Daily Devo

Listen to today’s devo!

Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. (Deut. 6:5)

Expanded Passage: Deuteronomy 6:4-5

Hospitals can be a scary place, especially overnight for a six-year-old. Although my dad stayed with me after my surgery, I remember the warm smile from my pastor’s visit. Sweetly, he placed a bouquet of flowers in my small hands. A few days later Pastor Freeman came to our home with a large carton of chocolate ice cream. He expressed, “This is for you, and you do not have to share with your siblings.” Excitedly I grabbed the biggest spoon, sat in the middle of the room, and ate out of the carton.

Love speaks loudest when in action. We may love someone but unless time is invested, it is not effective. We can say we love God, but do our actions confirm? The places we go, the activities we do, the books we read are to represent him. Will others listen to our words, observe our actions, and conclude where our love resides?

Moses instructed the people of Israel to love God completely. He continued to express the importance of obeying God and of spending time learning about his commandments.

Just at the pastor invested time in me, let us invest in God’s word. By doing this, we can learn and mimic love. He has ample love for all; therefore we do not have to share. Love is unique. The more we give, the more we have.

Let excitement of God’s love be contagious!

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®.

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That you may increase greatly in a land flowing with milk and honey, just as the Lord, the God of your ancestors, promised you. (Deut.6:3)

Expanded Passage: Deuteronomy 6:3

Do you pinky promise?” my young daughter asked. She wanted the assurance a promise made to her was a done deal. Most of the promises I made to her coincided with her obeying and completing chores. I promised when she finished, she would be allowed to watch tv or play in her room. Now as a parent, during bedtime rituals with her children, my daughter conveys the importance of keeping their word. When it is time to settle down they say, “I promise.” Yet they often ask for a book, water, or another stuffed animal.

We, too, have good intentions in keeping the promises we make, yet our fragile bodies may cause us to break them. Although we had promised to speak at a conference, go to a game, visit a shut-in, or make a dessert, we may get sick. Although we mean the words, we cannot always follow through with our commitment.

God promised Israel they could go to the land of milk and honey if they obeyed him. Moses stressed to them the importance to be obedient to God's commandments. By doing this they would receive the rewards God promised them.

His promises are unbreakable. God only has to say the words “I promise.” We never have to wonder if God will change his mind because his promises are a done deal.

Share God’s promises with others.

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!

Fear the Lord your God as long as you live by keeping all his decrees and commands that I give you. (Deut. 6:2)

Expanded Passage: Deuteronomy 6:1-2

There are traditions including holiday meals, family game night, and summer vacations marked on our calendar. We participate in other activities that inadvertently become traditions. When my older siblings graduated from high school my parents gifted them with an onyx ring. However, as my graduation grew closer, I requested a typewriter instead. At that time I did not realize I was breaking a tradition. My parents, although the money was tight, purchased both for me.

My younger years are gone, and traditions have become more meaningful with age. Since my parents have passed, my siblings and I continue the tradition of enjoying some meals together. At these gatherings, the blessing for the food is sometimes sporadic due to everyone’s various arrival times. Recently our 10-year-old nephew got our attention with a question, “When can we hold hands, circle around the table, and say the grace like we used to?” Without realizing it, we had instilled in the younger generation our traditional way of giving thanks.

Moses knew his days were ending and he tried to grab the attention of Israel. He desired to keep God’s commandments, to fear him and to share this message with future generations. Now, my family not only keep the tradition of sharing meals together, but we have also designated 1:15 pm as the time to say the blessing around my parents’ table.

Consider the impact of your traditions, including those not yet recognized.

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®.

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Who is like you, Lord God Almighty? You, Lord, are mighty, and your faithfulness surrounds you. (Ps. 89:8)

Expanded Passage: Psalm 89:5-8

Leo Tolstoy said, “The sole meaning of life is to serve humanity.” This is proven true because Jesus spent his entire life on earth serving the humans he created. Other mythological gods spent their time in far-off realms being catered to or wreaking havoc on earth because of human failures. Our God, the living God, came to earth and took on the life of a servant and sacrificed his very own life to offer atonement and redemption to us.

God’s faithfulness, the faithfulness that deserves all praise and worship, is in his willingness to endure all of that for a callous, stiff-necked people (i.e., all of humanity). He served and sacrificed before you were even a thought. His love for us is not contingent on our ability to earn it or perform well enough. It is available as you are.

Every generation discovers that true happiness and fulfillment come from serving others. The secular world has even begun to embrace this reality through the influence of business practices and lifestyle gurus.

Christ’s life can be summarized in his atoning, redemptive sacrifice. This sacrifice was not a Levitical construct necessary in a cosmic checklist. Our God showed us how to live by coming down to earth, dwelling among us, and offering himself in the ultimate act of service. We are built to worship God and serve others, just as Jesus did.

Come up with a plan to serve someone this week.

Caleb Strickland is the lead pastor of Christ Wesleyan Church (CWC) in Winston Salem, NC.

© 2025 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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How much more, then, will the blood of Christ . . . cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God! (Heb. 9:14)

Expanded Passage: Leviticus 16:6-17, 20-22, 34; Hebrews 9:11-15

Atonement as a vocabulary word may be a foreign concept, but atonement as a lived experience is familiar to most. Humans intuitively know that something is off in this world. In Mere Christianity, C.S. Lewis notes that the very existence of the way something “ought to be” is an admission that something is off. We know that we are not as we ought to be and need to make amends, but how?

In Leviticus, God spoke through Moses to Aaron and began the grand project of providing a way back to him. Chaos and sin had barged into the peaceful garden that he had made. God created an outpost in the desert to begin rebuilding his kingdom that had been coopted by death and sin. The beginning of the plan was to prepare the people. They had to develop a language and a practice that helped identify the death and brokenness that humanity was experiencing.

The articulation and zealous avoidance of the brokenness was not enough for our God! He stepped down out of heaven into his creation and tore out the root of death, chaos, and sin once and for all. He did so by carrying our sins into the wilderness and cleansing us with his blood. This loving sacrifice allows us to live as we were designed to be: in constant communion with God for eternity.

Ask God to bring you into communion with him.

Caleb Strickland is the lead pastor of Christ Wesleyan Church (CWC) in Winston Salem, NC.

© 2025 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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But he entered the Most Holy Place once for all by his own blood, thus obtaining eternal redemption. (Heb. 9:12)

Expanded Passage: Hebrews 9:11-15

In 1758, the Society of Friends met to discern if their participation in the evil institution of slavery should continue. As they prayed and sought the guidance of the Holy Spirit, they were led to no longer hold slaves and to compensate those who were held in slavery with a wage for their time. These Quakers were attempting to redeem this horrible moment in history.

We began this week discussing the meaning of atonement: to make amends. Redeem, another word that deserves our time, has two meanings. According to the Oxford Dictionary, the first is “to compensate for faults,” and the second is to “regain possession of for payment.” Christ has done both! He made up for our faults by carrying our sins out of God’s presence and making us holy, and his blood covers our hearts and this world to give life. Christ is our Redeemer! Not only does he set us free from our sin, but he has redeemed us for our original purpose, to be his image bearer.

Being made free is an act of grace. Additionally, to be made whole as well is an act of love. Our God does not just want to rid the world of death; he also wants to restore the relationship with creation. The eternal atonement and redemption that Christ has brought are more than a temporary hold on sin and death; they are their defeat!

Have faith that freedom from sin is yours through Christ’s redeeming sacrifice.

Caleb Strickland is the lead pastor of Christ Wesleyan Church (CWC) in Winston Salem, NC.

© 2025 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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“This is to be a lasting ordinance for you: Atonement is to be made once a year for all the sins of the Israelites.” (Lev. 16:34)

Expanded Passage: Leviticus 16:34

Maintaining a vehicle is a constant endeavor. Service intervals for tires, oil, and routine maintenance are essential to maintaining this machine. If you neglect maintenance, then the car will not last. If you do maintain it, it will last longer.

The Levitical law was a sort of maintenance schedule for the people of God living in a fallen world. Ordinances that dictated how to remain pure or restore purity (avoiding death, bodily fluids, and diseases) were reminders that there was an invader in God’s creation. Sin and death had been allowed in by humanity’s desire to usurp God’s role, and this brokenness was a constant expression of that. These maintenance rituals were a way to temporarily fight against sin and brokenness in the world. Even when practiced perfectly, they had to be repeated constantly.

The atonement brought by these sacrifices was not a lasting one. Every year, more blood had to be spilled and another sacrifice had to carry the sins away. The blood that covered the Tabernacle and the priest was not sufficient to cut out the root of sin in humanity. It only coated the outside in life.

Christians today often trade the promise of eternal atonement for emotionalism and temporary fixes. We require emotional experiences because we have not accepted the eternal atonement offered through Christ.

Pray that God will give you peace through his eternal atonement.

Caleb Strickland is the lead pastor of Christ Wesleyan Church (CWC) in Winston Salem, NC.

© 2025 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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“The goat will carry on itself all their sins to a remote place; and the man shall release it in the wilderness.” (Lev. 16:22)

Expanded Passage: Leviticus 16:20-22

The scapegoat is fascinating. The priest would take two perfect goats and roll the cosmic dice to see which animal would die to cleanse the Tabernacle and which would carry the people's sins away to the wilderness. While you may think that the one who lived won, think again.

The priest would lay his hands on the scapegoat's head and confess all the people's sins so that they could be forgiven. The sins that were placed on the goat now had to be carried off. This goat did nothing wrong, and yet it carried the weight of the people’s sins into the wilderness, never to return. The quick end seems merciful in this wager.

Israel’s atonement required both sacrifices: one perfect sacrifice’s blood to cleanse the Tabernacle and another to take away the sins of the people. Christ does both with his atoning sacrifice. His blood cleanses the temple—our hearts—and he takes away our sins. He did not have any sin in his life, yet he took our sin and carried it into the wilderness. Christ lived in constant communion with God, yet he loves us so much that he carries our sins out of God’s presence so that we can join in that same communion.

We tend to focus on Christ’s cleansing blood, but I hope we never lose sight of the weight of carrying our sins away.

Offer praise to God for his sacrifice of hauling our sins away.

Caleb Strickland is the lead pastor of Christ Wesleyan Church (CWC) in Winston Salem, NC.

© 2025 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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“He is to take some of the bull’s blood and with his finger sprinkle it on the front of the atonement cover.” (Lev. 16:14)

Expanded Passage: Leviticus 16:11-17

The engine’s odd cranking sound confirmed the diagnosis: “It needs oil.” Oil is the car's lifeblood, and all of it was scattered around town in various parking lots. The dark spot in the driveway should have alerted me that something was wrong, but I missed it. I should have asked, “What is that doing there?!”

The Tabernacle was set up in the desert. This imagery is meant to evoke an awareness of the symbolic contrast between these two settings. The hearer should associate the desert with death, chaos, and sin. The Tabernacle is a place teeming with the life-giving presence of God. This beacon of life is stationed in the darkest place. “What is that doing there?!”

Blood in the wrong place can raise questions. The bull's blood being sprinkled around the Tabernacle was meant to rid it of the death and chaos that lingered from the fall. While the sacrifice ritual seems odd to modern hearers, the cultural context makes perfect sense. Ancient Israel believed that blood was the essence of life. The priest used his finger to spread it, which would have him covered in that same life being flung around. This life coated the place and the exterior of the priest.

The blood of this sacrifice was a temporary fix and reminder that in a world full of death, our God has provided atonement for us.

Atonement requires sacrifice; contemplate the sacrifice required for you to become righteous.

Caleb Strickland is the lead pastor of Christ Wesleyan Church (CWC) in Winston Salem, NC.

© 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!

“Aaron is to offer the bull for his own sin offering to make atonement for himself and his household.” (Lev. 16:6)

Expanded Passage: Leviticus 16:6-10

Growing up in the South can be a challenge! You learn the southern dialect—according to many, it is the purest form of English that is still spoken—but in school, the teachers insist on teaching “proper” English. The “y’alls,” “aint’s,” and “dadgums” must go. Culturally, the southern accent is in danger of completely disappearing. In 2014, an employer in Tennessee offered a course to reduce employees' southern accents so that they would be remembered for what they said instead of how they spoke. The class was ultimately canceled; bless their hearts!

Atonement is not a word that we come across routinely in our daily lives. It is an old, churchy word that we may be in danger of losing. To atone means that we make amends. In the context of this verse, Aaron is making amends with God for his sin. According to Wesley, sin is a willful disobedience of a known law of God. Aaron and his family, the High Priests of Israel, were required to atone for their sins before they could bring atonement for the people.

This stark reminder that humans are all broken, even the ones trying to help us reconnect with God, reminds us where our faith should rest. While there have been, and still are, exemplary church leaders and people in the faith, we still all need atonement.

Ask God to search you and forgive any sin in your life

Caleb Strickland is the lead pastor of Christ Wesleyan Church (CWC) in Winston Salem, NC.

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