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Hope is Real

2 Corinthians 4:7-12 Listen to today’s devotional Hard times and hopelessness don't have to belong together. I've met a lot of people who've lost their jobs or received a diagnosis that felt like every good thing had disappeared from their lives. Sometimes, goodbyes feel like hope goes with them. But let's reflect on something the Bible tells us. The apostle Paul wrote some of the most hope-filled words in the New Testament while sitting in prison and enduring more hardship than most of us will ever know. True Christianity has never promised an easy road through life. But it does promise something better...the presence of God on every road. The word translated "hope" in the New Testament isn't wishful thinking. The Greek word elpis describes a confident expectation. For us, hope is a settled assurance that God will keep God's promises. So, biblical hope isn't crossing your fingers, but standing on a strong foundation. That's why Paul could w...

Serve Somebody

Romans 7:4-6 Listen to today’s devotional I remember the first time I heard a preacher reference Bob Dylan. The preacher mentioned the song, "You're gonna have to serve somebody." If you don't know the lyrics, the song goes on to list all kinds of people. There are rich and poor, famous and unknown, religious and rebellious. But the point is that all of them serve somebody. The apostle Paul would probably like that song. We like to think we're completely free and accountable to no one but ourselves. But Romans 7 reminds us that the question isn't whether we'll serve. No, you’re gonna have to serve somebody. Some people serve success. So, every decision is measured by their accomplishments. Others serve approval, living for likes, compliments, or the opinions of people they'll never even meet. Some of us serve fear and end up letting anxiety make our choices. Even religion can become a master when faith turns into keeping score and trying to earn Go...

You Were Here

Matthew 11:20-24 Listen to today’s devotional From time to time after worship, someone will say to me, "Oh, I wish so-and-so had been here to hear that." Maybe you've said it too. Sometimes you're right. Maybe they did need to hear it. But whenever someone says that to me, I usually smile and respond, "They should've heard it. But you were here." In Matthew 11, Jesus rebukes the cities where he had performed miracle after miracle. The people of the cities had seen God's work with their own eyes, yet nothing had changed. There was plenty of evidence, but no repentance. This is one of those passages that sound like it's for someone else to hear. We all know people who should be in church or who could use a come-to-Jesus moment. There are people you can probably picture in your mind who you know need a little humility, or just a little wake-up call. But Jesus wasn't speaking to absent people. He was speaking to the ones standing in front of hi...

Skins

1 John 4:1-6 Listen to today’s devotional For Christians, there is a faithful way to test what is true. It's found in 1 John 4 and takes a little prayerful reflection and practice. Our first inclination might be to ask whether something sounds right. That's a decent first step, but let's go a little deeper. Another faithful question to consider in our search for what is true is what kind of life it produces. 1 John 4:1 tells believers to "test the spirits." Now, that might sound like we should be suspicious of everyone. But I'm not sure John is encouraging us to be so cynical. He's encouraging us to be discerning. And the test he offers is centered on Jesus Christ "in the flesh." Incarnation is more than a confessional, theological word. Incarnation is a way of seeing the world. It reminds us that God stepped into our world, our struggles, and our suffering. And we don't just remember that truth became flesh at Christmas. If we claim to fol...

Full or Empty

Philippians 4:10-15 Listen to today’s devotional A lot of Christians know Philippians 4:13. It's a popular verse for posters, Bible bookmarks, t-shirts, home decor, athletes' eye black, and anywhere else someone needs a bit of encouragement to make it through difficult days. It may be, though, that many of us miss an important part of what the apostle Paul wants to express in that verse. Paul's idea is not one of personal empowerment, though there is nothing wrong with that. Instead, Paul is talking about something else many of us struggle with today: Contentment. I appreciate that Paul doesn't suggest contentment comes naturally. He says, "I have learned to be content." That tells me contentment is a spiritual discipline. We often compare our lives to those of others. Or we assume that happiness is a new this-or-that, a promotion, or just a bit of good luck away. As a result, God's goodness depends on whether our circumstances improve. Paul would have h...

A New Court

2 Chronicles 20:5-12 Listen to today’s devotional Some places become sacred because of what God has done there or how we have experienced God's grace. There's one detail in today's reading that reminds us of these places. In 2 Chronicles 20, God's people faced an uphill battle against their enemies. What I love about King Jehoshaphat gathering all the people to pray is that he didn't begin with the problem. There wouldn't have been anything wrong with that. And he doesn't ignore what's before them. But he began by remembering who God is and has always been. The text says that Jehoshaphat stood before the new court, presumably the great court where prayers could be offered (2 Chronicles 6). Standing in that new court seemed to focus his attention first on God's faithfulness before he was overwhelmed with the trouble ahead. Maybe you have a place like that. It could be a particular pew in your church or a worn recliner where your Bible rests right be...