Daily Devo

Listen to today’s devo!

He led you through the vast and dreadful wilderness, that thirsty and waterless land, with its venomous snakes and scorpions. He brought you water out of hard rock. (Deut. 8:15)

Expanded Passage: Deuteronomy 8:1-18

A youth leader in crisis called me, An addiction he thought was behind him was now back and shaking up his marriage His anger at himself soon moved to tears because he knew he had to tell his wife. The only thing that came to mind for me was a song by Kurt Carr called “I Almost Let Go.” This song felt like a good one for us to listen to, so I played it. When it got to this part of the song, I could hear a deep sob from him. It said:

So I'm here today because God kept me

I'm alive today only because of his grace

Oh, he kept me, God kept me, he kept me

So I wouldn't let go

Not only did this young leader tell his wife, but that Sunday he went before the congregation and repented. Even through this darkness, God kept him.

When I think about what God did with his people from the wilderness to the land of Canaan, all I can think about is how God’s grace kept them. From Moses to Joshua, God kept them. From bitter water to fresh water in Elim, God kept them. From the golden calf to the giving of the ten commandments, God kept them. If he can keep them through all of that, surely his grace can keep us today.

Let God’s grace keep you so you won’t let go.

Santes Beatty is an ordained minister and serves as the director of NextGen for Church Multiplication and Discipleship of The Wesleyan Church. He loves traveling with his family, writing, cooking, and equipping leaders.

© 2025 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!

Then your heart will become proud and you will forget the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. (Deut. 8:14)

Expanded Passage: Deuteronomy 8:10-14

A close friend was desperate to prove himself after he took charge of the family business. All of us were excited for him to use his education to advance a company that had spanned three generations. As I sat with him one day I began to notice an out of character desire for gaining more money, business, and power.

Later, I was watching The Lion King with my kids. Simba is wrestling with what to do when he sees his father’s reflection and hears his father’s words: “remember who you are!”

I reached out to my friend to ask him this question: “do you remember why your family started this business?” He paused for a moment before he said, “yes, it was to serve the people in this community.” Before I could even ask him a follow up question, he lifted up his head and said, “no matter who leads, that should never change.” My friend’s pride and competitiveness had gotten the best of him, but when he remembered where he came from, he was able to make a change.

This was also true of God’s people when they were told to remember what God had done for them. The cost of forgetting is we think we made it by our skills, effort or education. However, a glimpse into our history reveals that it was God’s grace that kept us.

What do you need to remember today in order to resist a posture of pride?

Santes Beatty is an ordained minister and serves as the director of NextGen for Church Multiplication and Discipleship of The Wesleyan Church. He loves traveling with his family, writing, cooking, and equipping leaders.

© 2025 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 the Lord your God is bringing you into a good land—a land with brooks, streams, and deep springs gushing out into the valleys and hills (Deut. 8:7)

Expanded Passage: Deuteronomy 8:6-9

I won’t ever forget the season between my proposal to my wife and our wedding day. I asked her to marry me more than a year before we said “I do,” against the counsel of some friends and mentors. Nicole and I felt strongly about the time we would spend in pre-marital counseling, getting to know each other better and saving money.. What did come from that time of preparation was both great anticipation and a wonderful witness to what God can do if you remain faithful. It has now been twenty-one years and I think we would both say he is still bringing us into a good place, helping us to love each other more as our family has grown.

I’m so thankful for these moments in Scripture where we can see how God is at work and what God is able to do. Often, I have wondered how God’s people felt when they heard these things but had not yet entered into the promise. Did they doubt themselves, their current situations, or their God? The term “is bringing” is a challenging one for all of us. However, that is what faith is all about. It is trusting that God is a promise keeper and that he will bring us into what he has promised. We simply need to hold on and trust, even when others may doubt.

Trust God to keep his promise, bringing you into a good place.

Santes Beatty is an ordained minister and serves as the director of NextGen for Church Multiplication and Discipleship of The Wesleyan Church. He loves traveling with his family, writing, cooking, and equipping leaders.

© 2025 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!

Your clothes did not wear out and your feet did not swell during these forty years. (Deut. 8:4)

Expanded Passage: Deuteronomy 8:4-5

It was my day to head to the dentist for a regular appointment. Like most people I was not excited to sit in that chair, have bright lights all around my head and have someone poking around my mouth. I asked my dentist if I didn’t have cavities, why did I have to come into his office twice a year. He responded that most of what he was doing now with my teeth was preventative and proactive instead of reactive. One could argue that this is similar to what we call “prevenient grace” in John Wesley’s Order of Salvation. Just as God’s prevenient grace prepares our hearts for salvation, God’s preventative care can prepare, protect, and preserve us through all of life’s challenges.

It is hard for us to imagine wandering in the wilderness for forty years and our clothes not wearing out or our feet swelling. They were in a desert without any of the amenities or resources we have access to today. When God sustains us, it is far better than any amenity we could grasp by human origin. I think this is a reminder of God’s “preventative treatments” in our lives. Even though there are imperfections in my life, God is still working on my behalf to preserve me. In this story we know God’s people had made plenty of mistakes and had turned away from him many times. However, God’s faithfulness remained.

Acknowledge where God is sustaining and protecting you right now.

Santes Beatty is an ordained minister and serves as the director of NextGen for Church Multiplication and Discipleship of The Wesleyan Church. He loves traveling with his family, writing, cooking, and equipping leaders.

© 2025 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 humbled you, feeding you with manna to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord. (Deut. 8:3)

Expanded Passage: Deuteronomy 8:2-3

In the NBA playoffs, one team and their star player were on a winning streak. In a stand-out game, the team lost in an embarrassing fashion to their opponents. . . Their leader took the blame for their loss. He shared how humbling the loss was, but how it would refocus his team. He said that he was ready to go back and play that same night. You could hear the hunger in his voice that emerged from their humbling experience They went on to win that series, shocking the sports world.

In our passage today it is as if God knew how easy it would be for us to forget the way he works in our lives. He reminds them of their years in the desert. These moments were like a refining fire to see if they would keep his commands. One of those tests was what they would do with the manna. Moses suggests that it was to teach them to rely not on bread, but on God’s word.

Most of us don’t like the humbling process that God takes us through. We would rather the mountain top and the “wins” instead of the learning that comes through losses. I’m so thankful that God is not handing out participation trophies, but calling us into something greater that requires grit, turning humbling times into teachable moments. .

Consider how what is humbling you could be a gift from God.

Santes Beatty is an ordained minister and serves as the director of NextGen for Church Multiplication and Discipleship of The Wesleyan Church. He loves traveling with his family, writing, cooking, and equipping leaders.

© 2025 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!

Follow every command I am giving you today, so that you may live and increase and may enter and possess the land the Lord promised on oath to your ancestors. (Deut. 8:1)

Expanded Passage: Deuteronomy 8:1

In high school I had the privilege of being a part of our ROTC Drill Team. Although there were several teams within our overall ROTC program, the Drill Team was the most decorated and prestigious. Practices were intense where preparation often predicted the team’s performance. The key was always listening to the voice of the one calling out the instructions and finding the balance of the rhythm of their cadence, your body and the movements of the team. When done well it was one of the most beautiful displays of oneness and synchronization I had ever seen.

In this passage, God says that if the Israelites follow his instructions, they will 1) Live 2) Increase 3) Enter 4) Possess his Promise. When an “if/then” clause comes up in Scripture it is an indication that if we do something God instructs us to do, then something else is guaranteed to happen. Notice how God points them back to his instructions. I think sometimes we run the risk of looking for something new, powerful and profound, when in actuality it may be simple and straightforward. What was the last thing God asked us to do? Have you been faithful with that? If not, maybe going back to his last set of instructions will be the first step to live, increase, enter and possess what he has for you.

Tune in to the voice of the Instructor for your next step.

Santes Beatty is an ordained minister and serves as the director of NextGen for Church Multiplication and Discipleship of The Wesleyan Church. He loves traveling with his family, writing, cooking, and equipping leaders.

© 2025 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!

Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom. (Ps. 90:12)

Expanded Passage: Psalm 90

Waiting for my dad to have his MRI was another reminder his terminal illness was real. My mind traveled to the unknown days ahead. Will he be in a lot of pain? How many more days will I have with him? A nurse entered the waiting room and stopped in front of me. As she handed me a blanket she sweetly said, “I gave your dad his warm blanket and he asked if I would bring one to you too.”

Wrapped in the warmth of the blanket, I was reminded of my dad’s compassion and of the warmth of God’s love. I, then, shifted my focus and gave all my worries to God, for he knows the date not only of my dad’s death, but also mine.

Each day the Children of Israel traveled in the wilderness, God met their needs. He provided manna, water, and shelter at applicable times.

Why do we spend time worrying? We express concerns for days past, for the worries of each day, and even into the future through fear of the unknown. Let us remember that God still provides for us just like he did for the Israelites.

Instead of spending idle hours in worrying, we should replace the fear in our hearts with thoughts of God’s love, which can cover us like a warm blanket through our remaining days..

Replace your worries with the warm covering of God’s love.

Denise Moore Greene was raised in The Wesleyan Church and resides in North Carolina. She enjoys time with her husband, children, and five grandchildren.

© 2025 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!

Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. (Deut. 6:7)

Expanded Passage: Deuteronomy 6:1-12

Recently at a Ladies’ Breakfast, my sister spoke on “Busyness.” Each person wrote a “To-Do List” for the following week. They were encouraged to include the activities that only took a few minutes, in addition to those that took the entire day. The list included: house chores, preparing meals, schoolwork, changing diapers, and paying bills, among other things. Debbie also encouraged them to list places they needed to travel. The planned visits included locations such as: church, nail salon, doctor’s office, ball field, grocery store, and bank.

Moses knew regardless of how busy one was, God was to be priority. He emphasized to the Israelites that they should always talk about God. Furthermore, he explained the importance of not only learning and knowing the commandments but to also to be obedient.

If we wrote a “To-Do List,” what would our “busyness” look like? Would these include God in the first draft, or would he be an afterthought penciled in? Just as the ladies reviewed their list, we must look at ours. If cooking a meal is listed, we could prepare meals for others. When traveling to the grocery store, we could offer to get items for a shut-in. Other ways to include God in our “busyness” can include witnessing, praying, and sending cards. Most importantly, we should keep looking for a way to show kindness and God’s love.

While we are busy, stop and evaluate our “To-Do List” and verify he is included in permanent ink.

Reflect on your to-do list and consider how God is included.

Denise Moore Greene was raised in The Wesleyan Church and resides in North Carolina. She enjoys time with her husband, children, and five grandchildren.

© 2025 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!

Be careful that you do not forget the Lord, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. (Deut. 6:12)

Expanded Passage: Deuteronomy 6:10-12

“Are you really calling your mom to help us find a hermit crab?” I heard as I picked up my phone. My mom had a routine of praying when items went missing. Sometimes recovery would come as soon as she said “Amen.” My family knew if something was lost, it was time to call mom. We contacted her when we lost keys, glasses, wallets, and now, a hermit crab.

The crab had gotten out of its cage earlier that morning and midafternoon we still had no luck finding the pet. Hanging up the phone I stated, “Mom said a prayer for us.” Within five minutes we heard a scratching noise nearby and to our amazement, it was the hermit crab! I instantly pressed redial and told her we had found the crab. Mom responded, “Now, we need to thank him.” She continued, “So many times we ask God for things, but then we forget to thank him.”

Moses told Israel not to forget how God provided for them in the wilderness. When there was nothing to drink, he brought water from a rock. When there was no food, he supplied manna to eat. All along their journey, God provided for them.

Do we find the time to thank God for our blessings or do we take what we ask for and forget to say ‘Thanks’? Let us remember any provisions, great or small, are from him.

Say “thank you” for the provisions you receive today.

Denise Moore Greene was raised in The Wesleyan Church and resides in North Carolina. She enjoys time with her husband, children, and five grandchildren.

© 2025 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!

These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. (Deut. 6:6)

Expanded Passage: Deuteronomy 6:6-9

Oftentimes while driving my young grandson to school, he will begin repeating his class rules. “Do not interrupt the teacher, do not be the class clown, the bully, the victim, nor a ‘know it all.’” He continues with the positive attributes, “Be the smart one, listen to the teacher, treat others the way you want to be treated.”

Moses instructed the Children of Israel to instill God's commandments in this manner, but as with my grandson’s class, it was not enough to just memorize the rules; they had to live by them. God told them to dwell upon these commandments to the point that these rules were on their minds and hearts all the time. By living by these rules, they would be equipped to face life's challenges.

Initially for my grandson’s class, there had to be a time set aside to discuss, prioritize, and establish what rules are important for the students to observe. Today, we already know what rules to live by because Moses recorded God's commandments for us. We can just pick up the Bible and read to find these commandments. Then it is up to us to remember and to observe them.

It is no secret that life is full of daily struggles, however, with his commandments on the tip of our tongues and in reach of our fingertips, we can be prepared for each battle.

Recite the commandments daily to instill them in your heart.

Denise Moore Greene was raised in The Wesleyan Church and resides in North Carolina. She enjoys time with her husband, children, and five grandchildren.

© 2025 Wesleyan Publishing House. Reprinted from Light from the Word. Used by permission. Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®.