Devotion Archive
-
Devotion for December 30, 2023
“[God] planned to bring all of history to its goal in Christ. Then Christ would be the head of everything in heaven and on earth.” (Ephesians 1:10, GW) Goal setting isn’t just a good idea for productivity. It’s a spiritual discipline, like prayer, fasting, giving, and reading your Bible. In fact, goal setting can be…
-
Devotion for December 29, 2023
“Teach us to number our days that we may gain a heart of wisdom.” (Psalm 90:12) This psalm contrasts the permanence of God, “You have been our dwelling place before the mountains were born or you brought forth the whole world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God” (verses 1 and 2), with the frailty…
-
Devotion for December 28, 2023
“A man who refuses to admit his mistakes can never be successful.” (Proverbs 28:13, TLB) We usually think of failure as negative. But wise people know how to take advantage of failure. They learn from it. They use it as an education. One of your purposes in life is to become more like Jesus Christ.…
-
Devotion for December 27, 2023
“[God] knows what we are made of; he remembers that we are dust.” (Psalm 103:14, GNT) For some, after Christmas life settles back into the routines, messes, and things pushed down the road to deal with later events. And, the Christmas bills start coming due. Yikes! Your failures don’t surprise God. He expects them. He…
-
Devotion for December 26, 2023
“[God] canceled the debt, which listed all the rules we failed to follow. He took away that record with its rules and nailed it to the cross.” (Colossians 2:14, NCV) We all mess up from time to time. We all make mistakes! We don’t have to live with guilt, because the Bible says, “There is…
-
Devotion for December 25, 2023
“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.” (John 1:14) The paradox of Christ growing more beautiful through the act of self-emptying inspires in the apostle John a striking response. John declares that when…
-
Devotion for December 24, 2023
On the first Christmas Eve there were no brightly colored lights on any homes. There were no stockings that had been hung with care and no visions of sugar plums on anyone’s mind. It was just another night in Bethlehem. But world history was about to change. When Mary and Joseph arrived in town, there…
-
Devotion for December 23, 2023
“Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” (2 Corinthians 9:7) Did you know that studies have shown that giving is a health benefit when it comes to your heart? Giving with gratitude can lower blood pressure, increase…
-
Devotion for December 22, 2023
“There is no one on earth who does what is right all the time and never makes a mistake.” (Ecclesiastes 7:20, GNT) In some cultures, failure is almost the unpardonable sin. That’s because we idolize success. But that kind of pressure creates major stress for people. The fear of failure has many different faces. It…