fbpx
>
Standard Print

When Knowledge Hurts

Today's Devotional





For with much wisdom comes much sorrow; the more knowledge, the more grief. Ecclesiastes 1:18

Zach Elder and his friends pulled up to shore after a twenty-five-day rafting trip through the Grand Canyon. The man who came to retrieve their rafts told them about the COVID-19 virus. They thought he was joking. But as they left the canyon their phones pinged with their parents’ urgent messages. Zach and his friends were stunned. They wished they could return to the river and escape what they now knew.

In a fallen world, knowledge often brings pain. The wise Teacher of Ecclesiastes observed, “With much wisdom comes much sorrow; the more knowledge, the more grief” (1:18). Who hasn’t envied a child’s blissful ignorance? She doesn’t yet know about racism, violence, and cancer. Weren’t we happier before we grew up and discerned our own weaknesses and vices? Before we learned our family’s secrets—why our uncle drinks heavily or what caused our parents’ divorce?

The pain from knowledge can’t be wished away. Once we know, it’s no use pretending we don’t. But there’s a higher knowledge that empowers us to endure, even thrive. Jesus is the Word of God, the light that shines in our darkness (John 1:1–5). He “has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption” (1 Corinthians 1:30). Your pain is your reason to run to Jesus. He knows you and cares for you.

What’s something you wished you didn’t know? Tell Jesus about it. Then leave it with Him. Whenever it troubles you, take it to Jesus again.

Jesus, I don’t enjoy pain, but if it drives me to You, it’s worth it.

For further study, read Why? Seeing God in Our Pain.

INSIGHT

The book of Ecclesiastes is as strange as Proverbs is familiar. Author Ray Pritchard notes that “the ratio of regular readers of the Proverbs versus Ecclesiastes is probably 1000:1.” Though less popular, the significance of the book must not be missed. Ecclesiastes reads like somebody’s journal entries as the author (believed by many to have been Solomon), records his search for fulfillment, the results of his search, and some recommendations. The thesis statement of the book is given in verse 2: “Meaningless! Meaningless! . . . Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless.” How does one hold in tension the reality that our worldly existence is a gift from a loving God? While the point is highlighted over and over in the book that “all is vanity” (nkjv)—the fact that such a fragile life is best lived in the “fear of God” is also emphasized (see 12:13–14).

By |2022-08-31T02:33:11-04:00August 31st, 2022|
Standard Print

Leave the Light On

Today's Devotional





You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Matthew 5:14

A hotel chain’s commercial featured one little building standing amidst a dark night. Nothing else was around. The only light in the scene came from a small lamp near the door on the porch of the building. The bulb cast enough illumination for a visitor to walk up the steps and enter the building. The commercial ended with the phrase, “We’ll leave the light on for you.”

 A porch light is akin to a welcome sign, reminding weary travelers that there’s a comfortable place still open where they can stop and rest. The light invites those passing by to come on in and escape from the dark, weary journey.

Jesus says the lives of those who believe in Him should resemble that of a welcoming light. He told His followers, “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden” (Matthew 5:14). As believers, we’re to illuminate a dark world.

As He directs and empowers us, “[others] may see [our] good deeds and glorify [our] Father in heaven” (v. 16). And as we leave our lights on, they will feel welcomed to come to us to learn more about the one true Light of the World—Jesus (John 8:12).  In a weary and dark world, His light always remains on.

Have you left your light on? As Jesus shines through you today, others may see and begin radiating His light too.

In what ways can you shine your light for Jesus today? What can prevent you from shining for Him?

Jesus, help me to shine brightly so that others may be drawn to You.

INSIGHT

Ponder for a moment the connection between being the salt and light in Matthew 5:13–16 and the Beatitudes in the previous section (vv. 3–12). In the Beatitudes, Jesus lists many of the characteristics that describe people who’ll benefit under the kingdom of heaven—the poor in spirit, the meek, the merciful, the peacemakers, and so on. Immediately following these descriptions, Jesus speaks the words of today’s passage. So who is the salt of the earth and the light of the world? Taking these two sections together, we see that those who are salt and light are characterized by the attributes listed in the Beatitudes. Our good deeds—humility, meekness, showing mercy, righteousness, having a pure heart, peacemaking—are to be on display to those watching (vv. 3–10). These are the actions that point people to our good Father in heaven.

By |2022-08-30T02:33:11-04:00August 30th, 2022|
Standard Print

Seeds of Time

Today's Devotional





Others, like seed sown on good soil, hear the word, accept it, and produce a crop. Mark 4:20

In 1879, people watching William Beal would likely think he was loony. They’d see the professor of botany filling twenty bottles with various seeds, then burying them in deep soil. What they didn’t know was that Beal was conducting a seed viability experiment that would span centuries. Every twenty years a bottle would be dug up to plant its seeds and see which seeds would germinate.

Jesus talked a lot about seed planting, often likening the sowing of seed to the spreading of “the word” (Mark 4:15). He taught that some seeds are snatched by Satan, others have no foundation and don’t take root, and yet others are hampered by the life around them and are choked out (vv. 15–19). As we spread the good news, it’s not up to us which seeds will survive. Our job is simply to sow the gospel—to tell others about Jesus: “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation” (16:15 esv).

In 2021, another of Beal’s bottles was dug up. The seeds were planted by researchers and some sprouted, having survived more than 142 years. As God works through us and we share our faith with others, we never know if the word we share will take root or when. But we’re to be encouraged that our sowing of the good news might, even after many years, be received by someone who will “accept it, and produce a crop” (4:20).

Consider an example of how you shared the good news with someone. How did that person respond? How are you praying for that person today?

Dear God, please give me courage to share Jesus with friends and colleagues.

INSIGHT

The New Testament books of Matthew, Mark, and Luke (the Synoptic Gospels) record from thirty-eight to forty-six distinct parables of Jesus. The majority appear in Luke, but many are repeated in the other gospels. Why did Jesus often speak in parables? He explains to His disciples: “Because the knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them. Whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them. This is why I speak to them in parables: ‘Though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand’ ” (Matthew 13:11–13). He said this to fulfill Isaiah’s prophecy (see Isaiah 6:9–10). The truths of the Bible can only be understood by the Spirit. The apostle Paul later echoed this truth in 1 Corinthians 2:7–14.

By |2022-08-29T02:33:16-04:00August 29th, 2022|
Standard Print

Love and Lean on God

Today's Devotional





Ruth clung to her. Ruth 1:14

Zach was funny, smart, and well-liked. But he secretly struggled with depression. After he committed suicide at age fifteen, his mom, Lori, said of him, “It’s just hard to comprehend how someone that had so much going for him would come to that point. Zach . . . was not exempt from suicide.” There are moments in the quiet when Lori pours out her sorrow to God. She says that the deep sadness after suicide is “a whole different level of grief.” Yet she and her family have learned to lean on God and others for strength, and now they’re using their time to love others who are grappling with depression.

Lori’s motto has become “Love and lean.” This idea is also seen in the Old Testament story of Ruth. Naomi lost her husband and two sons—one who was married to Ruth (Ruth 1:3–5). Naomi, bitter and depressed, urged Ruth to return to her mother’s family where she could be cared for. Ruth, though also grieving, “clung” to her mother-in-law and committed to staying with her and caring for her (vv. 14–17). They returned to Bethlehem, Naomi’s homeland, where Ruth would be a foreigner. But they had each other to love and lean on, and God provided for them (2:11–12).

During our times of grief, God’s love remains steady. We always have Him to lean on as we also lean on and love others in His strength.

What does it mean for you to lean on God during your times of grief? Who may need your support right now?

Father, I’m grateful for Your faithful love and care for me. Use me to encourage others to trust You.

INSIGHT

Moab, to which Naomi and her family fled to escape the famine in Bethlehem (Ruth 1:1), was perpetually seen as Israel’s enemy. Yet, Moab was also a nation of distant relatives to the people of Israel. Whereas Israel traced their lineage to Abraham, the patriarch of Moab was Lot, Abraham’s nephew. Following the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, where Lot had taken up residence, Moab and Ben-Ammi (Ammon) were born to Lot following his sinful relations with his daughters (see Genesis 19:37–38). Both Moab and Ammon would become enemies of Israel and a source of no small struggle for God’s chosen people.

By |2022-08-28T02:33:14-04:00August 28th, 2022|
Standard Print

Plans and Providence

Today's Devotional





If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that. James 4:15

In 2000, an upstart company operating on a movie-rental-by-mail system offered to sell their company for $50 million to Blockbuster, the home movies and video game rentals king at that time. Netflix had roughly 300,000 subscribers, while Blockbuster had millions and millions of them. Blockbuster passed on the opportunity to purchase their little competitor. The result? Today Netflix has more than 180 million subscribers and is worth nearly $200 billion. As for Blockbuster, well . . . it went bust. None of us can predict the future.

We’re tempted to believe that we’re in control of our lives and that our plans for the future will succeed. But James says, “You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes” (4:14). Life is brief, quick, and more fragile than we often realize. Planning is necessary, but the sin of presumption is in the assumption that we’re in control. That’s why James warns us not to “boast in [our] arrogant schemes,” for “all such boasting is evil” (v. 16).

The way to avoid this sinful practice is through grateful participation with God. Gratitude reminds us that He’s the source of every “good and perfect gift” (1:17). Then when we come to God, we ask Him not to simply bless our present and future plans but to help us join Him in what He’s doing. This is what it means to pray, “If it is the Lord’s will” (4:15).

How are you tempted to be in control of your life? What will it mean for you to surrender to God and participate with Him?

Dear Jesus, I relinquish my plans to You. Help me to put my trust in You, because You never fail. 

INSIGHT

Is it wrong to plan? Certainly not. Those who come away from James 4:13–17 thinking that good planning is a bad thing miss the point of the passage and ignore Scripture’s teaching elsewhere. Students of life know the value of having a plan. So did the writer in Proverbs 21:5: “Careful planning puts you ahead in the long run; hurry and scurry puts you further behind” (the message). A good plan is a good thing. What James critiques and condemns, however, is the kind of planning that ignores life’s uncertainty and brevity (James 4:14) and God as the giver of life (v. 15). The book of James has been called the “Proverbs of the New Testament.” James 4:13–17 echoes Proverbs 27:1: “Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring” and encourages us to “trust in the Lord with all [our] heart and lean not on [our] own understanding” (3:5).

By |2022-08-27T02:33:16-04:00August 27th, 2022|
Standard Print

Just Ask!

Today's Devotional





You do not have because you do not ask God. James 4:2

The gleeful shouts arising from our basement came from my wife, Shirley. For hours she’d wrestled with a newsletter project, and she was ready to be done with it. In her anxiety and uncertainty about how to move forward, she prayed for God’s help. She also reached out to Facebook friends and soon the project was completed—a team effort.

While a newsletter project is a little thing in life, small (and not so small) things can bring about worry or anxiousness. Perhaps you’re a parent walking through the stages of childrearing for the first time; a student facing newfound academic challenges; a person grieving the loss of a loved one; or someone experiencing a home, work, or ministry challenge. Sometimes we’re needlessly on edge because we don’t ask God for help (James 4:2).

Paul pointed the followers of Jesus in Philippi and us to our first line of defense in times of need: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God” (Philippians 4:6). When life gets complicated, we need reminders like the one from the hymn “What a Friend We Have in Jesus”:

Oh what peace we often forfeit,

oh what needless pain we bear,

all because we do not carry,

everything to God in prayer.

And perhaps in our asking God for help, He’ll lead us to ask people who can assist us.

What situations challenge you that you can bring to God in prayer? Why do you hesitate to ask Him or others for help?

Dear God, forgive me for not bringing my burdens to You in prayer. Help me to reach out to others and ask for help too.

INSIGHT

At this point in his letter to the church in Philippi, Paul begins a somewhat lengthy conclusion. Despite the admonishment he’s just given to the two quarreling church members, Euodia and Syntyche (Philippians 4:2), his tone remains warm and relational. The crux of the passage is this: “The Lord is near” (v. 5). The reason we can rejoice in any situation (v. 4), the reason we can “let [our] gentleness be evident to all,” the reason we can obey Paul’s exhortation not to “be anxious about anything” (v. 6) is because Jesus is near. Scholars debate whether this means His return is near or if Paul means He’s close to us. Either interpretation should have a similar effect for our understanding. He’s with us via the Holy Spirit, and He promises to return for us (John 14:3).

By |2022-08-26T02:33:15-04:00August 26th, 2022|
Standard Print

When You Need Help

Today's Devotional





My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth. Psalm 121:2

It was a Monday morning, but my friend Chia-ming wasn’t in the office. He was at home, cleaning the bathroom. A month unemployed, he thought, and no job leads. His firm had shut down because of the COVID-19 pandemic and worries about the future filled Chia-ming with fear. I need to support my family, he thought. Where can I go for help?

In Psalm 121:1, the pilgrims to Jerusalem asked a similar question about where to find help. The journey to the Holy City on Mount Zion was long and potentially dangerous, with travelers enduring an arduous climb. The challenges they faced may seem like the difficult journeys we face in life today—trudging the path of illness, relationship problems, bereavement, stress at work or, as in the case of Chia-ming, financial difficulty and unemployment.

But we can take heart in the truth that the Maker of heaven and earth Himself helps us (v. 2). He watches over our lives (vv. 3, 5, 7–8) and He knows what we need. Shamar, the Hebrew word for “watches over,” means “to guard.” The Creator of the universe is our guardian. We’re in His safekeeping. “God took care of me and my family,” Chia-ming shared recently. “And at the right time, He provided a teaching job.”

As we trust and obey God, we can look ahead with hope, knowing we’re within the protective boundaries of His wisdom and love.

What kind of help do you need from God today? How does knowing He’s the Maker of heaven and earth encourage you?

Father, thank You for being my source of help on my life’s journey.

INSIGHT

As one of the Songs of Ascents (see the superscription), Psalm 121 was designated as a song of pilgrimage as the people traveled to Jerusalem for the three high feasts each year. Though there were more feasts, these three had been set aside for annual pilgrimage. Notice Deuteronomy 16:16 in Moses’ final instructions to Israel prior to his death: “Three times a year all your men must appear before the Lord your God at the place he will choose: at the Festival of Unleavened Bread, the Festival of Weeks and the Festival of Tabernacles. No one should appear before the Lord empty-handed.” The Feast of Unleavened Bread was also known as Passover (Pesach) while the Festival of Weeks (Shavuot) was also known as Firstfruits or Pentecost. Both of these were spring feasts, while the Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot) was a fall feast that remembered the people’s time dwelling in tents in the wilderness.

By |2022-08-25T02:33:13-04:00August 25th, 2022|
Standard Print

Landing Spot

Today's Devotional





We live by faith, not by sight. 2 Corinthians 5:7

The impala, a member of the antelope family, is able to jump up to ten feet high and thirty feet in length. It’s an incredible feat, and no doubt essential to its survival in the African wild. Yet, at many impala enclosures found in zoos, you’ll find that the animals are kept in place by a wall that’s merely three feet tall. How can such a low wall contain these athletic animals? It works because impalas will never jump unless they can see where they’ll land. The wall keeps the impalas inside the enclosure because they can’t see what’s on the other side.

As humans, we’re not all that different. We want to know the outcome of a situation before we move forward. The life of faith, however, rarely works that way. Writing to the church at Corinth, Paul reminded them, “We live by faith, not by sight” (2 Corinthians 5:7).

Jesus taught us to pray, “Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:10). But that doesn’t mean we’ll know His outcomes beforehand. Living by faith means trusting His good purposes even when those purposes are shrouded in mystery.

In the midst of life’s uncertainties, we can trust His unfailing love. No matter what life throws at us, “we make it our goal to please him” (2 Corinthians 5:9). 

In what areas are you struggling to see the next step you should take? Ask God to help you trust Him as you move forward in His grace.

So often, Father, I’m frozen by uncertainty and fear. I pray that You’ll guide my steps as I trust You for Your good will to be done.

For further study, read When Fear Seems Overwhelming: Finding Courage and Hope at DiscoverySeries.org/CB031.

INSIGHT

Paul wrote this rich passage in the context of pondering death. Yet he put an unusual twist on it. Not only was he longing for death, but he also viewed it as being “swallowed up by life” (2 Corinthians 5:4)—inverting our typical view of it. The chapter begins with Paul contrasting our “earthly tent” with a future “building from God, an eternal house in heaven” (v. 1). The apostle’s certainty of this eternal future prompted him to say he “would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord” (v. 8). For now, “we groan, longing to be clothed instead with our heavenly dwelling” (v. 2). Paul had great confidence in this because God has “given us the Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come” (v. 5). This is the great message of the gospel. For believers in Christ, death is obliterated by eternal life.

By |2022-08-24T02:33:04-04:00August 24th, 2022|
Standard Print

The Course of a Lifetime

Today's Devotional





Joash did what was right in the eyes of the Lord all the years of Jehoiada the priest. 2 Chronicles 24:2

“There are different questions a young artist can ask,” says singer-songwriter Linford Detweiler of eclectic folk duo Over the Rhine. “One is, ‘What must I do to be famous?’ ” Detweiler warns that such a goal “swings the door open to all manner of destructive forces from both within and without.” He and his wife have instead chosen a less flashy musical road in which they “continue to grow over the course of an entire lifetime.”

The name Jehoiada isn’t readily recognized, yet it’s synonymous with a lifetime of dedication to God. He served as priest during the reign of King Joash, who for the most part ruled well—thanks to Jehoiada.

When Joash was just seven years old, Jehoiada had been the catalyst in installing him as rightful king (2 Kings 11:1–16). But this was no power grab. At Joash’s coronation, Jehoiada “made a covenant between the Lord and the king and people that they would be the Lord’s people” (v. 17). He kept his word, implementing badly needed reforms. “As long as Jehoiada lived, burnt offerings were presented continually in the temple of the Lord” (2 Chronicles 24:14). For his dedication, Jehoiada “was buried with the kings in the City of David” (v. 16).

Eugene Peterson calls such a God-focused life “a long obedience in the same direction.” Ironically, it’s such obedience that stands out in a world bent on fame, power, and self-fulfillment.

How would you describe the direction of your life to this point? What changes might you want to ask God to help you make?

For further study, see Leadership Basics

Dear God, help me pursue You and Your wisdom for my life instead of the fleeting things I’ve been seeking.

INSIGHT

In the traditional Jewish order of Scripture, 1–2 Chronicles are placed as the last books of the Hebrew Bible—functioning as a summary of the Old Testament. First Chronicles begins with Adam (1:1) and 2 Chronicles concludes with Israel’s return from exile (36:22–23).

First and Second Chronicles retell much of the same history found in the books of Samuel and Kings but with a different focus. The Chronicles seek to give the returned exiles hope for the future by pointing to a coming Messiah through David’s line and restored worship in the temple. To inspire faithfulness to God and Scripture, the books of Chronicles also offer many character studies of both faithfulness and unfaithfulness. In 2 Chronicles 24, the high priest Jehoiada is a model of faithfulness, while King Joash was faithful only during Jehoiada’s lifetime, later persuaded by other officials to return to idolatry (vv. 17–18).

By |2022-08-23T02:33:04-04:00August 23rd, 2022|
Standard Print

Transmitting Truth

Today's Devotional





Teach [God’s ways and instructions] to your children and to their children after them. Deuteronomy 4:9

Without the ability to see their grandchildren in person due to risk of infection, many grandparents sought new ways of connecting during the COVID-19 pandemic. A recent survey showed that many grandparents adopted texting and social media as a means to maintain their precious bond with their grandchildren. Some even worshiped with their extended families by video call.

One of the most wonderful ways parents and grandparents can influence their children is by passing down the truths of Scripture. In Deuteronomy 4, Moses charged God’s people to “not forget the things” they’d seen about God “or let them fade from [their] heart[s]” (v. 9). He went on to say that sharing these things with their children and their children’s children would enable them to learn to “revere” Him (v. 10) and to live according to His truth in the land He was giving them.

The relationships God gives us with our families and friends are certainly meant to be enjoyed. By God’s design, they’re also intended to be a conduit to convey His wisdom from one generation to another, “training [them] in righteousness” and equipping them for “every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16–17). When we share God’s truth and work in our lives with the next generation—whether by text, call, video, or in-person conversation—we equip them to see and enjoy His work in their own lives.

Who has “transmitted” God’s truth to you? With whom can you share His truth—through a text, a note, or an in-person conversation?

Thank You, God, for the legacy of faith You’ve passed on to me. Please help me to lovingly impart that legacy to others.

INSIGHT

Moses’ words in Deuteronomy 4 reveal two related aspects of the human condition. First, it’s easy to forget important events and words (v. 9a). Second, to avoid this, we need to intentionally keep important things in the forefront of our minds (v. 9b). We can see how this deliberate call to remember the deeds of God anticipates the cycle of generational spiritual wandering that occurs in the book of Judges.

Here in Deuteronomy, the people are encouraged to pass the memories of the deeds of God on to their “children and to their children after them” (vv. 9–10). In the book of Judges, we read (repeatedly) of both the failure to do this and its consequences (see 3:10–12). In each “cycle” of the book of Judges, the disobedience of Israel arises within a generation or two of God’s deliverance—a seeming neglect of passing on His deeds to their children.

By |2022-08-22T02:33:14-04:00August 22nd, 2022|
Go to Top