Daily Devo

Listen to today’s devo!

And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross! (Phil 2:8)

Expanded Passage: Philippians 2:6-8

Foster parenting requires a unique calling. I’ve watched numerous friends step into it. Nothing about entering this life and system is easy—not the assessments and scrutiny, not the home renovations and constant schedule adjustments. There is nothing easy about the heartbreak that accompanies helping children learn a new way of living after traumatic experiences and abandonment and the grief that is constantly present when you open your heart to someone who can’t stay. And while a foster parent’s greatest desire may be to do good for their foster placements, their care may not even be received because the children aren’t used to real love and generosity.

Jesus could have entered our world shrouded in privilege and the kind of regal protection afforded only to the God of the universe. But instead, he took on a body destined for temptation, hardship, and eventually physical death. He traveled constantly in the heat, ministered while hungry and weary, and sweat drops of blood after ultimate betrayal. His overwhelming love for people made him agonize for their freedom. While he could have chosen himself, he chose us.

The love of God is sacrificial love. And the love we are called to as children of God is the same. It’s familial, inherited. It grows in us as we abide in the One who demonstrated it completely while we were still sinners.

Walk in Jesus’ sacrificial love.

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!

Not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. (Phil 2:4)

Expanded Passage: Philippians 2:4-5

Maybe you have experienced breathtaking compassion like I have. Perhaps it caught you off guard because of its peculiarity in our generally self-serving society. I learned of its beauty in a small, northern Maine farming community, where our family was enveloped by a group of Christ followers so selfless and kind that it forever marked us. We were never left wanting, the bounty of their harvests regularly delivered to our doorstep. We were always bathed in prayer, invitation, and blessing. Our children were swallowed up in love and Reese’s Puffs, and help was always just a phone call away.

The kind of selflessness that Paul prayed over the Philippian believers was peculiar then too. This was a time and place where poverty was the norm and there was great concern about where their next meal would come from. Many in the Philippian church couldn’t possibly support Paul financially. But as he prayed for them, they grew in generosity. He challenged them to be others-oriented, even in their own times of lack. He invited them to keep their eyes open to the needs of others, even when their own needs were great.

Paul’s words continue to call to us now, whether we live in plenty or in want. Because generosity and compassion are central to God’s character, and as we demonstrate these qualities, we put him on display for others.

Accept the invitation to put others’ needs before your own.

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!

Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves. (Phil 2:3)

Expanded Passage: Philippians 2:3

Amelia had hidden her sister’s toy for months. In fact, she buried it underneath all her other toys, at the very bottom of her toybox. Amelia had wanted that special toy for herself so desperately that she kept it hidden, not even bringing it out to play with. When her sister dissolved in tears about the missing toy one day, Amelia didn’t want to reveal what she had done.

We don’t have to teach children to be selfish. It comes naturally, as part of our fallen state. We are hardwired by sin to prefer ourselves and to care more about our desires than what is good for those around us. Humility is, in fact, one of the most miraculous transformations we experience as we grow in communion with Jesus. Where we once saw ourselves as the main character in every story, we now begin to see where Jesus is working. Where we once thought more highly of ourselves than anyone else, we now extend compassion and empathy to others.

Transformation takes time and happens slowly for most. But it is a beautiful ongoing miracle that surprises us and others around us, and displays the power of God.

Amelia’s heart stirred while her sister continued to cry, so she fished the toy from the depths, wrapped it in sparkly paper, and delivered the coveted gift along with a bashful apology.

Pray for God’s Spirit to transform you to be more like him.

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!

Then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. (Phil 2:2)

Expanded Passage: Philippians 2: 1-2

I don’t know when it started, but at some point I noticed my husband and I often match our clothing style and color. It’s not intentional. We don’t plan for it. Sometimes I don’t even notice until the day is half over. But our connectedness, taste, and similar approach to life through the twenty-seven years we have been married seems evident in even the most inconsequential ways.

Paul prayed a similar thing for the Philippian believers. He longed for them to be like Jesus. He prayed they would be so infused with his character by the power of the Holy Spirit that they would always (super)naturally put Jesus on display.

Paul’s letter extends an invitation to us as well, as the apostle’s prayer is still being answered throughout the worldwide communion of believers. Since the role of the Holy Spirit is to help us transform into God’s image, we grow in union with him as we yield.

It takes time and presence of mind. It takes work to grow in relationship with God, just like it does to build true communion in marriage. But as we spend time with Jesus, open up in vulnerability to trust and obey him, we increasingly resemble him. Our hearts knit together, and without even thinking about it or even noticing it, we (super)naturally love as he loves.

Deepen your relationship with God in order to put him on display.

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!

Let them know that you, whose name is the Lord—that you alone are the Most High over all the earth. (Ps. 83:18)

Expanded Passage: Psalm 83

History doesn’t actually repeat itself, but sure seems to. History records many wars over religion. We also have accounts of men and women acting selfishly and leaders pursuing power over their neighbors. In Psalm 83, we find a long prayer both heralding God for his supernatural power and simultaneously noting earthly enemies with natural power. These influential people plot and form alliances to obliterate followers of Yahweh. Christians find a similar situation today.

I’m coauthoring a new version of Foxe’s Book of Martyrs with Johnnie Moore, the former senior vice president of Liberty University. He also is the author of a couple recent books on ISIS, which is helpful as we bring the history of martyrs up through the present atrocities. Johnnie has traveled through many countries and recorded testimonies from many believers under serious oppression—some have since suffered martyrdom. The unifying factor is that many sign a martyr’s oath. For them, God is over all the earth, and though persecution may continue and even result in death, there is only one God and all the rest are manmade idols or ideas. Eternal joy is something only the God of the Bible can give.

We need to recognize, like in Psalm 83, the times God has shown himself powerful. Also, we need to identify the times when he broke his silence and answered prayers.

Craft an oath of single-mindedness that doesn’t recognize any other god.

Jerry Pattengale is a professor at Indiana Wesleyan University and the codirector and cofounder of the Lumen Research Institute. He has authored and edited over forty books including Faith Made Real (WPH).

© 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!

Stand firm in the one Spirit, striving together as one for the faith of the gospel without being frightened. (Phil. 1:27–28)

Expanded Passage: Philippians 1:1-30

Some say more Christians have been killed during the last decade than in the entire history of the church. When the Rwandan massacres occurred in 1994, these large-scale killings reminded us that the evil surely didn’t end at the Holocaust. The BBC captured searing images from the Nyarubuye Roman Catholic Church and its grounds, with the bludgeoned bodies of 20,000 men, women, and children. World Hope International, founded by Dr. JoAnne Lyon, helped similar victims in Sierra Leone with its Limbs of Hope program—helping disfigured victims of attackers. These slaughters were but preludes to the following decades.

The rise of ISIS has brought with it scarring images of countless martyrs, from Coptic Christians in orange jumpsuits to whole Christian families being tarred and burned. Videos of tortured Christians remain in the open digital library. And yet, the apostle Paul—himself about to be martyred—challenged us not to be afraid for our faith.

How can one do this? Part of the answer is found in Philippians 1, a divinely appointed essay to encourage believers even though their spiritual leader was in chains. Spiritual leadership maintains an eternal perspective amongst injustice. We need to remind ourselves that in the light of eternity, what we face is at best short-lived, but our response has eternal consequences. We learn that it’s not the machete but the Messiah that helps us keep our heads.

Establish priorities to give energy to causes that have eternal consequences.

Jerry Pattengale is a professor at Indiana Wesleyan University and the codirector and cofounder of the Lumen Research Institute. He has authored and edited over forty books including Faith Made Real (WPH).

© 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!

Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. (Phil. 1:27)

Expanded Passage: Philippians 1:27-30

Pastor John didn’t realize he was on speakerphone and later had to apologize. He and his wife had rented from a single, older, neighbor woman and tried helping her with repairs through the years. He agreed to remove old moldy carpet and paint the floors for her, for free. A few years later he purchased a home, completely stretching his limited funds.

Then she shocked him, asking for reimbursement for changes he had made while renting—including the cost of the spent carpet. He decided it best simply to pay her $2,500 in order not to become involved in a debate. After all, he was the pastor of a small church in their small Indiana town. He wrote the check with a nice note and planned to move on. Then she called and said, “Thanks for the check, but I’m still suing you.” Stunned, he called his wife and began ranting about their unethical, ill-willed neighbor. Unfortunately, a young couple was seated in their dining room and the phone was on speaker; his outburst was heard.

Conduct in unpredictable situations usually stems from what we can predict—including calculated times of study, worship, and prayer. The measure of who we are is what we do when we’re alone and often becomes manifest in actions when we’re not. We all need spiritual practices for times when our conduct is broadcast widely.

Calculate how to represent Christ even when something is less than ideal.

Jerry Pattengale is a professor at Indiana Wesleyan University and the codirector and cofounder of the Lumen Research Institute. He has authored and edited over forty books including Faith Made Real (WPH).

© 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 to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. (Phil. 1:21)

Expanded Passage: Philippians 1:19-26

Jim Elliot’s death rocked the Christian world in 1956, after being savagely slaughtered on the bank of the Curaray River in Ecuador along with four other missionaries. The image of their plane along the water is iconic. Various documentaries and books capture the story, perhaps the best rendition being The End of the Spear feature film (2005). Jim’s widow, Elisabeth, wrote a bestselling devotional, Through Gates of Splendor, and also helped us to learn of Jim’s many inspiring quotes. Several reveal his eternal perspective like, “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.” And, “If we are the sheep of his pasture, remember that sheep are headed for the altar.”

In 2015, I happened to be in the lobby of the Hilton hotel near the Hobby Lobby headquarters when I realized the breakfast area was filled with the descendants of the five slain missionaries. They were in town for a ten-year reunion and celebration of The End of the Spear, which Hobby Lobby owners, the Greens, supported. The joy was contagious.

I couldn’t help but think of the legacy these martyrs left. Jim Elliot’s death was accented by the crystal-clear vision with which he lived. Do we have an eternal vision? Like Elliot, we should be able to echo Paul’s sentiment that “to live is Christ and to die is gain” (Phil. 1:21).

Articulate your life commitment with an eternal perspective.

Jerry Pattengale is a professor at Indiana Wesleyan University and the codirector and cofounder of the Lumen Research Institute. He has authored and edited over forty books including Faith Made Real (WPH).

© 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 important thing is that in every way . . . Christ is preached. (Phil. 1:18)

Expanded Passage: Philippians 1:12-18

The Bible comes in many forms, and most American households have several copies thanks to Johannes Gutenberg. He revolutionized the world through mass printing and radically enhanced access to Scripture for daily use with his first printed book, the “Gutenberg Bible.” His motives were mixed, as certainly the Bible was the prominent sacred text of Germany and much of Europe. But it was also a major business venture.

While we are not sure what transpired between him and his partner (and funder) in the mid-1450s, we know that Gutenberg went bankrupt due to the massive loans needed to pull off the making of the press. While millions of Christians grew to love his invention and its value both to themselves and missions, others were critical and insisted on using only the handwritten manuscripts. Once again, like in Paul’s letter to the Philippians, some argued over the motives while others for the power of the message.

Today we can access the Bible and resources in many forms, including digital versions like YouVersion; many of us might question the publisher’s motives. It’s easy to read passages like Philippians 1:18 and forget that this admonition also applies to us when we read the Word or hear Christ preached, even from apparent rascals or suspect preachers. Perhaps we would do well to consider: When was the last time you were preoccupied with the messenger and missed the power of Christ’s message?

Focus on the message, not the messenger.

Jerry Pattengale is a professor at Indiana Wesleyan University and the codirector and cofounder of the Lumen Research Institute. He has authored and edited over forty books including Faith Made Real (WPH).

© 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!

And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight. (Phil. 1:9)

Expanded Passage: Philippians 1:9-11

Some of the smartest biblical scholars sat around the dining table at Hampton Court Castle in Herefordshire, our international guests for a special conference in partnership with the British Library. Emanuel Tov led the robust team of scholars publishing the Dead Sea Scrolls. The prolific Dr. Walt Kaiser had been president of Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. Father Leonard Boyle was the Vatican librarian, Dr. Edwin Yamauchi was proficient in around thirty languages, and the late Bruce Metzger was likely the world’s leader in biblical Greek.

Our patron, who had purchased the use of the castle for us to organize these events, asked Dr. Yamauchi a simple question about a biblical passage in the original Greek. Dr. Yamauchi, who had worked in Greek and related languages like Coptic, immediately responded, “I will always defer to Dr. Metzger on such questions when in the presence of the master.” The question was elementary, but Dr. Yamauchi’s humility wasn’t. In his wisdom and because of the obvious stature of Dr. Metzger after a lifelong intense study of Koine (biblical) Greek Dr. Yamauchi deferred to Dr. Metzger.

Knowledge and discernment are desirable qualities, but not synonyms. The study of God’s words is related to our ability to recognize excellent things and, just as important, to recognize and refrain from contrary things. In an era forcing a near-complete separation of public education from biblical studies, we see the acute need to do our own homework with an ancient textbook.

Chart biblical principles and how they influence key life decisions.

Jerry Pattengale is a professor at Indiana Wesleyan University and the codirector and cofounder of the Lumen Research Institute. He has authored and edited over forty books including Faith Made Real (WPH).

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