Daily Devo

Listen to today’s devo!

Lord, where is your former great love, which in your faithfulness you swore to David? (Ps. 89:49)

Expanded Passage: Psalm 89:30-52

One of my favorite musicals is Fiddler on the Roof. I love the way the main character, Tevye, talks to God like a dear friend. He is honest with God, he debates with God, and he cries out to God.

I have found myself following Tevye’s example during difficult seasons when I felt like if I couldn’t be brutally honest with someone, I might not survive. These praying—and screaming—sessions taught me a powerful lesson: God stays even in my ugliest moments. He promises his presence, and even when I am faithless, he is faithful.

The writer of Psalm 89 embodies this candidness as he cries out to God. Had God forgotten his people? Had he abandoned his covenant?

Today is Palm Sunday. It’s a celebration: The King has come! It’s also melancholic. That same King would be rejected and killed on Good Friday. Why would Jesus go through such agony for messy, broken humans?

Because God is faithful. He made a covenant with his people to establish David’s kingdom forever.

Our God is faithful.

He promised the Suffering Servant in Isaiah 53 who would be pierced and crushed for our sins.

Our God is faithful.

Whatever you may be facing, know that God keeps his promises. Cry out to him with painful honesty, but remember even in your darkest moments:

Our God is faithful.

Consider how God’s faithfulness has remained, even in the ugly moments.

Meg Christian lives in northern Virginia and volunteers in her church as a Sunday school teacher and worship team member. She attended Roberts Wesleyan University (NY).

© 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!

The Lord said to Moses, “How long will they refuse to believe in me, in spite of all the signs I have performed among them?” (Num. 14:11)

Expanded Passage: Numbers 13:1-3; 13:25—14:11

“If God could just show up in some tangible way, I’d believe,” she tells me over coffee one Saturday.

I understand her words. I’ve certainly had (many!) moments where I’ve longed to witness miracles like the ones God performed in Egypt.

Few people, if any, ever received as many divine signs as the Israelites under Moses’ leadership. God had proven his existence, as well as his trustworthiness, with dozens of miraculous proofs. Yet, here in the book of Numbers, we see God growing frustrated with Israel for their continued disbelief.

We can tell ourselves that we would have been different from the Israelites, but one of the Bible’s primary purposes is to act as a mirror. If we don’t see ourselves in the foibles of the Biblical characters, we may not be looking closely enough. Miracles may get our attention, but they do not produce faith or trust.

The evidence we need to believe in God and his goodness is there in front of us, from the way our hearts are moved by music and nature, to the facts we can study regarding archeology and the trustworthiness of Biblical manuscripts.

Maybe we don’t need more evidence to believe. Maybe we just need to put the same effort into studying the evidence already available as we do in curating our Instagram posts.

God wants to be found; have we bothered to look?

Meg Christian lives in northern Virginia and volunteers in her church as a Sunday school teacher and worship team member. She attended Roberts Wesleyan University (NY).

© 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!

The Lord is with us. Do not be afraid of them. (Num. 14:9)

Expanded Passage: Numbers 14:10-11

My dog snores at night; it’s simultaneously adorable and annoying. The deep breathing is fine, but the “I’m-chasing-a-squirrel-in-my-dreams” snorting is hard to sleep through.

On nights when my thoughts turn against me, my dog’s snoring becomes one of my favorite sounds. My anxiety likes to whisper that the creaking noise I just heard downstairs must be an assassin.(Because there have been, of course, many assassinations in my small neighborhood . . .)

One loud snore from my Labrador, though, reminds me that if a stranger was in the house, my dog would be anything but asleep. He would have sensed the danger long before me. Just knowing that he is lying next to me is enough to make me feel safe.

The security I find in (wo)man’s best friend is nothing compared to the security I find in my savior. The difference is so great, it almost feels like sacrilege to compare the two. When fear creeps into my heart, all I need to do is to remind myself of God’s presence. This is the God who loves me so much he sent his Son to die for me. The God who defeated death. The God who made humankind with just dust and breath. That God is greater than anything I will ever face.

If the God who goes before me into battle is not afraid, then why should I be?

Let the lions roar. The Lamb is greater than them all.

Meg Christian lives in northern Virginia and volunteers in her church as a Sunday school teacher and worship team member. She attended Roberts Wesleyan University (NY).

© 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!

If the Lord is pleased with us, he will lead us into that land, a land flowing with milk and honey. (Num. 14:8)

Expanded Passage: Numbers 14:5-9

Movie-goers love a good battle scene, whether in a fantasy epic like Lord of the Rings or a futuristic film like The Avengers. These movies typically culminate in a final, climactic battle of good versus evil that will determine the future of the planet. We sit on the edge of our seats as we watch the characters prepare for the fight by strapping on armor, rallying their forces, and devising clever strategies to overcome impossible situations.

Joshua and Caleb took a different approach as they faced the Promised Land and the giants within. They didn’t place the outcome of the battle on “if they were clever/strong/fast enough” but “if the Lord was pleased with them.”

We spend far too much time asking God for a calling unique to us and not enough time asking if we are living lives worthy of that calling. If the battles of life are a chessboard, then God is the Grandmaster, and I am the novice. I would be a fool to take his place in the tournament. My contribution to the battle is how I conduct my own life. Make no mistake, our salvation is dependent solely upon Jesus’ righteous and not our own, but that doesn’t mean that our obedience—and disobedience—doesn’t have far reaching consequences.

God’s job is to control the outcome. Mine is simply to obey.

Live a life that honors God; leave the rest in his hands.

Meg Christian lives in northern Virginia and volunteers in her church as a Sunday school teacher and worship team member. She attended Roberts Wesleyan University (NY).

© 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!

All the Israelites grumbled against Moses and Aaron, and the whole assembly said to them, “If only we had died in Egypt!” (Num. 14:2)

Expanded Passage: Numbers 14:1-4

Fear gives us amnesia faster than a blow to the head. Under the leadership of Moses, the Israelites had seen God perform ten miraculous plagues to rescue them from Egyptian slavery. They had witnessed the parting of the Red Sea (or “Sea of Reeds”). They had eaten manna from heaven in the desert. Yet, when they saw giants in the Promised Land, their fear erased all memories of God’s mighty power.

This same “spiritual amnesia” has the potential to impact us all. We ask God to walk with us through a difficult season, praise him when he does, then find ourselves a short while later crying out to God, “Where are you? Why do you never answer?”

There is little that can ruin our faith as fast as fear. Our fear asks, “Is God trustworthy?” even while our own histories shout, “Yes, he is!”

How do we guard against this sort of forgetfulness?

With the same intentionality that God himself encouraged the Israelites to practice. The Passover, as well as the other festivals in the Torah, were intended to serve as reminders of God’s faithfulness, so that when fear and doubt threatened to rob the Israelites of their memories, they would have something to cling to. Finding ways to remind ourselves of God’s faithfulness yesterday is an important part of keeping our faith today.

Keep a list of answered prayers to reread on fearful days.

Meg Christian lives in northern Virginia and volunteers in her church as a Sunday school teacher and worship team member. She attended Roberts Wesleyan University (NY).

© 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!

They said, ”The land we explored devours those living in it. All the people we saw there are of great size.” (Num. 13:32)

Expanded Passage: Numbers 13:30-33

Have you ever noticed that we serve an all-powerful God on Sunday, but a weak one on Monday? When the worship music is beautiful and the singing is strong, it is easy to trust him. When the frustrations of life return with a vengeance, Sunday morning can feel like nothing more than escapism: a short reprieve into a fantasy world before coming back to harsh reality.

Worship, though, is not just singing or raising our hands. Worship is how we face the struggles knocking down our front door. Do we tremble in the presence of our trials, or do they tremble in the presence of our God? Do we greet our trials with a “why me?” attitude of defeat, or do we greet them as more than a conqueror in Christ?

Is this easier said than done? Of course! Why do you think so many Christians—yes, me included—go through difficult circumstances looking no different from our unbelieving neighbors? Yet, how do we not see the hypocrisy of believing in a God who defeated the grave but is unable to provide for us during our current situation? It is sobering to think of the “Promised Lands” that some of us have forfeited because we stopped believing the words spoken with the pealing of church bells on Sunday after the ringing of the alarm clock on Monday.

This week, make your first words of the day, “God will provide.”

Meg Christian lives in northern Virginia and volunteers in her church as a Sunday school teacher and worship team member. She attended Roberts Wesleyan University (NY).

© 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!

“We went into the land to which you sent us, and it does flow with milk and honey . . . But the people who live there are powerful.” (Num. 13:27–28)

Expanded Passage: Numbers 13:1-3; 25-29

I recently purchased my first house. It was a process filled with both excitement and trepidation. For the most part, the decision to buy a house sounded like a great one: a kitchen for dinner parties, a deck for grilling, and an extra bed for guests. When anxiety crept in, however, I’d lie awake thinking of all the things that would inevitably go wrong and wonder if maybe I was better staying in my apartment.

Once I purchased my house, many things did go wrong (I’ve always wanted a swimming pool, just not in the basement . . .). If I had known everything that would happen beforehand, I probably would not have bought my house. That isn’t to say it wasn’t a good decision. It was. But looking too far ahead at what can go wrong causes us to doubt not just our own abilities, but God’s abilities. Every time I came across a new problem, God provided. From an unexpected bonus at work, to a helpful neighbor who assisted with repairs for free, God made his presence known.

God’s provision isn’t in the scary future we dream up; that future is merely our imagination. God’s provision is only found in the present. If we stay in the moment and allow God to provide as each challenge arises, there is nothing that cannot be overcome.

Don’t let fear of the future rob you of God’s provision today.

Meg Christian lives in northern Virginia and volunteers in her church as a Sunday school teacher and worship team member. She attended Roberts Wesleyan University (NY).

© 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!

“I will maintain my love to him forever, and my covenant with him will never fail.” (Ps. 89:28)

Expanded Passage: Psalm 89:19-29

My wife’s father over many years restored and kept numerous antique cars. He was an artist when it came to taking piles of rusty sheet metal and mouse-infested upholstery and turning it into MGB sports cars and Chevrolet Corvairs. He specialized in Ford Model T’s and Model A’s. He recently gave us a 1929 Ford Model A Tudor, which will turn anyone’s head—young or old—to follow it down the street. But a car that is almost 100 years old requires maintenance or it will fail. Regardless of what its restorer claims, a Model A Ford may outlast us, but it won’t run forever.

God has given his chosen people a king, but more important, this king represents God’s continued love to the nation forever, a promise kept. The anointed kingship of David is eventually to be perfected in the person of Jesus Christ. God will sustain his covenant by his arm and by his strength. It is not for us to maintain this covenant. Our personal relationships—marriages and friendships—must be fostered and cared for or they will be in danger of dying. But God offers us a love that is without end.

The Lord has promised to be our God forever. He has made a pact that he will maintain his love and that his relationship with us will not fail. It just keeps chugging along.

Watch how God maintains a relationship with you that does not fail.

Rich Eckley is professor emeritus of theology at Houghton University (NY). He is an ordained Wesleyan minister, and enjoys—with his wife Lynn—entertaining their active 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!

The Lord spoke to you face to face out of the fire on the mountain. (Deut. 5:4)

Expanded Passage: Deuteronomy 5:4-21

Few today know much about face-to-face communication. Technology is always in between us as we seek to connect with each other. AI, bad reception, and filters can make what we see and hear quite different from reality. In a time when we are so distanced from each other, we find it hard to believe direct contact with God could be possible.

As scary it was, Moses stood between God and Israel and conveyed the words that were spoken to him. The idea of a face-to-face encounter with God never really goes beyond metaphor in the Hebrew Bible. Moses comes the closest, as he converses with the Lord through the fire, and gets to see God’s backside as he hides his face in the cleft of a rock. Even then he had to veil his face because God’s glory made his appearance too dazzling (Exodus 33). He follows in the footsteps of the founder of Israel. After Jacob wrestled with a night visitor, and limped away from the experience, he says, ”For I saw God face to face, and yet I was spared” (Gen. 32:30).

Paul tells us that through Jesus we are seeing this same glory of the Lord, with unveiled faces (2 Corinthians 3:18). It will change us into his image as from one degree of glory to the next. Being with God face-to-face will always leave an effect.

Spend “unveiled” time with God to be molded into his image.

Rich Eckley is professor emeritus of theology at Houghton University (NY). He is an ordained Wesleyan minister, and enjoys—with his wife Lynn—entertaining their active 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!

“You shall not murder . . . commit adultery . . . steal . . . give false testimony against your neighbor. You shall not covet . . . anything that belongs to your neighbor.” (Deut. 5:17–21)

Expanded Passage: Deuteronomy 5:17-21

My son and his wife put up a backyard playground for our granddaughters that resembled a wooden Pirate ship. The girls loved climbing up into the crow’s nest to look through their telescope at the neighbors. Long Island homes are pretty close together, and so it wasn’t surprising when the home across from them put up a tall privacy fence along the property line. They probably weren’t very happy when they were on their back porch, looking at two little heads surveying them over the barrier calling out, “Ahoy neighbor! We can still see you!”

Robert Frost in one of his famous poems writes “Good fences make good neighbors.” One way of dealing with other people is to seclude them from your world. The law of God calls us to engage and to love our neighbors, by treating them the way you would want to be treated. The conclusion of the commandments is a series of “thou shall nots” that teach us how to treat other people.

The laws of God that inform our love of neighbor require us to stop looking at other people through motives of competition and covetousness. We will discover why Jesus reduced the entire Torah to loving God with all our heart, soul, and mind—and our neighbor as ourselves (Matt. 22:37–39). No one can build a fence big enough to keep that from happening.

Do something today that shows your neighbor you appreciate them.

Rich Eckley is professor emeritus of theology at Houghton University (NY). He is an ordained Wesleyan minister, and enjoys—with his wife Lynn—entertaining their active grandchildren.

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