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Genesis 45:25-28 “Don’t get your hopes up.” That’s something you’ve probably heard before. Maybe it’s advice you’ve given to someone. Usually, we mean well when we say that, because we don’t want someone to be disappointed by how things will most likely turn out. But if you hear it enough, “don’t get your hopes up” can become a way of life. Don’t expect too much. Don’t get too excited. Don’t believe things can change. That way, if things do fall apart, at least it won’t hurt as much. Like many of us, Jacob knew that kind of hurt. For years, he believed his son Joseph was dead. He had grieved him, mourned him, and learned to live with a hole in his life. So, years later, when his sons returned from Egypt, saying, “Joseph is still alive!” Jacob couldn’t believe them. Some translations of the Genesis text say that his heart became numb. He was stunned. Of course, that was something hard to believe, but I also wonder if Jacob had also been hurt too deeply to risk even hoping again. Then he...

  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...

  John 21:4-8 Listen to today’s devotional This is Plan B for the disciples. They had seen what happened to Jesus and knew it was over. So, they go back fishing. For sure, this doesn't feel like a quiet day on the lake to get away from it all. This story is often seen as a return. These followers of Jesus didn't know what to do next. And as many people know, when you don't know what to do next, you often return to what's familiar. That day, then, their fishing wasn't a hobby or a retreat weekend. Still, Jesus shows up there. The Lord meets them while they are in the wrong direction and fills their nets. What a blessing grace is! By morning, their emptiness turns into an overflow. Some of them may have remembered a catch like that before. In both cases, their abundance was not connected to what they understood about what was happening but to their willingness to listen. As they’re witnessing this miracle, one of the followers recognizes what is happening. "It is...

  Exodus 14:10-14 Listen to today’s devotional The Hebrews weren’t crazy. When Exodus 14 tells the story, the people looked back and saw Pharaoh’s army bearing down on them. They said, “It would’ve been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die out here.” And… they weren’t exactly wrong. At least in Egypt, they knew how to survive. Oh, there were brutal moments, for sure. But at least it was familiar and predictable. They woke up every morning knowing just about what the day would throw at them. But in the wilderness, there's nowhere to run and nowhere to hide. Death feels more certain than some promise. And the reality is that we sometimes do that too. We look at the life God is calling us into and tremble at the unknown. There's a stretching of faith and trust that makes us uncomfortable or unsure. We might even start romanticizing the thing God promises to deliver us from. Not because it was so good… but because at least we knew what to expect. “Better that than this....

  John 12:20-25 Listen to today’s devotional I was in junior high when the phone rang. This was back in the days of landlines, when phones were still attached to walls, and you didn’t screen your calls. When I picked up, a nurse from the nursing home where my great-grandmother lived was on the other end. She asked for my mom. I told her she wasn’t home. There was a pause. Then she asked if I could take a message. I said yes. She replied, “Tell your mom that Byrd has expired.” I always wondered if that nurse felt strange leaving that message with me. Byrd was my mom's grandma who I always remembered as sweet and kind. That day she was  expired . I remember standing there a little confused. That was the word they used for milk or coupons. I wondered if I had misunderstood the message. That was a word used for something that had passed its usefulness. And it felt strange to think of a family member that way. In John 12, some Greeks come looking for Jesus. And Jesus responds in a ...

  Isaiah 54:1-3 Listen to today's devotional In a patriarchal society, barrenness carried deep shame, a failure to continue the husband's family name. It was also seen as a kind of divine punishment. Today, most of us don't think of barrenness in the same way. But that doesn't mean we haven't found new ways for shame to mark our lives, name us, and follow us around. You may not relate to the Bible's concept of barrenness, chances are, though, you know shame. In Isaiah 54, the barrenness of the people was their exile. It was their suffering, their displacement, and being cut off. As a pastor, I can tell you many of us feel like the things we go through are too embarrassing, too heavy, or too complicated to share. So, yes, we know shame well. That's why God's promise in Isaiah 54 remains such a beautiful reflection point. God told the people that their past humiliation would not define their future. At one point in the chapter, God says "You will forg...

Listen on Spotify Watch on YouTube Monday: Jesus Among Us Scripture Reading: Luke 8:26-39 Devotional Thought: We often think of Jesus as concerned only with spiritual realms and heavenly matters. Yet, the sermon reminds us that Jesus steps into our worldly experience, confronting not just spiritual darkness but also the real-world issues we face. His presence affirms that he walks with us in our pain and struggles. Reflection Questions: In what ways have you limited your understanding of Jesus' concern to only spiritual matters? How does knowing that Jesus walks with you in real-world struggles change your perspective on your current challenges? Additional Scripture: John 1:14 - Reflect on the significance of the Word becoming flesh and dwelling among us. Tuesday: A Collision with Power Scripture Reading: Luke 8:30-33 Devotional Thought: The man possessed by demons shouted, "My name is Legion." This name, a Roman military t...

Listen on Spotify Watch on YouTube Monday: Chosen by God Devotional: Reflect on the metaphor of the NFL draft. Just as teams search for the best players, God seeks us with a different kind of selection process. Instead of looking for perfection, God sees potential in our imperfections and chooses us out of love and grace. Reflection Questions: How does knowing that God chose you change your perspective on your own value and purpose? Are there parts of your life where you seek perfection rather than accepting your current state as part of God’s plan? Additional Scripture: John 15:16: "You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you." Tuesday: Peace in the Midst of Chaos Devotional: Consider the chaos the disciples felt after Jesus’ crucifixion. In a locked room full of fear, Jesus appeared to them and ...

  Daniel 12:1-4 Do you feel the world is broken? If someone sang that in worship, your next response would probably be: We do. That's the opening line to Andrew Peterson's "Is He Worthy?" In that song, not only do worshippers acknowledge the brokenness of the world, we admit the shadows deepen around us as well. Why would that be a song of praise? Because it leads to a confident assurance that Christ is worthy. But it begins with the unquestionable distress of the world. Many Christians find that a strange place to begin our praise of God. We should always start with God's goodness, some would say. Yes, the goodness of God is a worthy starting point. But praise isn't only saying nice things about God. When we face the world's brokenness--the hurt, the injustice, the suffering--our hearts begin to hunger more for God's goodness, to cry out for it and to work for it. How can we fully know the power of God's goodness until we've reckoned with the ...