Empowered for the Everyday
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Posted:Jul 15, 2023 4:25 am
Last Updated:May 18, 2024 2:37 am 7152 Views
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Today's Devotional
Read: Colossians 3:12-17
Bible in a Year: Psalms 13–15; Acts 19:21–41
Whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus. Colossians 3:17
Every Moment Holy is a beautiful book of prayers for a variety of activities, including ordinary ones like preparing a meal or doing the laundry. Necessary tasks that can feel repetitive or mundane. The book reminded me of the words of author G. K. Chesterton, who wrote, “You say grace before meals. All right. But I say grace before sketching, painting, swimming, fencing, boxing, walking, playing, dancing and grace before I dip the pen in the ink.”
Such encouragement reorients my perspective on the activities of my day. Sometimes I’m inclined to divide my activities into ones that appear to have spiritual value, like reading devotions before a meal, and other activities I think have little spiritual value, such as doing the dishes after the meal. Paul erased that divide in a letter to the people of Colossae who had chosen to live for Jesus. He encouraged them with these words: “Whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus” (3:17). Doing things in Jesus’ name means both honoring Him as we do them and having the assurance that His Spirit helps strengthen us to accomplish them.
“Whatever you do.” All the ordinary activities of our lives, every moment, can be empowered by God’s Spirit and done in a way that honors Jesus.
How might you reconsider your perspective on everyday activities? How can you rely on God’s Spirit for the tasks of your day?
Dear Jesus, empower me by Your Spirit to honor You today in all I do.
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Deep Waters
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Posted:Jul 14, 2023 3:37 am
Last Updated:May 18, 2024 2:37 am 6445 Views
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Today's Devotional
Read: Proverbs 20:4-5, 24–25
Bible in a Year: Psalms 10–12; Acts 19:1–20
The purposes of a person’s heart are deep waters. Proverbs 20:5
When Bill Pinkney sailed solo around the world in 1992—taking the hard route around the perilous Great Southern Capes—he did it for a higher purpose. His voyage was to inspire and educate . That included students at his former inner-city Chicago elementary school. His goal? To show how far they could go by studying hard and making a commitment—the word he chose in naming his boat. When Bill takes schoolkids on the water in Commitment, he says, “They’ve got that tiller in their hand and they learn about control, self-control, they learn about teamwork . . . all the basics that one needs in life to be successful.”
Pinkney’s words paint a portrait of Solomon’s wisdom. “The purposes of a person’s heart are deep waters, but one who has insight draws them out” (Proverbs 20:5). He invited others to examine their life goals. Otherwise, “it is a trap,” said Solomon, “to dedicate something rashly and only later to consider one’s vows” (v. 25).
In contrast, William Pinkney had a clear purpose that eventually inspired thirty thousand students across the United States to learn from his journey. He became the first African American inducted into the National Sailing Hall of Fame. “ were watching,” he said. With similar purpose, let’s set our course by the deep counsel of God’s instructions to us.
In your life, what is the why for your work or ministry? What legacy do you hope to leave by what you accomplish?
Inspire me, faithful God, to commit to working with a purpose that glorifies You.
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Personal Responsibility
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Posted:Jul 13, 2023 4:09 am
Last Updated:Jul 13, 2023 4:10 am 4342 Views
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Today's Devotional
Read: Zephaniah 3:1-8
Bible in a Year: Psalms 7–9; Acts 18
They were still eager to act corruptly in all they did. Zephaniah 3.7
My friend’s eyes revealed what I was feeling—fear! We two teens had behaved poorly and were now cowering before the camp director. The man, who knew our dads well, shared lovingly but pointedly that our fathers would be greatly disappointed. We wanted to crawl under the table—feeling the weight of personal responsibility for our offense.
God gave Zephaniah a message for the people of Judah that contained potent words about personal responsibility for sin (Zephaniah 1:1, 6–7). After describing the judgments He would bring against Judah’s foes (ch. 2), He turned His eyes on His guilty, squirming people (ch. 3). “What sorrow awaits rebellious, polluted Jerusalem,” God proclaimed (3:1 ). “They [are] still eager to act corruptly” (v. 7).
He’d seen the cold hearts of His people—their spiritual apathy, social injustice, and ugly greed—and He was bringing loving discipline. And it didn’t matter if the individuals were “leaders,” “judges,” “prophets”(vv. 3–4 nlt)—everyone was guilty before Him.
The apostle Paul wrote the following to believers in Jesus who persisted in sin, “You are storing up terrible punishment for yourself. . . . [God] will judge everyone according to what they have done” (Romans 2:5–6 ). So, in Jesus’ power, let’s live in a way that honors our holy, loving Father and leads to no remorse.
Why should you take personal responsibility for your sin? How do your wrong choices bring shame to God?
Heavenly Father, please help me pursue good choices for You.
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Wash Me!
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Posted:Jul 12, 2023 4:51 am
Last Updated:Jul 12, 2023 4:51 am 3969 Views
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Today's Devotional
Read: Psalm 51:1-7
Bible in a Year: Psalms 4–6; Acts 17:16–34
Wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. Psalm 51.7
“Wash me!” Though those words weren’t written on my vehicle, they could have been. So, off to the car wash I went, and so did other drivers who wanted relief from the grimy leftovers from salted roads following a recent snowfall. The lines were long, and the service was slow. But it was worth the wait. I left with a clean vehicle and, for compensation for service delay, the car wash was free of charge!
Getting cleaned at someone else’s expense—that’s the gospel of Jesus Christ. God, through the death and resurrection of Jesus, has provided forgiveness for our sins. Who among us hasn’t felt the need “to bathe” when the “dirt and grime” of life have clung to us? When we’re stained by selfish thoughts or actions that harm ourselves or others and rob us of peace with God? Psalm 51 is the cry of David when temptation had triumphed in his life. When confronted by a spiritual mentor about his sin (see 2 Samuel 12), he prayed a “Wash me!” prayer: “Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow” (v. 7). Feeling dirty and guilty? Make your way to Jesus and remember these words: ”If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).
What does it mean for you to cry out to God, “Wash me”? What’s keeping you from asking for His free forgiveness and cleansing through Jesus now?
God of heaven, You see every stain in my life that needs to be dealt with. Wash me, forgive me, and help me to honor You.
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Who Deserves the Praise?
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Posted:Jul 11, 2023 3:02 am
Last Updated:Jul 11, 2023 3:03 am 3449 Views
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Today's Devotional
Read: Hebrews 3:1-6
Bible in a Year: Psalms 1–3; Acts 17:1–15
Every house is built by someone, but God is the builder of everything. Hebrews 3:4
From the spiral staircase to the expansive bedroom, from the hardwood floors to the plush carpeting, from the huge laundry room to the well-organized office, the realtor showed a potential home to the young couple. At every corner they turned, they raved about its beauty: “You’ve picked the best place for us. This house is amazing!” Then the realtor responded with something they thought a bit unusual yet true: “I’ll pass along your compliment to the builder. The one who built the house deserves the praise; not the house itself or the one who shows it off.”
The realtor’s words echo the writer of Hebrews: “The builder of a house has greater honor than the house itself” (3:3). The writer was comparing the faithfulness of Jesus, the of God, with the prophet Moses (vv. 1–6). Though Moses was privileged to speak to God face-to-face and to see His form (Numbers 12:8, he was still only “a servant” in the house of God (Hebrews 3:5). Christ as the Creator (1:2, 10) deserves honor as the divine “builder of everything” and as the “over God’s house” (3:4, 6). God’s house is His people.
When we serve God faithfully, it’s Jesus the divine builder who deserves the honor. Any praise we, God’s house, receive ultimately belongs to Him.
What has God built into you? What are unique ways you can give honor to Jesus if you’re complimented?
Jesus, You deserve all my praise. May my life and words give You that praise on this day.
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From Darkness to Light
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Posted:Jul 10, 2023 5:04 am
Last Updated:May 18, 2024 2:37 am 2761 Views
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Today's Devotional
Read: John 3:13-21
Bible in a Year: Job 41–42; Acts 16:22–40
Whoever lives by the truth comes into the light. John 3:21
Nothing could pull Aakash out of his dark depression. Severely injured in a truck accident, he was taken to a missionary hospital in Southwest Asia. Eight operations repaired his broken bones, but he couldn’t eat. Depression set in. His family depended on him to provide, which he couldn’t do, so his world grew darker.
One day a visitor read to Aakash from the gospel of John in his language and prayed for him. Touched by the hope of God’s free gift of forgiveness and salvation through Jesus, he placed his faith in Him. His depression soon left. When he returned home, he was afraid at first to mention his newfound faith. Finally, though, he told his family about Jesus—and six of them trusted Him as well!
John’s gospel is a beacon of light in a world of darkness. In it we read that “whoever believes in [Jesus] shall not perish but have eternal life” (3:16). We discover that “whoever hears [Jesus’] word and believes [God] has eternal life” (5:24). And we hear Jesus say, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry” (6:35). Indeed, “whoever lives by the truth comes into the light” (3:21).
The troubles we face may be great, but Jesus is greater. He came to give us “life . . . to the full” (10:10). Like Aakash, may you place your faith in Jesus—the hope of the world and the light for all humanity.
How do the world’s problems threaten to overwhelm you? How does the message and presence of Jesus encourage you?
Dear heavenly Father, thank You for the hope found in Your .
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A Cry for Help
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Posted:Jul 9, 2023 7:14 am
Last Updated:May 18, 2024 2:37 am 2698 Views
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Today's Devotional
Read: Isaiah 58:1-9
Bible in a Year: Job 38–40; Acts 16:1–21
Loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke . . . set the oppressed free. Isaiah 58:6
David Willis had been upstairs in Waterstones Bookshop when he came downstairs and found the lights were turned off and the doors locked. He was trapped inside the store! Not knowing what else to do, he turned to Twitter and tweeted: “Hi @Waterstones. I’ve been locked inside of your Trafalgar Square bookstore for 2 hours now. Please let me out.” Not too long after his tweet, he was rescued.
It’s good to have a way to get help when we’re in trouble. Isaiah said there’s Someone who will answer our cries when we’re trapped in a problem of our own making. The prophet wrote that God had charged His people with practicing their religious devotion irresponsibly. They were going through the motions of religion but masking their oppression of the poor with empty and self-serving rituals (Isaiah 58:1–7). This didn’t win divine favor. God hid His eyes from them and didn’t answer their prayers (1:15). He told them to repent and display outward acts of caring for others (58:6–7). If they did that, He told them, “You will call, and the Lord will answer; you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I. If you do away with the yoke of oppression, with the pointing finger and malicious talk” (v. 9).
Let’s get close to the poor, saying to them: “I am here.” For God hears our cries for help and says to us, “I am here.”
What behavior or attitude could prevent you from experiencing answered prayer? Of what do you need to repent?
Dear God, thank You for hearing my prayers. Please help me to be there for others.
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Free in the Spirit
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Posted:Jul 8, 2023 6:58 am
Last Updated:May 18, 2024 2:37 am 2641 Views
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Today's Devotional
Read: Acts 4:12-22
Bible in a Year: Job 36–37; Acts 15:22–41
They were unschooled, ordinary men, . . . and they took note that these men had been with Jesus. Acts 4:13
Neither Orville nor Wilbur Wright had a pilot’s license. Neither had gone to college. They were bicycle mechanics with a dream and the courage to try to fly. On December 17, 1903, they took turns piloting their Wright Flyer on four separate flights. The longest lasted only a minute, but it changed our world forever.
Neither Peter nor John had a preaching license. Neither had gone to seminary. They were fishermen who, filled with the Spirit of Jesus, courageously proclaimed the good news: “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12).
The Wright brothers’ neighbors didn’t immediately appreciate their accomplishment. Their hometown newspaper didn’t believe their story, and said that even if true, the flights were too brief to be significant. It took several more years of flying and refining their planes before the public recognized what they had truly done.
The religious leaders didn’t like Peter and John, and they ordered them to stop telling others about Jesus. Peter said, No way. “We cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard” (v. 20).
You may not be on the approved list. Perhaps you’re scorned by those who are. No matter. If you have the Spirit of Jesus, you’re free to live boldly for Him!
What task or person causes you to feel inadequate? How might you rely on the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit to step into that challenge today?
Jesus, I’m Yours. Use me in whatever way You want.
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Chocolate Snowflakes
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Posted:Jul 7, 2023 4:49 am
Last Updated:May 18, 2024 2:37 am 2651 Views
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Today's Devotional
Read: Exodus 16:4-7, 13–17
Bible in a Year: Job 34–35; Acts 15:1–21
Moses said to them, “It is the bread the Lord has given you to eat.” Exodus 16:15
Residents of Olten, Switzerland, were surprised by a shower of chocolate shavings covering the entire town. The ventilation system at a nearby chocolate factory had malfunctioned, sending cocoa into the air and dusting the area with confectionary goodness. The chocolate coating sounds like a dream come true for chocoholics!
While chocolate doesn’t adequately provide for one’s nutritional needs, God supplied the Israelites with heavenly showers that did. As they traveled through the desert, they began to grumble about the variety of food they’d left behind in Egypt. In response, God said He would “rain down bread from heaven” to sustain them (Exodus 16:4). When the morning dew dried up each day, a thin flake of food remained. Approximately two million Israelites were instructed to gather as much as they needed that day. For forty years of their desert wanderings, they were nourished by God’s supernatural provision in manna.
We know little about manna except that it was “white like coriander seed and tasted like wafers made with honey” (v. 31). Though manna may not sound as appealing as a steady diet of chocolate, the sweetness of God’s provision for His people is clear. Manna points us to Jesus who described Himself as the “bread of life” (John 6:48 that sustains us daily and assures us of life eternal (v. 51).
How has God provided for you? How does Jesus being the “bread of life” encourage you to trust Him?
Father God, thank You for providing for my deepest need in Jesus and sustaining me every day.
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Hope Beyond Consequences
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Posted:Jul 6, 2023 5:02 am
Last Updated:Jul 6, 2023 5:03 am 2668 Views
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Today's Devotional
Read: Numbers 20:2-12 |
Bible in a Year: Job 32–33; Acts 14
While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:8
Have you ever done something in anger you later regretted? When my was wrestling with drug addiction, I said some harsh things in reaction to his choices. My anger only discouraged him more. But eventually he encountered believers who spoke life and hope to him, and in time he was set free.
Even someone as exemplary in faith as Moses did something he later regretted. When the people of Israel were in the desert and water was scarce, they complained bitterly. So God gave Moses and Aaron specific instructions: “Speak to that rock before their eyes and it will pour out its water” (Numbers 20:8. But Moses reacted in anger, giving himself and Aaron credit for the miracle instead of God: “Listen, you rebels, must we bring you water out of this rock?” (v. 10). Then he disobeyed God directly and “raised his arm and struck the rock twice with his staff” (v. 11).
Even though water flowed, there were tragic consequences. Neither Moses nor Aaron was allowed to enter the land God promised His people. But He was still merciful, allowing Moses to see it from afar (27:12–13).
As with Moses, God still mercifully meets us in the desert of our disobedience to Him. Through Jesus’ death and resurrection, He kindly offers us forgiveness and hope. No matter where we’ve been or what we’ve done, if we turn to Him, He’ll lead us into life.
What undeserved kindnesses has God shown you? How can you share His kindness with someone today?
Thank You, loving Father, that despite difficult consequences, You give me eternal hope.
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