Daily Devo

Listen to today’s devo!

Surely you remember, brothers and sisters, our toil and hardship; we worked night and day in order not to be a burden to anyone. (1 Thess. 2:9)

Expanded Passage: 1 Thessalonians 2:9-10

After opening the funeral service, my husband asked if anyone had something they would like to say. Immediately, a woman from the back row of the chapel stood to speak. Fighting back tears, she told how her life had been a mess, and she had no place to go. The woman being remembered that day in that little chapel had taken her in and given her a place to live. “That was my home for the next six years,” she continued. “She was nothing but kind to me.” And then the tears came, expressions of gratitude at the unselfishness of a woman who had helped to change her life.

When we were serving in Honduras, my mother helped from stateside whenever she could. She had our many photos processed and would send those and other items to work teams who would bring them to us in their baggage. On some occasions a trip to customs was necessary for us to receive packages, like the time she sent a basketball rim which we set up in our backyard, opening opportunities to interact with young men in our community.

Wherever Paul went he faced persecution and Thessalonica was no exception. Despite that opposition, he and his companions worked hard to support themselves, and by doing so helped a church that was facing its own opposition and challenges in a pagan culture.

Let’s ask for vision to see and help meet needs in front of us.

Help someone to carry their load, with God’s help.

Marcy Burke enjoys living in Alabama, being a retired pastor’s wife, former missionary, and worship leader. She enjoys playing the piano and taking long walks with her husband, Larry.

© 2026 Wesleyan Publishing House. Reprinted from Light from the Word. Used by permission. Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®.

Listen to today’s devo!

Because we loved you so much, we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well. (1 Thess. 2:8)

Expanded Passage: 1 Thessalonians 2:8

We first saw him standing in the produce aisle at our local Walmart. A Jesus logo above the bill of his cap and a huge smile drew us, curious to know who he was. Introductions were made and Benny became an immediate friend. If you should stop in, you’ll probably find him parked on a bench near the front entrance, ready to greet whoever passes or stops by. Benny, having served in Vietnam, spends time with several veterans who stop by. There are also people coming to and from work, many who he knows by name. There are couples and families who say hello and retirees—all are greeted with that same big smile. Benny’s love for Jesus and for those who walk through those doors is obvious, and when given the opportunity, Benny shares the gospel.

Paul’s love for the Thessalonians was demonstrated by his desire to not only share the gospel with them, but to share his life as well. Though he loved the believers in every place he went, the word used to describe his attachment to this church specifically only occurs in this passage of the New Testament, indicating that his affection was so strong that he would have given his life for them if necessary.

Paul had his Thessalonica. Benny has his Walmart. Where is your opportunity to share the gospel?

Look for opportunities to share the gospel in places only you can.

Marcy Burke enjoys living in Alabama, being a retired pastor’s wife, former missionary, and worship leader. She enjoys playing the piano and taking long walks with her husband, Larry.

© 2026 Wesleyan Publishing House. Reprinted from Light from the Word. Used by permission. Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®.

Listen to today’s devo!

You know we never used flattery, nor did we put on a mask to cover up greed—God is our witness. (1 Thess. 2:5)

Expanded Passage: 1 Thessalonians 2:5-7

I recently attended a local community theater production of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, not just because I love a good musical, but also to support one of the actors who is a member of the church we attend. He did a great job playing the lead, Caractacus Potts, a character that is so different from the Kevin we know when he’s not on stage. Obviously, we and the other audience members understood that nothing we were seeing was real. It was a show put on by performers playing their respective parts.

Acting has its place. Without actors, we would never be able to take in a play or enjoy a good movie. The opposite should be said of the church, however. Playing a role should have no place there. Paul demonstrated transparency to the Thessalonians by refusing to use flattery or pretense to get what he wanted or needed from them. His love and care for them kept it real, not a desire for recognition or praise.

Even as a pastor’s wife and missionary, there have been times in my life that I hid behind masks. Fear that my imperfections might be seen, or the desire for praise of my good works prompted me to slip them on at times. It’s easy to do. Paul, however, showed us how to keep it real. It’s called love.

Drop the masks that keep you from being real.

Marcy Burke enjoys living in Alabama, being a retired pastor’s wife, former missionary, and worship leader. She enjoys playing the piano and taking long walks with her husband, Larry.

© 2026 Wesleyan Publishing House. Reprinted from Light from the Word. Used by permission. Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®.

Listen to today’s devo!

We are not trying to please people but God, who tests our hearts. (1 Thess. 2:4)

Expanded Passage: 1 Thessalonians 2:3-4

Newly married and recently discharged from the army, the young man was trying to get his bride and her dog across the country to family in Arizona when his tire blew. Every call came up empty; no one had that one in stock. Stranded in a Walmart parking lot in Upstate New York on a cold, bitter December day, he approached person after person seeking help. It was our friend Melody who responded to him, and then noticed the young woman in the backseat with a blanket around her trying to keep warm. Melody called us, asking if we could take them in. She would house the dog and track down a tire.

With Christmas only a few weeks away, our schedules were already packed with church responsibilities. Taking in these two would only add to an already busy load. I looked at my husband, and he nodded his head. A short time later the weary couple settled into our guestroom.

God sees the true condition of our hearts through testing, revealing who we choose to please. Three days later a grateful couple and their dog left to continue their journey, touched not just through us, but through the love and generosity of our church family. I’m glad we all chose to be God-pleasers.

Choose to be a God-pleaser, even when it’s hard.

Marcy Burke enjoys living in Alabama, being a retired pastor’s wife, former missionary, and worship leader. She enjoys playing the piano and taking long walks with her husband, Larry.

© 2026 Wesleyan Publishing House. Reprinted from Light from the Word. Used by permission. Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®.

Listen to today’s devo!

With the help of our God we dared to tell you his gospel in the face of strong opposition. (1 Thess. 2:2)

Expanded Passage: 1 Thessalonians 2:1-2

I will never forget the day that the authorities came to our home and told us they were taking our vehicles. It was just the latest atrocity directed at the mission. Some unscrupulous individuals had laid claim to several properties, including our churches and a newly constructed Bible school building. I never completely understood how they were able to finagle and convince the powers that be that they were entitled to what missionaries and others had spent decades building. But they had, and now our vehicles were gone as well.

We often read or hear about the horrible atrocities happening to Christians all over the world. It can range from discrimination, deportation, different forms of violence, imprisonment, and even death. The confiscation of our properties seems like a small thing in comparison to the terrible suffering of so many. But persecution comes in many forms, and Jesus said to expect it. If you are a follower of his, it will come.

Despite being unjustly accused and imprisoned, Paul continued his mission. And that’s what God calls us to do. Even in the face of opposition, we are to keep moving forward. So, with our coworkers, our church partners stateside, and the national church alongside, we started over, rebuilding churches and a new Bible school. We made every step with the help of our God.

Keep moving forward with the help of God.

Marcy Burke enjoys living in Alabama, being a retired pastor’s wife, former missionary, and worship leader. She enjoys playing the piano and taking long walks with her husband, Larry.

© 2026 Wesleyan Publishing House. Reprinted from Light from the Word. Used by permission. Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®.

Listen to today’s devo!

What shall I return to the Lord for all his goodness to me? (Ps. 116:12)

Expanded Passage: Psalm 116:12-19

The chorus of a popular worship song, by Brandon Lake, proclaims, “So I throw up my hands and praise you again and again, ’cause all that I have is a hallelujah, hallelujah. And I know it’s not much but I’ve nothing else fit for a King, except for a heart singing hallelujah, hallelujah.” For me, the line, “I know it’s not much,” has always stood out. Singing praise to God, even offering our lives to him, may not feel like much in light of the grandeur of God, but they are immense offerings because they are everything we have to give. God has no need for expensive gifts or luxury items more appropriate for a king. God has everything he needs. A heart singing hallelujah is the perfect gift.

The psalmist asks an important question in verse 12: “What shall I return to the Lord for all of his goodness to me?” Nothing he could offer could match what God had already given him. So what does the psalmist do? He worships. He lifts up the cup of salvation as a testimony to the goodness and protection he has received from God. As a further act of worship, he offers his life in service to the God who has given much. He doesn’t have anything else to offer except his praise and his life, which, as it turns out, is everything.

Offer your hallelujah and your life to God.

Mark Moore is an associate professor of theology at Jessup University (CA) and an associate pastor at Faith Legacy Church in Sacramento, CA.

© 2026 Wesleyan Publishing House. Reprinted from Light from the Word. Used by permission. Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®.

Listen to today’s devo!

We always thank God for all of you and continually mention you in our prayers. (1 Thess. 1:2)

Expanded Passage: 1 Thessalonians 1:1-10

In the early twentieth century, leprosy, also known as Hansen’s disease, still had no effective treatment. Alice Ball, an African American chemist and the first woman and first Black professor at the University of Hawaii, revolutionized treatment with her groundbreaking “Ball Method.” By modifying chaulmoogra oil into an injectable and absorbable form, Ball’s work offered the first effective treatment for leprosy and was used globally for decades. Tragically, Ball died at just twenty-four years of age, and her contributions to science were not recognized until years later. Her legacy, though once obscured, continues to impact global medicine and serves as a testament to her brilliance and resilience. Her hard work and dedication helped bring dignity and healing to thousands once shunned by society.

The church in Thessalonica was not a powerful group of influencers and leaders in Greek society. They would have been relatively unknown to the community at large, yet Paul notes that their enduring faith in the midst of persecution served as a model for the church spread throughout the empire. Paul praised them for their humble obedience and often encouraged and challenged other churches with their story. The church in Thessalonica encourages us to live out our faith with joy and perseverance—even when we think no one notices. Our simple lives of faith will impact more people than we can ever imagine.

Live faithfully and serve humbly, even when not recognized.

Mark Moore is an associate professor of theology at Jessup University (CA) and an associate pastor at Faith Legacy Church in Sacramento, CA.

© 2026 Wesleyan Publishing House. Reprinted from Light from the Word. Used by permission. Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®.

Listen to today’s devo!

They tell how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, and to wait for his Son from heaven. (1 Thess. 1:9–10)

Expanded Passage: 1 Thessalonians 1:9-10

During World War II, the Italian town of Assisi became a haven for hundreds of Jews escaping persecution and certain death. Courageous priests like Giuseppe Nicolini, along with the townspeople, hid them in convents and monasteries. Forged documents were printed in secret. Escape routes were whispered in alleyways. Every knock on the door could have been the Gestapo. Families had to stay silent for months, and children were coached never to cry aloud. Mass was celebrated in underground rooms. Time was measured by meals discreetly delivered and coded signals. They waited not just for liberation, but for survival, living moment to moment in hope. When the Allies arrived and the Nazis fled, those saved emerged weeping with gratitude. Their long, fearful wait in the shadows had ended in salvation, thanks to those who risked everything to shelter them.

Paul praised the church in Thessalonica for turning from idols to serve the true God and for waiting for the return of Christ, the living God. The Thessalonians had found their true salvation, but they had to wait patiently while enduring suffering and persecution. It would have been easy for them to give up and return to their former idols, but they remained faithful. Waiting can be heavy with fear and uncertainty, but we are called, just as the church in Thessalonica, to wait on Christ with faith and hope.

Wait faithfully in hope, even when fear surrounds you.

Mark Moore is an associate professor of theology at Jessup University (CA) and an associate pastor at Faith Legacy Church in Sacramento, CA.

© 2026 Wesleyan Publishing House. Reprinted from Light from the Word. Used by permission. Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®.

Listen to today’s devo!

The Lord’s message rang out from you not only in Macedonia and Achaia—your faith in God has become known everywhere. (1 Thess. 1:8)

Expanded Passage: 1 Thessalonians 1:8-9

As a child, my family owned a small cabin on a lake in northern Indiana. We spent most weekends fishing and swimming. A Quaker camp owned most of the land on our side of the lake. In the middle of the campground sat a large bell that the camp would use to notify the campers when it was mealtime. Every day at breakfast, lunch, and dinner, the bell could be heard ringing across the lake. Even though it was not meant for us, the bell often reminded my brother and me to go to the cabin to get something to eat before heading back out on the lake.

In his opening letter to the church in Thessalonica, Paul provides us with an intriguing metaphor. He compares the church to a bell ringing out the message of Christ. The more they endured, the louder their faith rang out the message of Jesus throughout Greece and eventually everywhere else. Paul continually praised the church in Thessalonica because their simple, yet persistent faith was known beyond their city.

Imagine your life as a bell. What message is ringing for everyone to hear? Paul’s prayer is that your life will ring out the message of the good news of Jesus. Through your faithfulness and love, the message of Christ will ring through your family, friends, city, and world.

Let the message of Jesus Christ ring out from you.

Mark Moore is an associate professor of theology at Jessup University (CA) and an associate pastor at Faith Legacy Church in Sacramento, CA.

© 2026 Wesleyan Publishing House. Reprinted from Light from the Word. Used by permission. Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®.

Listen to today’s devo!

You welcomed the message in the midst of severe suffering with the joy given by the Holy Spirit. (1 Thess. 1:6)

Expanded Passage: 1 Thessalonians 1:6-7

Nelson Mandela was imprisoned for twenty-seven years for his resistance to South Africa’s apartheid government. Held in harsh conditions on Robben Island and other prisons, he endured hard physical labor and isolation, but never gave up his vision for a just and unified South Africa. Through his letters from prison and emphasis on peace, he became a symbol of resistance and reconciliation. Upon his release in 1990, he chose forgiveness over revenge, working to dismantle apartheid through peace and dialogue. In 1994, he became South Africa’s first Black president. Mandela’s endurance and graciousness, forged through severe suffering, offered his country and the world a profound example of joyful perseverance.

The church in Thessalonica also served as an example for joyful perseverance in the face of severe suffering. Welcoming the gospel was not easy for the church. Unlike other churches in southern Greece, such as Corinth, the Thessalonian church endured harsh persecution from their community. Still, they remained joyful. Paul helps us understand the source of their joy. Their joy was not a result of their circumstances but in spite of them.

God does not promise that we will never experience suffering after receiving the gospel. In spite of our circumstances, he offers joy through the presence of the Holy Spirit.

Embrace the Spirit’s gift of joy no matter your circumstances.

Mark Moore is an associate professor of theology at Jessup University (CA) and an associate pastor at Faith Legacy Church in Sacramento, CA.

© 2026 Wesleyan Publishing House. Reprinted from Light from the Word. Used by permission. Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®.