Author: Kerry

Love the Lord your God with . . . all your soul.
Deuteronomy 6:5

Spiritual But Not Religious

Daily Devotion – November 5, 2024

Devotion based on Deuteronomy 6:5


See series: Devotions

It is a common thing today for people to make the statement that they are spiritual but not religious. It is not difficult to understand some of the circumstances that can lead to this way of thinking. Perhaps the individual has been burned by churches in the past, and the bad experience has soured the individual on organized religion. Such an individual may be seeking to hold religion at arm’s length to feel safe.

On the other hand, claiming to be spiritual but not religious can be nothing more than a claim to practice religion the way I want to practice religion so as not to have to answer to God or anyone else. It can perhaps be an issue of control, not even acknowledging that God is the captain of the ship. In any case, we are often reluctant to love God with all our souls.

To truly love God means to admit that spirituality it is not all about my feelings. Nor is it about what I want. To love God with all my soul is to give up control. It means to trust in someone else rather than myself. It means acknowledging that I don’t have it all figured out and trusting someone else to figure it out for me. This means putting ourselves out there and being vulnerable. To put it another way, loving God with all my soul means believing he is the only one who can safely guide my soul to heaven.

And let me assure you, God is worthy of that trust. He has demonstrated concern for our souls and a willingness to do whatever it takes to save them. He did this by keeping his promise to send his only Son to come into this world and to defeat sin, death, and the devil. A Son who would live, die, and rise again, all to ensure that our souls would be safe now and forever. Our souls are in good hands with God. Love him with all your soul.

Prayer:
Dear Father in heaven, help me to trust you to guide my soul to heaven. Help me to give up control and give me confidence to follow you today. Amen.

Love the Lord your God with all your heart.
Deuteronomy 6:5

All Your Heart

Daily Devotion – November 4, 2024

Devotion based on Deuteronomy 6:5


See series: Devotions

By now, everyone is likely familiar with the show, The Bachelor. The show has several other versions at this point, but the premise is always the same. The contestant dates a few dozen individuals simultaneously and gradually whittles that number down to the one person they hope to spend the rest of their lives with. It often happens that the individual will find themselves in love with multiple people. To many of us, that seems unrealistic. How can you fall in love with numerous people at the same time?

The truth is, while we are not likely to be candidates for that TV show, we all have hearts that are hopelessly divided. So many things in life demand our love and attention. In fact, our hearts have trouble settling on one thing to love. We throw our hearts at one thing one day, only to find a new target for our love the next.

It begs the question: how much room in our hearts is left for God? Does he get all of our hearts? Truthfully, we love far too many other things more than we love God. It seems that when God asks us to love him with all our hearts, he is asking the impossible.

Impossible for us, yes. But not impossible for Jesus. Jesus loved God with all his heart all the time. He proved it once and for all by obeying his Father’s will and dying on the cross to pay for the sins of the world. He didn’t even love his own life more than he loved God. He lived and died so that we could have forgiveness for the times when we failed to love God. Jesus did this all out of love for us, too.

None of the other things we give our hearts to in this world can do what Jesus has done for us. He has forgiven our sins and earned a place in heaven for us. In view of these wonderful things, give your whole heart to God.

Prayer:
Dear Lord Jesus, you loved God with all your heart and now I am saved. Help me to love God with all my heart today. Amen.

Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another.
Romans 13:8

The Debt

Daily Devotion – November 3, 2024

Devotion based on Romans 13:8


See series: Devotions

Credit cards and car payments. Mortgages and medical bills. Leases and braces. Collectors and filing for bankruptcy. Then there is always the question of whether there will be enough retirement benefits and enough for tuition payments. We all know the burden of financial commitments to one degree or another. It’s like a treadmill that we can’t get off. It can feel like a mountain that keeps us buried. Debt leaves us imprisoned and burdened. No wonder wise Solomon wrote, “The borrower is slave to the lender” (Proverbs 22:7).

But these debts are just a hint of an even greater debt, the debt we owe to God. And we do “owe him big-time.” We have not loved him and others as we should. And that’s a debt we can’t repay. No amount of silver or gold in the world would ever be enough. That’s why God himself came up with a payment plan, a plan that included the blood of his very own Son. Jesus’ precious blood shed on the cross covers our sin and cancels our debt. That is the very meaning of the word “forgiven.”

God doesn’t promise to pay off all our financial debt, but the forgiveness he gives enables us to face the future with peace and hope. It also creates a new life of indebtedness—the welcomed debt of love and thanksgiving that we can give to him and each other.

Prayer:
Lord, fill my heart today with the peace and forgiveness that only can come from you. Then enrich me with your love that I may share it with others. Amen.

Then I saw another angel flying in midair, and he had the eternal gospel to proclaim to those who live on the earth—to every nation, tribe, language and people.
Revelation 14:6

The Eternal Gospel

Daily Devotion – November 2, 2024

Devotion based on Revelation 14:6


See series: Devotions

If you drive to your nearest major airport and fly to Tel Aviv in Israel, and from there, take a bus to the city of Hebron, you can see a massive, ancient building erected over the tomb of Abraham. Abraham has been dead for about 4,000 years.

From Israel, if you fly to Leonardo da Vinci Airport near Rome, and take a cab into the city, you can see the sarcophagus believed to contain the bones of the apostle Paul. Paul has been dead for about 2,000 years.

From Italy, if you fly to Frankfurt in Germany, then drive 4½ hours to Wittenberg, you can enter the Castle Church and walk right up to the grave of Martin Luther. Luther has been dead for about 450 years.

Three different men, separated by centuries, separated by culture, separated by life experience. Each man lived and died in his own time, never personally knowing the other two.

However, there is one thing they held in common. They all proclaimed the eternal gospel. They all proclaimed the message of full forgiveness through faith in the promised Savior from sin.

If you’re living in the United States, you know that soon it will be Election Day. In addition, no doubt you are asking the Lord to bless this day’s results for the good of the country and its people.

As you do, however, don’t forget to rejoice in knowing that above the ebb and flow of history, above the twists and turns of nations, above the actions of cultures and governments and individuals—above it all is the eternal gospel. Above it all is the voice of God in his Word. It is the voice that says, “To the thirsty I will give water without cost from the spring of the water of life” (Rev 21:6).

And that, dear Christian, is a wonderful thing to know.

Prayer:
Lord of the nations, bless the flow of history for the good of your people. Above all, Lord Jesus, thank you for your eternal gospel. Amen.

[Jesus said] “You must be on your guard. You will be handed over to the local councils and flogged in the synagogues. On account of me you will stand before governors and kings as witnesses to them. And the gospel must first be preached to all nations. Whenever you are arrested and brought to trial, do not worry beforehand about what to say. Just say whatever is given you at the time, for it is not you speaking, but the Holy Spirit.”
Mark 13:9-11

Prepared to Witness

Daily Devotion – November 1, 2024

Devotion based on Mark 13:9-11


See series: Devotions

Are you ready? Christ calls us to live a life of courageous witness in the face of hostility from others. Are you ready to be that witness? While we might know how to prepare for a job, school year, or vacation, how will we prepare to live a life of courageous witness?

While Jesus was teaching his disciples during his final week, he described what was coming after his resurrection. False teachers would deceive many. Conflicts and natural disasters would rage all over the world. Yet for Christians, the hardest part would come from those who oppose Christ and his Word. Hostile opposition from local communities to the highest levels of government would become a reality for God’s people. Since then, Christians of every century have had to make faithful witness in the face of persecution. They proclaimed Christ even when faced with death.

What about us? Are we ready? If not, how can we be ready? We can prepare to be Christ’s witnesses by returning to his Word. There in the Bible, we find God’s law that cuts sinners to the heart. Yet, we also find Jesus—our living and enduring Savior, who forgives our guilt and gives us confident hope, who strengthens us to be his courageous witnesses. Jesus even tells us not to worry in those situations because he will send his Holy Spirit to help us give the reason for the hope that we have no matter the situation or what we face. So then, like the disciples of old, prepared with God’s Word, as we courageously witness Christ as our Savior, the Spirit speaks through us.

Prayer:
O Lord, when confronted with opposition to you or your Word, help me to find courage in you. Send your Spirit to speak the truth of your Word through me that others may know you. Amen.

God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.
Psalm 46:1

Courageous Witness

Daily Devotion – October 31, 2024

Devotion based on Psalm 46:1


See series: Devotions

The story is told that when times were dark, when persecution was intense, when the enemies of truth appeared to triumph, Martin Luther would gather his fellow reformers. He would urge them, “Come, let us sing the 46th Psalm.” Eventually, Luther took the words of that psalm and composed one of the greatest hymns of the Lutheran church— “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God.”

As we seek to be courageous witnesses for Christ, where can we go when things get bad, when times get dark, when the opposition to Christ and his Word gets so bad that the enemies of truth seem to triumph? As Luther explains in his hymn, “With might of ours can naught be done, soon were our loss effected…” (Christian Worship 863:2) If it were up to us and our ability, the battle would be over before it even started. Satan and the sinful world would be able to claim victory without a fight.

“But for us fights the valiant one whom God himself elected. You ask, ‘Who is this?’ Jesus Christ it is, the almighty Lord, and there’s no other God; he holds the field forever.” (Christian Worship 863:2) The courageous witness need not be afraid, because it’s not up to us to fight for Christ. It is not up to us to preserve the gospel or the Christian church. We have One who already preserves the Word, the Church, and us—the almighty Lord who “holds the field forever.”

When times get dark, when the opposition of loved ones, coworkers, or classmates gets bad, the enemies of the truth seem to triumph. Where will we find a mighty fortress that not even Satan can destroy? We look to our God who is “an ever-present help in trouble.” We look to Christ, who has already won by his death on the cross and resurrection from the grave. Then we will see every one of Satan’s terrible attacks crash against that mighty fortress and disappear like so many waves. “The God of Jacob is our fortress!” (Psalm 46:11)

Prayer:
O Lord, be my rock and refuge, my mighty fortress against the old evil foe. Amen.

Then Nebuchadnezzar said, “Praise be to the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, who has sent his angel and rescued his servants! They trusted in him and defied the king’s command and were willing to give up their lives rather than serve or worship any god except their own God.”
Daniel 3:28

Even to the Point of Death

Daily Devotion – October 30, 2024

Devotion based on Daniel 3:28


See series: Devotions

Is Christ worth dying for?

Three men found themselves staring at the reality of a fiery death. They had been loyal to King Nebuchadnezzar, but that loyalty could go no further when he demanded that they bow to a tall, golden idol of himself. To refuse would mean death by fiery furnace. Many others had bowed out of fear, but not these three. They were faithful to the Lord, who had always watched over them. They would remain faithful to him, even if they lost their lives.

When they refused to worship the idol, the king got so enraged that he had the furnace heated to an extreme temperature. The flames consumed even the strong soldiers who threw the men into the furnace. Yet we hear no begging, no cries for mercy from the three faithful men. They knew that their God could save them in life or by death.

Will we find ourselves in such a situation? Perhaps. Perhaps not. Either way, the God who saved those three men is the same God who saves us. Even Nebuchadnezzar had to acknowledge that. But how can you be sure? You have a Savior who endured to the end for you, who suffered the punishment of death we all deserve for our sins. You have a Savior who abandoned the tomb for you on Easter morning.

You have a God who promises to deliver you when you must stand firm, whether in this life or by bringing you into eternal life. No one else can do that. Can we live a life of courageous witness even to the point of death? With Christ as our Savior-God, we can!

Prayer:
O Lord, it is far too easy for me to cave into the pressures and opposition of this world. Forgive my sins and help me to see that you will deliver me in this life or the life to come. Amen.

He said, “Look! I see four men walking around in the fire, unbound and unharmed, and the fourth looks like a son of the gods.”
Daniel 3:25

You’re Not Alone

Daily Devotion – October 29, 2024

Devotion based on Daniel 3:25


See series: Devotions

Satan loves when followers of Christ are isolated. Like sheep getting separated from the flock, the devil looks for those times when we are alone or isolated away from Christ’s flock. At the very least, he uses our sinful natures to make us think we’re alone and isolated, that no one else is going through what we’re going through, especially if we are suffering for the sake of Christ.

While Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego had courageously witnessed to the true God before an angry king, you wonder how they felt before they were tossed, turbans and all, into the blazing furnace. Did they wonder if God would rescue them? Did they wonder if the flames would destroy them as they had destroyed the soldiers accompanying them? Did they hope it would be quick? God’s Word doesn’t tell us what they were thinking, but we are told they were not alone.

As King Nebuchadnezzar watched all this play out, he noticed not just three men in the fiery furnace but four—one who “looks like a son of the gods.” There is good reason to believe that what he saw was an angel sent by God to protect those three men by suspending the physical properties of fire. They came out of that furnace safe and alive without a hint of smoke. The Lord, their faithful God, had not abandoned them in their hour of need.

Nor does he abandon you! We are called to live the lives of courageous witnesses—and that is not easy. Remaining faithful to Christ and his Word often means hostility, skepticism, opposition, and even persecution. Yet we are not alone. The same God who did not abandon the three men will never abandon us. He will always be with us, as he has promised repeatedly in his Word. As he powerfully rescued those three men, Christ has rescued us through his life, death, and resurrection. With Christ, we will never be alone!

Prayer:
O Lord, when the heat of opposition comes my way, shield me from harm and keep me from danger. Never leave me until I join you in the glories of heaven. Amen.

Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to him, “King Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us from Your Majesty’s hand. But even if he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.”
Daniel 3:16-18

Courageous to Witness

Daily Devotion – October 28, 2024

Devotion based on Daniel 3:16-18


See series: Devotions

It’s hard to look the king in the eye and say, “Here I stand.”

It was hard for Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. They had already been through so much. They had witnessed the destruction of their homes and endured exile to a foreign land a thousand miles away. Yet the Lord had richly blessed them, or so it seemed until they stood up for their faith. When the king had a gold image of himself ninety feet tall and nine feet wide built to make the people prove their patriotic loyalty to him, those three young men refused to bow down to anyone except the true God.

They stood firm when the king howled with rage. They trusted in God’s ability to deliver them, even through death. They stood firm because they knew their Savior-God. He remained faithful to them through terrible times and would never let them down.

Would we be able to stand firm and courageous to witness in the face of hostile opposition? By nature, we would fail. Our sinful hearts are too quick to give in.

How, then, will we stand firm? We look to the One who has already saved us. We find confidence in the God who delivers us from evil in this life or the life to come. We find confidence in the Savior who has already overcome this hostile world for us. By faith, we can courageously confess our loyalty to Christ’s holy name because he is the God who has saved us from sin and death. He is the only true God, and we will only serve him.

Prayer:
O Lord, in the face of pressure and opposition, even persecution, help me to stand firm and be your witnesses. Remove fear from my heart and make me bold to confess that you alone are the true God and my only Savior. Amen.

This is what the LORD says: “Sing with joy for Jacob; shout for the foremost of the nations. Make your praises heard, and say, ‘O LORD, save your people, the remnant of Israel.’ See, I will bring them from the land of the north and gather them from the ends of the earth. Among them will be the blind and the lame, expectant mothers and women in labor; a great throng will return. They will come with weeping; they will pray as I bring them back. I will lead them beside streams of water on a level path where they will not stumble, because I am Israel’s father.
Jeremiah 31:7-9

God’s Outstanding Deliverance

Daily Devotion – October 27, 2024

Devotion based on Jeremiah 31:7-9


See series: Devotions

The prophet Jeremiah had a difficult message to deliver. The people of Israel had turned from their God, and he was going to punish them. Jeremiah prophesied that Israel would be taken into captivity by a foreign nation. Because they had turned their backs on God, the Lord sent a punishment to show them the error of their ways.

But because he is a gracious and loving God, he also promised to deliver them from their captivity. The most outstanding feature of Israel’s deliverance was that it was all-inclusive. Traveling long distances was especially hard in Jeremiah’s day for those who had physical limitations. But because the Lord cared for them, even the lame, the blind, expectant mothers, and women in labor would be brought back safely.

Today, we can still stand in awe of God’s outstanding deliverance. We have given into sin like God’s people before us. Sin takes us captive, and we can’t save ourselves. But God showed his incomparable strength and love by sending Jesus to release us from the captivity of sin. He gave his life on the cross to pay for our forgiveness and release. Just as God delivered his people in Jeremiah’s day, he has delivered his people through Jesus today.

Prayer:
Lord, forgive my sins and fill my heart with peace. As I go about my activities today, uplift me with the power of your presence and the assurance of your love through Jesus. Amen.