Witnesses
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Posted:Aug 23, 2023 4:18 am
Last Updated:May 18, 2024 5:24 am 12117 Views
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Today's Devotional
Read: Genesis 4:2–11
Bible in a Year: Psalms 113–115; 1 Corinthians 6
Your brother’s blood cries out to me from the ground. Genesis 4:10
In his poem “The Witnesses,” Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807–1882) described a sunken slave ship. As he wrote of “skeletons in chains,” Longfellow mourned slavery’s countless nameless victims. The concluding stanza reads, “These are the woes of Slaves, / They glare from the abyss; / They cry from unknown graves, / We are the Witnesses!”
But who do these witnesses speak to? Isn’t such silent testimony futile?
There is a Witness who sees it all. When Cain murdered Abel, he pretended nothing had happened. “Am I my brother’s keeper?” he said dismissively to God. But God said, “Your brother’s blood cries out to me from the ground. Now you are under a curse and driven from the ground, which opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand” (Genesis 4:9–11).
Cain’s name lives on as a warning. “Do not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and murdered his brother,” John the disciple cautioned (1 John 3:12). Abel’s name lives on too, but in a dramatically different way. “By faith Abel brought God a better offering than Cain did,” said the writer of Hebrews. “By faith Abel still speaks” (Hebrews 11:4).
Abel still speaks! So do the bones of those long-forgotten slaves. We do well to remember all such victims, and to oppose oppression wherever we see it. God sees it all. His justice will triumph.
What situations of injustice and oppression do you know about? What might God be calling you to do today?
Dear Father, You’re the God who sees. Help me to see oppression when it happens and show me what I can do to counter it.
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God’s Eternal Church
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Posted:Aug 22, 2023 5:05 am
Last Updated:May 18, 2024 5:24 am 12061 Views
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Today's Devotional
Read: Ephesians 2:14–22
Bible in a Year: Psalms 110–112; 1 Corinthians 5
The gates of hell shall not prevail against it. Matthew 16:18
“Is church over?” asked a young mother arriving at our church with two in tow just as the Sunday service was ending. But a greeter told her that a church nearby offered two Sunday services and the second would start soon. Would she like a ride there? The young mother said yes and seemed grateful to travel the few blocks to the other church. Reflecting later, the greeter came to this conclusion: “Is church over? Never. God’s church goes on forever.”
The church isn’t a fragile “building.” It’s the faithful family of God who are “members of his household,” wrote Paul, “built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit” (Ephesians 2:19–22).
Jesus Himself established His church for eternity. He declared that despite challenges or troubles facing His church, “the gates of hell shall not prevail against it” (Matthew 16:18 kjv).
Through this empowering lens, we can see our local churches—all of us—as a part of God’s universal church, being built “in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever!” (Ephesians 3:21).
What about your local church makes you grateful? How can you help God’s universal church grow?
As a part of Your church, dear Jesus, keep building me in You.
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The Gift of Encouragement
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Posted:Aug 21, 2023 4:29 am
Last Updated:Aug 21, 2023 4:36 am 12078 Views
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Today's Devotional
Read: 1 Samuel 23:14–23
Bible in a Year: Psalms 107–109; 1 Corinthians 4
Encourage one another and build each other up. 1 Thessalonians 5:11
“Your bees are swarming!” My wife stuck her head inside the door and gave me news no beekeeper wants to hear. I ran outside to see thousands of bees flying up from the hive to the top of a tall pine, never to return.
I was a little behind in reading the clues that the hive was about to swarm; more than a week of storms had hampered my inspections. The morning the storms ended, the bees left. The colony was new and healthy, and the bees were actually dividing the colony to start a new one. “Don’t be hard on yourself,” an experienced beekeeper told me cheerfully after seeing my disappointment. “This can happen to anyone!”
Encouragement is a winsome gift. When David was disheartened because Saul was pursuing him to take his life, Saul’s Jonathan encouraged David. “Don’t be afraid,” Jonathan said. “My father Saul will not lay a hand on you. You will be king over Israel, and I will be second to you. Even my father Saul knows this”
(1 Samuel 23:17).
Those are surprisingly selfless words from someone next in line to the throne. It’s likely Jonathan recognized that God was with David, so he spoke out of a humble heart of faith.
All around us are people who need encouragement. God will help us help them as we humble ourselves before Him and ask Him to love them through us.
Who do you know who needs encouragement? How might you humbly serve them today?
Dear God, You give me eternal encouragement and good hope. Help me to show Your love to someone today.
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Finding Open Spaces
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Posted:Aug 20, 2023 6:25 am
Last Updated:Aug 20, 2023 6:26 am 12283 Views
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Today's Devotional
Read: Exodus 33:1–4, 7–11
Bible in a Year: Psalms 105–106;
1 Corinthians 3
The Lord would speak to Moses face to face, as one speaks to a friend.
Exodus 33:11
In his book Margin, Dr. Richard Swenson writes, “We must have some room to breathe. We need freedom to think and permission to heal. Our relationships are being starved to death by velocity. . . . Our lay wounded on the ground, run over by our high-speed good intentions. Is God now pro-exhaustion? Doesn’t He lead people beside the still waters anymore? Who plundered those wide-open spaces of the past, and how can we get them back?” Swenson says we need some quiet, fertile “land” in life where we can rest in God and meet with Him.
Does that resonate? Seeking open spaces is something Moses lived out well. Leading a nation of “stubborn and rebellious” people (Exodus 33:5 nlt), he often withdrew to find rest and guidance in God’s presence. And in his “tent of meeting” (v. 7), “the Lord would speak to Moses face to face, as one speaks to a friend”
(v. 11). Jesus also “often withdrew to lonely places and prayed” (Luke 5:16). Both He and Moses realized the importance of spending time alone with the Father.
We too need to build margin into our lives, some wide and open spaces spent in rest and in God’s presence. Spending time with Him will help us make better decisions—creating healthier margins and boundaries in our life so we have the bandwidth available to love Him and others well.
Let’s seek God in open spaces today.
Why do you need margin in your life? How will you build some space into your schedule to spend time with God?
Jesus, help me to seek some quiet moments with You each day.
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The Power of Christ
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Posted:Aug 19, 2023 5:46 am
Last Updated:May 18, 2024 5:24 am 12274 Views
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Today's Devotional
Read: Mark 4:35–41
Bible in a Year: Psalms 103–104; 1 Corinthians 2
Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him. Mark 4:41
In 2013, about six hundred on-site spectators watched aerialist Nik Wallenda walk on a tightrope across a 1,400-foot-wide gorge near the Grand Canyon. Wallenda stepped onto the 2-inch-thick steel cable and thanked Jesus for the view as his head camera pointed toward the valley below. He prayed and praised Jesus as he walked across the gorge as calmly as if he was strolling on a sidewalk. When the wind became treacherous, he stopped and crouched. He rose and regained his balance, thanking God for “calming that cable.” With every step on that tightrope, he displayed his dependence on the power of Christ to everyone listening then and now as the video is watched across the world.
When the winds of a storm caused waves to overtake the disciples on the Sea of Galilee, fear seeped through their pleas for help (Mark 4:35–38. After Jesus stilled the squall, they knew He controlled the winds and everything else (vv. 39–41). Slowly they learned to grow in their trust of Him. Their personal experiences could help others recognize Jesus’ intimate availability and extraordinary might.
As we experience life’s storms or walk on the tightropes of trust stretched over the deep valleys of affliction, we can demonstrate confident faith in the power of Christ. God will use our faith-walk to inspire others to hope in Him.
How has witnessing Christ’s power in the lives of others strengthened your faith? How can prayer help you walk with confident faith?
Thank You, Father, for calming my heart as I trust You through life’s stormy seasons.
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Festivals of Worship
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Posted:Aug 18, 2023 5:30 am
Last Updated:May 18, 2024 5:24 am 12376 Views
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Today's Devotional
Read: Deuteronomy 16:9–16
Bible in a Year: Psalms 100–102; 1 Corinthians 1
Rejoice before the Lord your God at the place he will choose as a dwelling for his Name. Deuteronomy 16:11
Attending a large event might change you in a surprising way. After interacting with more than 1,200 people at multiday gatherings in the UK and US, researcher Daniel Yudkin and his colleagues learned that large festivals can impact our moral compass and even affect our willingness to share resources with others. Their research found that 63 percent of attendees had a “transformative” experience at the festival that also left them feeling more connected to humanity and more generous toward friends, family, and even complete strangers.
When we gather with others to worship God, however, we can experience more than merely the social “transformation” of a secular festival; we commune with God Himself. God’s people undoubtedly experienced that connection to Him when they gathered in Jerusalem in ancient times for their sacred festivals throughout the year. They traveled—without modern conveniences—to be present at the temple three times a year for “the Festival of Unleavened Bread, the Festival of Weeks and the Festival of Tabernacles” (Deuteronomy 16:16). These gatherings were times of solemn remembrance, worship, and rejoicing “before the Lord” with family, servants, foreigners, and others (v. 11).
Let’s gather with others for worship to help one another to continue to enjoy Him and trust in His faithfulness.
How have you experienced a sense of connection with God when gathering with others for worship? How has the presence of others helped?
Thank You, God, for inviting Your people to worship You together.
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More Than Brand Ambassadors
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Posted:Aug 17, 2023 8:21 am
Last Updated:May 18, 2024 5:24 am 12351 Views
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Today's Devotional
Read: 2 Corinthians 5:11–20
Bible in a Year: Psalms 97–99; Romans 16
We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors . . . . We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. 2 Corinthians 5:20
Competition in the internet age has become fierce. Increasingly, companies are developing creative ways to attract customers. Take Subaru vehicles, for instance. Subaru owners are famously loyal, so the company has invited “Subbie superfans” to become “brand ambassadors” of the vehicles.
The company’s website says, “Subaru Ambassadors are an exclusive group of energetic individuals who volunteer their passion and enthusiasm to spread the word about Subaru and help shape the future of the brand.” The company wants Subaru ownership to become a part of people’s very identity—something they’re so passionate about that they can’t help but share.
In 2 Corinthians 5, Paul describes a different “ambassador” program, one of inviting others to follow Jesus. “Since, then, we know what it is to fear the Lord, we try to persuade others” (v. 11). Paul then adds, “He has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God”
(vv. 19–20).
Many products promise to meet deep needs, to give us a sense of happiness, wholeness, and purpose. But only one message—the message of reconciliation entrusted to us as believers in Jesus—is truly good news. And we have the privilege of delivering that message to a desperate world.
What do you think of the idea of being an ambassador for Jesus? How can you practically live out that calling?
Dear Jesus, thank You for inviting me to be an ambassador for You.
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The Power of Persistence
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Posted:Aug 16, 2023 4:44 am
Last Updated:May 18, 2024 5:24 am 12429 Views
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Today's Devotional
Read: Luke 18:1–8 | Bible in a Year: Psalms 94–96; Romans 15:14–33
They should always pray and not give up. Luke 18:1
In 1917, a young seamstress was thrilled to get admitted to one of New York City’s most renowned fashion design schools. But when Ann Lowe Cone arrived from Florida to register for classes, the school director told her she wasn’t welcome. “To be blunt, Mrs. Cone, we didn’t know that you were a Negro,” he said. Refusing to leave, she whispered a prayer: Please let me stay here. Seeing her persistence, the director let Ann stay, but segregated her from the whites-only classroom leaving the back door open “for [her] to hear.”
Undeniably talented, Ann still graduated six months early and attracted high-society including former First Lady of the United States Jacqueline Kennedy, whose world-famous wedding gown she designed. She made the gown twice, seeking God’s help after a pipe burst above her sewing studio, ruining the first dress.
Persistence like that is powerful, especially in prayer. In Jesus’ parable of the persistent widow, a widow pleads repeatedly for justice from a corrupt judge. At first, he refused her, but “because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice” (Luke 18:5).
With far more love, “will not God bring about justice for His chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night?” (v. 7). He will, said Jesus (v. 8. As He inspires us, let’s seek to persistently pray and never give up. In His time and perfect way, God will answer.
What helps you to be persistent in prayer? What request will you keep pleading?
Dear Jesus, I thank You for answering my persistent prayers.
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Jesus Our Brother
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Posted:Aug 15, 2023 5:23 am
Last Updated:May 18, 2024 5:24 am 12415 Views
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Today's Devotional
Read: Hebrews 2:10–18
Bible in a Year: Psalms 91–93; Romans 15:1–13
Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters. Hebrews 2:11
Bridger Walker was only six when a menacing lunged at his younger sister. Instinctively, Bridger jumped in front of her, shielding her from the dog’s ferocious attack. After receiving emergency care and ninety stitches to his face, Bridger explained his actions. “If someone had to die, I thought it should be me.” Thankfully, plastic surgeons have helped Bridger’s face heal. But his brotherly love, evidenced in recent pictures where he’s seen hugging his sister, remains strong as ever.
Ideally, family members watch over us and care for us. True brothers step in when we’re in trouble and come alongside us when we’re afraid or alone. In reality, even our best brothers are imperfect; some even wound us. We have one brother, however, who’s always on our side, Jesus. Hebrews tells us that Christ, as an act of humble love, joined the human family, sharing our “flesh and blood” and becoming like us, “fully human in every way” (2:14, 17). As a result, Jesus is our truest brother, and He delights in calling us His “brothers and sisters” (v. 11).
We refer to Jesus as our Savior, Friend, and King—and each of these are true. However, Jesus is also our brother who has experienced every human fear and temptation, every despair or sadness. Our brother stands alongside us—always.
What’s been your experience with human brothers? How do you see Jesus as your true brother?
Dear Jesus, I’m astounded to think of You as my brother. Walk with me. Love me. Teach me. Show me Your way.
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Lonely, but Not Forgotten
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Posted:Aug 14, 2023 4:40 am
Last Updated:May 18, 2024 5:24 am 12309 Views
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Today's Devotional
Read: Genesis 40:8–15; 20–23
Bible in a Year: Psalms 89–90; Romans 14
The chief cupbearer, however, did not remember Joseph; he forgot him.
Genesis 40:23
When you listen to their stories, it becomes clear that perhaps the most difficult part of being a prisoner is isolation and loneliness. In fact, one study revealed that regardless of the length of their incarceration, most prisoners receive only two visits from friends or loved ones during their time behind bars. Loneliness is a constant reality.
It’s a pain I imagine Joseph felt as he sat in prison, unjustly accused of a crime. There had been a glimmer of hope. God helped Joseph correctly interpret a dream from a fellow inmate who happened to be a trusted servant of Pharaoh. Joseph told the man he would be restored to his position and asked the man to mention him to Pharaoh so Joseph could gain his freedom (Genesis 40:14). But the man “did not remember Joseph; he forgot him” (v. 23). For two more years, Joseph waited. In those years of waiting, without any sign that his circumstances would change, Joseph was never completely alone because God was with him. Eventually, the servant of Pharaoh remembered his promise and Joseph was released after correctly interpreting another dream (41:9–14).
Regardless of circumstances that make us feel we’ve been forgotten, and the feelings of loneliness that creep in, we can cling to God’s reassuring promise to His : “I will not forget you!” (Isaiah 49:15).
When have you experienced the pain of being forgotten? How does the reminder of God’s constant presence provide comfort?
Heavenly Father, help me to reach out to You when I feel forgotten and remember that You’re always with me.
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