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God’s Compass

Today's Devotional





Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path. Psalm 119:105

During World War II, Waldemar Semenov was serving as a junior engineer aboard the SS Alcoa Guide when—nearly three hundred miles off the coast of North Carolina—a German submarine surfaced and opened fire on the ship. The ship was hit, caught fire, and began to sink. Semenov and his crew lowered a lifeboat into the water and used the vessel’s compass to sail toward the shipping lanes. After three days, a patrol plane spotted their lifeboat and the USS Broome rescued the men the next day. Thanks to that compass, Semenov and twenty-six other crewmembers were saved.

The psalmist reminded God’s people that they were equipped with a compass for life—the Bible. He compared Scripture to “a lamp” (Psalm 119:105) that provides light to illuminate the path of life for those pursuing God. When the psalmist was adrift in the chaotic waters of life, he knew God could use Scripture to provide spiritual longitude and latitude and help him survive. Thus, he prayed that God would send out His light to direct him in life and bring him safely to the port of His holy presence (43:3).

As believers in Jesus, when we lose our way, God can guide us by the Holy Spirit and by the direction found in the Scriptures. May God transform our hearts and minds as we read the Bible, study it, and follow its wisdom. 

How have you experienced a particular verse or passage as a compass for your life in recent days? When are you tempted not to follow the directions the compass of Scripture gives?

Jesus, thank You that when I’m tempted to drift away, the wisdom of Scripture helps bring me back.

INSIGHT

Psalm 119 is an acrostic poem using the twenty-two successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet. Each of the lines in the first stanza (vv. 1–8) begin with the first letter Aleph; verses 9–16 begin with Beth, the second letter; and so on. This pattern is used as a device for memorizing the poem.

In our reading today (vv. 105–112), every line begins with Nun. Although the psalmist is scorned and threatened for trusting in God’s precepts, he doesn’t waver but resolves to remain fully committed to knowing and obeying God’s law. In the midst of life’s difficulties and dangers, he affirms that Scripture is his security—a lamp that illuminates God’s ways and a light that provides guidance on how to respond to the dark realities of life. The writer believes that God’s statutes will renew and strengthen him (v. 107). They’re his birthright and his joy (v. 111).

By |2021-12-21T08:06:05-05:00December 21st, 2021|
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Fear Not

Today's Devotional

Read: Luke 2:8–14 | Bible in a Year: Micah 1–3; Revelation 11




Do not be afraid . . . a Savior has been born to you. Luke 2:10–11

Linus, in the Peanuts comic strip, is best known for his blue security blanket. He carries it everywhere and isn’t embarrassed at needing it for comfort. His sister Lucy especially dislikes the blanket and often tries to get rid of it. She buries it, makes it into a kite, and uses it for a science fair project. Linus too knows he should be less dependent on his blanket and lets it go from time to time, always to take it back.

In the movie A Charlie Brown Christmas, when a frustrated Charlie Brown asks, “Isn’t there anyone who knows what Christmas is all about?” Linus, with his security blanket in hand, steps center stage and quotes Luke 2:8–14. In the middle of his recitation, as he says, “Fear not,” he drops his blanket—the thing he clung to when afraid.

What is it about Christmas that reminds us we don’t need to fear? The angels that appeared to the shepherds said, “Do not be afraid . . . a Savior has been born to you” (Luke 2:10–11).

Jesus is “God with us” (Matthew 1:23). We have His very presence through His Holy Spirit, the true Comforter (John 14:16), so we don’t need to fear. We can let go of our “security blankets” and trust in Him.

What are you afraid of? How can the Holy Spirit’s presence help you with what troubles you?

I’m still learning, God, that You’re the greatest Comforter. Help me to let go of the things that give me false security, and please guide me to cling to You.

INSIGHT

The verb translated “I bring you good news” in Luke 2:10 is euangelizo, from the same root as euangelion, the New Testament’s word for “gospel.” In its original context, it’s a word that would have carried tremendous weight, a forcefulness that we today might not notice due to overfamiliarity with it. A “gospel” proclamation was a royal announcement proclaiming that a particular king was in charge. At the time of Jesus, the Roman Empire described its own reign as good news.

In Luke 2, the heavenly choir proclaimed that a different King was really in charge and at work to restore God’s kingdom of justice and peace through the birth of Jesus Christ. After Jesus’ death and resurrection, His followers carried on the profoundly countercultural message of a different “good news” of the rule of Christ and a profoundly different kingdom than that of Rome.

By |2021-12-20T08:06:02-05:00December 20th, 2021|
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Remembered in Prayer

Today's Devotional





Then God remembered Rachel; he listened to her. Genesis 30:22

In the large African church, the pastor fell to his knees, praying to God. “Remember us!” As the pastor pleaded, the crowd responded, crying, “Remember us, Lord!” Watching this moment on YouTube, I was surprised that I shed tears too. The prayer was recorded months earlier. Yet it recalled childhood times when I heard our family’s pastor make the same plea to God. “Remember us, Lord!”

Hearing that prayer as a child, I’d wrongly assumed that God sometimes forgets about us. But God is all-knowing (Psalm 147:5; 1 John 3:20), He always sees us (Psalm 33:13–15), and He loves us beyond measure (Ephesians 3:17–19).

Even more, as we see in the Hebrew word zakar, meaning “remember,” when God “remembers” us, He acts for us. Zakar also means to act on a person’s behalf. Thus, when God “remembered” Noah and “all the wild animals and the livestock that were with him in the ark,” He then “sent a wind over the earth, and the waters receded” (Genesis 8:1). When God “remembered” barren Rachel, He “listened to her and enabled her to conceive. She became pregnant and gave birth to a son” (30:22–23).

What a great plea of trust to ask God in prayer to remember us! He’ll decide how He answers. We can pray knowing, however, that our humble request asks God to move.

In what area of your life do you need God to remember you? How willing are you to pray with such intent and purpose?

Dear heavenly Father, grow my understanding of Your remembrance of me. Then, where I need You to act, please remember me.

INSIGHT

Jacob had twelve sons from whom came twelve tribes that formed the nation of Israel—these are the simple facts. But Genesis 29 and 30 describe the complicated backstory of Israel’s genesis. Included is how scheming and striving, competition and rivalry—and prayer—factored into the making of this nation. Leah, the wife that Jacob didn’t choose (29:25), became the fruitful wife who bore him six sons (30:20)—half of the tribes! His beloved wife Rachel, though initially barren, was the mother of two of Jacob’s sons (vv. 22–23; 35:17–18). Two female servants, Bilhah (30:3–8) and Zilpah (vv. 9–13), bore him two sons each. We’re told that God heard Leah’s (v. 17) and Rachel’s (v. 22) prayers regarding childbearing. The dynamics of a very complex household included hearts crying out to God in prayer and God remembering them.

By |2021-12-19T08:06:03-05:00December 19th, 2021|
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Well Done!

Today's Devotional

Read: 2 Timothy 4:1–8 | Bible in a Year: Obadiah; Revelation 9




I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 2 Timothy 4:7

The school where my son Brian coaches football lost the state title game in a hard-fought battle. Their opponent was undefeated over the past two years. I sent Brian a text to commiserate with him and received a terse reply: “Kids battled!”

No coach shamed the players after the game. No one shouted at them for their mishaps or bad decisions along the way. No, the coaches showered the young players with praise for what could be praised.

Along the same vein, it’s good to know that believers in Jesus will not hear harsh words of condemnation from Him. When Christ comes and we stand before Him, He won’t shame us. He’ll see what we’ve done as we’ve followed Him (2 Corinthians 5:10; Ephesians 6:8). I think He’ll say something like, “You battled! Well done!” The apostle Paul testified that he had “fought the good fight” and looked forward to being welcomed by God (2 Timothy 4:7–8).

Life is a relentless struggle with a fierce, unyielding foe devoted to our destruction. He will resist every effort we make to be like Jesus and to love others. There’ll be a few good wins and some heartbreaking losses—God knows—but there will be no eternal condemnation for those in Jesus (Romans 8:1). If we stand before Him in the merits of God’s Son, each one will “receive [his] praise” from God (1 Corinthians 4:5).

Does the thought of standing before God fill you with dread or delight? What would make the difference?

Thank You, God, for the promise that because I have Jesus as my Savior, I’ll never be condemned.

INSIGHT

In 2 Timothy 3, Paul warned Timothy about people who “[have] a form of godliness” but completely oppose God’s truth (v. 5). At the conclusion of chapter 3, he pointed to the crucial value of Timothy’s faith in Christ and then wrote: “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work” (vv. 16–17). This was essential for Timothy to understand in his role as a servant of God. Timothy was to “correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction” (4:2), countering the false teachers who say what “itching ears want to hear” (v. 3). In other words, Timothy was never to seek the approval of others by telling them what they wanted to hear. He must share only God’s truth—the truth the Scriptures clearly teach.

By |2021-12-18T08:06:07-05:00December 18th, 2021|
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Beautifully Broken

Today's Devotional





I am forgotten as though I were dead; I have become like broken pottery. Psalm 31:12

Our bus finally arrived at our much-anticipated destination—an archaeological dig in Israel where we would actually do some excavation work of our own. The site’s director explained that anything we might unearth had been untouched for thousands of years. Digging up broken shards of pottery, we felt as though we were touching history. After an extended time, we were led to a workstation where those broken pieces—from huge vases shattered long, long ago—were being put back together.    

The picture was crystal clear. Those artisans reconstructing centuries-old broken pottery were a beautiful representation of the God who loves to fix broken things. In Psalm 31:12, David wrote, “I am forgotten as though I were dead; I have become like broken pottery.” Though no occasion is given for the writing of this psalm, David’s life difficulties often found voice in his laments—just like this one. The song describes him as being broken down by danger, enemies, and despair.

So, where did he turn for help? In verse 16, David cries out to God, “Let your face shine on your servant; save me in your unfailing love.”

The God who was the object of David’s trust is the same One who still fixes broken things today. All He asks is that we call out to Him and trust in His unfailing love.

What areas of brokenness have you experienced? How has God helped you through those difficult times?

God of my help, I thank You for all the times I’ve fallen and been broken—times when You’ve put me back together.

For further study, read Understanding the Bible: The Wisdom Books.

INSIGHT

In Psalm 31, David describes himself as broken pottery (v. 12)—an apt picture of humanity, for we’re frail vessels easily broken. We see this portrayal of humans as pottery and God as the Potter throughout Scripture (Psalm 2:9; Romans 9:21; Revelation 2:27). In Jeremiah 18:1–10, we read of the Potter’s ability to create, preserve, tear down, and reshape people and nations (see also Isaiah 41:25; 45:9). Yet as Isaiah declares, “You, Lord, are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand” (64:8). God as our Creator longs to preserve and restore His people (Psalm 31:23–24).

By |2021-12-17T08:06:08-05:00December 17th, 2021|
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What Are You?

Today's Devotional





In Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith. Galatians 3:26

When I walked into the ice cream shop with my five-year-old biracial son, the man behind the counter glanced at me and stared at my child. “What are you?”

His question and harsh tone triggered the all-too-familiar anger and heartache I’d experienced growing up as a Mexican-American who didn’t fit stereotypes. Pulling Xavier closer, I turned toward my Black husband as he entered the store. With eyes narrowed, the store clerk completed our order in silence.

I prayed silently for the man as my son listed the flavors of ice cream he wanted to try. Repenting of my bitterness, I asked God to give me a spirit of forgiveness. With my light-but-not-white complexion, I’d been the target of similar glares accompanying that same question over the years. I’d struggled with insecurities and feelings of worthlessness until I began learning how to embrace my identity as God’s beloved daughter.

The apostle Paul declares that believers in Jesus are “all children of God through faith,” equally valued and beautifully diverse. We’re intimately connected and intentionally designed to work together (Galatians 3:26–29). When God sent His Son to redeem us, we became family through His blood shed on the cross for the forgiveness of our sins (4:4–7). As God’s image-bearers, our worth cannot be determined by the opinions, expectations, or biases of others.

What are we? We’re children of God.

When have you doubted your value as a person due to the opinions, expectations, or biases of others? How does knowing all God’s children are His image-bearers help you love those who are different from you?

Father God, please help me to see myself and others through Your eyes. Help me love with Your heart as I come into contact with people who are different from me.

INSIGHT

Paul isn’t abolishing all ethnic, economic, or gender distinctions in the church (Galatians 3:28). Rather, in speaking of our salvation, Paul says God treats everyone on the same basis: All have sinned—“we are all prisoners of sin” (3:22 nlt; see Romans 3:23). Everyone needs to repent (Acts 2:38; 3:19). We’re all saved in the same way—by grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8–9). “In Christ Jesus [we] are all children of God through faith” (Galatians 3:26). In Jesus, God embraces us equally (1 Corinthians 12:13; Colossians 3:11). While we enter God’s family by being “born again” (John 3:3; 1 Peter 1:3, 23), Paul uses the concept of adoption to describe our standing in the family so we can immediately claim our status and enjoy our full privileges as His children—“God has made you also an heir” (Galatians 4:7). We’re “heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ” (Romans 8:17).

By |2021-12-16T08:06:06-05:00December 16th, 2021|
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I Am His Hands

Today's Devotional





The eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you!” 1 Corinthians 12:21

Jia Haixia lost his sight in the year 2000. His friend Jia Wenqi lost his arms as a child. But they’ve found a way around their disabilities. “I am his hands and he is my eyes,” Haixia says. Together, they’re transforming their village in China.

Since 2002 the friends have been on a mission to regenerate a wasteland near their home. Each day Haixia climbs on Wenqi’s back to cross a river to the site. Wenqi then “hands” Haixia a shovel with his foot, before Haixia places a pail on a pole between Wenqi’s cheek and shoulder. And as one digs and the other waters, the two plant trees—more than 10,000 so far. “Working together, we don’t feel disabled at all,” Haixia says. “We’re a team.”

The apostle Paul likens the church to a body, each part needing the other to function. If the church were all eyes, there’d be no hearing; if all ears, there’d be no sense of smell (1 Corinthians 12:14–17). “The eye cannot say to the hand, ‘I don’t need you!’ ” Paul says (v. 21). Each of us plays a role in the church based on our spiritual gifts (vv. 7–11, 18). Like Jia Haixia and Jia Wenqi, when we combine our strengths, we can bring change to the world.

Two men combining their abilities to regenerate a wasteland. What a picture of the church in action!

Based on your spiritual gifts, what part do you play in the body of Christ? How are you joining with others to fulfill His mission?

Holy Spirit, thank You for giving me spiritual gifts and arranging me in a body where I’m needed.

INSIGHT

In Paul’s first New Testament letter to the Corinthians, he describes two ways his readers have been overlooking the body of Christ. First, they were ignoring the significance of sharing bread and wine in remembrance of His shed blood and broken body (1 Corinthians 11:29). In the process, they were also failing to live for the good of one another. Paul went on to explain that the Holy Spirit had gifted them to work together, just as members of our human bodies help and depend on each other (12:12–27). Paul sees his readers as members of the body of Christ brought together to share the heart of love he describes in chapter 13.

By |2021-12-15T08:06:04-05:00December 15th, 2021|
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What Should I Say?

Today's Devotional





I prayed to the God of heaven, and I answered the king. Nehemiah 2:4–5

When I stopped to browse through a box of books marked “C. S. Lewis” at a used bookshop, the store owner appeared. As we chatted about the available titles, I wondered if he might be interested in the faith that inspired much of Lewis’ writing. I prayed silently for guidance. Information from a biography came to mind, and we began to discuss how C. S. Lewis’ character pointed to God. In the end, I was thankful that a quick prayer had reoriented our conversation to spiritual matters.   

Nehemiah paused to pray before a pivotal moment in a conversation with King Artaxerxes in Persia. The king had asked how he could help Nehemiah, who was distraught over Jerusalem’s destruction. Nehemiah was the king’s servant and therefore in no position to ask for favors, but he needed one—a big one. He wanted to restore Jerusalem. So, he “prayed to the God of heaven” before asking to leave his job so he could reestablish the city (Nehemiah 2:4–5). The king consented and even agreed to help Nehemiah make travel arrangements and procure timber for the project.

The Bible encourages us to pray “on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests” (Ephesians 6:18). This includes moments when we need courage, self-control, or sensitivity. Praying before we speak helps us give God control of our attitude and our words.

How might He want to direct your words today? Ask Him and find out!

What patterns of speech do you need God’s help to change? What types of situations in your life could benefit most from prayer?

Dear God, I surrender my words to You. Use them for Your glory. Help them to inspire and encourage others.

To learn more about the act of prayer.

INSIGHT

As the cupbearer to the king, Nehemiah held an important position in the court of Artaxerxes. Royal cupbearers “were charged with tasting the king’s wine (to prevent poisoning) and guarding the royal chambers” and were “among the most trusted of officials [who] enjoyed extensive influence with their masters” (Mark Throntveit, Ezra–Nehemiah). It wasn’t unusual for exiled Israelites to hold important positions. Daniel ruled over Babylon (Daniel 2:48–49); and Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were in charge of the affairs of Babylon (3:12).

In Nehemiah 2:1–8, Artaxerxes asked Nehemiah three questions. Before Nehemiah replied to the first two questions, he described his emotions. In verse 2, he said, “I was very much afraid.” In verse 4, he “prayed to the God of heaven.” Then in verse 6, he’s bold enough to simply give an answer. This presents the progression of his frame of mind.

By |2021-12-14T08:06:02-05:00December 14th, 2021|
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A Worthwhile Wait

Today's Devotional





The Lord longs to be gracious to you . . . . Blessed are all who wait for him! Isaiah 30:18

Stuck in a stressful job with long hours and an unreasonable boss, James wished he could quit. But he had a mortgage, a wife, and a young child to take care of. He was tempted to resign anyway, but his wife reminded him: “Let’s hang on and see what God will give us.”

Many months later, their prayers were answered. James found a new job that he enjoyed and gave him more time with the family. “Those months were long,” he told me, “but I’m glad I waited for God’s plan to unfold in His time.”

Waiting for God’s help in the midst of trouble is hard; it can be tempting to try to find our own solution first. The Israelites did just that: under threat from their enemies, they sought help from Egypt instead of turning to God (Isaiah 30:2). But God told them that if they would repent and put their trust in Him, they would find strength and salvation (v. 15). In fact, He added, “the Lord longs to be gracious to you” (v. 18).

Waiting for God takes faith and patience. But when we see His answer at the end of it all, we’ll realize it was worth it: “Blessed are all who wait for him!” (v. 18). And what’s even more amazing, God is waiting for us to come to Him!

What prayer request has you waiting on God? How can you meditate on His faithfulness as you seek His answer?

Father, give me the patience to wait for Your answer. I know You’re a good and loving God whose timing and will are always perfect.

Learn more about waiting.

INSIGHT

Isaiah 30 contains themes of both judgment and restoration for God’s people and judgment for the nations who oppressed them. The chapter can be broken down into three parts. Verses 1–18 note a warning and dangers for Judah who created an alliance with Egypt without consulting God (vv. 1–2). In verses 6 and 7, we see the envoys from Judah traveling through a dangerous land to take their “riches” and “treasures” to Egypt, which the Egyptians required in payment for military help. However, Isaiah warned that Egypt wouldn’t help as they claimed they would. The middle portion of the chapter, verses 19–26, provides a glimmer of hope, saying that the people of Zion in Jerusalem (v. 19) would one day be healed and blessed; their land, in particular, would be fruitful (vv. 23–25). However, the chapter ends on a solemn note, proclaiming judgment on Assyria (v. 31).

By |2021-12-13T08:06:03-05:00December 13th, 2021|
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Heroes, Tyrants, and Jesus

Today's Devotional





I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. 1 Corinthians 2:2

Beethoven was angry. He’d intended to name his Third Symphony “The Bonaparte.” In an age of religious and political tyranny, he saw Napoleon as a hero of the people and champion of freedom. But when the French general declared himself emperor, the celebrated composer changed his mind. Denouncing his former hero as a rascal and tyrant, he rubbed so hard to erase Bonaparte’s name that he left a hole in the original score.

Early believers in Jesus must have been disappointed when their hopes of political reform were dashed. He’d stirred hopes of life without the tyranny of Caesar’s heavy-handed taxes and military presence. Yet, decades later, Rome still ruled the world. Jesus’ messengers were left with fears and weakness. His disciples were marked by immaturity and infighting (1 Corinthians 1:11–12; 3:1–3).

But there was a difference. Paul saw beyond what remained unchanged. His letters began, ended, and overflowed with the name of Christ. Christ resurrected. Christ with a promise to return in power. Christ in judgment of everything and everyone. First and foremost, however, Paul wanted believers in Jesus to be grounded in the meaning and implications of Him crucified (2:2; 13:1–13).

The love expressed in Jesus’ sacrifice made Him a different kind of leader. As Lord and Savior of the world, His cross changes everything. The name of Jesus will forever be known and praised above every name.

How is Jesus different from other leaders? Can you identify with Paul’s recall of his own weakness and fear? How does Jesus help you with that?

Father, please help me to see Your heart in the sacrifice of Your Son.

INSIGHT

Paul recalls having a singular purpose when he first met his Corinthian readers (1 Corinthians 2:2). Without natural eloquence, brilliance, or self-confidence, he taught about a king and conqueror who’d allowed His enemies to crucify Him. As foolish as it must have sounded, Paul wanted them to join him in accepting, honoring, and never forgetting a God willing to be lifted on a criminal’s cross (1:13, 17–25; 2:2, 8). He reminds the Corinthians of why nothing makes more sense than to love God and one another. Because Jesus didn’t remain in the grave (ch. 15), what may at first sound foolish, deserves never to be forgotten.

By |2021-12-12T08:06:08-05:00December 12th, 2021|
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