Gods Greater Power
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Posted:Mar 5, 2024 5:47 am
Last Updated:Mar 5, 2024 5:47 am 1300 Views
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Today's Devotional
Read: Judges 7.7-8, 16–22
Bible in a Year: Numbers 34–36; Mark 9:30–50
The Lord said, . . . I have given you victory over them! Judges 7:9
In March 1945, the “Ghost Army” helped US forces achieve the Rhine River crossing—giving the allies a vital base to operate from on World War II’s Western Front. The soldiers were most definitely human, not apparitions, all part of the 23rd Headquarters Special Troops. On this occasion, the 1,100-man team imitated 30,000 men by using inflatable decoy tanks, blasting troop and vehicle sound effects over speakers, and more. The relatively small number of Ghost Army members led the enemy to fear what appeared to be a far greater force.
The Midianites and their allies also trembled before a tiny army that loomed large in the night (Judges 7:8–22). Gideon, a judge and military leader of Israel, was used by God to make his puny army a source of terror for the enemy. They also used sound effects (blown trumpets, smashed clay jars, human voices) and visible objects (blazing torches) to make the vast enemy—as “thick as locusts” (v. 12)—believe they were facing a colossal foe. Israel defeated their enemy that night with an army whittled down from 32,000 men to just 300 by God’s command (vv. 2–8. Why? Because that made it clear who truly won the battle. As God told Gideon, “I have given you victory over them!” (v. 9 nlt).
When we feel weak and inferior, let’s seek God and rest in His strength alone. For His “power is made perfect in [our] weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9).
What big foes or challenges are you facing? How can you rest in God’s power as you confront them?
Dear Jesus, let me find Your strength in my weakness.
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Jesus Dwells Within
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Posted:Mar 4, 2024 5:05 am
Last Updated:Mar 4, 2024 5:06 am 1265 Views
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Today's Devotional
Read: Ephesians 3:14-20
Bible in a Year: Numbers 31–33; Mark 9:1–29
Then Christ will make his home in your hearts. Ephesians 3:17
As a blizzard bore down on my state in the western United States, my widowed mother agreed to stay with my family to “ride out” the storm. After the blizzard, however, she never returned to her house. She moved in, dwelling with us for the rest of her life. Her presence changed our household in many positive ways. She was available daily to provide wisdom, advice to family members, and share ancestral stories. She and my husband became the best of friends, sharing a similar sense of humor and love of sports. No longer a visitor, she was a permanent and vital resident—forever changing our hearts even after God called her home.
The experience recalls John’s description of Jesus—that He “dwelt among us” (John 1:14 . It’s a compelling description because in the original Greek the word dwelt means “to pitch a tent.” Another translation says, He “made his home among us”
By faith, we also receive Jesus as the One who dwells in our hearts. As Paul wrote,
“I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong” (Ephesians 3:16–17 ).
Not a casual visitor, Jesus is an empowering permanent resident of all who follow Him. May we open wide the doors of our hearts and welcome Him.
What does it mean for you to open your heart to Christ? How can you make Him more welcome?
As You live in my heart, loving Jesus, make me more like You.
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A Heart for Christ
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Posted:Mar 3, 2024 5:00 am
Last Updated:Mar 3, 2024 5:00 am 1277 Views
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Today's Devotional
Read: Matthew 15.7−20
Bible in a Year: Numbers 28−30; Mark 8:22−38
Out of the heart come evil thoughts . . . these are what defile a person. Matthew 15:19−20
As long as you keep your mouth closed, I told myself, you won’t be doing anything wrong. I’d been outwardly holding back my anger toward a colleague after misinterpreting things she’d said. Since we had to see each other every day, I decided to limit communication to only what was necessary (and retaliate with my silent treatment). How could a quiet demeanor be wrong?
Jesus said that sin begins in the heart (Matthew 15:18−20). My silence may have fooled people into thinking all was well, but it wasn’t fooling God. He knew I was hiding a heart filled with anger. I was like the Pharisees who honored God with their lips, but their hearts were far from Him (v. 8 Even though my outward appearance didn’t show my true feelings, the bitterness was festering inside me. The joy and closeness I’d always felt with my heavenly Father were gone. Nurturing and hiding sin does that.
By God’s grace, I told my colleague how I was feeling and apologized. She graciously forgave me and, eventually, we became good friends. “Out of the heart come evil thoughts” (v. 19), Jesus says. The state of our heart matters because evil residing there can overflow into our lives. Both our exterior and interior matter.
Jesus said that the sin in our heart defiles us. What “evil thoughts” might be defiling your heart? How can you pray regarding this matter?
Loving God, please forgive me for the sins I’ve been nurturing in my heart. I want my heart to be pleasing in Your sight. Please help me to change.
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Speaking as God Helps Us
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Posted:Mar 2, 2024 10:24 am
Last Updated:Mar 2, 2024 10:25 am 1329 Views
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Today's Devotional
Read: Ezekiel 1:22–28
Bible in a Year: Numbers 26–27; Mark 8:1–21
Then there came a voice from above the vault over their heads as they stood with lowered wings. Ezekiel 1:25
One wouldn’t normally think of butterflies as being loud creatures: after all, the flapping of a single Monarch butterfly’s wings is practically inaudible. But in the Mexican rainforest, where many of them begin their short lives, their collective flapping is surprisingly loud. When millions of Monarchs flap their wings at the same time, it sounds like a rushing waterfall.
The same description is made when four very different winged creatures appear in Ezekiel’s vision. Though fewer than the number of butterflies, he likens the sound of their flapping wings to “the roar of rushing waters” (Ezekiel 1:24). When the creatures stood still and lowered their wings, Ezekiel heard the voice of God calling him to “speak [God’s] words to [the Israelites]” (2.7).
Ezekiel, like the other Old Testament prophets, was charged with the task of speaking truth to God’s people. Today, God asks us all to share the truth of His good work in our lives with those He puts around us (1 Peter 3:15). Sometimes we’ll be asked a direct question—an invitation to share that’s as “loud” as a waterfall. Other times, the invitation might be more of a whisper, such as seeing an unspoken need. Whether the invitation to share God’s love is as loud as a million butterflies or as quiet as just one, we must listen, as Ezekiel did, with ears tuned to hear what God wants us to say.
Who’s inviting you to speak into their lives—even if only faintly? How will you respond?
Thank You, Father, for inviting me to share about You.
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Owner or Steward?
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Posted:Mar 1, 2024 5:45 am
Last Updated:Mar 1, 2024 5:46 am 1391 Views
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Today's Devotional
Read: Psalm 50.7–15
Bible in a Year: Numbers 23–25; Mark 7:14–37
Every animal of the forest is mine. Psalm 50:10
“Am I an owner or a steward?” The CEO of a multibillion-dollar company asked himself that question as he weighed what was best for his family. Concerned about the temptations that can come with vast wealth, he didn’t want to burden his heirs with that challenge. So he gave up ownership of his company and placed 100 percent of the voting stock in a trust. Recognizing that everything he owns belongs to God helped him make the decision to allow his family to earn a living in exchange for work while also using future profits to fund Christian ministry.
In Psalm 50:10, God tells His people, “Every animal of the forest is mine, and the cattle on a thousand hills.” As the Creator of all things, God owes us nothing and needs nothing from us. “I have no need of a bull from your stall or of goats from your pens,” He says (v. 9). He generously provides everything that we have and use as well as the strength and the ability to earn a living. Because He does, as the psalm shows us, He’s worthy of our heartfelt worship.
God owns everything. But because of His goodness, He even chose to give Himself, entering into a relationship with any who turn to Him. Jesus “did not come to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45). When we value the Giver over the gifts and serve Him with them, we’re blessed to delight in Him forever.
What has God given you that you’re grateful for? How can you serve Him with it?
You made everything, faithful Creator. Please help me to live my life as a gift from You today.
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Even Leviticus
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Posted:Feb 29, 2024 4:42 am
Last Updated:Apr 25, 2024 12:16 am 1418 Views
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Today's Devotional
Read: Leviticus 13:1–8 | Bible in a Year:
You are to be holy to me because I, the Lord, am holy. Leviticus 20:26
The topic was Leviticus, and I had a confession to make. “I skipped a lot of the reading,” I told my Bible study group. “I’m not reading about skin diseases again.”
That’s when my friend Dave spoke up. “I know a guy who believed in Jesus because of that passage,” he said. Dave explained that his friend—a doctor—had been an atheist. He decided that before he completely rejected the Bible, he’d better read it for himself. The section on skin diseases in Leviticus fascinated him. It contained surprising details about contagious and noncontagious sores (13:1–46) and how to treat them (14:8–9). He knew this far surpassed the medical knowledge of that day—yet there it was in Leviticus. There’s no way Moses could have known all this, he thought. The doctor began to consider that Moses really did receive his information from God. Eventually he put his faith in Jesus.
If parts of the Bible bore you, well, I’m with you. But everything it says is there for a reason. Leviticus was written so the Israelites would know how to live for and with God. As we learn more about this relationship between God and His people, we learn about God Himself.
“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness,” wrote the apostle Paul (2 Timothy 3:16). Let’s read on. Even Leviticus.
What sections of the Bible bore you or seem irrelevant? How can you learn to recognize their value?
Father, teach me how to appreciate the Bible. Let every part speak to me.
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“Help My Unbelief!”
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Posted:Feb 28, 2024 5:49 am
Last Updated:Apr 25, 2024 12:16 am 1438 Views
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Today's Devotional
Read: Mark 9:14–24
Bible in a Year: Numbers 20–22; Mark 7:1–13
Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!” Mark 9:24
“Where is my Faith?—even deep down right in there is nothing but emptiness & darkness. . . . If there be God—please forgive me.”
The author of those words might surprise you: Mother Teresa. Beloved and renowned as a tireless servant of the poor in Calcutta, India, Mother Teresa quietly waged a desperate war for her faith over five decades. After her death in 1997, that struggle came to light when portions of her journal were published in the book Come Be My Light.
What do we do with our doubts or feelings of God’s absence? Those moments may plague some believers more than others. But many faithful believers in Jesus may, at some point in their lives, experience moments or seasons of such doubts.
I’m thankful that Scripture has given us a beautiful, paradoxical prayer that expresses both faith and the lack thereof. In Mark 9, Jesus encounters a father whose had been demonically tormented since childhood (v. 21). When Jesus said that the man must have faith—“Everything is possible for one who believes”—the man responded, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!” (vv. 23-24).
This honest, heartfelt plea invites those of us who struggle with doubt to give it to God, trusting that He can fortify our faith and hold on to us firmly amid the deepest, darkest valleys we’ll ever traverse.
When have you wrestled with doubt in your spiritual journey? What spiritual resources helped you hold on to your faith?
Dear Father, sometimes I doubt. Please help me when I struggle to feel Your presence.
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When Jesus Stops
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Posted:Feb 27, 2024 6:31 am
Last Updated:Apr 25, 2024 12:16 am 1492 Views
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Today's Devotional
Read: Luke 18:35–43
Bible in a Year: Numbers 17–19; Mark 6:30–56
Jesus stopped and ordered the man to be brought to him. Luke 18:40
For days, the sickly cat cried, huddled in a box near my workplace. Abandoned on the street, the feline went unnoticed by many who passed it by—until Jun came along. The street sweeper carried the animal home, where he lived with two dogs, which were former strays.
“I care for them because they’re the creatures no one notices,” Jun said. “I see myself in them. No one notices a street sweeper, after all.”
As Jesus walked toward Jericho on His way to Jerusalem, a blind man sat begging by the roadside. He felt unnoticed too. And on this day especially—when a crowd was passing through and all eyes were focused on Christ—no one stopped to help the beggar.
No one except Jesus. In the midst of the clamoring crowd, He heard the forgotten man’s cry. “What do you want me to do for you?” Christ asked, and He received the heartfelt reply, “Lord, I want to see.” Then Jesus said, “Receive your sight; your faith has healed you” (Luke 18:41–42).
Do we feel unnoticed at times? Are our cries drowned out by people who seem to matter more than us? Our Savior notices those the world doesn’t care to notice. Call to Him for help! While others may pass us by, He’ll stop for us.
How would knowing that Jesus sees you change how you view yourself and your life? Who are those around you who might need to be noticed, and how can you “stop” to encourage them with the Savior’s love?
Dear Jesus, thank You for hearing me when I call to You. Like the blind man who received his sight, help me to follow and praise You all my life.
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Sweet Sleep
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Posted:Feb 26, 2024 5:34 am
Last Updated:Apr 25, 2024 12:16 am 1490 Views
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Today's Devotional
Read: Psalm 3
Bible in a Year: Numbers 15–16; Mark 6:1–29
I lie down and sleep; I wake again, because the Lord sustains me. Psalm 3:5
Bad memories and accusing messages flooded Sal’s mind. Sleep eluded him as fear filled his heart and sweat covered his skin. It was the night before his baptism, and he couldn’t stop the onslaught of dark thoughts. Sal had received salvation in Jesus and knew that his sins had been forgiven, but the spiritual battle continued. It’s then that his wife took his hand and prayed for him. Moments later, peace replaced the fear in Sal’s heart. He got up and wrote the words he would share prior to being baptized—something he hadn’t been able to do. After that, he experienced sweet sleep.
King David also knew what a restless night felt like. Fleeing from his Absalom who wanted to steal his throne (2 Samuel 15–17), he knew that “tens of thousands [assailed him] on every side” (Psalm 3:6). David moaned, “How many are my foes!” (v. 1). Though fear and doubt could have won out, he called out to God, his “shield” (v. 3). Later, he found that he could “lie down and sleep . . . because the Lord sustains [him]” (v. 5).
When fears and struggles grip our mind and rest is replaced by restlessness, hope is found as we pray to God. While we might not experience immediate sweet sleep as Sal and David did, “in peace [we can] lie down and . . . dwell in safety” (4:8. For God is with us and He’ll be our rest.
What things are weighing on your heart and mind? What will it mean for you to truly surrender them to God through prayer?
Dear God, thank You for providing hope and peace as I lift my prayers to You.
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Not Luck, but Christ
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Posted:Feb 25, 2024 7:15 am
Last Updated:Apr 25, 2024 12:16 am 1554 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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