Not Luck, but Christ
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Posted:Feb 25, 2024 7:15 am
Last Updated:Apr 25, 2024 8:44 am 1572 Views
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Today's Devotional
Read: Colossians 1:15–20
Bible in a Year: Numbers 12–14; Mark 5:21–43
He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. Colossians 1:17
Discover magazine suggests that there are around 700 quintillion (7 followed by 20 zeros) planets in the universe, but only one like Earth. Astrophysicist Erik Zackrisson said that one of the requirements for a planet to sustain life is to orbit in the “Goldilocks” zone, where the temperature is just right, and water can exist. Out of 700 quintillion planets, Earth seems to be one planet where conditions are just right. Zackrisson concluded that Earth somehow had been dealt a “fairly lucky hand.”
Paul assured the Colossian believers that the universe existed, not because of Lady Luck, but because of the work of Jesus. The apostle presents Christ as the creator of the world: “For in him all things were created” (Colossians 1:16). Not only was Jesus the powerful creator of the world, but Paul says that “in him all things hold together” (v. 17)—a world that’s not too hot and not too cold, but one that’s just right for human existence. What Jesus created, He’s sustaining with His perfect wisdom and unceasing power.
As we participate in and enjoy the beauty of creation, let’s choose not to point to the random activity of Lady Luck, but to the purposeful, sovereign, powerful and loving One who possesses “all [God’s] fullness” (v. 19).
What does it mean for you to know that Jesus is in control of the natural world and your personal world? How will you show your dependence on Him today?
Dear Jesus, I thank You for graciously and purposefully creating and sustaining Your creation.
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Better Together
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Posted:Feb 24, 2024 5:23 am
Last Updated:Apr 25, 2024 8:44 am 1661 Views
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Today's Devotional
Read: Ecclesiastes 4:9–12 |
Bible in a Year: Numbers 9–11; Mark 5:1–20
Two are better than one . . . . If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. Ecclesiastes 4:9–10
Søren Solkær spent years photographing starlings and their breathtaking spectacle: murmurations, where hundreds of thousands of starlings move in fluid motion across the sky. Watching this marvel is like sitting underneath an orchestrated, swirling wave or a massive, dark brushstroke flowing into a kaleidoscope of patterns. In Denmark, they call this starling experience Black Sun (also the title of Solkær’s stunning book of photographs). Most remarkable is how starlings instinctively follow their nearest companion, flying so close that if one were to miss a beat, they’d suffer mass calamity. However, starlings use murmurations to protect one another. When a hawk descends, these tiny creatures enter tight formation and move collectively, beating back a predator who’d easily pick them off if they were alone.
We’re better together than we are alone. “Two are better than one,” Ecclesiastes says. “If either . . . falls down, one can help the other up. [And] if two lie down together, they will keep warm” (4:9–11). Alone, we’re isolated and easy prey. We’re exposed without the comfort or protection of others.
But with companions, we give and receive help. “Though one may be overpowered,” Ecclesiastes says, “two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken” (v. 12). We’re better together as God leads us.
How are you more vulnerable when you’re isolated from others? How can you draw closer to them?
Dear God, please help me commit to being in community and extending Your love.
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Welcome the Stranger
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Posted:Feb 23, 2024 6:16 am
Last Updated:Apr 25, 2024 8:44 am 1712 Views
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Today's Devotional
Read: Ephesians 2:11–22
Bible in a Year: Numbers 7–8; Mark 4:21–41
You are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household. Ephesians 2:19
In Everything Sad Is Untrue, Daniel Nayeri describes his harrowing flight with his mother and sister from persecution through a refugee camp to safety in the United States. An elderly couple agreed to sponsor them, though they didn’t know them. Years later, Daniel still can’t get over it. He writes, “Can you believe that? Totally blind, they did that. They’d never even met us. And if we turned out to be villains, they’d have to pay for it. That’s almost as brave, kind, and reckless as I can think of anybody being.”
Yet God desires us to have that level of concern for others. He told Israel to be kind to foreigners. “Love them as yourself, for you were foreigners in Egypt”
(Leviticus 19:34). He reminds gentile believers in Jesus—that’s many of us—that once we “were separate from Christ . . . and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world” (Ephesians 2:12). So He commands all of us former foreigners, both Jew and gentile, “to show hospitality to strangers” (Hebrews 13:2).
Now grown up with a family of his own, Daniel praises Jim and Jean Dawson, “who were so Christian that they let a family of refugees come live with them until they could find a home.”
God welcomes the stranger and urges us to welcome them too.
Who is an outsider in your world? How might you reach out and welcome them into your space?
Dear Jesus, show me the stranger You want me to love.
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Walking in Jesus’ Shoes
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Posted:Feb 22, 2024 5:11 am
Last Updated:Feb 22, 2024 5:11 am 1758 Views
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Today's Devotional
Read: Colossians 3:8–17
Bible in a Year: Numbers 4–6; Mark 4:1–20
Clothe yourselves with compassion. Colossians 3:12
What would it be like to walk in the shoes of royalty? Angela Kelly, the of a dockworker and nurse, knows. She was also the official dresser for the late Queen Elizabeth for the last two decades of the monarch’s life. One of her responsibilities was to break-in the aging Queen’s new shoes by walking in them around the palace grounds. There was a reason for it: compassion for an elderly woman who sometimes was required to stand for extended periods at ceremonies. Because they wore the same shoe size, Kelly was able to save her some discomfort.
Kelly’s personal touch in her care for Queen Elizabeth makes me think of Paul’s warm encouragement to the church in Colossae (an area in modern Turkey): “clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience” (Colossians 3:12). When our lives are “built on” Jesus (2.7 ), we become “God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved” (3:12). He helps us take off our “old self” and “put on the new self” (vv. 9–10)—living out the identity of those who love and forgive others because God has loved and forgiven us (vv. 13–14).
All around us are those who need us to “walk in their shoes” and have compassion for them in the day-to-day challenges of life. When we do, we walk in the shoes (or the sandals) of a humble king—Jesus—who always has compassion for us.
How has God had compassion for you? Who can you show His love to today?
Thank You, Jesus, for Your forgiveness and love. Help me to receive it, and also to give it away.
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God’s Open Doors
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Posted:Feb 21, 2024 4:47 am
Last Updated:Feb 21, 2024 4:48 am 1762 Views
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Today's Devotional
Read: Revelation 3.7–11
Bible in a Year: Numbers 1–3; Mark 3
See, I have placed before you an open door. Revelation 3:8
At my new school near a large city, the guidance counselor took one look at me and placed me in the lowest performing English composition class. I’d arrived from my inner-city school with outstanding test scores, excellent grades, and even a principal’s award for my writing. The door to the “best” writing class in my new school was closed to me, however, when the counselor decided I wasn’t right or ready.
The church in ancient Philadelphia would’ve understood such arbitrary setbacks. A small and humble church, its city had suffered earthquakes in recent years that left lasting damage. Additionally, they faced satanic opposition (Revelation 3:9). Such a disregarded church had “little strength, yet,” as the risen Jesus noted, “you have kept my word and have not denied my name” (v. 8. Therefore, God placed before them “an open door that no one can shut” (v. 8. Indeed, “what he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open” (v. 7).
That’s true for our ministry efforts. Some doors don’t open. With my writing for God, however, He has indeed opened doors, allowing it to reach a global audience, regardless of one counselor’s closed attitudes. Closed doors won’t hinder you either. “I am the door,” Jesus said (John 10:9 kjv). Let’s enter the doors He opens and follow Him.
What doors has God opened for you? How does your ministry and life flourish when you wait for His openings?
When doors close to me, dear God, may I turn to You, the Holy Door, and walk where and how You say to go.
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God’s Wise Purposes
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Posted:Feb 20, 2024 5:47 am
Last Updated:Apr 25, 2024 8:44 am 1742 Views
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Today's Devotional
Read: Psalm 13
Bible in a Year: Leviticus 26–27; Mark 2
How long, Lord? Will you forget me forever? Psalm 13:1
The United Kingdom brims with history. Everywhere you go, you see plaques honoring historic figures or commemorating sites where important events occurred. But one such sign exemplifies the droll British sense of humor. On a weathered plaque outside a bed and breakfast in Sandwich, England, a message reads, “On this site, Sept. 5, 1782, nothing happened.”
Sometimes it seems to us that nothing is happening regarding our prayers. We pray and pray, bringing our petitions to our Father with expectation that He’ll respond—right now. The psalmist David expressed such frustration when he prayed, “How long, Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me?” (Psalm 13:1). We can easily echo those same thoughts: How long, Lord, before you respond?
However, our God is not only perfect in His wisdom but also in His timing. David was able to say, “I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation” (v. 5). Ecclesiastes 3:11 reminds us, “[God] has made everything beautiful in its time.” The word beautiful means “appropriate” or “a source of delight.” God may not always respond to our prayers when we’d like Him to, but He’s always working out His wise purposes. We can take heart that when He does answer, it will be right and good and beautiful.
When have you prayed for something and felt that perhaps God was ignoring your requests? What lesson might you have learned in that time of waiting?
Loving God, please help me to learn a patience in prayer borne of trust in You.
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Prompted to Pray
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Posted:Feb 19, 2024 6:11 am
Last Updated:Feb 19, 2024 6:19 am 1762 Views
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Today's Devotional
Read: 1 Thessalonians 5:12–18
Bible in a Year: Leviticus 25; Mark 1:23–45
Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. 1 Thessalonians 5:16–18
A coworker once told me that her prayer life had improved because of our manager. I was impressed, thinking that our difficult leader had shared some spiritual nuggets with her and influenced how she prays. I was wrong—sort of. My coworker and friend went on to explain: “Every time I see him coming, I start praying.” Her time of prayer had improved because she prayed more before each conversation with him. She knew she needed God’s help in her challenging work relationship with her manager, and she called out to Him more because of it.
My coworker’s practice of praying during tough times and interactions is something I’ve adopted. It’s also a biblical practice found in 1 Thessalonians when Paul reminds the believers in Jesus to “pray continually . . . give thanks in all circumstances”
5:17–18. No matter what we face, prayer is always the best practice. It keeps us connected with God and invites His Spirit to direct us (Galatians 5:16) rather than having us rely on our human inclinations. This helps us “live in peace with each other” (1 Thessalonians 5:13) even when we face conflicts.
As God helps us, we can rejoice in Him, pray about everything, and give thanks often. And those things will help us live in even greater harmony with our brothers and sisters in Jesus.
What relationships do you need to pray about more frequently? How can prayer help you follow God’s leading versus your human tendencies?
Heavenly Father, please help me remember to pray continually as I seek to live in harmony with others.
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In God’s Loving Hands
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Posted:Feb 18, 2024 4:39 am
Last Updated:Apr 25, 2024 8:44 am 1776 Views
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Today's Devotional
Read: Psalm 90:1–6
Bible in a Year: Leviticus 23–24; Mark 1:1–22
Before the mountains were born . . . from everlasting to everlasting you are God. Psalm 90:2
After another health setback, I feared the unknown and uncontrollable. One day, while reading a Forbes magazine article, I learned that scientists studied the rising of the “Earth’s rotation velocity” and declared that the Earth “wobbled” and is “spinning faster.” They said we “could require the first-ever ‘drop second’—the official removal of a second from global time.” Though a second doesn’t seem like much of a loss, knowing that the Earth’s rotation could change seemed like a big deal to me. Even slight instability can make my faith feel wobbly. However, knowing God is in control helps me to trust Him no matter how scary our unknowns or how shaky our circumstances may seem.
In Psalm 90, Moses said, “Before the mountains were born or you brought forth the whole world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God” (v. 2). Acknowledging God’s unlimited power, control, and authority over all creation, Moses declared that time cannot constrain God (vv. 3–6).
As we seek to know more about God and the wonderful world He made, we’ll discover how He continues perfectly managing time and all He created. God can be trusted with every unknown and newly discovered thing in our lives too. All creation remains secure in God’s loving hands.
How does knowing God is in control of time and all creation help you trust Him when facing the unknown? How can you honor God with the time He’s entrusted to you today?
Unchanging Creator, thank You for securing every second of my life in Your trustworthy hands.
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Growing Up in Jesus
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Posted:Feb 17, 2024 5:34 am
Last Updated:Apr 25, 2024 8:44 am 1763 Views
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Today's Devotional
Read: 2 Corinthians 12:6–10
Bible in a Year: Leviticus 21–22; Matthew 28
My power is madeerfect in weakness. 2 Corinthians 12:9
As a , I viewed grown-ups as wise and incapable of failure. They always know what to do, I’d think. One day, when I’m grown up, I’ll always know what to do too. Well, “one day” came many years ago, and all it has taught me is that, many times, I still don’t know what to do. Whether it’s illness in the family, problems at work, or conflict in a relationship, such times have wrested all delusions of personal control and strength, simply leaving me one option—to close my eyes and whisper, “Lord, help. I don’t know what to do.”
The apostle Paul understood this feeling of helplessness. The “thorn” in his life, which may have been a physical ailment, caused him much frustration and pain. It was through this thorn, however, that Paul experienced God’s love, promises, and blessings as sufficient for him to endure and overcome his difficulties
(2 Corinthians 12:9). He learned that personal weakness and helplessness don’t mean defeat. When surrendered to God in trust, they become tools for Him to work in and through these circumstances (vv. 9−10).
Our being a grown-up doesn’t mean we’re all-knowing. Sure, we grow wiser with age, but ultimately our weaknesses often reveal how truly powerless we are. Our true power is in Christ: “For when I am weak, then I am strong” (v. 10). Truly “growing up” means knowing, trusting, and obeying the power that comes when we realize we need God’s help.
What trials make you realize your own helplessness? How can you obey God’s leading?
Heavenly Father, thank You for being my help and strength.
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Loving Like Jesus
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Posted:Feb 16, 2024 4:35 am
Last Updated:Apr 25, 2024 8:44 am 1812 Views
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Today's Devotional
Read: John 15:9–17
Bible in a Year: Leviticus 19–20; Matthew 27:51–66
Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. John 15:13
He was loved by all—those were the words used to describe Giuseppe Berardelli of Casnigo, Italy. Giuseppe was a beloved man who rode around town on an old motorbike and always led with the greeting: “peace and good.” He worked tirelessly on behalf of the good of others. But in the last years of his life, he had health problems that worsened when he was infected by the coronavirus, and he eventually died in the hospital. A friend who knew him for more than twenty years said he would’ve given up his potential spot in the intensive care unit for another younger patient if he could have. This reveals the character of a man who was loved and admired for loving others.
Loved for loving, this is the message the apostle John keeps sounding throughout his gospel. Being loved and loving others are like a chapel bell that tolls night and day, regardless of weather. And in John 15, they reach somewhat of a zenith, for John lays bare that it’s not being loved by all but loving all that’s the greatest love: “to lay down one’s life for one’s friends” (v. 13).
Stories of those willing to offer sacrificial love always inspire us. Yet they pale in comparison to God’s great love. But don’t miss the challenge that brings, for Jesus commands: “Love each other as I have loved you” (v. 12). Yes, love all.
Loved by all and love all. Do you get those mixed up sometimes? Why or why not? What might sacrificing for a friend look like today?
Loving God, please help me to love as You love me.
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