Category: Devotionals

In 1930, a now well-known illustrated children’s book was published called The Little Engine That Could. In this story, a very heavy train needs to be pulled up a steep hill. Several large and strong engines are asked to pull the train up the hill but, for various reasons, they say they are unable to do it. They look at the task they are being asked to do and decide that the train is too heavy, or the hill is too steep. Finally, a little engine is asked and replies, “I think I can.” The little engine begins to pull the train, slowly at first, then a little faster, until it makes it up and over the hill, exclaiming on the way down, “I thought I could!”

After being delivered from the hands of Pharaoh, the Israelites had wandered in the wilderness for over two years when they came to the wilderness of Paran. At God’s direction, Moses then sent out men from each of the twelve tribes of Israel to spy out the land that the Lord had promised them. This group of men spent forty days spying out the land and then returned to give their report. The land was as fruitful and beautiful as God had promised. But, all but two of the twelve men reported that there was no way that they could take this land. The land was filled with people who were stronger than the Israelites, people who lived in fortified cities (Numbers 13:27-28). And not only that, there also were giants in the land, giants who made these ten men feel like mere grasshoppers. And that’s how these men viewed themselves, as grasshoppers (Numbers 13:33). “There’s no way we can take this land,” they reported.

Is God calling you to a task that seems too difficult? Do you feel that you are not qualified to do what God has called you to do? God doesn’t call you because you are the most qualified person for a particular task. You may be weak, but He is strong (2 Corinthians 12:10). You may not be qualified, but He is, and He is with you every step of the way when you step out in faith. If David had felt that he was too small and too weak to defeat Goliath, who would have brought victory to the Israelites. If Peter had looked at the water and said, “Uh-uh! There’s no way I’m stepping out of this boat,” he would never have walked on water. If the apostles had said, “Hey, we’re just a group of fishermen, tax collectors, just ordinary people,” how would the early church have gotten its start?

When God calls us to something, He will give us all that we need to do it. Our job is to say yes and put our confidence in Him. Instead of saying, “I think I can,” like the little engine, we need to say, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” And, when that task is accomplished, our response should be, “I knew He could!”

Have you ever heard of phototaxis? Phototaxis is the automatic movement of an organism toward or away from light. If an organism is positively phototactic, it will move toward light. A perfect example of this type of organism is the moth. Moths fly toward light. That is why you will see them at night flying around your porch light. Organisms that are negatively phototactic, on the other hand, move away from the light. Cockroaches are negatively phototactic. That’s why they scurry off to dark corners when you turn on the kitchen light and interrupt their midnight snack.

When it comes to people, you can say that there are some who are positively phototactic and some who are negatively phototactic. But this phototaxis is not a movement toward or away from physical light. Rather, it is a movement toward or away from a spiritual light. That light is Jesus Christ, who is the Light of the World (John 8:12). Jesus is the light that shines in the darkness, exposing the evil deeds of men. Those who do evil, who live a life of sin, are not only living in the darkness, but they also embrace it (John 3:19). They hate the light and move away from it to avoid having their evil works exposed (John 3:20).

On the other hand, there are those who do what is true, who live by the truth of God’s Word. They live righteously, seeking to obey God’s commands and become more like Christ. These people move toward the light. They are not afraid of having their works exposed by the light (John 3:21). They seek to follow the Light, to follow Christ. And, in doing so, they reflect His light to those around them. They themselves become the light of the world, allowing their good works to be seen by others and give glory to God (Matthew 5:14-16).

We all have a choice. We can be negatively phototactic, choosing to remain in the darkness of sin and avoid the light. Or, we can be positively phototactic, turning from our sin and choosing to come to the Light, to follow the Light of the World, Jesus Christ.

In June of 2016, tragedy struck in the lives of Matt and Melissa Graves as they vacationed with their two children at Disney World in Orlando, Florida. Their two-year-old son, Lane, was playing by the shoreline of the Seven Seas Lagoon when he was grabbed by an alligator. Matt Graves fought the alligator but was unable to prevent it from pulling his son into the water. Sixteen hours later, the body of Lane Graves was found.

Throughout this tragic and life-shattering event, despite their heartbreaking loss, Matt and Melissa Graves have demonstrated what can only be called true grace, a grace that comes from God. In a country where lawsuits are filed at the drop of a hat, they chose not to sue Disney World over their loss. Instead, they chose to honor their son by helping others. They created the Lane Thomas Foundation, an organization designed to help families of children in need of organ transplants. Their loss has been turned into grace born in the face of tragedy, a grace in their time of need.

In our times of trouble, in our suffering and loss, and in times of tragedy, we can count on God’s grace to see us through. Jesus knows and empathizes with our human weaknesses and our frailties. he knows what it means to feel pain (Hebrews 4:15). Because of this, we can continue to pray, knowing that Jesus intercedes for all who draw near to God. We can approach God’s throne of grace with the confidence that He is merciful and that in Him we will find grace in our times of need (Hebrews 4:16).

To be obedient means to submit to the command of an authority. It means being in compliance with the demands or requests of someone or something over us. We are all called to obey someone, a parent, a teacher, a government, and so on. For example, we are subject to the laws of our country because it is required of us as citizens. But, when it comes to obeying those laws, it should also be because we love our country and because we have an allegiance to it.

God’s Word stresses the importance of our obedience to human authorities but, as believers, our ultimate authority is God. He is the reason we live. He created us and all that we have and enjoy in life comes through Him. Our obedience to God and to His commands stands above everything else. In Acts 5:29, Peter and the apostles declared that they must obey God rather than men. When we declare that the Lord is our God, when we walk in His ways and keep His commandments, it should be with all our hearts (Deuteronomy 26:16).

When we keep God’s commands, what we are saying is that we love Him (John 14:15). Our obedience to God is an act of worship. When we obey His commands, when we live our lives according to His Word, then our lives become an act of sacrificial worship, a type of worship that is acceptable and pleasing to Him (Romans 12:1). A life lived in obedience to God is a life that is pleasing to God (1 Thessalonians 4:1). And that is the ultimate act of worship.

One of the most impressive architectural feats in history is the Great Wall of China. With all of its branches, this wall spans 21,196 miles. Parts of the wall were built in the 7th century BC and throughout the years, the Great Wall has been rebuilt, maintained, and enhanced. The majority of the existing wall was built during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644 AD). The Great Wall, which was built with stone, brick, tamped earth, and other materials, was built as a fortification to protect China against the attacks of various nomadic groups. It was a stronghold in which the Chinese people could put their trust.

For the believer, there is a stronghold in which we can put our trust. It is not a stronghold of stone, or brick, or tamped earth, but it is a stronghold that can protect like no other. Psalm 9:9 refers to this stronghold as a stronghold for the oppressed, a stronghold that they can run to in times of trouble. The stronghold is the Lord. The Hebrew word translated as stronghold in this verse is misgav, which describes high walls or a rocky fortress. The Lord is a high wall, a rocky fortress, and in Him we are protected from our enemy.

When we dwell in the shelter of the Most High God, we abide in His shadow (Psalm 91:1). In that place, we are covered and protected in the same way that a baby chick is protected when it is covered by the wings of its mother. When abide in the Lord’s shadow, we are able to call Him our refuge and our fortress, and our God, a God we can trust (Psalm 91:2). When the Lord is our dwelling place, we are living in continual dependence on Him. When He is our refuge, no evil can conquer us (Psalm 91:10). God, our stronghold, will keep us from evil in our lives and lead us on the path of righteousness.

A husband, by definition, is a married man, the male partner in a marriage relationship. In marriage, which was ordained by God, the husband pledges to love and care for his wife. The Bible has many examples, good ones, and bad ones, of how husbands have behaved throughout time. A study of Scripture provides many lessons for husbands today.

Husbands have a responsibility for the spiritual welfare of their wives. In loving his wife sacrificially, in loving his wife more than his own body, a husband provides the spiritual support that helps his wife to live righteously, to lead a holy life. In Genesis, Adam gave an example of how not to do this. When Eve was tempted by the serpent to eat the fruit that God had forbidden, Adam did not prevent her from doing so. He had a responsibility to care for Eve and to be the spiritual leader in their relationship. Why?

It was to Adam that God had given the command not to eat of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (Genesis 2:16-17). Eve was not there. In fact, she had not yet been created. Perhaps this is why the serpent chose to tempt Eve with the fruit. She did not have the same first-hand knowledge of what God had commanded. Or maybe the serpent knew that Adam would not stand up and be the spiritual leader he was created to be.

The serpent twisted God’s words and deceived Eve into thinking that God was holding out on them by forbidding the fruit of that tree and convinced her to eat the fruit (Genesis 3:1-5). And where was Adam when all this was happening? Surely he must not have been there and so was unable to guide his wife. Sadly, that is not the case. Eve fell prey to the serpent’s deception and ate the fruit, then gave some to her husband, who was right there with her (Genesis 3:6). Adam was apparently there the whole time that the serpent was deceiving his wife. And not only did he not try to guide her into doing what was right, but he also ate the fruit! Then to make matters worse, Adam even tried to pin the blame on Eve and on God, “The woman You created gave me the fruit and I ate it.” (Genesis 3:12)

A husband is called to love his wife in the same way that Christ loves the church, with a sacrificial love that puts the needs and welfare of his wife above his own (Ephesians 5:25). A husband should love his wife more than his own body. A man takes care of his own body, nourishing and cherishing it, just as Christ does for the church. In the same way, a man should take care to nourish and cherish his wife (Ephesians 5:28-29). And that includes stepping up to his God-ordained role as the spiritual leader of the family.

Running a marathon requires endurance. When I was preparing to run the New York City Marathon in 1993, I knew that, in order to make it to the end of a 26.2-mile race, endurance was exactly what I would need. As I trained I worked on building that endurance by first building my endurance to run a 5K race. Once I had built up my endurance for that, next I worked toward running a 10K race, then a half-marathon. I ran hills and sprints to challenge myself. I was pushing my body each time, allowing the additional stress that came with longer and more challenging runs to build in my body the endurance I would need for a marathon.

Endurance is important for those who follow Christ. In our walk with Christ, what does endurance mean? It means that we possess the ability to persevere in the task set before us, in our calling, which is to spread the good news of salvation through Christ. As followers of Christ, we are called to endure when faced with trials and tribulations. Jesus said that His disciples would be hated by the world because of Him. Jesus knew that those who follow Him will suffer persecution, that they will face trials and tribulations for the sake of His name. But, He also knew that those trials and tribulations bring with them a spiritual reward. He promised that those who endure to the end will be saved (Matthew 10:22). When He returns, His followers will be spared the Great Tribulation that will come at the end of the age.

Although as followers of Christ we may face persecution, although we may be called to suffer for His name’s sake, we should rejoice in that suffering. We should rejoice because it is through that suffering that we will build up endurance. When I trained for the marathon, the endurance I built up enabled me to finish the race. But the endurance that we build through suffering for Christ does so much more than that. That endurance produces character in us. We become more like Christ. And that character produces hope, a hope that will not put us to shame. It is a hope that we rejoice in because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit.

When Jesus walked the earth, there were many who sought after signs and wonders. After all, Jesus did perform many. He healed the sick, restored sight to the blind, and made the lame walk. He calmed the seas, turned water into wine, and turned the small lunch of a young boy into food for a multitude. He even raised the dead to life. But that was not what Jesus came for. Rather, He came to restore the relationship of mankind to God, which had been broken by sin. That could only come as a result of the belief that Jesus was who He said He was, the Son of God, the Messiah. But, people being people, it was the things they could see that they sought after, the miracles and the signs and wonders (John 4:48).

When Jesus sent the seventy-two disciples ahead of Him into the places that He was about to go, they returned full of joy that through His name they were able to cast out demons (Luke 10:17). They were looking at what they could see and what they were able to do, at their authority over the spirits of darkness. Jesus responded by affirming that He had given them such authority, but then directed them to what they should rejoice in instead, the fact that their names had been written in heaven (Luke 10:18-20). Their names were written in the Lamb’s book of Life.

In our own lives, we should never let our joy come from miracles or signs and wonders. If we see these things, we should be thankful, of course. We should give God the glory due Him and praise Him for these things. But these things should not be the source of our joy. What should be the source of our joy? Our personal relationship with the living God we serve. Our peace with God, which we have through belief in Jesus and acceptance of His sacrifice for us, and the fact that through that peace with Him, we know that our place in heaven is secure – these are the things that should be the source of our joy.

When someone mentions the church, many people think of a building or one specific congregation. While the buildings in which we worship are called churches, they are not the church. And while a congregation or even a denomination may also be considered a church, they are not the church. The church is the family of believers in Jesus Christ. Each and every one of us, if we are believers, is the church.

“Watch your mouth!” I’m sure most of us have heard or used this phrase at some point in our lives. When you tell someone to watch his mouth, it means that the person should be careful about what comes out of it, the things that he or she says. This is especially true when what has been coming out of that person’s mouth is either disrespectful, foul, or abusive language. Unfortunately, that kind of language is prevalent in today’s society.

A poll taken in 2006 found that not only did most people say that they frequently encounter profanity, but a large majority also felt that more people use profane language now than they did 20 years ago. Language that is disrespectful, foul, and abusive is found in movies, on television, in books, and in music. It is nearly impossible to avoid hearing this kind of language in our daily lives. But, as believers, we are to avoid such language.

God’s Word addresses the words that come out of our mouths. In his letters to the various churches, Paul addressed the subject of the language we use several times. He warned that unwholesome language, language that is disrespectful, foul, or abusive should not come out of their mouths (Ephesians 4:29). He also warned against filthiness, foolish talk, and crude joking (Ephesians 5:4). Our words should not reflect anger, wrath, slander, or obscenities (Colossians 3:8). The words that we use are a reflection of our heart (Matthew 12:34).

The words that come from our mouths should be words that are full of grace and seasoned with salt (Colossians 4:6). The things that we say to others should be made of words that are meant to build others up, words that are beneficial to the spiritual lives of others, as well as our own. We should strive to speak to others in such a way that we give them encouragement. Our words should be a blessing to them and should reflect God’s grace (Ephesians 4:29).

As believers, we need to be an example to the world. Jesus told us that we are the light of the world (Matthew 5:14-16) and the salt of the earth (Matthew 5:13). We are ambassadors of Christ and our lives should reflect Him (2 Corinthians 5:20). The way that we live our lives and the words that we speak should reflect the kingdom of God and not the world. In our words, just as in our deeds, we are to be “in” the world, but not “of” it.