God Won’t Forget You
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Posted:Dec 10, 2023 6:31 am
Last Updated:May 17, 2024 2:40 am 6499 Views
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Today's Devotional
Read: Isaiah 49:13–18
Bible in a Year: Hosea 1–4; Revelation 1
I will not forget you! Isaiah 49:15
As a , I collected postage stamps. When my angkong (Fukienese for “grandfather”) heard of my hobby, he started saving stamps from his office mail every day. Whenever I visited my grandparents, Angkong would give me an envelope filled with a variety of beautiful stamps. “Even though I’m always busy,” he told me once, “I won’t forget you.”
Angkong wasn’t given to overt displays of affection, but I felt his love deeply. In an infinitely deeper way, God demonstrated His love toward Israel when He declared, “I will not forget you!” (Isaiah 49:15). Suffering in Babylon for idolatry and disobedience in days past, His people lamented, “The Lord has forgotten me”
(v. 14). But God’s love for His people hadn’t changed. He promised them forgiveness and restoration (vv. 8–13).
“I have engraved you on the palms of my hands,” God told Israel, as He also tells us today (v. 16). As I ponder His words of reassurance, it reminds me so deeply of Jesus’ nail-scarred hands—stretched out in love for us and for our salvation (John 20:24–27). Like my grandfather’s stamps and his tender words, God holds out His forgiving hand as an eternal token of His love. Let’s thank Him for His love—an unchanging love. He will never forget us.
When were you clearly reminded that God never forgets you? How can His unchanging love give you hope and security in your present situation?
Father, thank You for Your constant love and presence.
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Be the Church
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Posted:Dec 9, 2023 5:27 am
Last Updated:May 17, 2024 2:40 am 6524 Views
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Today's Devotional
Read: Hebrews 10:19–25
Bible in a Year: Daniel 11–12; Jude 1
Let us consider how we may spur one another on . . . not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing. Hebrews 10:24–25
During the Covid-19 pandemic, Dave and Carla spent months looking for a church home. Following health guidelines, which limited various in-person experiences, made it even more difficult. They longed for connection to a body of believers in Jesus. “It’s a hard time to find a church,” Carla emailed me. Within me rose a realization from my own longing to be reunited with my church family. “It’s a hard time to be the church,” I responded. In that season, our church had “pivoted,” offering food in surrounding neighborhoods, creating online services, and phoning every member with support and prayer. My husband and I participated and yet wondered what else we could do to “be the church” in our changed world.
In Hebrews 10:25, the writer exhorts readers not to neglect “meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but [encourage] one another.” Perhaps due to persecution (vv. 32–34) or maybe as a result of simply growing weary (12:3), the struggling early believers needed a nudge to keep being the church.
And today, I need a nudge too. Do you? When circumstances change how we experience church, will we continue to be the church? Let’s creatively encourage one another and build each other up as God guides us. Share our resources. Send a text of support. Gather as we’re able. Pray for one another. Let’s be the church.
How can you be a help to those today who can’t gather in a church building? How does the church fill your need to be a part of a much larger purpose?
Dear God, please show me how to be the church.
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Prejudice and God’s Love
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Posted:Dec 8, 2023 6:29 am
Last Updated:May 17, 2024 2:40 am 6510 Views
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Today's Devotional
Read: John 1:43–51
Bible in a Year: Daniel 8–10; 3 John 1
Nazareth! Can anything good come from there? John 1:46
“You’re not what I expected. I thought I’d hate you, but I don’t.” The young man’s words seemed harsh, but they were actually an effort to be kind. I was studying abroad in his country, a land that decades earlier had been at war with my own. We were participating in a group discussion in class together, and I noticed he seemed distant. When I asked if I’d offended him somehow, he responded, “Not at all . . . . And that’s the thing. My grandfather was killed in that war, and I hated your people and your country for it. But now I see how much we have in common, and that surprises me. I don’t see why we can’t be friends.”
Prejudice is as old as the human race. Two millennia ago, when Nathanael first heard about Jesus living in Nazareth, his bias was evident: “Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?” he asked (John 1:46). Nathanael lived in the region of Galilee, like Jesus. He probably thought God’s Messiah would come from another place; even other Galileans looked down on Nazareth because it seemed to be an unremarkable little village.
This much is clear. Nathanael’s response didn’t stop Jesus from loving him, and he was transformed as he became Jesus’ disciple. “You are the of God!” Nathanael later declared (v. 49). There is no bias that can stand against God’s transforming love.
What biases have you faced or wrestled with? How does Jesus’ love help you deal with them?
Help me, loving God, to overcome any biases I may have and to love others with the love You alone can give.
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Giving like Christ
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Posted:Dec 7, 2023 4:54 am
Last Updated:May 17, 2024 2:40 am 6337 Views
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Today's Devotional
Read: Romans 12:1–3
Bible in a Year: Daniel 5–7; 2 John 1
Offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God. Romans 12:1
When American author O. Henry wrote his beloved 1905 Christmas story “The Gift of the Magi,” he was struggling to rebound from personal troubles. Still, he penned an inspiring story that highlights a beautiful, Christlike character trait—sacrifice. In the story, an impoverished wife sells her beautiful long hair on Christmas Eve to buy a gold pocket watch chain for her husband. As she learns later, however, her husband had sold his pocket watch to buy a set of combs for her beautiful hair.
Their greatest gift to each other? Sacrifice. From each, the gesture showed great love.
In that way, the story represents the loving gifts the magi (wise men) gave to the Christ after His holy birth (see Matthew 2:1, 11). More than those gifts, however, the Jesus would grow up and one day give His life for the whole world.
In our daily lives, believers in Christ can highlight His great gift by offering to others the sacrifice of our time, treasures, and a temperament that all speak of love. As the apostle Paul wrote, “I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God” (Romans 12:1). There’s no better gift than sacrificing for others through Jesus’ love.
What sacrificial gift have you received from someone that showed Christ’s love? What sacrificial gift can you give to others in return?
In my daily life, dear God, may I show others Jesus by sacrificing my needs for theirs.
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Saint Nick
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Posted:Dec 6, 2023 5:18 am
Last Updated:May 17, 2024 2:40 am 6593 Views
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Today's Devotional
Read: Matthew 1:18–25
Bible in a Year: Daniel 3–4; 1 John 5
“The virgin will conceive and give birth to a , and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”).
Matthew 1:23
The person we know as Saint Nicholas (Saint Nick) was born around ad 270 to a wealthy Grecian family. Tragically, his parents died when he was a boy, and he lived with his uncle who loved him and taught him to follow God. When Nicholas was a young man, legend says that he heard of three sisters who didn’t have a dowry for marriage and would soon be destitute. Wanting to follow Jesus’ teaching about giving to those in need, he took his inheritance and gave each sister a bag of gold coins. Over the years, Nicholas gave the rest of his money away feeding the poor and caring for others. In the following centuries, Nicholas was honored for his lavish generosity, and he inspired the character we know as Santa Claus.
While the glitz and advertising of the season may threaten our celebrations, the gift-giving tradition connects to Nicholas. And his generosity was based on his devotion to Jesus. Nicholas knew that Christ enacted unimagined generosity, bringing the most profound gift: God. Jesus is “God with us” (Matthew 1:23). And He brought us the gift of life. In a world of death, He “save[s] his people from their sins” (v. 21).
When we believe in Jesus, sacrificial generosity unfolds. We tend to others’ needs, and we joyfully provide for them as God provides for us. This is Saint Nick’s story; but far more, this is God’s story.
What’s your experience with gift-giving—is it forced or free and joyful? How does Jesus’ life change your notions of generosity?
Dear God, I want to be generous, but I don’t always feel it. Please help me to practice true generosity.
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God’s Comforting Commitment
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Posted:Dec 5, 2023 6:33 am
Last Updated:May 17, 2024 2:40 am 6614 Views
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Today's Devotional
Read: Joshua 1:1–9
Bible in a Year: Daniel 1–2; 1 John 4
The Lord your God will be with you wherever you go. Joshua 1:9
Years ago, our family visited Four Corners, the only place in the United States where four states meet at one location. My husband stood in the section marked Arizona. Our oldest , A.J., hopped into Utah. Our youngest , Xavier, held my hand as we stepped into Colorado. When I scooted into New Mexico, Xavier said, “Mom, I can’t believe you left me in Colorado!” We were together and apart as our laughter was heard in four different states. Now that our grown sons have left home, I have a deeper appreciation of God’s promise to be near all His people wherever they go.
After Moses died, God called Joshua into leadership and guaranteed His presence as He expanded the Israelite’s territory (Joshua 1:1–4). God said, “As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you” (v. 5). Knowing that Joshua would struggle with doubt and fear as the new leader of His people, God built a foundation of hope on these words: “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go” (v. 9).
No matter where God leads us or our loved ones, even through difficult times, His most comforting commitment assures us that He’s always present.
How has God recently comforted you with His constant presence? How does His commitment to be present help when you’re far from loved ones?
Ever-present God, thank You for comforting me with the promise of Your constant presence.
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Shadow and God’s Light
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Posted:Dec 4, 2023 7:18 am
Last Updated:May 17, 2024 2:40 am 6913 Views
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Today's Devotional
Read: Psalm 23
Bible in a Year: Ezekiel 47–48; 1 John 3
Blessed are those who . . . walk in the light of your presence, Lord. Psalm 89:15
When Elaine was diagnosed with advanced cancer, she and her husband, Chuck, knew it wouldn’t be long until she’d be with Jesus. Both of them treasured the promise of Psalm 23 that God would be with them as they journeyed through the deepest and most difficult valley of their fifty-four years together. They took hope in the fact that Elaine was ready to meet Jesus, having placed her faith in Him decades before.
At his wife’s memorial service, Chuck shared that he was still traveling “through the valley of the shadow of death” (Psalm 23:4 nkjv). His wife’s life in heaven had already begun. But the “shadow of death” was still with him and with others who’d greatly loved Elaine.
As we travel through the valley of shadows, where can we find our source of light? The apostle John declares that “God is light; in him there is no darkness at all” (1 John 1:5). And in John 8:12, Jesus proclaimed: “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”
As believers in Jesus, we “walk in the light of [His] presence” (Psalm 89:15). Our God has promised to be with us and to be our source of light even when we travel through the darkest of shadows.
What valley have you been walking through? Which of God’s promises provide light for your journey?
Loving God, thank You for Your promise to never leave me. I trust You to be my strength, my provision, and my joy throughout my life.
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Surrendering to Jesus
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Posted:Dec 3, 2023 7:39 am
Last Updated:May 17, 2024 2:40 am 6959 Views
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Today's Devotional
Read: Jeremiah 38:17–23
Bible in a Year: Ezekiel 45–46; 1 John 2
Obey the Lord by doing what I tell you. Then . . . your life will be spared. Jeremiah 38:20
In 1951, Joseph Stalin’s doctor advised him to reduce his workload in order to preserve his health. The ruler of the Soviet Union accused the physician of spying and had him arrested. The tyrant who had oppressed so many with lies couldn’t abide the truth, and—as he had done so many times—he removed the one who told him the facts. Truth won anyway. Stalin died in 1953.
The prophet Jeremiah, arrested for his dire prophecies and kept in chains (Jeremiah 38:1–6; 40:1), told the king of Judah exactly what would happen to Jerusalem. “Obey the Lord by doing what I tell you,” he said to King Zedekiah (38:20). Failure to surrender to the army surrounding the city would only make matters worse. “All your wives and will be brought out to the Babylonians,” Jeremiah warned. “You yourself will not escape from their hands” (v. 23).
Zedekiah failed to act on that truth. Eventually the Babylonians caught the king, killed all his sons, and burned the city (ch. 39).
In a sense, every human being faces Zedekiah’s dilemma. We’re trapped inside the walls of our own lives of sin and poor choices. Often, we make things worse by avoiding those who tell us the truth about ourselves. All we need to do is surrender to the will of the One who said, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6).
How do your life choices line up with the claims of Jesus? What’s keeping you from surrendering to Him?
Compassionate God, please forgive me of the pride that keeps me from You.
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Building Up Goodwill
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Posted:Dec 2, 2023 5:56 am
Last Updated:May 17, 2024 2:40 am 6855 Views
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Today's Devotional
Read: Ephesians 4:15–16, 22–32
Bible in a Year: Ezekiel 42–44; 1 John 1
From [Christ] the whole body . . . grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work. Ephesians 4:16
When we think of best business practices, what first comes to mind probably aren’t qualities like kindness and generosity. But according to entrepreneur James Rhee, they should. In Rhee’s experience as CEO at a company on the brink of financial ruin, prioritizing what he calls “goodwill”—a “culture of kindness” and a spirit of giving—saved the company and led to its flourishing. Putting these qualities central gave people the hope and motivation they needed to unify, innovate, and problem-solve. Rhee explains that “goodwill . . . is a real asset that can compound and be amplified.”
In daily life too, it’s easy to think of qualities like kindness as vague and intangible, afterthoughts to our other priorities. But, as the apostle Paul taught, such qualities matter most of all.
Writing to new believers, Paul emphasized that the purpose of believers’ lives is transformation through the Spirit into mature members of the body of Christ (Ephesians 4:15). To that end, every word and every action has value only if it builds up and benefits others (v. 29). Transformation in Jesus can only happen through daily prioritizing kindness, compassion, and forgiveness (v. 32).
When the Holy Spirit draws us to other believers in Christ, we grow and mature as we learn from one another.
Why do you think we often fail to see the tangible impact of “goodwill”? How can you grow in prioritizing kindness?
Dear God, teach me daily what truly matters—the love poured out through Your .
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God’s Heart for All
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Posted:Dec 1, 2023 5:45 am
Last Updated:May 17, 2024 2:40 am 6900 Views
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Today's Devotional
Read: Matthew 11:27–30
Bible in a Year: Ezekiel 40–41; 2 Peter 3
Come to me, all you who are weary. Matthew 11:28
Nine-year-old Dan Gill arrived with his best friend Archie at their classmate’s birthday party. When the mother of the birthday boy saw Archie, however, she refused him entry. “There aren’t enough chairs,” she insisted. Dan offered to sit on the floor to make room for his friend, who was Black, but the mother said no. Dejected, Dan left their presents with her and returned home with Archie, the sting of his friend’s rejection searing his heart.
Now, decades later, Dan is a schoolteacher who keeps one empty chair in his classroom. When students ask why, he explains it’s his reminder to “always have room in the classroom for anyone.”
A heart for all people can be seen in Jesus’ welcoming life: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28 This invitation may seem to contradict the “first to the Jew” scope of Jesus’ ministry (Romans 1:16). But the gift of salvation is for all people who place their faith in Jesus. “This is true for everyone who believes,” Paul wrote, “no matter who we are” (3:22 ).
We rejoice then at Christ’s invitation to all: “Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls” (Matthew 11:29). For all seeking His rest, His open heart awaits.
What was your situation when you accepted God’s gift of salvation? Who do you know whose heart Jesus is calling?
Dear Jesus, You called me when others didn’t. Thank You for offering me salvation and love.
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