Daily Devo

Listen to today’s devo!

They go from strength to strength, till each appears before God in Zion. (Ps. 84:7)

Expanded Passage: Psalm 84:5-9

Growing up “on the road” gave me a love for road trips. To this day, if I remain in one place for more than a month, I go stir-crazy. My husband jokes that I have “10W-30 for blood.” I don’t usually care where we go; I just enjoy the drive.

Unfortunately, my husband and children don’t share my affection for ground transportation. If someone invented “transporter beam” technology (like in the TV series, Star Trek), everyone in my family—except me—would be giddy.

I’ve heard, “It’s the journey, not the destination, that matters.” I understand the sentiment. If we do not enjoy the journey of life—the normal, everyday happenings of our existence—we will miss out on much life has to offer. Goals (“destinations”) are great, but we may never reach them if we don’t break them into smaller, more attainable chunks (“the journey”). However, imagine never making any progress at all! Without a destination, we are doomed to wander aimlessly through life without purpose.

The psalmist emphasized that those who set their hearts on a specific destination, the presence of God, are blessed even before they reach it. The anticipation of seeing God gives them strength to persevere. Someday we will see God face-to-face. On that day, we may discover that both the journey and the destination were more important than we ever imagined!

Enjoy the journey, but don’t lose sight of the destination.

Laura Hurd is an ordained minister in The Wesleyan Church and co-pastors with her husband, Jason, in northwestern Nebraska. She enjoys rural life, reading, and road trips.

© 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 it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose. (Phil. 2:13)

Expanded Passage: Philippians 2:12-30

During the 1970s and 1980s, many churches (particularly in evangelical circles) held weeklong revival meetings each year led by traveling evangelists. Some of these itinerant ministries led congregations in worship and song; others focused on preaching. My family did both. Because we were on the road so often, my family traveled in an RV. It was our home away from home and felt more like home to me than our ranch house in Nebraska.

One day my mother was visiting with a missionary’s wife and a pastor’s wife. The pastor’s wife expressed admiration for my mom and the missionary’s wife for leaving the security and stability of home to follow God’s call faithfully. Surprised, my mother expressed that she felt blessed to travel around the United States and praised the missionary’s wife for being content to live in a foreign country. The missionary’s wife, in turn, felt she had the easiest job of the three, since she lived in a stationary home in a part of the world that was hungry for God. Laughing, the three women concluded that each must be exactly where they were meant to be!

Sometimes we don’t say yes to God because we’re afraid of where he might lead us. But when God calls, he equips. He gives us both the desire and the ability to do what he has asked.

Don’t be afraid to follow God’s leading.

Laura Hurd is an ordained minister in The Wesleyan Church and co-pastors with her husband, Jason, in northwestern Nebraska. She enjoys rural life, reading, and road trips.

© 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 risked his life to make up for the help you yourselves could not give me. (Phil. 2:30)

Expanded Passage: Philippians 2:25-30

One frigid November, my husband and I ran out of fuel for our furnace. With two small children to care for, and a predicted snowstorm on the way, we needed a solution immediately. We called our fuel company and requested a supply truck.

Unfortunately, our home was situated in a remote location accessed only over rough country “roads” (actually, dirt trails stretched over barren prairie land). We lived in a river valley, which made it even more difficult to get to our house. There were two ways down the river hill: one was passable only on horseback and the other required crossing a narrow bridge surfaced with wooden planks, many of which were rotten.

The fuel company assured us they would come and fill our tank. However, when the supply truck reached the bridge, the driver refused to cross it. Regardless of our need, he turned around and left us.

Our Christian friend worked for the same company, however. When he heard of our predicament, he drove over thirty miles, bravely crossed the bridge (without incident), and filled our tank free of charge. How grateful we were for this heroic brother in Christ, who gave of his time and resources to keep a struggling young family warm!

Everyone has strengths, skills, and resources they can use to help others and build God’s kingdom. What are yours?

Use your strengths to serve the body of Christ.

Laura Hurd is an ordained minister in The Wesleyan Church and co-pastors with her husband, Jason, in northwestern Nebraska. She enjoys rural life, reading, and road trips.

© 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!

Timothy has proved himself, because as a son with his father he has served with me in the work of the gospel. (Phil. 2:22)

Expanded Passage: Philippians 2:22-24

Think of your favorite story (any story—it doesn’t have to be out of the Bible). Think of the main character in that story. Who is that character’s mentor, teacher, guide, or counselor?

Every great, timeless story reflects the truth of the Bible in some way, and one of those is when the hero receives guidance and wisdom from someone (or something) during difficult times. Cinderella’s fairy godmother pulls her out of despair and sets her firmly back on her glass-slippered feet. Mowgli follows the panther Bagheera, who guides him safely through the jungle to find his people. Jim Hawkins, who initially admires the manipulative “Long John Silver,” finally admits that the skeptical Captain Smollett was wise to distrust Silver, and the two work together to defeat him. Christian encounters Evangelist, who shows him the way to the Wicket Gate and the path that leads to freedom from the City of Destruction.

Mentoring is vital to the Christian life. Each of us needs a mentor, and each of us needs to mentor someone else. The apostle Paul mentored Timothy, and Timothy, in turn, mentored others as a young pastor. We were never meant to do life alone. God created us to grow in strength and character, which requires something outside ourselves to push, challenge, encourage, and motivate us. That is the heart of Christian discipleship.

Bless a mentor in your life.

Laura Hurd is an ordained minister in The Wesleyan Church and co-pastors with her husband, Jason, in northwestern Nebraska. She enjoys rural life, reading, and road trips.

© 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 everyone looks out for their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ. (Phil. 2:21)

Expanded Passage: Philippians 2:19-21

I don’t know how long I suffered from nearsightedness as a child before I was diagnosed with astigmatism. I do know I suspected something was wrong with my vision long before I told my parents about it. No one in my immediate family needed corrective lenses, so eye problems were simply off our radar. However, by age twelve I finally confessed to my mom that I could barely see past my nose. Mom scheduled an appointment with an eye doctor, and I was fitted for glasses.

I had to wait two weeks for the glasses to arrive, however. Strangely, I felt more blind during that time than ever before. I couldn’t imagine how I had managed for so long with such poor vision! When I finally received my prescription glasses, I stared around me—astounded—at the crisp, clear, beautiful world that had been there all along.

We are all born with a kind of spiritual nearsightedness—an inability to see beyond ourselves and our own needs or pain. Alexandre Dumas noted in The Count of Monte Cristo, “That is one of the proud conceits of our poor humanity; every one thinks himself more wretched than another unfortunate who weeps and groans at his side.” Even Christians can miss out on seeing the bigger picture unless they allow God to correct and expand their vision beyond themselves.

Ask God to expand your vision and help you see life clearly.

Laura Hurd is an ordained minister in The Wesleyan Church and co-pastors with her husband, Jason, in northwestern Nebraska. She enjoys rural life, reading, and road trips.

© 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!

Do everything without grumbling or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, “children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.” (Phil. 2:14–15)

Expanded Passage: Philippians 2:14-18

If a violent hailstorm crashed through your windows and torpedoed into your living room, ripping your furniture and floor to pieces, how would you respond? This happened one summer to my great-uncle Bill. His response was: “Well, we’ve been wanting new carpet and windows; now we have a good reason to get them!”

I rarely recall Uncle Bill having a negative attitude. He was one of the most joyful people I’ve ever known. No matter the circumstance, he would find some good in it. And his encouraging example inspired others to count their blessings, as well.

Imagine if every Christ follower faced negative circumstances by choosing to find the good (or at least the potential for good) in them! This is the attitude that the Bible character Joseph had. After his own brothers betrayed him—and even after he was unjustly accused and left to rot in prison—Joseph harbored no bitterness in his heart. “You intended to harm me,” he told his brothers, “but God intended it for good” (Gen. 50:20).

The world is full of negativity. One way to bring light into darkness is to focus on God’s goodness and be thankful. Miracles glorify God, certainly, but so does a heart at peace even when miracles are scarce and times are hard. It is a life of joy—not necessarily one of ease—that brings hope to others.

Focus on God’s goodness instead of grumbling or arguing.

Laura Hurd is an ordained minister in The Wesleyan Church and co-pastors with her husband, Jason, in northwestern Nebraska. She enjoys rural life, reading, and road trips.

© 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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Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence. (Phil. 2:12)

Expanded Passage: Philippians 2:12-13

In the American West, there is a term for people who look like rodeo stars but know nothing about actual ranching. They are called "drugstore cowboys.” Such people dress to impress, sporting crisp dark jeans, a fringed leather jacket, and a belt buckle the size of a dinner plate. Their snake-skin boots are in pristine shape, and their hats look like they just came off the shelf of an expensive western apparel store.

A true cowboy, on the other hand, is most often dressed in dirty, faded jeans and a threadbare shirt. The design of his boots cannot be seen under the layers of caked-on mud and manure. His hat’s brim is misshapen, and its inside is coated with a crusty mixture of dust and sweat. The cowboy wears this attire not because he can’t afford anything better, but because of his daily, grueling ranch work.

The Philippian church was full of authentic Christians who were not much concerned about what important people—even the apostle Paul—thought of them. Rather, they were focused on the hard work of Christian ministry. They lived consistently, day after day, regardless of who might be watching. While they didn’t seek human praise, their integrity earned Paul’s respect and probably that of many others. Like true cowboys, their strong work ethic outshone the artificial bling of the “drugstore cowboy.”

Be who you say you are when no one is watching.

Laura Hurd is an ordained minister in The Wesleyan Church and co-pastors with her husband, Jason, in northwestern Nebraska. She enjoys rural life, reading, and road trips.

© 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!

My soul yearns, even faints, for the courts of the Lord; my heart and my flesh cry out

Expanded Passage: for the living God. (Ps. 84:2)

Psalm 84:1–4

Desire for caffeine can be strong, as is the pull toward status, or sugar, or sin. Since the fall, our souls have been housed in failing flesh on its way toward death. And it is only by strengthening our souls in relationship with our Creator that we are able to master the desires of our flesh. So often our bodies want what isn’t good for us. But our made-new spirits can desire what is good.

Have you noticed a change in your longing yet? Rather than craving food that answers a high with a crash, have you begun to crave what actually satisfies? It is possible to long for good things. It is God’s plan for us to crave him. Because those who hunger and thirst for righteousness will be filled.

We develop our appetites over time by the choices we make to satiate ourselves. So if the words of the psalmist—whose heart and flesh cried out for God—don’t resonate with you, perhaps you simply haven’t developed a good appetite yet. But the choice is yours today, tomorrow, and the next day which longing you will develop, since what you fill up with becomes what you crave. Today I invite you to choose to fill up on the richest fare of God’s Word, so you build up hunger for the only thing that will ever satisfy you.

Choose today as day one of your journey to a better appetite.

Elizabeth Rhyno is wife to Scott, mom to three adult children, and a worship pastor and entrepreneur. She enjoys coaching women and creating opportunities to invest in their growth and development.

© 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!

In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus. (Phil 2:5)

Expanded Passage: Philippians 2:1-11

In his writing on pain, C. S. Lewis narrowed in on love, juxtaposing it against kindness. And while you might think that odd for a moment, the juxtaposition actually points to the kind of compassionate love our Lord Jesus has for us. Jesus’ love isn’t merely kind. It doesn’t placate in hopes that our feathers don’t get ruffled, nor does it allow for us to stay the same. Rather, Jesus’ kind love for us invites challenge, repentance, and true change.

When Paul admonished the Philippian believers to have the same mindset as Christ Jesus within the context of their biblical community, he was asking them for more than mere kindness. He was calling them to be a people of courage and challenge, of admonition and accountability. In order to see their brothers and sisters truly transformed to be more like Jesus, they needed to love each other in a way that is okay with ruffling some feathers.

How about you? Are you in a biblical community that loves each other well by speaking truth and calling out sin within your own camp? Today I invite you to consider stepping more deeply into this kind of thriving relationship, where more value is placed on continual transformation into Christlikeness than on keeping the status quo. In this way, we take on the same mindset as Christ Jesus.

Consider how you can love your brothers and sisters like Jesus does.

Elizabeth Rhyno is wife to Scott, mom to three adult children, and a worship pastor and entrepreneur. She enjoys coaching women and creating opportunities to invest in their growth and development.

© 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!

Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name. (Phil 2:9)

Expanded Passage: Philippians 2:9-11

Do you have a prized possession, like a car, piece of jewelry, or valuable antique? Maybe it is special because of how diligently you worked to save for it. Or perhaps it brought you stability in a difficult season. Maybe you cherish this item because it belonged to someone you loved and the sentimental merit is beyond any monetary worth.

We often categorize things according to the value we believe they bring to us. Some belongings are simply disposable while others are kept under lock and key. Some have grand stories attached, while others are barely noticed or remembered.

God placed the highest value of all on the name of Jesus. There is no person or possession that is greater, or that holds more authority, power, or dominion. Jesus sits at the highest place, over all other kings and rulers. When we take a look at the “therefore” that precedes this revelation in Paul’s letter, we can see what the therefore is there for.

Jesus was not elevated to the highest place or given the name that is above every other name because he ministered in power and might on earth. Rather, God elevated Jesus because he stooped low to take on our human nature, our sin, and shame and to bear our cross and our death.

God’s prize is not determined by dazzling majesty, but by humility and sacrifice.

Ask the Lord where he wants you to walk in humility.

Elizabeth Rhyno is wife to Scott, mom to three adult children, and a worship pastor and entrepreneur. She enjoys coaching women and creating opportunities to invest in their growth and development.

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