Daily Devo

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They stood in their places and confessed their sins and the sins of their ancestors. (Neh. 9:2)

Expanded Passage: Nehemiah 9:1-3

Sharing our shortcomings is scary yet necessary. It requires a level of vulnerability that is not easy. When I lost my job due to the company’s losing a big contract, I did not want to discuss it with anyone. I feared the judgment of others. I worried they would somehow think that I had done something wrong and would consider me less than worthy as an employee and person. However, God often calls us to be authentic with others for their benefit as much as our own. And, in sharing with another individual what happened to me, I created a safe space for them to share their stories as well. Furthermore, the initial conversation led to more in-depth conversations about life, love, and Christ.

We have all sinned just like the Israelites. However, they were willing, under the right leadership, to stand before God and not only confess their current sins, but also the sins of their ancestors.

The key to salvation and holy living is not absolute perfection. Only Christ can enjoy that. The key is a willing heart ready to confess the sins of our past and present, while seeking forgiveness and accepting the consequences of our actions. Kingdom leaders are not perfect, but they are willing to pursue perfection in the light of Christ’s image by living authentically before others and God.

Authentically share your testimony of God’s saving grace in your life.

Tara Klein, a lover of words, shares her imperfect, unconventional Christian journey as a female, mother, and wife to invite others into God’s unconditional love.

© 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!

Ezra opened the [Book of the Law]. All the people could see him because he was standing above them. (Neh. 8:5)

Expanded Passage: Nehemiah 8:1-10, 18

As an accounting manager in corporate America, I prepared the annual company budget. This task often required decreasing or reallocating departmental funds to meet financial goals and growth metrics. The decision on what to cut typically came from upper management not the individual managers. Thus, the meetings to reveal the changes were never easy. Department heads felt the reductions or reallocations would hinder their ability to perform effectively, and therefore did not want to comply. However, my responsibility was to explain the reasons the changes were necessary and the benefits they would bring to the organization as a whole. My responsibility was to stand at the front of the room and show them effectively how to stand with the company.

As Ezra stood with the book of the law open before the people, they also stood. And as he praised God, so did they. He presented to them what was best for the entire community, and as they listened, they understood and followed. Without individuals willing to stand out and share truth, those needing direction will suffer.

As an accountant, I shared the truth behind the numbers. And as a Christ follower, I share the truth within God’s Word. Courage and a willingness to stand out in the crowd of opposition are necessary to effectively lead others to the freedom found only in Christ.

Find one person to boldly share God’s truth with today.

Tara Klein, a lover of words, shares her imperfect, unconventional Christian journey as a female, mother, and wife to invite others into God’s unconditional love.

© 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!

Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare. (Heb. 4:13)

Expanded Passage: Hebrews 4:12-13

Shaun was a great ball player recruited by the head coach of his university. He came from a high school where he was the team captain and a star player who led his team to several victories. Thus, his spot on the university team was guaranteed. All he needed to do was earn the right to play as a starter. He practiced tirelessly until the day of tryouts. When the time came, he gave it his all. He controlled the ball at every opportunity, made every shot himself, not relying on teammates to stop the other players. He was unstoppable. However, he did not make the starting lineup. Afterwards, the coach shared he had plenty of great ball players on the team, but for starters he looked at more than just skill. He examined the player’s heart, attitude, and commitment to the team.

God loves to see his children in church, serving others or learning Bible verses; however, that is not enough. Just as the coach examined the whole player, so does God. He searches every part of our being. We may try to focus on him by our actions, but God sees all.

Amid serving others we can sometimes forget that our actions are not enough. God cares most about who we are and our willingness to be transformed from the inside out, not about what we do.

Ask God to transform your actions, thoughts, and words.

Tara Klein, a lover of words, shares her imperfect, unconventional Christian journey as a female, mother, and wife to invite others into God’s unconditional love.

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

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I long for your salvation, Lord, and your law gives me delight. (Ps. 119:174)

Expanded Passage: Psalm 119:171-176

The details matter when reconciling the financial accounts of an organization. If the statement sent from the bank does not align with the actual cash on hand, then there is a problem. Likewise, if the credit card statement shows more charges than documented in the books, there could be reason for concern. However, when everything aligns perfectly, an accountant experiences a certain level of euphoria. Most organizations have an allowance for minor differences in reconciling statements. Yet, the detail-oriented accountant desires to know every cent is accounted for and reconciled. In a sense, the accountant longs for balance; they take delight in complying with the rules and long for the peace of order and correctness.

Similarly, the psalmist longed for the peace of God’s salvation and took delight in his law. The psalmist recognized the importance of the details in his journey with God and willingly sought to reconcile himself to his Lord.

Just as the details matter to the accountant, they should also matter to me as a Christ follower. I desire God’s peace, love, and guidance, but I often forget the details required to experience them. Even though God’s Word provides the details, I must comply with my actions. To truly experience and share God with others, we must pursue the details of his Word. As the psalmist shares, it can be a delight!

Find time to pursue the details of God’s Word more deeply.

Tara Klein, a lover of words, shares her imperfect, unconventional Christian journey as a female, mother, and wife to invite others into God’s unconditional love.

© 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!

Jonah obeyed the word of the Lord and went to Nineveh. (Jonah 3:3)

Expanded Passage: Jonah 3:3-10

Effective leaders understand that their most important responsibility is knowing how to follow. As team captain of a high-school sports team, you’re in a position of leadership. Other players look to the captain for guidance, direction, and how to behave, both on and off the field. Many times, the captain even makes tough play and player calls based on their knowledge of the team and team goals—knowledge gained from the coach. By doing so, the team captain leads the team, modeling how to follow the coach. Even when they do not agree with the coach’s call, they still obey, recognizing that the coach is the ultimate authority for the team.

Jonah did not agree with God’s request for him to go to Nineveh. However, he knew as a leader of God’s people he must obey. He set aside his concerns to trust God’s will for him and the people of Nineveh.

My immediate obedience can sometimes depend on my feelings about the task. In those moments, I must remind myself it is not about me. It is about God’s team, and he is the coach. To effectively lead for him, we must be willing to set aside our own feelings and obey his requests, even when we may initially disagree. The most important job of a leader is to follow Christ.

Prayerfully seek to lead by following.

Tara Klein, a lover of words, shares her imperfect, unconventional Christian journey as a female, mother, and wife to invite others into God’s unconditional love.

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

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Their hearts are secure, they will have no fear. (Ps. 112:8)

Expanded Passage: Psalm 112:1-10

One of the members in my church, a man in his late eighties, died in his sleep a few days ago. He was an expert carpenter. I just spent the afternoon with his family, helping them plan the memorial service. His children walked me around their house, pointing out their dad’s handiwork in the form of cabinets, dressers, window blinds, and work desks. But what struck me the most was not their father’s elaborate skill in woodworking. More importantly, I was amazed at his skill in building a family. Those who knew him bragged about what a great marriage he had with his wife of sixty-nine years. His four children, twenty-three grandchildren, and forty-one great-grandchildren would gather around his casket soon to honor his life. The artifacts of cedar and oak that he made for them served as reminders of the solid life he lived.

A man doesn’t live for almost ninety years without encountering some life-shaking challenges. But Psalm 112 gives us insight into how to survive those challenges. We can keep our soul anchored by trusting the Lord in every new circumstance. A stable faith is the foundation for a stable marriage. A stable marriage is the foundation for a stable family. And a stable family is the foundation for a flourishing, godly legacy. Is your soul anchored by your trust in God?

Ask God to help you replace fear with faith.

Jarod Osborne is lead pastor of Pathway Church in Warsaw, Indiana. He is the author of Jaded Faith (WPH).

© 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 you are doing is not right.” (Neh. 5:9)

Expanded Passage: Nehemiah 5:1-9

For a sports fan, nothing is worse than watching a championship game, cheering for your team, and then looking on helplessly as you watch the referee make terrible calls that cost your team the win. Fans can cheer like crazy for their team and boo for the opponents, but nothing gets a crowd riled up like a blind ref. We all have an internal “justice meter” that knows what is fair and right. When that sense of justice is violated, we expect someone in charge to step in. If they don’t, we want to take matters into our own hands. This response is true in sports, law, and even an elementary school classroom.

Sometimes we blame God for allowing injustice in society. But God has given his authority to leaders to bring goodness into his world. Government officials have God-granted power to ensure justice. Parents have a responsibility to discipline their children, to help them learn what’s right, and to keep them safe from harm. Bosses have a responsibility toward their employees. Teachers must ensure safety and fairness in their classrooms. Often, injustice prevails due not to the negligence of God, but to the cowardice of leaders.

Regardless of what level of authority God has given you, he expects that you lead on his behalf, which means calling fouls and helping those in your care play by the rules.

Don’t turn a blind eye to an act of injustice.

Jarod Osborne is lead pastor of Pathway Church in Warsaw, Indiana. He is the author of Jaded Faith (WPH).

© 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!

Carry each other’s burdens. (Gal. 6:2)

Expanded Passage: Galatians 6:1-10

My kids love to go on walks in the woods with me. They are both toddlers, so we don’t cover as many miles together as I do alone. But we have fun. For a while anyway. Then one of them gets tired and begs to be carried until I concede. With half a mile to go to get to the car, I inevitably find myself hoisting one of them on my shoulders. Sometimes I even carry both of them at the same time. This requires a lot of extra effort for me, but I am usually glad to do it, because I love them.

Somehow as adults, we grow out of the honest vulnerability that we once had as children. We become wary of letting other people see our personal struggles. We wait too long to ask for help. We are afraid that we’ll burden someone else with our problems because they have enough of their own. And in holding our troubles close, we often miss one of the nearest gifts that God has given us to be renewed—each other.

Carrying each other’s burdens doesn’t mean getting bogged down. It means sharing in their struggle, and ultimately bearing those burdens away to Christ in prayer. To do this, we must take a risk. And that risk is trusting one another.

Share a personal struggle with a trusted friend.

Jarod Osborne is lead pastor of Pathway Church in Warsaw, Indiana. He is the author of Jaded Faith (WPH).

© 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!

There are many parts, but one body. (1 Cor. 12:20)

Expanded Passage: 1 Corinthians 12:12-20

Recently, someone advised me to grow as a leader by focusing on my weaknesses. Much of business and leadership theory would disagree. We do not become our best selves by putting our energy into our worst areas. We are most effective when we develop and use our strengths. LeBron James would not have become a better athlete by spending half his days swimming. And Michael Phelps would not have become a more successful Olympian by spending half of his training time on the basketball court. The secret to their success was playing to their strengths.

God has given you areas of strength. And yet you are incomplete by yourself. You need others, and they need you. Realizing this simple design principle allows you to value people in your church who are different and even celebrate their strengths that are your weaknesses. These differences need not be points of contention. In fact, God made each of us with a special function.

As one woman in my church said, “I used to put so much pressure on myself to send cards to everyone who was sick, because so-and-so in my Sunday school class did that. Then I realized, that was her thing. I am a good cook, so now instead of cards, I send cookies.” And for some, the cookies are more of blessing than a card!

Thank God specifically for your strengths and weaknesses.

Jarod Osborne is lead pastor of Pathway Church in Warsaw, Indiana. He is the author of Jaded Faith (WPH).

© 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!

For we are co-workers in God’s service. (1 Cor. 3:9)

Expanded Passage: 1 Corinthians 3:1-9

It’s natural for people to describe a church based on who pastors it. “Have you heard of 12Stone? Oh, that’s Kevin Myers’ church. Brooklyn Tabernacle? Oh, you must be talking about Jim Cymbala’s church.” This way of describing a church happens with nationally renowned leaders as well as your local pastor down the road.

Yet most Christians know that the church doesn’t really belong to the leader. Every church belongs to Jesus, and the pastor is simply a servant of Jesus Christ leading that church for that time. But if most of us know this, why do we still see so much leader worship in our churches, just like Paul found in the church at Corinth?

Perhaps the simplest way to begin to change our mindset is to change our language. For example, whenever I introduce myself during a worship service, I always say my name and that “I serve here as the lead pastor.” Oftentimes in opening prayer before church board meetings, I slip in the phrase “Jesus, this is your church, and we are your servants.”

This simple shift in language can cause a large ripple effect in attitude. As leaders and as followers, our role is to point people to Jesus Christ, not to ourselves or our favorite preacher or pastoral personality. How can you help point others to Christ in this way?

Pray for Jesus to be the only leader worshiped in your church.

Jarod Osborne is lead pastor of Pathway Church in Warsaw, Indiana. He is the author of Jaded Faith (WPH).

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