Category: Daily Devotions

“To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.” (Revelation 2:7) Reading these lines takes us back to the story of Adam and Eve, when they sinned against God and were no longer able to enjoy God’s presence in…

“Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 5:10) Jesus said: “God blesses you when people mock you and persecute you and lie about you and say all sorts of evil things against you because you are my followers. Be happy about it! … For a…

“Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark.” (James 3:5) James is a practical person whose writing is full of descriptive, helpful images. In this pas­sage about wise speech, he talks about training horses, steering ships, sparking forest fires, taming animals, testing springs of water, and comparing fruit trees. The…

“Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” (Hebrews 12:2) James writes, “Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the…

“Just as you have received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, rooted and built up in him …” (Colossians 2:6-7) When I professed my faith in Christ and committed my life to him nearly three decades ago, I used this passage as I talked about what Christ’s love meant to me personally.…

“The purposes of a man’s heart are deep waters, but a man of understanding draws them out.” (Proverbs 20:5) The people who knew Simon knew he was impulsive and tended to put his foot in his mouth. But Jesus saw something else in him; that’s why He renamed him Peter, implying he was a rock…

“You, though a wild olive shoot, have been grafted in among the others …” (Romans 11:17) In our reading today, the apostle Paul is talking about his own people, Israel, as an olive tree rooted and cultivated by God, and he is speaking to Gentiles, people from all other nations besides Israel. We all need…

“[Zacchaeus] ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way.” (Luke 19:4) Earlier this month, we read about Gideon, who was called out from under a tree to serve God in a special role (Judges 6). In this story, another unlikely man is called — but, in this…

“You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desire. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.” (John 8:44)…