Daily Devo

Listen to today’s devo!

It is hard to make it clear to you because you no longer try to understand. (Heb. 5:11)

Expanded Passage: Hebrews 5:11-12

To truly listen is an exercise in letting go of our own ideas. The summer before my junior year of high school was a turning point in learning the art of listening, when I got the opportunity to participate in a program that taught me how to understand . . . or at least, the art of trying to understand.

“Find a partner,” our workshop instructor exclaimed, as each of us turned bashfully to and fro attempting to avoid being the last person still alone. I remember being asked to discuss a set of basic questions with the person I was paired with. What would follow was unexpected.

“As you listen, resist the urge to react or comment on what your partner is sharing.”

It felt unnatural at first, but when we were invited to turn to who we’d just spent our effort listening to, and recite what we heard them share, it made sense.

A gracious response is only half of what it takes to truly “try to understand.” The other half is to try hearing someone from their own perspective. Don’t settle for a relationship of rushing to react with your own ideas. Simply still yourself and take time to be with this God who is worth getting to know—one who hears our heart’s every desire and knows our head’s every hair. Yet how often do we pause and make the space to truly listen to him?

Take a moment to hear God from his perspective.

Amy Boyle lives in Indianapolis, where she’s a disciple, friend, and neighbor, an Indiana Wesleyan alum and twenty-something, passionate about knowing Jesus and making him known.

© 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!

He was heard because of his reverent submission. Son though he was, he learned obedience from what he suffered. (Heb. 5:7–8)

Expanded Passage: Hebrews 5:6-10

The lessons that cost us greatly are often the ones we remember the most. If we’re fortunate, the cost is merely monetary, but sometimes we get it written permanently on our skin.

What began in haste as a “walk-in” to a cramped studio in downtown Chicago turned into a two-hour sit-in that led to one of my life’s most visible failures: an upside-down tattoo. After several back-and-forth discussions with the artist about placement, it only later dawned on me that I got the tattoo upside down.

The irony? “Slow down” was the meaning of the Hebrew characters the artist penned on my wrist. Even further is the comedy of getting a speeding ticket for breezing thirty miles over the limit only two months later. The lessons that cost us greatly—whether written upside down on our wrists or withdrawn from our bank account to pay tickets we deserve—will be the ones we remember the most.

Obedience is best learned from the lessons that cost us. And the lessons learned are evidence of a God who cares enough to correct us, to clarify his desire for us, and call us to keep his commands, because submission, not insistence, is what the Father listens to. And we know from 1 John 2:6 that “whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus did.” So how will you?

Thank God for his correcting hand.

Amy Boyle lives in Indianapolis, where she’s a disciple, friend, and neighbor, an Indiana Wesleyan alum and twenty-something, passionate about knowing Jesus and making him known.

© 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!

God said to him, “You are my Son; today I have become your Father.” (Heb. 5:5)

Expanded Passage: Hebrews 5:4-5

As one who is adopted, identity is a reality that cuts deep. The wound of being called “orphan” and feeling “un-chosen” by my birth parents is a childhood memory that never ceases its need for Christ’s cleansing. So, the first time that I read the Father speaking identity over the Son, those words had weight to me, more than I imagine they would for most.

The calling, glory, and honor, however, had less to do with Christ taking high roles on himself. Rather, it was more about him receiving who the Father said he was as “Son.”

How often we allow ambition and a sense of lack to crowd out the assurance and confidence that we already have in him whose pleasure it was to choose us in Christ “before the creation of the world” (Eph. 1:4)?

Whether out of forgetfulness or discontent, abandoning our first calling as children adopted by him is often the source of our life’s many strivings. If we reject rather than receive the place that the Father has appointed for us, we ought not be surprised when we find ourselves lost or lacking. No performance, work ethic, reputation, or even relationship will ever be a satisfactory replacement for receiving the truth of who the Father says we are in Christ.

Let your “self” be undone by the One whose love calls you “son” or “daughter.”

Receive who the Father says you are.

Amy Boyle lives in Indianapolis, where she’s a disciple, friend, and neighbor, an Indiana Wesleyan alum and twenty-something, passionate about knowing Jesus and making him known.

© 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!

He is able to deal gently with those who are ignorant and are going astray, since he himself is subject to weakness. (Heb. 5:2)

Expanded Passage: Hebrews 5:1-3

Immanuel was not only the name Mary was told to give her son, it was a blessed assurance of God’s presence. Not only a promise, “God with us” was becoming an embodied person (Matt. 1:23). “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us” (John 1:14). He became one of us, identifying with our every vulnerability.

Early Christians would say, “What he has not assumed, he has not redeemed,” meaning that Christ’s willingness to experience weakness was the very way in which he healed humanity. There is comfort in knowing God was willing to walk with his people in their shoes. His divinity was not diminished by the humility that it took him to become human. Rather, it paved the way for humanity’s relationship with God to be restored.

“He made himself nothing . . . being made in human likeness” rather than considering “equality with God something to be used to his own advantage” (Phil. 2:6–7). Jesus cared about us enough to be inconvenienced by our condition, so that we could be close to him.

This closeness with the human condition is what moves Jesus to compassion when he sees the crowds in Matthew 9:36. Jesus knows firsthand their weaknesses and is familiar with their frailties. He’s not distant, he’s intimate. And this proximity is precisely what enables him to deal tenderly with the lost.

Consider who Christ is calling you to draw close to.

Amy Boyle lives in Indianapolis, where she’s a disciple, friend, and neighbor, an Indiana Wesleyan alum and twenty-something, passionate about knowing Jesus and making him known.

© 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 is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge. (Ps. 18:2)

Expanded Passage: Psalm 18:1-3, 16-19

Have you ever been in a storm that scared you to the core? Have you ever felt utterly helpless in a situation? Did you stop to remind yourself of all the ways God can protect you from the hazards and struggles of this world? Is there anything God cannot do for our benefit? Often we face problems in life that we may think are too small for God to care about, or that we need to make the decisions to better the situation. The reality is that God can, and does, handle everything we face regardless of how important we think it may be. If it is important to us, then it is important to God.

When things are falling apart, it is in God that we find the anchor, the stability, and protection from everything we face. He guides us through the storm and provides the shelter we need. We have to be aware that the answer we think we want may not be the answer we need. He gives what we need most, not what we would prefer in the moment.

Whatever you are holding on to, whatever you are struggling with, whatever mountain you may be facing—give it to God. His protection is infinitely restful.

Take refuge in God’s mighty arms.

Jayson McGraw is the assistant pastor at Liberty Center Wesleyan Church of Liberty Center, Ohio. He also serves as Sunday school superintendent and leads the community outreach program.

© 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!

Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. (Heb. 4:16)

Expanded Passage: Hebrews 4:1-16

“Ready or not, here I come!” We all recognize that familiar chant after counting to whatever number it took for everyone else to hide from us. Then we begin the hunt, running frantically and looking around corners and into shadows to see if we can catch someone making a break for the base. Perhaps we get a glimpse of something and take off into the shadows, convinced we are about to catch a friend. To our shocked surprise, not our friend, but a cat leaps out and scares us. We were so confident that we were about to surprise that hidden friend, but it was us who got the surprise.

While we are seeking to find God’s wisdom in our lives, sometimes he will pop out of nowhere and surprise us into a moment of submission. Imagine if we were to approach the throne of God with the same confidence we run into dark spaces because we believe a friend is occupying that space. The reality is, we do have a wonderful and true Friend in place, waiting for us to be ready to receive him.

Ready or not, here comes God! Hold firm to your faith, and find the peace you seek in his arms.

Take confidence and remain open for God to surprise you!

Jayson McGraw is the assistant pastor at Liberty Center Wesleyan Church of Liberty Center, Ohio. He also serves as Sunday school superintendent and leads the community outreach program.

© 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!

Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. (Heb. 4:14)

Expanded Passage: Hebrews 4:14-16

Think for a moment about a new and hopeful pole vaulter. The mechanics involved to run, plant, kick, lift, and vault oneself over the bar accurately and safely are incredible. I tried in high school and just couldn’t get myself off the ground at the right angle. I fell backwards too many times and never built up the confidence to stick with it and learn how to actually accomplish the goal. If the vaulter doesn’t have a strong enough hold on the pole when they plant, their hands will slide back and the pole will not be in the proper spot to provide the necessary lift. My coach always tried to give the same advice to everyone that was struggling: have the confidence to know you will clear the bar, and just do it.

Jesus Christ set the bar for us in our spiritual lives, and we are told throughout Scripture to aim to be Christlike. If we are going to mirror these attributes, we must have a firm grip on our own faith and the confidence to share that faith whenever we have the opportunity.

Have the confidence to know that you hold the key to clearing the bar—faith and trust in Jesus Christ. When you come to someone that needs a spiritual boost, just do it. Share the faith and rest in God’s peace.

Watch and trust God for the opportunity he is bringing you.

Jayson McGraw is the assistant pastor at Liberty Center Wesleyan Church of Liberty Center, Ohio. He also serves as Sunday school superintendent and leads the community outreach program.

© 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!

Anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from their works, just as God did from his. (Heb. 4:10)

Expanded Passage: Hebrews 4:8-13

While preparing for an anniversary vacation with my wife, I began to run through everything that was needed to prepare for said trip. I planned everything for my time away from my job, moved appointments around, and planned out the work orders to be done a few days early with wiggle room for that “uh-oh” situation. I then made sure things around the house were checked and nothing was going to be left undone. Everything from childcare, to food, to taking the trash out a couple days earlier than normal so it was taken care of. The problem is that there are only twenty-four hours in a day, and all I really accomplished was wearing myself out for multiple days in a row and stressing that something might have to wait to get done. There are times in life we are frantic to tie up loose ends in order to prepare for what should be a relaxing time away from that same workload.

Even God, the creator of all known and unknown matter in the universe, took a break from his important works. God rested because his creation work was accomplished, but he wasn’t finished for all time! He continued to create after he rested.

Embrace the break, knowing God may be preparing you for grander works.

Jayson McGraw is the assistant pastor at Liberty Center Wesleyan Church of Liberty Center, Ohio. He also serves as Sunday school superintendent and leads the community outreach program.

© 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!

“Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts.” (Heb. 4:7)

Expanded Passage: Hebrews 4:6-7

You are sitting at home, the phone rings, the caller ID says “Unknown, Important Call.” Do you answer? Most people will let it go to voicemail, but then the unknown caller may not leave a message. Now what do you do? Most of us would probably ignore and forget about the call and move on with our plans for the day, perhaps even relieved that we didn’t mistakenly take a call from a telemarketer or a scammer. In a world where we can usually see who is calling, this uncertain moment is anxiety-inducing for most people. Since the caller didn’t leave a message, you may just assume it was unimportant. But what if the call was an emergency, or they were trying to give you some life-changing news?

We never know when God is going to reach out to us or the means he will use. His call is for you to grow in your relationship with him and to enter into his rest. Relationships are a two-way street, and a relationship with God is no different. We will have opportunities to answer the call, but we have to soften our hardened hearts first. When we are willing to accept the call, even if it is from a previously unknown number, we may hear God’s life-changing message.

Answer the call and let Christ in.

Jayson McGraw is the assistant pastor at Liberty Center Wesleyan Church of Liberty Center, Ohio. He also serves as Sunday school superintendent and leads the community outreach program.

© 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 somewhere he has spoken about the seventh day in these words: “On the seventh day God rested from all his works.” (Heb. 4:4)

Expanded Passage: Hebrews 4:4-5

As we watch the farmers begin to take in their harvest, we see so much of their efforts hauled away in open-top trucks to go to the silos and weigh stations. These farmers often spend sixteen hours a day in their fields, driving their machinery, hoping to get the crops harvested before the weather stops cooperating with them. How easy it is for us to take their work for granted! It is not until we are going through a grocery store that we are actually in the presence of the fruits (and vegetables) of their labor. They put in those long days for as long as it takes until all their fields are harvested. Then, and only then, do they take a rest from their work.

When God sat back on the Sabbath day and decided to rest, it wasn’t because he was tired or exhausted, and it wasn’t because he just didn’t want to do anymore. He rested on the Sabbath because it was a job well done. All that was left for the Creator of the world to do was to rest from his work as we enjoyed the fruit of his labor.

We are all called into service to God, but not for our own benefit. We are there to perform this work so others can enjoy the benefits of a righteous relationship with our Creator.

Complete the work God has called you to, then rest.

Jayson McGraw is the assistant pastor at Liberty Center Wesleyan Church of Liberty Center, Ohio. He also serves as Sunday school superintendent and leads the community outreach program.

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