Smartphone Compassion
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Posted:Oct 30, 2023 2:18 am
Last Updated:May 2, 2024 10:56 am 7314 Views
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Today's Devotional
Read: Exodus 34:1–8
Bible in a Year: Jeremiah 20–21; 2 Timothy 4
The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness. Exodus 34:6
Was the driver late with your food? You can use your phone to give him a one-star rating. Did the shopkeeper treat you curtly? You can write her a critical review. While smartphones enable us to shop, keep up with friends, and more, they have also given us the power to publicly rate each other. And this can be a problem.
Rating each other this way is problematic because judgments can be made without context. The driver gets rated poorly for a late delivery due to circumstances out of his control. The shopkeeper gets a negative review when she’d been up all night with a sick . How can we avoid rating others unfairly like this?
By imitating God’s character. In Exodus 34:6–7, God describes Himself as “compassionate and gracious”—meaning He wouldn’t judge our failures without context; “slow to anger”—meaning He wouldn’t post a negative review after one bad experience; “abounding in love”—meaning His correctives are for our good, not to get revenge; and “forgiving [of] sin”—meaning our lives don’t have to be defined by our one-star days. Since God’s character is to be the basis of ours (Matthew 6:33), we can avoid the harshness smartphones enable by using ours as He would.
In the online age, we can all rate others harshly. May the Holy Spirit empower us to bring a little compassion today.
How can you show more compassion to others? What characteristic of God do you most need to imitate when online?
Holy Spirit, please grow the fruit of godly character in me today, especially when I’m online.
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You Can Trust God
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Posted:Oct 29, 2023 4:26 am
Last Updated:Oct 29, 2023 4:27 am 7210 Views
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Tod's Devotional
Read: Psalm 9.7–10
Bible in a Year: Jeremiah 18–19; 2 Timothy 3
Those who know your name trust in you. Psalm 9:10
When my cat Mickey had an eye infection, I put eye drops in his eyes daily. As soon as I placed him on the bathroom counter, he’d sit, look at me with frightened eyes, and brace himself for the spurt of liquid. “Good boy,” I’d murmur. Even though he didn’t understand what I was doing, he never jumped off, hissed, or scratched me. Instead, he would press himself closer against me—the person putting him through the ordeal. He knew he could trust me.
When David wrote Psalm 9, he’d probably already experienced much of God’s love and faithfulness. He’d turned to Him for protection from his enemies, and God had acted on his behalf (vv. 3−6). During David’s times of need, God hadn’t failed him. As a result, David came to know what He was like—He was powerful and righteous, loving and faithful. And so, David trusted Him. He knew God was trustworthy.
I’ve cared for Mickey through several illnesses since the night I found him as a tiny, starving kitten on the street. He knows he can trust me—even when I do things to him that he doesn’t understand. In a similar way, remembering God’s faithfulness to us and His character helps us trust Him when we can’t understand what He’s doing. May we continue to trust God through the difficult times in life.
Recall a tough situation when God showed you His love and faithfulness. What else did you learn about His character? How can this encourage you today?
Father, You’re always faithful. Help me trust You. Let difficult times draw me closer to You.
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Three Kings
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Posted:Oct 27, 2023 6:10 am
Last Updated:May 2, 2024 10:56 am 7190 Views
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Read: 2 Chronicles 21:4–7, 16–20
Bible in a Year: Jeremiah 12–14; 2 Timothy 1
His people made no funeral fire in his honor, as they had for his predecessors.
2 Chronicles 21:19
Today's Devotional
In the hit musical Hamilton, England’s King George III is humorously portrayed as a cartoonish, deranged villain. However, a new biography on King George said he was not the tyrant described in Hamilton or America’s Declaration of Independence. If George had been the brutal despot that Americans said he was, he would have stopped their drive for independence with extreme, scorched-earth measures. But he was restrained by his “civilized, good-natured” temperament.
Who knows if King George died with regret? Would his reign have been more successful if he’d been harsher with his subjects?
Not necessarily. In the Bible we read of King Jehoram, who solidified his throne by putting “all his brothers to the sword along with some of the officials of Israel”
(2 Chronicles 21:4). Jehoram “did evil in the eyes of the Lord” (v. 6). His ruthless reign alienated his people, who neither wept for his gruesome death nor made a “funeral fire in his honor” (v. 19).
Historians may debate whether George was too soft; Jehoram was surely too harsh. A better way is that of King Jesus, who is “full of grace and truth” (John 1:14). Christ’s expectations are firm (He demands truth), yet He embraces those who fail (He extends grace). Jesus calls us who believe in Him to follow His lead. Then, through the leading of His Holy Spirit, He empowers us to do so.
Who are you responsible to lead? How might you show both grace and truth to them?
Dear Jesus, I aim to lead others by following You.
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Beauty for Ashes
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Posted:Oct 26, 2023 3:32 am
Last Updated:May 2, 2024 10:56 am 7162 Views
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Today's Devotional
Read: Isaiah 61:1–4
Bible in a Year: Jeremiah 9–11; 1 Timothy 6
The Lord has anointed me . . . to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes. Isaiah 61:1, 3
In the aftermath of the Marshall Fire, the most destructive fire in Colorado history, one ministry offered to help families search through the ashes for valuable items. Family members mentioned precious objects they hoped were still preserved. Very little was. One man spoke tenderly of his wedding ring. He’d placed it on his dresser in the upstairs bedroom. The house now gone, its contents had charred or melted into a single layer of debris at the basement level. Searchers looked for the ring in that same corner where the bedroom had been—without success.
The prophet Isaiah wrote mournfully of the impending destruction of Jerusalem, which would be leveled. Likewise, there are times we feel the life we’ve built has been reduced to ashes. We feel we have nothing left, emotionally and spiritually. But Isaiah offers hope: “He [God] has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted . . . to comfort all who mourn” (Isaiah 61:1–2). God converts our tragedy into glory: “[He will] bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes” (v. 3). He promises to “rebuild the ancient ruins and restore the places long devastated” (v. 4).
At that Marshall Fire site, one woman searched the ashes on the opposite side. There, still in its case, she unearthed the husband’s wedding ring. In your despair, God reaches into your ashes and pulls out the one truly precious thing. You.
What experience in your life made you feel you had lost everything? How did God pull you out of the difficulty?
Dear God, please turn my ashes into beauty.
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One Door For All
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Posted:Oct 25, 2023 5:02 am
Last Updated:Oct 25, 2023 5:03 am 7069 Views
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Today's Devotional
Read: Romans 10:8–13 | Bible in a Year: Jeremiah 6–8; 1 Timothy
Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. Romans 10:13
The protocols at the restaurant in my childhood neighborhood were consistent with social and racial dynamics in the late 1950s and early 1960s. The kitchen helpers—Mary, the cook, and dishwashers like me—were Black; however, the in-restaurant patrons were White. Black customers could order food, but they had to pick it up at the back door. Such policies reinforced the unequal treatment of Blacks in that era. Though we’ve come a long way since then, we still have room for growth in how we relate to each other as people made in the image of God.
Passages of Scripture like Romans 10:8–13 help us to see that all are welcome in the family of God; there’s no back door. All enter the same way—through belief in Jesus’ death for cleansing and forgiveness. The biblical word for this transformative experience is saved (vv. 9, 13). Your social situation or racial status or that of others doesn’t factor into the equation. “As Scripture says, ‘Anyone who believes in him will never be put to shame.’ For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him” (vv. 11–12). Do you believe in your heart the Bible’s message about Jesus? Welcome to the family!
What evidence is there in your life that you’ve believed the Bible’s message about forgiveness through Jesus? Who do you know that needs to hear the good news about Christ?
Father, my heart rejoices that You so loved the world that You sent Jesus.
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Don’t Lose Heart
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Posted:Oct 24, 2023 3:57 am
Last Updated:Oct 24, 2023 3:59 am 7038 Views
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Today's Devotional
Read: 2 Corinthians 4:16–18
Bible in a Year: Jeremiah 3–5; 1 Timothy 4
We do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. 2 Corinthians 4:16
I don’t remember a time when my mom Dorothy was in good health. For many years as a brittle diabetic, her blood sugar was wildly erratic. Complications developed and her damaged kidneys necessitated permanent dialysis. Neuropathy and broken bones resulted in the use of a wheelchair. Her eyesight began to regress toward blindness.
But as her body failed her, Mom’s prayer life grew more vigorous. She spent hours praying for others to know and experience the love of God. Precious words of Scripture grew sweeter to her. Before her eyesight faded, she wrote a letter to her sister Marjorie including words from 2 Corinthians 4: “We do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day” (v. 16).
The apostle Paul knew how easy it is to “lose heart.” He describes his life as one of danger, pain, and deprivation (2 Corinthians 11:23–29). Yet he viewed those “troubles” as temporary. And he encouraged us to think not only about what we see but also about what we can’t see—that which is eternal (4:17–18.
Despite what’s happening to us, our loving Father is continuing our inner renewal every day. His presence with us is sure. Through the gift of prayer, He’s only a breath away. And His promises to strengthen us and give us hope and joy remain true.
What’s causing you to be discouraged or “lose heart”? Which Scriptures are especially encouraging to you?
Precious Father, thank You for Your faithful love for me and the assurance of Your presence.
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Surrendering to God
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Posted:Oct 23, 2023 3:44 am
Last Updated:May 2, 2024 10:56 am 7150 Views
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Today's Devotional
Read: Psalm 37:1–6
Bible in a Year: Jeremiah 1–2; 1 Timothy 3
Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him and he will do this. Psalm 37:5
God doesn’t help those who help themselves; He helps those who trust in and rely on Him. Jonathan Roumie—the actor who plays Jesus in the successful TV series The Chosen, which is based on the Gospels—realized this in May 2018. Roumie had been living in Los Angeles for eight years, was nearly broke, had enough food just for the day, and had no work in sight. Not knowing how he would make it, the actor poured out his heart and surrendered his career to God. “I literally [prayed] the words, ‘I surrender. I surrender.’ ” Later that day, he found four checks in the mail and three months later, he was cast for the role of Jesus in The Chosen. Roumie found that God will help those who trust in Him.
Rather than being envious of and fretting over those “who are evil” (Psalm 37:1), the psalmist invites us to surrender everything to God. When we center our daily activities on Him, “trust in [Him] and do good,” “take delight in [Him]” (vv. 3–4), and surrender to Him all our desires, problems, anxieties, and the daily events of our lives, God will direct us and give us peace (vv. 5–6). As believers in Jesus, it’s vital for us to let Him determine what our lives should be.
Let’s surrender and trust God. As we do, He’ll take action and do what’s necessary and best.
What parts of your life are off limits to God these days? What will it mean for you to surrender your life to Him today?
Dear God, please help me to surrender to You freely today and experience Your life and peace.
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Headlong into Danger
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Posted:Oct 22, 2023 6:18 am
Last Updated:May 2, 2024 10:56 am 8730 Views
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Today's Devotional
Read: Proverbs 27:8–12
Bible in a Year: Isaiah 65–66; 1 Timothy 2
A prudent person foresees danger and takes precautions. The simpleton goes blindly on [toward danger] and suffers the consequences. Proverbs 27:12
In 1892, a resident with cholera accidentally transmitted the disease via the Elbe River to Hamburg, Germany’s entire water supply. Within weeks, ten thousand citizens died. Eight years earlier, German microbiologist Robert Koch had made a discovery: cholera was waterborne. Koch’s revelation prodded officials in large European cities to invest in filtration systems to protect their water. Hamburg authorities, however, had done nothing. Citing costs and alleging dubious science, they’d ignored clear warnings while their city careened toward catastrophe.
The book of Proverbs has a lot to say about those of us who see trouble yet refuse to act. “A prudent person foresees danger and takes precautions” (27:12 ).
When God helps us see danger ahead, it’s common sense to take action to address the danger. We wisely change course. Or we ready ourselves with appropriate precautions that He provides. But we do something. To do nothing is sheer lunacy. We can all fail to miss the warning signs, however, and careen toward disaster.
“The simpleton goes blindly on and suffers the consequences” (v. 12 ).
In Scripture and in the life of Jesus, God shows us the path to follow and warns us of trouble we’ll surely face. If we’re foolish, we’ll barrel ahead, headlong into danger. Instead, as He leads us by His grace, may we heed His wisdom and change course.
When have you refused God’s wisdom? How can you better learn to respond to His warnings?
Dear God, please help me listen to You and turn away from danger.
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Christ, Our True Light
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Posted:Oct 21, 2023 6:11 am
Last Updated:May 2, 2024 10:56 am 11210 Views
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Christ, Our True Light
Today's Devotional
Read: John 1:1–14
Bible in a Year: Isaiah 62–64; 1 Timothy 1
I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness.
John 8:12
“Go to the light!” That’s what my husband advised as we struggled to find our way out of a big city hospital on a recent Sunday afternoon. We’d visited a friend, and when we exited an elevator, we couldn’t find anyone during weekend hours to point us to the front doors—and the brilliant Colorado sunlight. Roaming around half-lit hallways, we finally encountered a man who saw our confusion. “These hallways all look the same,” he said. “But the exit’s this way.” With his directions, we found the exit doors—leading, indeed, to the bright sunlight.
Jesus invited confused, lost unbelievers to follow Him out of their spiritual darkness. “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” (John 8:12). In His light, we can see stumbling blocks, sin, and blind spots, allowing Him to remove such darkness from our lives as He shines His light into our hearts and on our path. Like the pillar of fire that led the Israelites through the wilderness, Christ’s light brings us God’s presence, protection, and guidance.
As John explained, Jesus is “the true light” (John 1:9) and “the darkness has not overcome it” (v. 5). Instead of wandering through life, we can seek Him for direction as He lights the way.
What areas in your life need the purifying light of Christ? When you seek His light, what stumbling blocks will you avoid?
In a world filled with darkness, shine Your true light, dear Jesus, in my heart and on my path.
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In the Garden
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Posted:Oct 20, 2023 5:14 am
Last Updated:May 2, 2024 10:56 am 10885 Views
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Today's Devotional
Read: Genesis 2:8–9; 3:16–19
Bible in a Year: Isaiah 59–61; 2 Thessalonians 3
The Lord God had planted a garden in the east, in Eden; and there he put the man he had formed. Genesis 2:8
My dad loved being outdoors in God’s creation camping, fishing, and rock-hunting. He also enjoyed working in his yard and garden. But it took lots of work! He spent hours pruning, hoeing, planting seeds or flowers, pulling weeds, mowing the lawn, and watering the yard and garden. The results were worth it—a landscaped lawn, tasty tomatoes, and beautiful peace roses. Every year he pruned the roses close to the ground, and every year they grew back—filling the senses with their fragrance and beauty.
In Genesis, we read of the garden of Eden where Adam and Eve lived, thrived, and walked with God. There, God “made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground—trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food” (Genesis 2:9). I imagine that perfect garden also included beautiful, sweet-smelling flowers—perhaps even roses minus the thorns!
After Adam and Eve’s rebellion against God, they were expelled from the garden and needed to plant and care for their own gardens, which meant breaking up hard ground, battling with thorns, and other challenges (3:17–19, 23–24). Yet God continued to provide for them (v. 21). And He didn’t leave humanity without the beauty of creation to draw us to Him (Romans 1:20). The flowers in the garden remind us of God’s continued love and promise of a renewed creation—symbols of hope and comfort!
When has creation drawn you to praise the Creator? How do you see God in creation?
Dear God, thank You for the many reminders of You in Your creation. Thank You for beauty among thorns.
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