Category: Daily Devotions

I do all this for the sake of the gospel.
1 Corinthians 9:23

For the Sake of the Truth

Daily Devotion – October 20, 2024

Devotion based on1 Corinthians 9:23


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His name was William Charles Macready. In the 1800s, William Macready was one of the most respected actors in Great Britain and the United States. In each stage performance, Macready poured his heart and soul into the character he was portraying. People loved him for it. They packed the theaters to see him at work.

It’s said that there once was a preacher who approached Macready with a simple question. The question was: “What is the reason for the difference between you and me? You are appearing before crowds night after night with fiction, and the crowds come wherever you go. I am preaching the essential and unchangeable truth, and I am not getting any crowd at all.”

Macready’s answer was this: “I can tell you the difference between us. I present my fiction as though it were truth; you present your truth as though it were fiction.”

Ouch.

Don’t misunderstand. The Bible is clear that the power to bring hearts to faith in Jesus lies in the power of the gospel—the good news of what Jesus has done on our behalf. Nevertheless, how many times have Christians put a roadblock in front of the gospel by acting as if it’s fiction?

The beauty is that, despite our lack of passion and our bouts of apathy, the gospel remains the most true and real thing there is. After all, whenever the reality of our wrongs crushes us, and we cry out in repentance, there is the gospel. There is the living, breathing Savior who promises that his blood has washed us clean, that we are his, and that he will never leave our side.

Macready did all he could for the sake of fiction. In Jesus, you and I can do all we can for the sake of the truth—the truth of sins forgiven in Christ.

Prayer:
Precious Savior, I confess all the times I have shared your good news so poorly. Forgive me. And empower me by your gospel to do all I can for the sake of the truth. Amen.

Since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.
Hebrews 4:14-16

Our Perfect Substitute

Daily Devotion – October 19, 2024

Devotion based on Hebrews 4:14-16


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I remember being a teenager and believing, “My parents just don’t understand. They don’t know what it’s like to be me. They don’t understand the pressure to be popular, the pain of gossip, and the shame of being left out.” I didn’t realize that my parents still remembered what it was like to be a teenager.

I have young children, and the cycle continues. They can’t believe that I can remember how hard it is to be a kid. But I do. I do know what they are going through.

On a much higher level, we struggle to believe that the almighty God knows what it’s like to be human. So, we struggle to pray to God with transparency because it’s difficult to understand how he can relate to our pain.

That is why we love these words from Hebrews chapter 4. The writer says that Jesus is our High Priest. That means Jesus is the mediator between us and our heavenly Father. But he is not a high priest that is out of touch with our feelings. Jesus came into this world and experienced everything we do. He was tempted in every way that we are.

The only difference: Jesus did not sin.

The writer reminds us of Jesus’ holiness, not to shame us but to encourage us. Jesus is our perfect substitute and Savior. Jesus gives us his perfect record as a gift. Therefore, we can approach God with absolute confidence. We can tell him what we struggle with and all our guilt and pain. He hears us and even empathizes with us. And most of all, he forgives us.

Prayer:
Lord God, you know what it’s like to be misunderstood, even hated. You know what it’s like to be tempted. I pray that you would both forgive my sins and lead me to walk in your ways. And I will give you all the glory. Amen.

May the favor of the Lord our God rest on us; establish the work of our hands for us—yes, establish the work of our hands.
Psalm 90:17

Making a Difference

Daily Devotion – October 18, 2024

Devotion based on Psalm 90:17


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“You can do anything you set your mind to.” This quote, often attributed to Benjamin Franklin, has been echoed in countless self-help books, whether they are about career goals, financial success, physical fitness, or strategies for winning on the field or court. It is repeated and rephrased in hundreds of commencement addresses every year.

But experience teaches us that it is not true. No matter how much we set our minds to it, few of us have the gifts to play in the NFL or win an Olympic gold medal. The greatest minds in the world may never find a cure for cancer or even a way to eliminate the flu or the common cold.

Psalm 90 is about the brevity of life in this world. Our mortality is a result of the sin in our hearts. Sin foolishly makes me think I can do whatever I set my mind to. I’m in charge. I call the shots. I am my own god. How arrogant!

Thankfully, God sent his Son, whose hands were gentle, to selflessly help us in our sinful arrogance. His hands accepted the guilt for our pride as they were stretched out on a cross to die. He showed those nail-pierced hands to his followers after he had defeated death and been raised to life. Now his hands are lifted up to bless us with his favor and forgiveness every day.

Because of the work of God’s hands, we use our hands not to serve ourselves, not to build our own kingdom that will just pass away, but to serve our eternal, loving God. We pray with Moses, “Establish the work of our hands for us.” Help us live a life that matters. Move our hands to scroll or page through your Word to see your favor and learn what love looks like. Move our hands to cling to your promises and not our achievements. Fold our hands in prayer for those who don’t know Jesus as their Savior. And extend our hands to help someone in need to show them the love of Jesus.

Prayer:
Lord, establish the work of our hands, that we may do what matters for eternity. Amen.

Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom . . . Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love, that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days.
Psalm 90:12,14

You Only Live Once

Daily Devotion – October 17, 2024

Devotion based on Psalm 90:12,14


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YOLO—You only live once. Take chances; make the most of every day; do what makes you happy because “you only live once.”

One of the thoughts behind this slogan is a very biblical one. Life is short. You never know when your time in this world will come to an end. Your own death or Jesus’ return on the Last Day could come at any time. Remembering this shapes how you live your life.

A man named Moses had seen a lot of death in his life. He was very aware of his own mortality. He rightly saw death as a reminder of the sinfulness of mankind and the reality of God’s judgment. And so, he prayed for wisdom: “Teach us to number our days, Lord. Don’t let us forget that this life is short or that this life is not all there is.”

The Bible teaches us to live life with an eternal perspective and to prioritize what prepares us for what comes after this life. And this is where YOLO usually falls short. Living for the moment, doing only what makes you feel good, and putting yourself first leave us unprepared to stand before God. That’s because God’s law demands that we live our lives not for ourselves but for him and those around us.

And so, Moses prayed, “Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love, that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days.” God’s unfailing love satisfies us like nothing else can because it gives us certainty for eternity. In unfailing love, God sent Jesus to break the curse of sin and overcome death. Because of Jesus’ death and resurrection, God forgives our selfish shortsightedness and our misplaced priorities. Because of his unfailing love, we can sing for joy and be glad all our days. We can face life and death without fear. We can live each day to serve God, knowing that he has a better life prepared for us, where we only live once, but that life lasts forever.

Prayer:
Lord may your unfailing love move me to live for you every day. Amen.

For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.
Hebrews 4:12,13

True Priorities Exposed

Daily Devotion – October 16, 2024

Devotion based on Hebrews 4:12,13


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“I didn’t mean to.” It’s one of the classic defenses children give when caught doing something wrong. “Johnny, you broke the cookie jar that you weren’t even supposed to touch.” And Johnny says, “I didn’t mean to.”

Do we ever really outgrow that excuse? We might not say it in quite the same way, but “I didn’t mean to” can become a coverup for everything from gossip to angry words to drug or alcohol abuse to pornography or intimacy gone too far outside of marriage. But the truth is, rarely are our thoughts and intentions pure. We may not have intended for things to turn out the way they did, but what we did was no accident.

Maybe we can fool the people around us, but God and his Word are not fooled. God’s Word “penetrates.” It doesn’t just look at the surface. It exposes the heart. It uncovers selfish motives and priorities and lays them out as evidence before the God to whom we must answer.

What thoughts and attitudes does God’s Word expose in your heart? How does it show priorities that don’t put God first in your life? Confess those things. Come clean.

And then see God’s Word expose God’s heart for you. God’s priority was to make a way for you to live with him forever. He did that by giving Jesus as the sacrifice to cover all your sinful priorities and actions. Now God’s priority is to make sure you see that sinless sacrifice as your own, to plant and grow faith deep in your heart, and to lay hold of his forgiveness and the life he wants to give you. That’s why he wants his Word to be a priority for you—because you are a priority for him.

Prayer:
Lord, help me make your Word a priority in my life; there I see your loving, forgiving heart. Amen.

Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God.”
Mark 10:27

Impossible

Daily Devotion – October 15, 2024

Devotion based on Mark 10:27


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Impossible. What Jesus was asking seemed completely unreasonable. The man he was talking to was a model citizen. But the problem was that he loved his money; it was the most important thing in his life. And God demands undivided allegiance. Put God number one in your life all the time, and eternal life will be yours.

Who can do that? That’s impossible! So many things demand our attention. How can we possibly keep God first one hundred percent of the time? And when we realize how impossible it is, God has us where he wants us.

He wants us to see that what is impossible with man is possible with God. No, I can’t love God with all my heart, soul, and mind, but Jesus did. No, I can’t resist the allure of wealth and worldly possessions, but Jesus did. No, I can’t keep all of God’s commandments, not only with my actions but also with my heart and mind, but Jesus did. No, I can’t earn heaven—and neither can you—but Jesus did.

In shattering our pride and breaking down our self-reliance, Jesus gives us something far more firm and certain. He gives us himself. He invites us to follow him, to watch him die willingly to pay for our sins, to watch him rise from the dead to seal our salvation, to watch him ascend into heaven to prepare a place for us in his kingdom, to wait for his return to take us into the treasures of heaven to which no earthly wealth compares. Jesus, whose holiness, power, and love are without limit, has done the impossible, reconciling us sinners with a holy God, and winning heaven for us.

Now, the answer to who can inherit eternal life changes completely, doesn’t it? Because that inheritance rests in God’s hands, the kingdom of heaven is open to all. Because it depends on the perfect, almighty, and all-loving Son of God, no one is excluded from God’s offer of forgiveness and eternal life.

Who then can be saved? You can. I can. With man, this is impossible, but all things are possible with God.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, thank you for doing the impossible so that I can inherit eternal life with you. Amen.

Jesus looked at him and loved him. “One thing you lack,” he said. “Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”
Mark 10:21

Treasure in Heaven

Daily Devotion – October 14, 2024

Devotion based on Mark 10:21


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Riches come in many shapes and sizes. One person treasures the blessing of family. Another person lives to exercise and compete. Still another loves to watch others compete and lives or dies with their favorite team or athlete. Some may value their home, car, work, music, grades, recreation, and on and on.

What treasures do you live for? What would you give up to get them or keep them? What do you think would happen if you lost them?

The reality that we hate to admit is that many of the things we treasure won’t last. As wonderful as these blessings are, as thankful as we are for them, they aren’t what matters most.

Jesus once met a man who was trying to be the best version of himself. He worked hard to be a good person. Along the way, he was blessed with great wealth. Slowly, his wealth and possessions became more and more important to him.

The Bible says, “Jesus looked at him and loved him.” He loved him enough to point out that the treasures he was holding onto weren’t the real treasure. In fact, they were standing in the way of the real treasure.

In love, Jesus urged him to give all of it up so that he could receive what Jesus wanted to give him—a free gift, treasure in heaven. We can’t work for that treasure. It can’t be bought or sold with money. Jesus bought it for us with his innocent blood and his sinless death.

It’s a life of perfect, eternal joy, satisfaction, and purpose. It’s a life free from pain, want, and fear. It’s a life that lasts forever. Jesus gives you that treasure, as he tells you in the Bible how he bought it for you and leads you to believe that his promises are true. Listen as he speaks and receive the treasure that lasts forever. Don’t let anything stand in the way of it!

Prayer:
Jesus, take away the treasures in my life that stand in the way of my greatest treasure—life with you in heaven. Amen.

Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!” The disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus said again, “Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.” The disciples were even more amazed, and said to each other, “Who then can be saved?” Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God.”
Mark 10:23-27

Money Becoming Your God

Daily Devotion – October 13, 2024

Devotion based on Mark 10:23-27


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You need money. There’s no way around it. You need a job to make money and perform at your job to keep receiving money. You need a plan and budget to manage your money.

You can’t live without money.

So why does Jesus say that being rich is so dangerous? Doesn’t he understand that we need to pay our bills? Why does he say that having a lot of money could keep us from entering the kingdom of God? Wouldn’t life be easier if we just had more money? Not necessarily.

Money is a good thing. But money becomes a bad thing when we make it our ultimate thing. Money can easily become our functional god.

When we look to money to give us ultimate happiness or a sense of peace and security, money has become our god. When we give all our time and effort to making money, we are worshiping money like a god.

At one time or another, we have looked to money to give us what only God can. If money has become our god, how can we possibly be saved?

Jesus said, “With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God.”

Jesus did the impossible. He left the riches of heaven to be a poor human. Through Jesus’ death and resurrection, you, a poor human, have become spiritually rich. Now, instead of worshiping your money, by God’s grace, honor God with your money.

Prayer:
God, my Father, thank you for providing all that I need for my body and life. God, the Son, thank you for giving me the riches of your grace and forgiveness. God, the Holy Spirit, lead me to treasure what is truly valuable in your eyes. Amen.

Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her.
Ephesians 5:25

The Least I Can Do

Daily Devotion – October 12, 2024

Devotion based on Ephesians 5:25


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A professor from McCormick Theological Seminary in Chicago once did a research paper on what drives people to give their lives in service to others. His research led him to many people and many places. Perhaps the most extraordinary place was in London, England, where a woman had devoted her life to serving the poor. He asked her why. The answer he received is something he never forgot.

She was a woman of Jewish descent. She’d grown up in Germany but had moved to France in the 1930s to escape Hitler. Then the Nazis invaded. Soon, she found herself fleeing from one location to the next in order to avoid capture. In time, she became exhausted and felt like she could go no farther. That is when an old, French widow knocked on her door. The elderly woman warned her that the Nazis were doing another search and that she needed to escape. “But it’s no use,” she told the old woman. “They will find me anyway. They are so close behind.”

But the elderly widow, a Christian, then said this. “Yes, they will find someone here, but it’s time for you to leave. Go. I will take your identification and wait here.” Immediately, the young Jewish woman understood the ramifications of the old woman’s plan. The Nazis would come and find this Christian widow and think she was the fleeing Jew. “Why would you do such a thing for me?” she asked. To her question, the widow responded, “It’s the least I can do; Christ has already done that and more for me.”

The Nazis did come and took the Christian widow in the Jewish woman’s place. She perished within six months at a concentration camp. But her capture gave the Jewish woman time to escape. She found her way to England and, through the power of the gospel, came to faith in Christ.

And that is why she went on to devote her life to serving others. In light of all that her Savior from sin had done for her, it was the least she could do.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, when I stop to consider what you have done to wash away my sin and to give me life, move me to live my life for others. It is the least I can do. Amen.

Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.
Ephesians 5:21

Putting Yourself Last

Daily Devotion – October 11, 2024

Devotion based on Ephesians 5:21


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You won’t get very far in life putting yourself last. There are not many CEOs who have a history of making sure their coworkers receive all the attention. The star athlete probably didn’t spend most of their practice time making sure others got enough reps. World-famous artists spend more time working on their own craft than helping others develop their skills.

Our God doesn’t work like the world works, and his people don’t work like the world works. God tells his people to submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. Because we know it is what Jesus wants, we submit to the wants and needs of other Christians in our lives.

God doesn’t give us this command to submit to one another because he wants us to underachieve or to have lives where we are walked on. Instead, God gave us this command because loving Christ means knowing what Christ does with those who humble themselves and submit to others.

This command is given to us by the God who says the first will be last and the last will be first. He is the same God who put Joseph in a position over all of Egypt, even though he once submitted as a slave. He is the God who elevated David to king, even as David submitted to wicked Saul. It is the God who willfully submitted himself even to death on a cross that we might be lifted up.

God does not work like the world works, and so we don’t work like the world works. God accomplishes so much of his work and gives so many of his blessings as we submit to one another. Not making demands or looking out for ourselves but by putting others’ needs in front of our own and making their will our priority, we submit ourselves to one another. All of this is out of reverence for Christ and in response to what he was willing to submit to in order to save us.

Prayer:
Mighty God, help me to submit to others out of reverence for Christ. Amen.