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The Word For Life.

If we meet and you forget me, you have lost nothing:
but if you meet JESUS CHRIST and forget Him,
you have lost everything.

God Protective Love
Posted:Jan 19, 2024 2:52 am
Last Updated:Mar 28, 2024 5:14 pm
2194 Views
Today's Devotional

Read: Matthew 7:13–23

Bible in a Year: Genesis 46–48; Matthew 13:1–30


Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. Matthew 7:15

One summer night, the birds near our home suddenly erupted into chaotic cawing. The squawking intensified as the songbirds sent piercing calls from the trees. We finally realized why. As the sun set, a large hawk swooped from a treetop, sending the birds scattering in a screeching frenzy, sounding the alarm as they flew from danger.

In our lives, spiritual warnings can be heard throughout Scripture—cautions against false teachings, for example. We may doubt that’s what we’re hearing. Because of His love for us, however, our heavenly Father provides the clarity of Scripture to make such spiritual dangers plain to us.

Jesus taught, “Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves” (Matthew 7:15). He continued, “By their fruit you will recognize them. . . . Every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit.” Then He warned us, “By their fruit you will recognize them”
(vv. 16–17, 20).

“The prudent see danger and take refuge,” Proverbs 22:3 reminds us, “but the simple keep going and pay the penalty.” Embedded in such warnings is God’s protective love, revealed in His words to us.

As the birds warned each other of physical danger, may we heed the Bible’s warnings to fly from spiritual danger and into God’s arms of refuge.

What spiritual warning has been speaking to your heart? How has Scripture confirmed a warning to you?

The Scriptures warn with love, dear God, and we thank You. May we heed those words today.
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Washing Feet . . . and Dishes
Posted:Jan 18, 2024 5:51 am
Last Updated:Mar 28, 2024 5:14 pm
2189 Views
Today's Devotional

Read: John 13:6–17

| Bible in a Year: Genesis 43–45; Matthew 12:24–50

I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. John 13:15

On Charley and Jan’s fiftieth wedding anniversary, they shared breakfast at a café with their Jon. That day, the restaurant was understaffed with just a manager, cook, and one teenage girl who was working as hostess, waitress, and busser. As they finished their breakfast, Charley turned to his wife and and said, “Do you have anything important going on in the next few hours?” They didn’t.

So, with permission from the manager, Charley and Jan began washing dishes in the back of the restaurant while Jon started clearing the cluttered tables. According to Jon, what happened that day wasn’t really that unusual. His parents had always set an example of Jesus who “did not come to be served, but to serve” (Mark 10:45).

In John 13, we read about the last meal Christ shared with His disciples. That night, the Teacher taught them the principle of humble service by washing their dirty feet (vv. 14–15). If He was willing to do the lowly job of washing a dozen men’s feet, they too should joyfully serve others.

Every avenue of service we encounter may look different, but one thing’s the same: there’s great joy in serving. The purpose behind acts of service isn’t to bring praise to the ones performing them, but to lovingly serve others while directing all praise to our humble, self-sacrificing God.

When has someone unexpectedly offered to help you with a difficult task? Why is humility such an important aspect of serving others?

Loving Savior, thank You for showing me how to be a servant.
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Choosing to Follow God
Posted:Jan 17, 2024 5:05 am
Last Updated:Mar 28, 2024 5:14 pm
2244 Views
Today's Devotional

Read: Joshua 24:14–18

Bible in a Year: Genesis 41–42; Matthew 12:1–23

Choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve . . . . As for me and my household, we will serve the Lord. Joshua 24:15

“The average person will make 773,618 decisions over a lifetime,” claims the Daily Mirror. The British newspaper goes on to assert that we “will come to regret 143,262 of them.” I have no idea how the paper arrived at these numbers, but it’s clear that we face countless decisions throughout our lifetime. The sheer quantity of them might become paralyzing, especially when we consider that all our choices have consequences, some far more momentous than others.

After forty years wandering in the wilderness, the of Israel stood at the threshold of their new homeland. Later, after entering the land, Joshua, their leader, issued to them a challenging choice: “Fear the Lord and serve him with all faithfulness,” he said. “Throw away the gods your ancestors worshiped”
(Joshua 24:14). Joshua told them, “If serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve . . . . But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord” (v. 15).

As we begin each new day, possibilities stretch before us, leading to scores of decisions. Taking the time to ask God to guide us will influence the choices we make. By the power of the Spirit, we can choose to follow Him every day.

What choices have you regretted making? How might you have handled those situations more wisely?

Father, sometimes life can feel overwhelming—and so can the many choices that confront me. Please guide my steps and my decision-making so that I honor You in the choices I make.
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Learning from Mistakes
Posted:Jan 16, 2024 8:55 am
Last Updated:Jan 16, 2024 8:55 am
2278 Views
Read: 1 Corinthians 10:1

Today's Devotional11

Bible in a Year: Genesis 39–40; Matthew 11

These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us. 1 Corinthians 10:11

To help avoid future financial mistakes, such as those in 1929 and 2008 that brought down the world’s economy, the Library of Mistakes was founded in Edinburgh, Scotland. It features a collection of more than two thousand books that can help educate the next generation of economists. And it serves as a perfect example of how, according to the library’s curators, “smart people keep doing stupid things.” The curators believe that the only way to build a strong economy is to learn from prior mistakes.

Paul reminded the Corinthians that one way to avoid yielding to temptation and to have a strong spiritual life is to learn from the mistakes of God’s people in the past. So to make sure they wouldn’t become overconfident with their spiritual privilege, the apostle used ancient Israel’s failures as an example from which to gain wisdom. The Israelites engaged in idolatry, chose to “commit sexual immorality,” grumbled about the plans and purposes of God, and rebelled against His leaders. Due to their sin, they experienced His discipline (1 Corinthians 10.7–10). Paul presented these historical “examples” from Scripture to help believers in Jesus avoid repeating Israel’s mistakes (v. 11).

As God helps us, let’s learn from our mistakes and those made by others so that we might gain a heart of obedience for Him.

What warning should we recall when tempted to sin? How can we learn from our mistakes as well as the mistakes of others?

Dear God, please help me learn from failures so that I might be more obedient to You.
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Serving Others for Jesus
Posted:Jan 15, 2024 3:59 am
Last Updated:Mar 28, 2024 5:14 pm
2296 Views
Today's Devotional

Read: Mark 10:35–45

Bible in a Year: Genesis 36–38; Matthew 10:21–42

Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant. Mark 10:43

Actress Nichelle Nichols is best remembered for playing Lieutenant Uhura in the original Star Trek series. Landing the role was a personal win for Nichols, making her one of the first African American women on a major TV show. But a greater win was to come of it.

Nichols had actually resigned from Star Trek after its first season, to return to her theater work. But then she met Martin Luther King Jr., who urged her not to leave. For the first time, he said, African Americans were being seen on TV as intelligent people who could do anything, even go to space. By playing Lieutenant Uhura, Nichols was achieving a greater win—showing Black women and what they could become.

It reminds me of the time James and John asked Jesus for the two best positions in His kingdom (Mark 10:37). What personal wins such positions would be! Jesus not only explained the painful realities of their request (vv. 38–40) but called them to higher goals, saying, “whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant” (v. 43). His followers weren’t to seek personal wins alone but, like Him, use their positions to serve others (v. 45).

Nichelle Nichols stayed with Star Trek for the greater win it provided for African Americans. May we too never be content with a personal win alone but use whatever position we gain to serve others in His name.

What are your current personal and career goals? What doors could you open for others right now?

Dear Jesus, show me how to use my position to serve others in Your name.
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A Gaze Fixed on God
Posted:Jan 14, 2024 5:46 am
Last Updated:Mar 28, 2024 5:14 pm
2317 Views
Today's Devotional

Read: Isaiah 26:3-7

Bible in a Year: Genesis 33-35; Matthew 10:1-20

You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you. Isaiah 26:3

Nineteenth-century Scottish pastor, Thomas Chalmers, once told the story of riding in a -drawn carriage in the Highlands region as it hugged a narrow mountain ledge, along a harrowing precipice. One of the horses startled, and the driver, fearing they would plummet to their death, repeatedly flicked his whip. After they made it past the danger, Chalmers asked the driver why he used the whip with such force. “I needed to give the horses something else to think about,” he said. “I needed to get their attention.”

In a world overflowing with threats and dangers all around us, we all need something else to arrest our attention. However, we need more than merely mental distraction—a kind of psychological trick. What we most need is to fasten our minds upon a reality more powerful than all our fears. As Isaiah told God’s people in Judah, what we truly need is to fix our minds on God. “You will keep in perfect peace,” Isaiah promises, “all who trust in you” (Isaiah 26:3 nlt). And we can “trust in the Lord always, for the Lord God is the eternal Rock” (v. 4 nlt).

Peace—this is the gift for all who fix their gaze on God. And His peace provides far more than only a technique for holding our worst thoughts at bay. For those who will surrender their future, their hopes, and their worries, the Spirit makes an entirely new way of life possible.

Where do you normally fix your attention? How might you renew your gaze on God?

Dear God, my mind can be a scary place, and I fear so much. Please give me Your peace.
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Persevering in Jesus
Posted:Jan 13, 2024 6:16 am
Last Updated:Jan 13, 2024 6:22 am
2304 Views
Today's Devotional

Read: Hebrews 12:1−3

Bible in a Year: Genesis 31−32; Matthew 9:18−38

Consider him who endured . . . so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. Hebrews 12:3

When I was studying in seminary years ago, we had a weekly chapel service. At one service, while we students were singing “Great Is the Lord,” I spotted three of our well-loved professors singing with fervor. Their faces radiated joy, made possible only by their faith in God. Years later, as each went through terminal illness, it was this faith that enabled them to endure and encourage others.

Today, the memory of my teachers singing continues to encourage me to keep going in my trials. To me, they’re a few of the many inspiring stories of people who lived by faith. They’re a reminder of how we can follow the author’s call in Hebrews 12:2−3 to fix our eyes on Jesus who “for the joy set before him . . . endured the cross” (v. 2).

When trials—from persecution or life’s challenges—make it hard to keep going, we have the example of those who took God at His word and trusted in His promises. We can “run with perseverance the race marked out for us” (v. 1), remembering that Jesus—and those who have gone before us—was able to endure. The writer urges us to “consider him . . . so that [we] will not grow weary and lose heart” (v. 3).

My teachers, now happy in heaven, would likely say: “The life of faith is worth it. Keep going.”

Who’s inspired you to keep going in your faith journey? How does their example encourage you to endure in times of trial and hardship?

Dear Jesus, help me to keep fixing my eyes on You. When I’m weary and losing heart, thank You for Your example.
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God’s Worker
Posted:Jan 12, 2024 6:03 am
Last Updated:Mar 28, 2024 5:14 pm
2327 Views
Today's Devotional

Read: Genesis 39:19–23

Bible in a Year: Genesis 29–30; Matthew 9:1–17

The Lord was with Joseph and gave him success in whatever he did. Genesis 39:23

In a refugee camp in the Middle East, when Reza received a Bible, he came to know and believe in Jesus. His first prayer in Christ’s name was, “Use me as your worker.” Later, after he left the camp, God answered that prayer when he unexpectedly secured a job with a relief agency, returning to the camp to serve the people he knew and loved. He set up sports clubs, language classes, and legal advice—“anything that can give people hope.” He sees these programs as a way to serve others and to share God’s wisdom and love.

When reading his Bible, Reza felt an instant connection with the story of Joseph from Genesis. He noticed how God used Joseph to further His work while he was in prison. Because God was with Joseph, He showed him kindness and granted him favor. The prison warden put Joseph in charge and didn’t have to pay attention to matters there because God gave Joseph “success in whatever he did”
(Genesis 39:23).

God promises to be with us too. Whether we’re facing imprisonment—literal or figurative—hardship, displacement, heartache, or sorrow, we can trust that He’ll never leave us. Just as He enabled Reza to serve those in the camp and Joseph to run the prison, He’ll stay close to us always.

When have you experienced God’s redeeming action, such as Reza and Joseph did? How does Joseph’s story help you to trust Him more?

Saving God, You never leave me, even when I face the hardest of circumstances. Please give me hope and eyes to see Your work in my life.
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A Simple Request
Posted:Jan 11, 2024 6:10 am
Last Updated:Mar 28, 2024 5:14 pm
2254 Views
Today's Devotional

Read: John 21:17–24

Bible in a Year: Genesis 27–28; Matthew 8:18–34

If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you? You must follow me. John 21:22

“Please clean the front room before you go to bed,” I said to one of my daughters. Instantly came the reply, “Why doesn’t she have to do it?”

Such mild resistance was frequent in our home when our girls were young. My response was always the same: “Don’t worry about your sisters; I asked you.”

In John 21, we see this human tendency illustrated among the disciples. Jesus had just restored Peter after he’d denied Him three times (see John 18:15–18, 25–27). Now Jesus said to Peter, “Follow me!” (21:19)—a simple but painful command. Jesus explained that Peter would follow Him to the death (vv. 18–19).

Peter barely had time to comprehend Jesus’ words before he asked about the disciple behind them: “What about him?” (v. 21). Jesus replied, “If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you?” Then He said, “You must follow me” (v. 22).

How often we’re like Peter! We wonder about the faith journeys of others and not what God is doing with us. Late in his life, when the death Jesus foretold in John 21 was much closer, Peter elaborated on Christ’s simple command: “As obedient , do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do” (1 Peter 1:14–15). That’s enough to keep each of us focused on Jesus and not on those around us.

How are you tempted to compare your faith walk with others? How will you keep your focus on Jesus today?

Heavenly Father, please continue to conform me into the image of Your .
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A call To Prayer
Posted:Jan 10, 2024 4:32 am
Last Updated:Mar 28, 2024 5:14 pm
2507 Views
Today's Devotional

Read: Nehemiah 1:4–11

Bible in a Year: Genesis 25–26; Matthew 8:1–17

I sat down and wept. . . . I mourned and fasted and prayed before the God of heaven. Nehemiah 1:4

Abraham Lincoln confided to a friend, “I have been driven many times upon my knees by the overwhelming conviction that I had nowhere else to go.” In the horrific years of the American Civil War, President Lincoln not only spent time in fervent prayer but also called the country to join him. In 1861, he proclaimed a “day of humiliation, prayer and fasting.” And he did so again in 1863, stating, “It is the duty of nations as well as of men to own their dependence upon the overruling power of God: to confess their sins and transgressions in humble sorrow, yet with assured hope that genuine repentance will lead to mercy and pardon.”

After the Israelites had been captives in Babylon for seventy years, King Cyrus decreed that any Israelite who wanted to return to Jerusalem could return. When Nehemiah, an Israelite (Nehemiah 1:6) and cupbearer to the king of Babylon (v. 11), learned that those who had returned were “in great trouble and disgrace” (v. 3), he “sat down and wept” and spent days mourning, fasting and praying (v. 4). He wrestled in prayer for his nation (vv. 5–11). And later, he too called his people to fast and pray (9:1–37).

Centuries later, in the days of the Roman Empire, the apostle Paul similarly urged his readers to pray for those in authority (1 Timothy 2:1–2). Our God still hears our prayers about matters that affect the lives of others.

Why do you think God calls His people to pray for everyone? Who beyond your own circle can you pray for?

Dear Father, we’re in trouble. Please help and heal us.
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