The Up Devotional

Today I’m going to say something that might sound a bit jarring. But I think it’s for your own good. Please hear me out.  Do you find it difficult to find time to pray, even though you don’t find it difficult to do other less important things?  Do you find it hard to focus your […]

In the world of business, companies can outsource all sorts of things. They can outsource administrative tasks, or even their payroll or legal services. As people, however, we can’t outsource intimacy.  John Ortberg tells the unfortunate story of a man who became attracted to a certain woman and wanted to ask her out on a […]

This week we have been spending some time thinking about the forgiveness that God gives to his children.  Today, let’s flip that coin and talk about the forgiveness that we can extend to others. First, it’s important to remember that our approach to forgiveness is grounded in what we have first received in Christ. Paul […]

We have been spending some time with Psalm 32. It is one of seven “penitential” psalms. That word is connected to repentance. If it sounds like “penitentiary,” you’re right. Prisons are intended to be houses of repentance, where inmates gather in cells (notice that a ‘cell’ is also where a monk lives as a place […]

Several years ago, I was watching an episode of Little House on the Prairie. There was a girl in a wheelchair. She was upset about how much her life had changed.  Her mom, wanting the best for her, knew she needed to change her perspective. She said: “Live your life as it is, not as […]

In Psalm 32:1, David wrote: “Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.” According to the psalm, if you have received God’s forgiveness, you are “blessed.” That’s a popular phrase to use these days. “Blessed.” It’s even used as a hashtag by people who would not otherwise call themselves “religious.”  When […]

In John’s Gospel, Jesus makes a series of well-known statements that begin with the words, “I am.” Here they are: “I am the bread of life” (John 6:35)“I am the light of the world” (John 8:12)“I am the door of the sheep” (John 10:7)“I am the good shepherd” (John 10:11)“I am the resurrection and the […]

“Abide in me, and I in you.” That’s what Jesus says in John 15:4.  The idea of “abiding” with Jesus presumes closeness and time. In other words, it presumes that we are drawing near to him, and that we are prioritizing him in our schedules. Lately, I’ve been thinking about the phrase ‘Slowing down in […]

[Alert: New article for summer, link below.] ~ Recently, we have been spending time with John 15:4. That’s where Jesus said: “Abide in me, and I in you.” In the previous devotional, we talked about taking our time with Jesus’ words instead of rushing past them. This is one of the ways we can “abide” […]

In John 15:4 Jesus says something that is easy to skip over, even though it takes a lifetime to digest: “Abide in me, and I in you.” Various translation teams have tried to capture this enigmatic phrase. The NET Bible says: “Remain in me, and I will remain in you.” In the footnotes they also […]

Mark Zuckerberg is the co-founder of Meta and Facebook. In his early days, he had a motto: “Move fast and break things.”  At first, it seems appealing. ‘Let’s innovate, move forward, and not get held back by the consequences!’ It certainly captures something about the sentiment of our times.  However, let’s not kid ourselves. Our […]

The Star Wars movies have spawned a series of spin-off TV shows. One of them is called Andor.  In it, rebels (who are actually the good guys) are plotting against the evil Empire who keeps trying to expand its grip. It’s appetite for darkness and control seem insatiable. In Season 2, there is a moving […]

“God is love.” That’s exactly what the apostle John says in 1 John 4:8. He is also “gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love” (Psalm 145:8). At the same time, he is holy and just. He punishes sin. There are times when he also exercises his wrath. And that, my friends, […]

I recently spent a lot of time studying 2 Peter. At the end of the letter, he said: “…take care that you are not carried away with the error of lawless people and lose your own stability” (2 Peter 3:17). This was a topic that was clearly important to him. Since he had already spent […]

Peter was a fisherman. Jesus called him into a life of discipleship and leadership: “Follow me,” he said, “and I will make you become fishers of men” (Mark 1:17). Sure, Peter was imperfect. There was a time when he denied Jesus (Luke 22:58). He also had a habit of putting his foot in his mouth, […]

“The LORD is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation; this is my God, and I will praise him…” (Exodus 15:2) Recently, I saw a video someone recorded while passing by a home. It had been devastated by a massive fire. The entire inside was burned out. All that was left […]

As you probably know, Jerusalem has seen a lot of bombs.  Fairly recently, I learned about a group of people named the Zaka. After a bomb goes off, they put on their yellow visibility vests and rush to the scene. They often get there before the paramedics.  They gather the body pieces of people who […]

I recently watched Disclosure Day. It’s the latest movie from producer Steven Spielberg.  I was interested because there had been a lot of talk about it, including from within the Christian community. The reason for this chatter had to do with the topic—Aliens!   But not just that. Spielberg went out of his way to […]

In 2 Peter 3:3, the apostle gives a warning to his fellow Christians: “scoffers will come in the last days with scoffing, following their own sinful desires.”  He is about to teach them about the return of Jesus. There are “scoffers,” he says. Literally, the text says “scoffers in their scoffing.” They doubt God, they […]

In the previous devotional, I talked about how the future is beautiful. Yes, there can be ugliness in our world, but it won’t always be this way. This is partly based on passages like 2 Peter 3:13 where the apostle says this: “But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a […]

There is a lot of beauty in our world. But let’s be honest. There is also a lot of ugliness. Let me provide a few examples:  The non-stop fighting—between nations, in politics, and sometimes even in homes.  Profanity and pornography which continually reinvents itself to shock and ensnare us more and more.  The trafficking of […]

The world can seem like a very big place. There are lots of people. There are lots of voices—some good, some bad. There is a lot of noise. There is a lot of arguing. There is a lot of information. The word “overload” comes to mind. In light of all of this, it’s easy to […]

Serving others is mentioned in a variety of biblical passages. One of them is Galatians 5:13: “Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.” Ultimately, Jesus is our example. He was serving others non-stop. He washed his disciples’ feet. He healed people. He cast out […]

In 2 Peter 2, the apostle warns against false teachers. In fact, I think it’s safe to say that the entire chapter might be the closest thing we have to a biblical rant!  The difference, however, is that Peter’s words are inspired by God. Plus, he’s motivated by love and a desire to protect others.  […]

When something is “objectively true,” it is true no matter what. When something is “subjectively true,” its truth is dependent on someone’s experience or perspective. To explain more fully, here is a list of five statements. Which ones are true? 1) The C.N. Tower is in Toronto.2) The average gravitational pull of earth is 9.8 […]

Are there good things in our world? Yes. There are a lot of good things.  At the same time, when we look around at all the division, violence, and sin—including the celebration of sin—it’s easy to get discouraged.  That’s why it’s good to remember that God’s people have always been called to be different, even […]

I remember hearing a song on the radio by Casting Crowns. It was called “Slow Fade.”  The point of the song is that falling away from God’s ways and into sin is rarely an all-at-once experience. It is a “slow fade.” In other words, it is the cumulative effect of a series of smaller decisions […]

I was recently reminded of a story about Martin Luther, the well-known church reformer from the sixteenth century.  One day he was confronted by the devil who accused him of sin after sin. I’m paraphrasing, but in essence the devil said, ‘How can you pretend to be a leader and reformer of the church? You’re […]

Recently, I was putting together a new piece of furniture. The instruction manual had some spelling mistakes. As a result, I started to doubt how accurate it was. If you don’t trust what you’re reading, you’ll start to question whether or not it’s actually going to help you. This is why it’s important to be […]

The Bible includes different kinds of lists. Some of these are sin lists. Others are virtue lists, which we could also consider character traits to pursue. One of them is found in 2 Peter 1:5-8. It says: “For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and […]

Have you ever felt frustrated at your lack of spiritual growth? Or perhaps you can see some progress, but you feel defeated because it’s taking longer than you’d like?  If so, Walter Adams has some food for thought. He says: “Look after the roots, and the fruits will look after themselves.”* Let’s look more closely […]

“Don’t drink the Kool Aid.” It’s an expression that traces back to a cult leader who compelled his followers to consume a sugary drink (it wasn’t technically “Kool Aid”, but the idea caught on.) This person’s followers died in the process. Today, the expression is used to warn people against dangerous group-think. ‘Don’t blindly adhere […]

In Ephesians 4:27 we are told to “give no opportunity to the devil.”  In the original Greek manuscripts of this verse, the word for “opportunity” is topos. It’s where we get our English word “topography.” In Ephesians, this word suggests some sort of location or space.  Various biblical translation teams have struggled to adequately capture […]

Have you ever noticed the words that are used to describe the devil? Let me provide three examples. First, he “prowls.” We find this detail in 1 Peter 5:8: “Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.” Second, he is “crafty.” This detail comes up in the Garden of […]

In the Bible, we are often told be humble. We’re often warned to steer clear of pride. So here’s a helpful way to think about the difference between the two.  It’s the difference between self-forgetfulness and self-infatuation.  Self-forgetfulness isn’t about being self-deprecating. Nor is it about beating yourself up. It’s about focusing more and more […]

Worry. It happens. We don’t like it, but it’s a part of life.  Here’s what I’ve come to know about worry. Worry loves to make you question the past, fear the future, and doubt God in the present, so that you are forever frantic and mentally somewhere else. Let’s break that down one idea at […]

In 1 Peter 4, the apostle is instructing his readers about something important. There are times, he says, when we will suffer for our faith. Just as Jesus suffered, we too will suffer. Just as Jesus was insulted, so too will we be insulted. He then goes on to provide some further clarity: “But let […]

[Note: New podcast episode about The Apostles’ Creed — link in footnotes.] ~ Thousands of years ago the people of God were encouraged with these words: “Yet the LORD set his affection on your ancestors and loved them, and he chose you, their descendants, above all the nations—as it is today” (Deuteronomy 10:15). In his […]

In 1 Peter 4, the apostle is encouraging his readers to be prayerful and loving. As a part of this he shares a word about hospitality: “Show hospitality to one another without grumbling” (verse 9). When we think about the word hospitality, we often think of the “hospitality industry.” That’s not unrelated, but it’s not […]

“Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you” (1 Peter 4:12). Whenever we go through hardship or adversity, it’s good to remain tethered to sources of help. Unfortunately, one of the things some people do is isolate themselves—from […]

What are some of the things that all people have in common?  We’re all born and we all die. As pundits often say, we all pay taxes!  Further, we all need food, oxygen and water. We probably all like to be happy and don’t like to be sad. Generally speaking, we want our lives to […]

“Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it” (1 Corinthians 12:27). Today’s devotional is an invitation to see things from a new perspective. We sometimes need that, don’t we? Perhaps you’ve heard the story of the young boy who thought he was the world’s greatest baseball hitter.  He threw the ball […]

These days, humans have access to a mind-boggling amount of information. In many ways, this is great. We have an increasing amount of data and knowledge about the medical sciences, the human mind, the environment, and so many other areas. However, this can sometimes make us over-confident. This over-confidence can cause us to think that […]

Why do we like stories?  I’m sure there are many answers to that question. But I have a suspicion that they inspire us to think about how we might apply big, important ideas to our own lives. I’m about to share a story with you. It’s very inspiring. It’s also troubling. Let that be a […]

Some people are scared to death of death. Is that you? Perhaps it describes you perfectly. As a result, you are living in fear.  Perhaps it’s not you. Perhaps you’re not scared to death of it, but are still really worried.  Either way, it can be helpful to ask ourselves why.  Why am I scared […]

“Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the LORD that will stand” (Proverbs 19:21). Over the years, I have had many conversations with people who want to know about God’s plan for their life.  Does he want me to do this, or that? What should I […]

Many of us worry. And then we worry about how much we’re worrying!  We worry about a relationship or money. We worry about global conflict or next week’s visit to the doctor. We worry about saying the right thing at the right time. We worry about our children, our grandchildren, our employment prospects, what other […]

“Greatness.” When we think of people who fall into this category we tend to think about people who have done great things for God. We also tend to think about people who have done great things for others, often in a way that is self-sacrificial. I think it’s safe to say that King David was […]

Let me share a quote from Richard Sibbes. At first, it might seem abrasive. But after we think about it for a moment, I think it helps us to re-frame our thinking towards the battle we face with greater clarity. “There are two grand sides in the world, to which all belong: there is God’s […]

When you’re spiritually dry, revisit the psalms The Up Devotional for June 10, 2026 “I rejoice at your word like one who finds great spoil” (Psalm 119:162). I sometimes get asked for ideas about what to do when your devotional life feels flat. It happens. There are times when you just feel spiritually dry. During […]