Daily Devotionals

Law Of The Harvest

August 7, 2025

"Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap."

Galatians 6:7

In 1687, Sir Isaac Newton set forth a theory we call the law of gravity. While revised by Einstein and others along the way, the law has remained an immutable principle of nature that governs the universe. Another immutable law, found in both the physical and spiritual realms, was cited by biblical writers centuries ago: the law of the harvest.

The law of the harvest has three parts: no reaping without sowing; reaping is in proportion to sowing; and time separates sowing and reaping. We can understand how the law of the harvest works with money by observing the law of the harvest at work in nature. No farmer expects to reap a harvest without having first sowed his seed, nor does he expect to sow sparingly and reap bountifully. And no farmer expects to reap the day after sowing.

God applies those principles to our money as well: giving precedes receiving; we receive in proportion to our giving; and God chooses when to repay our giving. Unlike farmers, we can apply the law of the harvest anytime, anywhere—even today!

We bring pain on ourselves by violating the law of gravity. Are we doing the same thing spiritually by violating God’s law of the harvest?

I Will Sing

    August 5, 2025

"I will sing to the LORD all my life;

I will sing praise to my God as long as I live."

Psalm 104:33

Choose to Sing

My dad and I sing about everything. One time we started singing our own song about how we were excited about all things. We sing in the kitchen. We sing in the car. We sing everywhere we go. When I am away from home, we will sometimes sing to each other on the phone and hold out the notes just to really emphasize our joy, and then we start laughing so hard. Psalm 16:11 says that in God’s presence is fullness of joy, and this joy is experienced in such a sweet and powerful way when we choose to join Him in the song He personally invites us to sing with Him.

I love how often God’s Word speaks about singing to Him and making a new song to Him. Over and over again, I have read these verses: “I will sing and make music” (Psalm 57:7), “At his sacred tent I will sacrifice with shouts of joy; I will sing and make music to the LORD” (Psalm 27:6), “I will sing the praises of the name of the LORD Most High” (Psalm 7:17), and “I will sing to the LORD all my life; I will sing praise to my God as long as I live” (Psalm 104:33). In these verses, the psalmist specifically declares that he will sing to the Lord. This is a choice that he makes regardless of what he is going through because he knows that the Lord is always worthy of praise.

Whether or not you will pray and sing hymns to God is a choice that you get to make. No one else can make this decision for you, and God is not focused on the pitch of your voice but rather the posture of your heart. He says that the “joy of the LORD is [our] strength” (Nehemiah 8:10), and to be joyful is not to be naive or inexperienced but to be aware that you are in the presence of the Lord. When we sing to Him, we step into an awareness of being in His presence, and we remember that He is worthy—and that will fill our hearts with joy.

What is the song in your heart? What does it mean for God to be worthy of all of the praise?

Power in Praise

There is joy in praising God, and there is also power in our praise. In Acts 16, Paul and Silas were severely flogged, put in prison after rebuking a spirit in Jesus’ name, and guarded carefully. At midnight, they “were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all of the prison doors flew open, and everyone’s chains came loose” (verses 16-26).

It did not matter where Paul and Silas were; they chose to sing praises to God because they knew that God was worthy. The other prisoners were listening closely because it did not make sense for Paul and Silas to respond in the way that they did. In the same way, others will incline to listen to your praise, wondering why you are singing. There is power in your praise to God; indeed, your praise to the Lord breaks chains. Not only will the Lord deliver you through your praise, but He will use your praise to break the chains of those around you who are listening.

God is not focused on the Pitch of your Voice but rather the Posture of your Heart.

How might God use your praise to change your heart and break your chains? How might the song you sing to the Lord impact those who are around you?

He Sings over Us

Our praise redirects the focus back to the Lord who is worthy and who is the One who gives us the strength to sing—not only in the good times but also in the times when we feel like we are chained in a prison cell at midnight. But this kind of response can only happen when we are aware that the Lord is rejoicing over us with loud singing.

Zephaniah 3:17 tells us that “the LORD your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you but will rejoice over you with singing.” To fully believe He delights in us is to join Him in song regardless of what troubles lie ahead.

There is power in our praise because it is joining in the acknowledgment with all of creation that He is exalted over all and that He has the power to break every chain—the chains of anxiety, the chains of fear, the chains of shame. Yes, indeed, there is no prison foundation that He cannot shake. This is the confidence we have in the One who saved us and who sings over us.

How does knowing that God sings over us change your view of trials?

DEAR GOD, THANK YOU FOR BEING MY MIGHTY WARRIOR WHO HAS SAVED ME AND REJOICES OVER ME WITH LOUD SINGING AND QUIETS MY HEART WITH YOUR LOVE. YOU ARE SO GOOD TO ME, SO HELP ME TO ALWAYS SING OF YOUR GOODNESS. HELP ME TO BOLDLY AND JOYFULLY HAVE YOUR PRAISE ON MY LIPS NO MATTER WHERE I AM. SHOW ME THE SONG THAT YOU HAVE PERSONALLY WRITTEN ON MY HEART.

A heart after God’s own heart is being Renewed daily.

God Cares About Your Deepest Desires

"Take delight in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart."

Psalm 37:4

Deep down at the bottom of your heart, what does your heart desire?

God promises that if we take delight in him, he will give us our heart’s desires. To “delight” in God—what does that mean? When we delight in someone, we long to be with them, we love having them around, we love talking and laughing with them. So it is with God. To delight in him means that we long to be with him; we love his continual presence in our lives, and we love communicating with him.

We long for many things in our lives. Will God grant those? Perhaps. But more importantly, he grants us himself. When we have a relationship with the Lord that is based totally on his presence and not on what he will do for us, perhaps we have already found our heart’s true deepest desire. Do you delight in the Lord?

GOD’S PROMISE TO ME

"As you delight in me, I will give you the desires of your heart."

MY PRAYER TO GOD

Lord, I delight in your presence and your love. I pray that I will always desire your presence and always enjoy communicating with you.

Weak Places, Strong Places

August 1, 2025

The Spirit helps us in our weakness.

"Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered." -Romans 8:26

Thought for the Day:

With the power of Christ, all things can be made new.

We all have them. Weak places. Places inside us that make us wonder if we’ll ever get it together like the together people. Places that make us feel less than—less than victorious, less than a conqueror, less than strong.

My weak places frustrate me. And yet I refuse to believe they can’t ever be changed. With the power of Christ, all things can be made new and all broken things can be restored. But sometimes I get so tired of feeling weak.

Weak places are like the lever that flips open the drain in my bathtub. My whole world can feel full and warm and clean until that little lever is pulled. Suddenly, the warm comfort is sucked away, leaving me shivering in a cold, hard, residue-filled space. Cold, hard, and residue-filled is exactly what those weak places make me feel inside.

What is your weak place? A temper that flares? An insecurity that stings? A family dysfunction that is always brewing?

May I breathe a little life into your weakness today? Whatever it is, however large it may loom, know that ""Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered." (Romans 8:26).

We don’t have to have all the answers. We don’t have to make suggestions to God. It’s okay to be so tired of our weak places that we run out of words to pray.

Listen to the beautiful verses tucked all around this verse about weak places:

"There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit."

(Romans 8:1)

"But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his." (Romans 8:9)

If God is for us, who can be against us? (Romans 8:31)

" Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us." (Romans 8:37)

Maybe we need to sit still for just a moment or two today. Quiet, without the weight of condemnation or the swirl of trying to figure things out. Quiet, with nothing but the absolute assurance that the Spirit helps us in our weakness.

"And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose." (Romans 8:28).

In that quiet stillness, while the Spirit prays for us and we just simply soak in truth, there will be a flicker of light. A slight trickle of hope. A grace so unimaginable, we’ll feel His power overshadowing our weakness. Even the smallest drop of God’s strength is more than enough to cover our frailties, our shortcomings, the places where we deem ourselves weak.

And we’ll reject that label—we aren’t weak.

We are dependent. Dependent on the only One powerful enough to help us. The only One sufficient enough to cover us in grace throughout the process of growing stronger.

Our relationships may not be sufficient. Our circumstances may not be sufficient. Our willpower may not be sufficient. Our confidence may not be sufficient. But God is sufficient — and forever will be.

"And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me." (2 Corinthians 12:9).

So instead of wallowing in my weak place, I will let the Spirit reveal the one positive step I can take today. I will wash away the condemnation with the warmth of His grace. I will receive His power. And I will rename the weakness my strong place. “For when I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Corinthians 12:10).

Dear Lord, I am so grateful that when I am weak, You are strong. Help me to see positive steps I can take to grow stronger in my weak places. In Jesus’ name. Amen

Those Kids!

July 30, 2025

Read Titus 1:5-9

An elder must be well thought of for his good life. He must be faithful to his wife, and his children must be believers who are not wild or rebellious. Titus 1:6

Janie’s daughter is pregnant and not married. Jim’s son just got arrested for drug possession. Mandy’s honor-student son was arrested for breaking and entering. Kim’s daughter refuses to attend church and says she is becoming a Buddhist. And all these parents are in leadership, so what do they do with Titus 1:6?

How wild is wild? (Purple hair, a nose ring, or a tattoo?) And how disobedient? (Sent to the principal’s office, juvenile hall, or jail?) How perfect do our kids have to be to keep us in ministry? At what point should we (if ever?) set our ministry, call, dreams, and leadership aside? What is hard about this part of the character checklist for leaders is this small section that includes the behavior of others (like having children who believe and are under control).

Bill and I have come to see this as a practical guideline: Those over eighteen are adults and under their own responsibility to God for this verse. The heart of the verse is to encourage parents who love God, hold God’s standards, and seek to help their children do the same.

Kids aren’t perfect; they will make mistakes. The key question as parents is, Are you dealing with the mistakes, getting your kids the resources they need, and helping them to grow in grace?

The point at which you may need to set aside your own dreams and plans is when you don’t have enough time to help a child keep his or her faith. When that becomes the case, you may need to take time away from a call to leadership and focus your energies on being spiritual leaders to your kids. There will be other opportunities to lead in an official capacity. But first you want to be sure that your children are on the way to the finish line.

Forgiveness

July 28, 2025

If they sin against you—and who has never sinned?—you may become angry with them and let their enemies conquer them and take them captive to a foreign land far or near. But in that land of exile, they may turn to you again in repentance and pray, “We have sinned, done evil, and acted wickedly.” Then if they turn to you with their whole heart and soul and pray toward the land you gave to their ancestors, toward this city you have chosen, and toward this Temple I have built to honor your name, then hear their prayers from heaven where you live. Uphold their cause and forgive your people who have sinned against you. Make their captors merciful to them, for they are your people—your special possession—whom you brought out of the iron-smelting furnace of Egypt.

1 Kings 8:46-51

Building a temple for the glory of God was a huge task for a young king. At its dedication, Solomon prayed for the people’s hearts, which were more important than the new temple.

Solomon didn’t say “if” in regard to sin, because he knew it was a matter of “when.” His wise words gave the people—and believers today—a pattern for the cycle of sin, repentance, and forgiveness.

We will sin.

1. When we sin, if we have a change of heart and repent and plead to God, and if we turn back to God with all our heart and soul and pray to God, then:

2. God will hear our prayer, forgive the offenses we have committed against him, and show us mercy.

3. We must follow God’s pattern for repentance and forgiveness. How gracious that God does not leave us to carry our own burden of sin—he carried it to the cross. And when we follow the pattern he gave us for repentance, we become examples of his mercy in front of our children.

Merciful God,

Thank you that we do not have to carry our sin, but that you show us mercy when we turn to you with all our heart and soul. Amen.

Tree Stands

July 26, 2025

As the whirlwind passeth, so is the wicked no more: but the righteous is an everlasting foundation. -Proverbs 10:25

There is a tree that stands by a body of water near my home. I have sat near that tree in the heat of summer. I have watched out the window during a storm and seen the branches twist around like a kite tail. I have also sat in my car near that tree in the dead of winter when the winds were howling and the snowflakes were flying, but the tree never wavered. After any and every storm the tree stands like nothing ever happened.

That is the picture I believe Christ wants us to show our children through all we face in life. We need to learn to be steady in an unsteady society. We need to be strong when everything around us is weak.

How do we do that? We do it by standing firm in our righteousness. By being holy as God is holy. God’s Word and righteousness will stand the test and trials of time. PARENTING PRINCIPLE

The firmness and steadiness of a tree makes it a secure home for many of God’s creations.

POINTS TO PONDER

• How are you like a steady tree?
• What could you do to be more righteous and steady?
• Are your children developing age-appropriate steadiness with their issues?

Agents of Growth

July 24, 2025

^{34 "}Salt is good: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be seasoned?

³⁵ It is neither fit for the land, nor yet for the dunghill; but men cast it out. He that hath ears to hear, let him hear."

Luke 14:34-35

JESUS’ WORDS TO HIS DISCIPLES about salt have historically been interpreted in terms of flavor and preservation—seasoning society and slowing the corruption of the world. But the fertilizing powers of salt were well-known in the ancient world and have been in many cultures since; the right kind of salt in the right measure enhances the soil and makes things grow. When Jesus called his followers “the salt of the earth,” he was not only hinting at taste and preservation. Even more so, he seems to have been envisioning his followers as agents of increase. Where traditional interpretations of Jesus’ warnings have emphasized the possibility of salt losing taste or flavor, the original language more accurately implies losing potency or effectiveness, or even more literally, being made foolish or becoming nonsensical. Only then does “salt for the soil or for the manure pile” make sense. a  If believers are the world’s fertilizer, we are meant to be spread throughout the land. We help those around us bear fruit.

You may think your mission in this world is to bear fruit for God’s Kingdom, and it is. One of the most significant ways to do that is not to accumulate your own achievements but to enhance the lives of those around you—to seek their fruit more than your own. Too much salt corrodes and destroys; too little accomplishes nothing. But the right amount of you—or, more specifically, the right amount of what God has filled you with and empowered you to do—helps the world flourish. It blows wind in the sails of those around you. It turns you from being one fruitful plant to being the catalyst for a fruitful landscape.

Too many Christians are focused on fulfilling their own little mission, never realizing that their mission is to enhance the mission of their brothers and sisters. Broaden your vision and seek to fertilize the land around you. Serve others by helping them grow.

Lord, I’ve seen too many people walk through the world leaving a wasteland behind them. May a garden grow in every footprint I’ve left behind me. Help me as I help those around me flourish. Amen.

https://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2016/october/you-are-manure-of-earth.html.

A Wonder-Filled Soul

July 22, 2025

"Bless the Lord, O my soul. O Lord my God, thou art very great; thou art clothed with honour and majesty." -Psalm 104:1

HAVE YOU EVER BEEN TO a majestic place that takes your breath away? Like the mountains flowing into the ocean along the Oregon coast. Like the crystal-blue waters surrounding the Isle of Capri. Like the Grand Canyon’s vastness and beauty. Like cradling your child for the first time. Such wonderful experiences can’t be explained; they can only be experienced.

So it is with God. We need to experience Him. When we experience Him, we are filled with the wonder of His presence and love.

This was the essence of what Jesus was getting at when He encouraged His hearers to love God with all their souls (Mark 12:30). The Greek word for soul is psyche, from which we get the word psychology. The soul is the animating principle of life: that which gives life to the body. When we talk about people putting their “heart and soul” into something, we mean they’re giving everything they have.

Wonder seems to be a rare commodity these days. A “been there, done that” attitude is common. That cliché suggests spiritual and emotional dullness. We are a people saturated with analysis, explanations, and facts but devoid of wonder. Maybe it’s time we rediscovered the wonder of God. All it takes is a renewed awareness of His presence.

BOTTOM LINE:

May we become less self-conscious and more God-conscious. That will produce a sense of wonder and joy and worship. Ask God to wake up your soul.

Moment of Strength: 1 Chronicles 16:29

Homesick for Heaven

July 20, 2025

For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: -Philippians 3:20

This home we’re in won’t last forever.

Birthdays remind us of that.

Not long ago I turned thirty seven. I’m closer to death than I am to birth. All those things they say about aging are coming true. I’m patting myself less on the back and more under the chin. I have everything I had twenty years ago, except now it’s all lower. 

Aging. It’s no fun. The way we try to avoid it, you’d think we could. We paint the body, preserve the body, protect the body. And well we should. These bodies are God’s gifts. We should be responsible. But we should also be realistic. This body must die so the new body can live. "Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption." (1 Corinthians 15:50).

Is It Sustainable?

July 18, 2025

"Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God." -2 Corinthians 7:1

Thought for the Day: Holiness doesn’t just deal with my spiritual life; it very much deals with my physical life as well.

Most people ask the same two questions when they hear about my weight loss and healthy eating plan: “How did you do it?” and “Is this something you can sustain?” In other words, they are wondering, “If I follow your advice, what will I have to give up forever?”

We often desire the long-term solution, but shy away from the actions necessary to reach our goal. Sacrificing for a season is not fun, but it is doable. However, sacrificing until we no longer desire what has been given up? Well, that just takes discipline to a whole new level. Is this kind of sacrificial discipline really sustainable?

My answer is no and yes.

No, I do not believe in our own strength we can sustain a level of discipline that requires real sacrifice for a long period of time.

However, my answer is yes if we factor in a crucial spiritual truth. Making the connection between my daily disciplines with food and my desire to pursue holiness is crucial. And holiness doesn’t just deal with my spiritual life; it very much deals with my physical life as well.

It is good for God’s people to be put in a place of longing so they feel a slight desperation. Only then can we be empty enough and open enough to discover the holiness we were made for. When we are stuffed full of other things and never allow ourselves to be in a place of longing, we don’t recognize the deeper spiritual battle going on.

Satan wants to keep us distracted by chasing one temporary filling after another. God wants us to step back and let the emptying process have its way until we start desiring a holier life. The gap between our frail discipline and God’s available strength is bridged with nothing but a simple choice on our part to pursue this holiness.

I was challenged by a pastor friend’s confident statement, “God tells us to be holy. So be holy. He wouldn’t have said it if it weren’t possible.”

"Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God."

-2 Corinthians 7:1

Moment by moment we can make the choice to live in our own strength and risk failure or to reach across the gap and grab hold of God’s unwavering strength. And the beautiful thing is, the more dependent we become on God’s strength, the less enamored we are with other choices.

Dear Lord, I long to experience the holiness I was made for. I want to reach across the gap and grab hold of Your strength — the unwavering strength that leads to peace and joy. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Few Find It

July 16, 2025

^{3 "}Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:

¹⁴ Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it."

Matthew 7:13-14

"Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me."

John 14:6

"Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved."

Acts 4:12

Most of us like to be in step with the crowd. We want to dress the way people around us dress, talk the way they talk, and even think the way they think about different topics. We don’t like to feel out of step at every turn with everyone around us. But Jesus says that if we want to be connected to him in a saving, eternal way, we have to be willing to go against the crowd—willing to be in the minority rather than the majority.

But being in the majority is usually more comfortable than being in the minority, isn’t it? Along with the seeming safety of the majority come strength in numbers and a sense of “rightness.” Jesus’ statement that only a few will find their way into the Kingdom of God challenges our assumptions about the rightness of the majority. It shows us that huge numbers of people in our world are wrong about how to have a life-giving relationship with God and about what makes life worth living.

Some people suggest it is arrogant to believe that only a small number of people have a grasp on truth and the gift of eternal life. But actually it takes great humility to recognize our complete unworthiness and inability to earn a place in God’s family. It requires humility to admit that we are desperately in need of a Savior.

DISCUSSION STARTERS

• Have you ever been in the minority because of your gender, age, cultural background, interests, opinions, or something else? What was that like?

• How would you respond to the criticism that Christianity is exclusive, or limited to certain people?

• Why do you think Jesus said only a few will find life?

31 Days of Wisdom-Proverbs 20

July 14, 2025

Reflection:

Proverbs 20:10, 23

Those who try to gain a competitive advantage through dishonest means, no matter how slight, are making a powerful statement about what they believe. They are making it clear that they don’t trust God to provide for them, defend them or show them his favor. Yet an alarming number of Christians are careless with their integrity. When our work ethics allow for inaccurate timesheets, hidden costs, unreliable quotes, questionable expense reports and other dubious practices, we are defrauding someone. We are being dishonest.

Few employers expect their employees to be hyper-conscientious about every minute or cent—that can become cumbersome, counterproductive and even annoying—but when an employer or client expects one thing and we give them something less, that’s an ethical problem. God is a God of integrity. His people are to be known for it too.

1 Wine is a mocker and beer a brawler;

whoever is led astray by them is not wise.

2 A king’s wrath strikes terror like the roar of a lion;

those who anger him forfeit their lives.

3 It is to one’s honor to avoid strife,

but every fool is quick to quarrel.

4 Sluggards do not plow in season;

so at harvest time they look but find nothing.

5 The purposes of a person’s heart are deep waters,

but one who has insight draws them out.

6 Many claim to have unfailing love,

but a faithful person who can find?

7 The righteous lead blameless lives;

blessed are their children after them.

8 When a king sits on his throne to judge,

he winnows out all evil with his eyes.

9 Who can say, “I have kept my heart pure;

I am clean and without sin”?

10 Differing weights and differing measures—

the LORD detests them both.

11 Even small children are known by their actions,

so is their conduct really pure and upright?

12 Ears that hear and eyes that see—

the LORD has made them both.

13 Do not love sleep or you will grow poor;

stay awake and you will have food to spare.

14 “It’s no good, it’s no good!” says the buyer—

then goes off and boasts about the purchase.

15 Gold there is, and rubies in abundance,

but lips that speak knowledge are a rare jewel.

16 Take the garment of one who puts up security for a stranger;

hold it in pledge if it is done for an outsider.

17 Food gained by fraud tastes sweet,

but one ends up with a mouth full of gravel.

18 Plans are established by seeking advice;

so if you wage war, obtain guidance.

19 A gossip betrays a confidence;

so avoid anyone who talks too much.

20 If someone curses their father or mother,

their lamp will be snuffed out in pitch darkness.

21 An inheritance claimed too soon

will not be blessed at the end.

22 Do not say, “I’ll pay you back for this wrong!”

Wait for the LORD, and he will avenge you.

23 The LORD detests differing weights,

and dishonest scales do not please him.

24 A person’s steps are directed by the LORD.

How then can anyone understand their own way?

25 It is a trap to dedicate something rashly

and only later to consider one’s vows.

26 A wise king winnows out the wicked;

he drives the threshing wheel over them.

27 The human spirit is the lamp of the LORD

that sheds light on one’s inmost being.

28 Love and faithfulness keep a king safe;

through love his throne is made secure.

29 The glory of young men is their strength,

gray hair the splendor of the old.

30 Blows and wounds scrub away evil,

and beatings purge the inmost being.

Answering Isaiah

July 12, 2025

"Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: . . . Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter — when you see the naked, to clothe him." -Isaiah 58:6-7

Diana is a “working” homeless person. She puts in hours at a local fast-food restaurant and showers every couple of days at a nearby Methodist church. Sometimes with her earnings, Diana is able to get a good night’s sleep at a Motel 6. She is sixty-two years old and starts each day with a “Good morning, God!” then tends to her cat, Shadow. She has found a safe sleeping place near a hardware store in the San Fernando Valley. She lost her home years ago but is hoping to find a permanent place to live.

Cathy, who works at our office, met Diana several months ago when she stopped by the fast-food restaurant. She was impressed with the woman’s upbeat attitude. When she learned Diana was homeless, Cathy and her husband decided to help — they have since found her a room to rent. It’s one modern-day example of how Christians are not only responding to God’s plea in Isaiah 58 but are salting their communities with the preserving influence of the gospel. After all, people like Diana hold a special place in God’s heart (Matthew 25:35).

People like Cathy have a special place in God’s heart too. As they help someone like Diana, Isaiah 58:9 – 11 assures that “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 . . . and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday. The Lord will guide you always.”

Father God, today I will encounter all sorts of people in my community. Open my eyes to their needs and show me how to make a difference.

Seeing the Big Picture

July 10, 2025

God sometimes used his prophets as motivational speakers.

FOR THREE and a half weeks Zerubbabel, the governor of Judah, and Jeshua, the high priest, had been directing the Jews who had returned with them from Babylonia as they rebuilt the temple in Jerusalem. The work was discouraging because the temple had lain in ruins for sixty-six years.

Previously the enemies of the Jews had been so successful in frightening and discouraging them that work had stopped for seventeen years. On October 17, 520 B.C., as the rebuilding project was underway again, God sent a message to encourage and motivate the workers through the prophet Haggai (Haggai 2:1).

Haggai said to Zerubbabel, Jeshua, and all the people, “Is there anyone who can remember this house—the Temple—as it was before? In comparison, how does it look to you now? It must seem like nothing at all! . . . Take courage and work, for I am with you, says the Lord Almighty. My Spirit remains among you, just as I promised when you came out of Egypt. So do not be afraid” (Haggai 2:3-5).

The original temple built by Solomon was ornate and luxurious. There was no way the workers could replicate its grandeur, and Haggai realized that this discouraged many of the workers. But God desired his people to be encouraged in spite of how insignificant the temple they were rebuilding might look.

So God gave them a glimpse of what the future temple would look like—in connection with the second coming of Christ. Of that time God said through Haggai to the discouraged temple builders, “In just a little while I will again shake the heavens and the earth. I will shake the oceans and the dry land, too. I will shake all the nations, and the treasures of all the nations will come to this Temple. I will fill this place with glory, says the Lord Almighty. The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, says the Lord Almighty. The future glory of this Temple will be greater than its past glory, says the Lord Almighty. And in this place I will bring peace. I, the Lord Almighty, have spoken!” (vv. 6-9).

Previously God had shaken the earth when he had made his covenant with them at Mount Sinai. “Moses led them out from the camp to meet with God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain. . . . And the whole mountain shook with a violent earthquake” (Exodus 19:17-18). God shook the earth again when Christ was crucified. “The earth shook, rocks split apart, and tombs opened” (Matthew 27:51-52). But the great shaking is yet to come. In a vision of the second coming of Christ, John saw “a great earthquake. . . Then the stars of the sky fell to the earth. . . . And the sky was rolled up like a scroll and taken away. And all of the mountains and all of the islands disappeared” (Revelation 6:12-14; cf. Luke 21:25-27).

Through Haggai God helped the disheartened workers see that their building was part of a much bigger scenario—one in which the temple would eventually be rebuilt a final time to a grandeur greater than ever before (cf. Ezekiel 40:1–47:12).

Reflection:

God encouraged the discouraged temple builders by telling them of the glorious end of the project they were beginning. We, likewise, can become discouraged at the seeming insignificance of what God calls us to do. Yet it is all part of God’s glorious perfect plan. No matter what our task, “the future glory . . . will be greater than its past” (Haggai 2:9).

"The glory of the Lord filled the Temple."

-Ezekiel 43:5

When you Wonder what You're Supposed to Hope In

July 8, 2025

Lord, what is the source of my hope?

He will Build a House for My Name

July 6, 2025

After King David had been given rest from all his enemies in Canaan, and after he had finished building his famed cedar palace, he told the prophet Nathan that he wanted to build a house for God. Nathan’s first reaction was to applaud and encourage David’s plans. But that night, God warned Nathan that what he had told David was his own opinion and not a divine instruction. So Nathan then delivered a word from God that was decisive.

The LORD declares that he will make a house for you—a dynasty of kings! For when you die and are buried with your ancestors, I will raise up one of your descendants, your own offspring, and I will make his kingdom strong. He is the one who will build a house—a temple—for my name. And I will secure his royal throne forever. (2 Samuel 7:11-13)

On one hand, God was declaring that David’s son Solomon would be the one to build a house for God. But Solomon can’t be the only son referred to here, because his kingdom did not last forever. There must be another descendant, another offspring, whose throne will be secure forever. Far beyond Solomon, who would build a house made of stone, God was promising his greater Son, Jesus, who would build a house made of living stones—the lives of his elect. Peter wrote to those coming to Christ, “You are living stones that God is building into his spiritual temple” (1 Peter 2:5).

God was giving David much more than he could have ever imagined. Instead of having David build a “house” for the Almighty, God planned to make a “house” out of David. He was part of the same promise and plan that had been given to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

God promises a spiritual house, an eternal home, for people from all nations and all times. “So now you Gentiles are no longer strangers and foreigners. You are citizens along with all of God’s holy people. You are members of God’s family. Together, we are his house, built on the foundation of the apostles and the prophets. And the cornerstone is Christ Jesus himself” (Ephesians 2:19-20).

Master Builder, I don’t deserve to be a part of the house you are building for God, but you have made me into a living stone, into a part of your grand plan for your world. In this world where foundations crumble so easily, I find my security in being built into your house, where you are the cornerstone.

God's Masterpiece

July 4, 2025

We are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so that we can do the good things he planned for us long ago. –Ephesians 2:10

A masterpiece. Me? I don’t think so. At least it’s hard for me to see. All it takes is a glance in the mirror, a step on the scale, a few minutes of flipping through a magazine, for my self-image to nose-dive and my self-confidence to be shaken. Can you relate? Do you sometimes struggle with the way God has made you—the shape or size of your body, the personality you have, the abilities you were given? It’s easy to allow the way we look to define who we are, but Paul says we are God’s masterpiece. What does he mean?

When I think of a masterpiece, my first thought, and perhaps yours too, is great works of art by Da Vinci or Rembrandt or Van Gogh, great sculptors and painters who created the breathtaking works of art we gaze at in wonder. But I don’t think this is the kind of masterpiece Paul had in mind, because God is not making us into his masterpiece simply so we can look good or even so we can be good. His purpose in making us a masterpiece is so that we can do good. Rather than Picasso or Monet, think instead of Stradivari. Antonio Stradivari made about 1,100 violins, harps, guitars, violas, and cellos during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. Each Stradivarius is a treasured masterpiece unsurpassed in sound. It is not made to sit on a shelf to be admired for its beauty, but to be played—to be put in the hands of a master musician to create beautiful music.

You are a masterpiece, not like the Mona Lisa, which hangs in a museum behind bulletproof glass, beyond the potentially damaging touch of dirty hands. You are like a Stradivarius violin, whose true beauty and value is seen and experienced in its usefulness—especially when it is used by a master. Being used by the master in this hurting world is thrilling. The reason it feels so good to offer food to those who are hungry, a coat to those who are cold, companionship to those who are lonely, a home to a child who is alone, is because this is what you were made for. This is the beauty of the Master Jesus using your life.

Master Designer, I’ve wasted too much time and energy looking in the mirror agonizing over my own reflection instead of feeling the pain of a hurting world around me and doing something about it. Make me a masterpiece that displays your beauty and demonstrates your love.

DIGGING DEEPER Read Romans 8:28-30. How does this passage add to your understanding of God’s plans and purposes?

Promote Peace

July 2, 2025

"Deceit is in the heart of them that imagine evil: but to the counsellors of peace is joy." -Proverbs 12:20 

I feel an urgency to apply this proverb to families. There is so much intrigue and turmoil in families right now. Sisters and brothers are ganging up on each other, fighting over an inheritance, bickering over petty things.

If you’re involved in trouble in your family, I suggest you go back to Genesis 37–50 and read the story of Joseph and his brothers. It’s like a big soap opera, with all the elements of jealousy, bitterness, grudges, lies, deceit. Be aware that it’s not just a story. It’s about a real family—a family with stepmothers and stepbrothers. That adds an element that definitely makes things more complicated, and then you add the element of favoritism, and you have a real formula for trouble. I don’t have to explain that to you if you’re living it. It’s not the Brady Bunch. Bottom line: Joseph’s brothers plotted revenge against Joseph, and in the end, they were the big losers.

First Peter 3:8-9 has a formula of joy for us as an antidote. Read it carefully: “Finally, all of you, live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble. Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing” (NIV).

Make It Personal . . . Live It Out!

Families can indeed be complicated, especially with blended families, ex-spouses, in-laws, and out-laws (ex-in-laws). Everything from who is invited to Easter dinner to custody and inheritance issues can be an emotional can of worms. Let me ask you a question: When there is a conflict in your family, is there a difference between the way you respond and the way the non-Christians respond? Conflict is opportunity in disguise; really it is. It can be the best opportunity of all for you to show the grace and love and patience of Christ. Talk is cheap. This can be your “divine appointment” to walk the talk.