prosperity. The mayor’s message, however, offered a different approach. He wrote, “May we be permitted to express one hope superior to all others . . . [that] you may realize as a nation, people, and city, you have grown in righteousness, for it is this that exalts a nation.”
More than success, happiness, or peace, the mayor wished that future citizens would grow in what it means to be truly just and upright. Perhaps he took his cue from Jesus, who blessed those who long for His righteousness (Matthew 5:6). But it’s easy to get discouraged when we consider God’s perfect standard.
Praise God that we don’t have to rely on our own effort to grow. The author of Hebrews said it this way: “May the God of peace . . . equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ” (Hebrews 13:20–21). We who are in Christ are made holy by His blood the moment we believe in Him (v. 12), but He actively grows the fruit of righteousness in our hearts throughout a lifetime. We’ll often stumble on the journey, yet still we look forward to “the city that is to come” where God’s righteousness will reign (v. 14).
For what Christlike attributes would you like to be known? How can you encourage others to seek God’s righteousness?
Dear God, please work in me what’s pleasing to You.
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Troubled Souls, Honest Prayers
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Posted:Dec 30, 2023 5:58 am
Last Updated:Dec 30, 2023 5:59 am 20365 Views
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Today's Devotional
Read: John 12:27–32
Bible in a Year: Zechariah 13–14; Revelation 21
Father, glorify your name! John 12:28
Three days before a bomb blast rocked his home in January 1957, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. had an encounter that marked him for the rest of his life. After receiving a threatening phone call, King found himself pondering an exit strategy from the civil rights movement. Then prayers emerged from his soul. “I am here taking a stand for what I believe is right. But now I am afraid. I have nothing left. I’ve come to the point where I can’t face it alone.” After his prayer, there came quiet assurance. King noted, “Almost at once my fears began to go. My uncertainty disappeared. I was ready to face anything.”
In John 12, Jesus acknowledged, “My soul is troubled” (v. 27). He was transparently honest about His internal disposition; still He was God-centered in His prayer. “Father, glorify your name!” (v. 28. Jesus’ prayer was one of surrender to God’s will.
How human it is for us to feel the pangs of fear and discomfort when we find ourselves with the option of honoring God or not; when wisdom requires making hard decisions about relationships, habits, or other patterns (good or bad). No matter what we’re faced with, as we pray boldly to God, He’ll give us the strength to overcome our fear and discomfort and do what brings glory to Him—for our good and the good of others.
What experiences have prompted prayers for God to be honored? What advice would you give to others facing such situations?
Father, please help me to face challenging things honestly and prayerfully that are for my good and will bring You glory.
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The Crown of Life
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Posted:Dec 29, 2023 6:08 am
Last Updated:May 2, 2024 8:19 am 7875 Views
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Today's Devotional
Read: James 1:1–12
Bible in a Year: Zechariah 9–12; Revelation 20
God blesses those who patiently endure testing and temptation. James 1:12
Twelve-year-old LeeAdianez Rodriguez-Espada was worried that she’d be late for a 5K run (just over 3 miles). Her anxiousness led her to take off with a group of runners fifteen minutes earlier than her start time with participants of the half-marathon (more than 13 miles)! LeeAdianez fell in pace with other runners and put one foot in front of the other. At mile four, with the finish line nowhere in sight, she realized that she was in a longer and more difficult race. Instead of dropping out, she simply kept running. The accidental half-marathoner completed her 13.1-mile race and placed 1,885th out of 2,111 finishers. Now that’s perseverance!
While undergoing persecution, many first-century believers in Jesus wanted to drop out of the race for Christ, but James encouraged them to keep running. If they patiently endured testing, God promised a double reward (James 1:4, 12). First, “perseverance [would] finish its work” so they could be “mature and complete, not lacking anything” (v. 4). Second, God would give them the “crown of life”—life in Jesus on earth and the promise of being in His presence in the life to come (v. 12).
Some days the Christian race feels like it’s not the one we signed up for—it’s something longer and more difficult than we expected. But as God provides what we need, we can persevere and keep on running.
What difficulty are you enduring right now? What can you do to remain faithful to God as you undergo testing?
Dear God, my legs are tired, and I feel like giving up. Please strengthen me.
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Meeting the Needs of Others
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Posted:Dec 28, 2023 2:57 am
Last Updated:May 2, 2024 8:19 am 7086 Views
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Today's Devotional
Read: Exodus 22:22–27
Bible in a Year: Zechariah 5–8; Revelation 19
If you take your neighbor’s cloak as a pledge, return it by sunset. Exodus 22:26
Phillip’s father suffered from severe mental illness and had left home to live on the streets. After Cyndi and her young Phillip spent a day searching for him, Phillip was rightly concerned for his dad’s well-being. He asked his mother whether his father and other people without homes were warm. In response, they launched an effort to collect and distribute blankets and cold-weather gear to homeless people in the area. For more than a decade, Cyndi has considered it her life’s work, crediting her and her deep faith in God for awakening her to the hardship of being without a warm place to sleep.
The Bible has long taught us to respond to the needs of others. In the book of Exodus, Moses records a set of principles to guide our interaction with those who lack plentiful resources. When we’re moved to supply the needs of another, we’re to “not treat it like a business deal” and should make no gain or profit from it
(Exodus 22:25). If a person’s cloak was taken as collateral, it was to be returned by sunset “because that cloak is the only covering your neighbor has. What else can they sleep in?” (v. 27).
Let’s ask God to open our eyes and hearts to see how we can ease the pain of those who are suffering. Whether we seek to meet the needs of many—as Cyndi and Phillip have—or those of a single person, we honor Him by treating them with dignity and care.
How has God supplied your needs through others? Whose needs might you be able to supply?
Heavenly Father, please open my eyes to the needs of others.
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God’s Wisdom Saves Lives
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Posted:Dec 27, 2023 5:16 am
Last Updated:May 2, 2024 8:19 am 7002 Views
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Today's Devotional
Read: Proverbs 11:24–31 | Bible in a Year: Zechariah 1–4; Revelation 18
The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and the one who is wise saves lives. Proverbs 11:30
A mail carrier became concerned after seeing one of her customers’ mail pile up. The postal worker knew the elderly woman lived alone and usually picked up her mail every day. Making a wise choice, the worker mentioned her concern to one of the woman’s neighbors. This neighbor alerted yet another neighbor, who had a spare key to the woman’s home. Together they entered their friend’s home and found her lying on the floor. She had fallen four days earlier and couldn’t get up or call for help. The postal worker’s wisdom, concern, and decision to act likely saved her life.
Proverbs says, “the one who is wise saves lives” (11:30). The discernment that comes from doing right and living according to God’s wisdom can bless not only ourselves but those we encounter too. The fruit of living out what honors Him and His ways can produce a good and refreshing life. And our fruit also prompts us to care about others and to look out for their well-being.
As the writer of Proverbs asserts throughout the book, wisdom is found in reliance on God. Wisdom is considered “more precious than rubies, and nothing you desire can compare with her” (8:11). The wisdom God provides is there to guide us throughout our lives. It just might save a life for eternity.
How can you use wisdom to help someone today? How much do you value wisdom?
Heavenly Father, please give me wisdom to follow Your path and directions. Help me to look out for others as You guide me.
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The Day after Christmas
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Posted:Dec 26, 2023 5:44 am
Last Updated:Dec 26, 2023 5:48 am 6925 Views
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Today's Devotional
Read: Luke 2:15–20
Bible in a Year: Haggai 1–2; Revelation 17
Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. Luke 2:19
After all the joy of Christmas Day, the following day felt like a letdown. We’d stayed overnight with friends but hadn’t slept well. Then our car broke down as we were driving home. Then it started to snow. We had abandoned the car and taxied home in the snow and sleet feeling blah.
We’re not the only ones who’ve felt low after Christmas Day. Whether it’s from excessive eating, the way carols suddenly disappear from the radio, or the fact that the gifts we bought last week are now on sale half price, the magic of Christmas Day can quickly dissipate!
The Bible never tells us about the day after Jesus’ birth. But we can imagine that after walking to Bethlehem, scrambling for accommodation, Mary’s pain in giving birth, and having shepherds drop by unannounced (Luke 2:4–18, Mary and Joseph were exhausted. Yet as Mary cradled her newborn, I can imagine her reflecting on her angelic visitation (1:30–33), Elizabeth’s blessing (vv. 42–45), and her own realization of her baby’s destiny (vv. 46–55). Mary “pondered” such things in her heart (2:19), which must’ve lightened the tiredness and physical pain of that day.
We’ll all have “blah” days, perhaps even the day after Christmas. Like Mary, let’s face them by pondering the One who came into our world, forever brightening it with His presence.
When are you prone to feeling a “low” after a “high”? How can you ponder today all that Jesus has brought into the world?
Dear Jesus, I praise You for entering our dark world, forever brightening my days with Your presence.
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