The Up Devotional

Hello! 

This is just a quick reminder that The Up Daily Devotional is on pause this week. It returns in full on March 23, 2026 to your email inboxes, social media feeds, and podcast platforms.

But since you’re here, let me offer a quick word of help and hope.

In James 4:7-8, Jesus’ half-brother provided these instructions: “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.”

James’ listeners—both then and now—are instructed to do three specific things: (a) submit to God, (b) resist the devil, and (c) draw near to God. 

Let’s look at those instructions one by one. Are you submitting to God, or are you pretending you know better than he does? Are you resisting the devil, or are you pretending he doesn’t exist, thereby making your life more vulnerable to his schemes? Are you drawing near to God, or are you content to keep him at a distance?

All of us have continual work to do. However, in his grace, God moves us forward. When that happens, the devil will flee, God will draw closer, and his purpose for us will more clearly shine in our daily lives.

So, have a great week. See you again on March 23rd. Until then, “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.”

Notes:

-“3 Prayers Married Christian Men Should Say.” Click here, or find it on ‘The Pulse Podcast with Matthew Ruttan’ (Apple Podcasts, Spotify, etc.)

-“Welcome to the War (Daniel 10)” Click here. Sermon.

-Bible quotes are from the ESV. 

[Notice: Pause alert – see details in the footnotes.]

~

What does it mean to be the hands and feet of Jesus?

When I ask that question, what first comes to mind? Do you think about praying, feeding the poor, going to church, or loving your neighbour? Those are all good things. 

But I recently came across a statement by Trevin Wax. It reminded me that we need to broaden our understanding. He said: “When we say we want to be the hands and feet of Jesus, we must remember what happened to the hands and feet of Jesus.”*

Yes, Jesus’ hands fed the crowd, and his feet walked on water, but they were also driven through with nails. Some people loved him, but other people hated him. 

This is a reminder that following Jesus isn’t just about nice things, but tough things. There will be times when you will need to be a leader when you’d rather just hide. There will be times when you will need to speak out about an issue which will make you very unpopular with the crowd. There will be times when you will need to stand firm when it’s troubling to do so.

Trusting Jesus includes following him not only to where you want to go, but to where you don’t.

In John 16:33 Jesus said: “In the world you will have tribulation.” That’s a promise. If you sincerely follow Jesus, you will have plenty of good things—but you won’t only have good things; there will be trouble too. Fortunately, Jesus’ statement doesn’t end there. He continues: “But take heart; I have overcome the world.”

Let’s be the hands and feet of Jesus—not just when it’s sunny, but when there is a storm. 

The road to glory passes through many valleys. That’s okay. Because we are the hands and feet of Christ—and our Leader has overcome the world.

Notes:

–Pause alert: Please note that after today, The Up Daily Devotional is going on pause for March Break. It returns on Monday, March 23, 2026.
-*Posted on X by @MattSmethurst on March 5, 2026.
-Bible quotes are from the ESV.

While reading the prophet Jeremiah, Daniel came across a very important detail. The exile of his people was about to come to an end.

In response, this is what he did: “Then I turned my face to the Lord God, seeking him by prayer and pleas for mercy with fasting and sackcloth and ashes” (Daniel 9:3).

This is a picture of Daniel throwing himself at God’s feet one hundred and ten percent.

We are told that he prays. He also puts on “sackcloth and ashes,” which was a way of humbling himself before God in abject desperation.

But he also fasts. 

Fasting is depriving the body of food for a certain period of time for a greater spiritual purpose. It is a small self-sacrifice for something greater. Fasting was practiced not only by Daniel, but by Moses, David, Elijah, Esther, Anna, Paul and, of course, Jesus.

But what good does it do?

When I was in high school, our family had a Mazda 626 car. There was a ‘turbo boost’ button on the dashboard. I know, it’s not really something you’d expect in a Mazda, but there it was. It was supposed to feed gas to the engine more quickly. 

I say this because fasting is like turbo-boosting your prayers. Fasting has other benefits too, but today’s focus is on how it intensifies your prayers before God. Daniel prayed for God to show mercy to his people (verse 3), and his fasting intensified that plea.

Today, fasting has fallen out of favour. We associate it with monks or people who seem “extreme.” But is that fair? In times gone by, the people of God would have quite naturally fasted as a way to intensify their prayers before God. Why are we so reluctant?

I’m not telling you what to do. I’m simply highlighting something that used to be very normal and powerful as a spiritual practice. 

If this is new to you, it doesn’t need to be dramatic. What if you started by skipping a meal or two (as long as you’re healthy enough to do so), and spent the extra time in prayer?

(If you’re interested in knowing more about fasting, click on the link below for an article I wrote for ministry leaders on the subject.)

Let me leave you with this: Do you have a big decision to make? Do you need to discern something important? Do you need added wisdom from God? Perhaps this is something you might want to look into.

Among other things, fasting strengthens spiritual muscle, discernment and focus—qualities which are ever-needful in a dizzying and distracting world.

Notes:

-“Fasting: Spiritual muscles for leaders at war.” Living in Truth. Click here.

-“God’s unbroken promises in a broken world (Daniel 9)” Click here. Sermon.

-“Not because of our track record, but yours—a prayer.” Click here, or find it on ‘The Pulse Podcast with Matthew Ruttan’ (Apple Podcasts, Spotify, etc.)

-Bible quotes are from the ESV.

In Daniel 9:18-19, this inspiring man of single solitary devotion gives us an example of the ideal attitude we should have in prayer.

This is what he says: “For we do not present our pleas before you because of our righteousness, but because of your great mercy. O Lord, hear; O Lord, forgive. O Lord, pay attention and act.”

He comes to God in prayer not because he himself is amazing and righteousness, but because of God’s great mercy.

He’s doing two things. First, he’s being humble. Earlier we learned that he had put on “sackcloth and ashes” (Daniel 9:3). Second, he’s reminding God about his own character. It’s as if he is saying, ‘You, Lord, are the one who is good, holy, wise, loving and true. Do something because of your track record, not mine.’

There was a man who was quite wealthy and known for giving money to charitable causes. One day he was talking about dying with some of his friends: “When I see Peter at the pearly gates I’m not even stopping. I’m just going right in. I deserve it.” 

Yikes! I’m pretty sure he wasn’t wearing sackcloth and ashes when he said that! His attitude was the opposite of Daniel’s.

Teresa of Avila was a Spanish nun and mystic from the 1500’s. She wrote: “Our approach should mirror that of beggars before a powerful and wealthy Emperor—making our petitions and then humbly awaiting with lowered eyes.”*

This is exactly Daniel’s posture. Is it ours? When we bring our concerns to God in prayer, are we full of humility, or are we full of ourselves?

Let’s come to him with open hands, like a beggar, being aware of his great grace and our great need.

“For we do not present our pleas before you because of our righteousness, but because of your great mercy. O Lord, hear; O Lord, forgive. O Lord, pay attention and act.”

Notes:

-“God’s unbroken promises in a broken world (Daniel 9)” Click here. Sermon.

-“Not because of our track record, but yours—a prayer.” Click here, or find it on ‘The Pulse Podcast with Matthew Ruttan’ (Apple Podcasts, Spotify, etc.)

-*Teresa of Avila, The Interior Castle: A Modern Translation, ed. Peter Northcutt (Modern Saints, 2023), 63.

-Bible quotes are from the ESV.

Promises shape the character and direction of our lives.

Some promises are small. “I’ll pick you up after soccer practice, I promise.” Others are big, like the ones people say during wedding ceremonies. “For better, for worse, in sickness, and in health…”

However, over time it is easy to get cynical about promises. We sometimes hear campaign slogans like “promise made, promise kept.” Since that isn’t always the case, we start to doubt people’s words.

Maybe someone has broken a promise to you. Or perhaps you have been the one to break a promise to someone else. Whatever the case, our experiences can taint our understanding about the importance of promises.

There are a lot of promises in the Bible. These, however, are different. They are made by God. Since he is always good, holy, wise, loving and true, his promises are trustworthy. Theologian J.I. Packer says: “The words of men are unstable things. But not the words of God.”* Very true. God’s promises are stable, even though the world around us wobbles. Psalm 33:4 says: “For the word of the LORD is right, and all His work is trustworthy.”**

Here’s a question to ponder: Are we living as if God’s promises will definitely come true, or as if they might potentially come true?

It makes a massive difference in the character and direction of our lives. If we doubt his promises about eternity, we may be filled with fear about death and nothingness. If we doubt his promises about forgiveness, we may be plagued with shame or anxiety about judgment. If we doubt his promises about our purpose, we may start to despair about our value or the meaning of life itself. 

But if we trust his promises, we are led forward in peace, courage, grace, truth and purpose.

God’s word is stable. His promises are trustworthy. Are we living as if God’s promises will definitely come true, or as if they might potentially come true?

How we respond makes all the difference in the world. What would you rather have? Fear or faith? Timidity or courage? Despair or hope? Uncertainty or truth? 

“The words of men are unstable things. But not the words of God.”

Notes:

-“God’s unbroken promises in a broken world (Daniel 9).” Click here. Sermon. 
-*J.I. Packer, Knowing God (London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1973), 83
-**The CSB translation of the Bible.

“Be still, and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10).

In an essay in 1963, literary critic and author C.S. Lewis said something about how to avoid God:

“Avoid silence, avoid solitude, avoid any train of thought that leads off the beaten track. Concentrate on money, sex, status, health and (above all) your own grievances. Keep the radio on. Live in a crowd. Use plenty of sedation.”*

Well, he’s not wrong.

We live in a world of noise, busyness, status, deceptions, speed and achievements. In Lewis’ day his reference to keeping the radio on might now be better expressed like this: “have multiple screens going and keep scrolling.” Focus on your hurts and complaints—your “grievances”—not what God is working in your present and future. Bumble along with the shallow thoughts of the crowd and believe all the spin doctors. Find ways to sedate yourself to avoid not only your deepest longings, but the presence and power of God in your day-to-day life.

Alertness and attentiveness is a frequently repeated theme in the Bible. Most famously, we are reminded to “be still” and know that God is God in Psalm 46:10. We are to be alert and watchful for the return of Jesus, as in Mark 13:35. The warnings against over-drinking, as in Ephesians 5:18, are at least in part motivated by a desire to be cooperative with the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives. Being “watchful” is also required so that we don’t get drawn in by the evil one (1 Peter 5:8).

The point is to pay attention—to notice, to see, to experience. Enter into the silent moments of reflection. Think critically. Pray deeply. Use your heart—and also your mind. 

Let’s not avoid so many of the places where God chooses to meet us. “Be still, and know that I am God.”

Notes:

-*The essay was called “The Seeing Eye.” I have seen it posted online in a variety of locations.
-Bible quotes are from the ESV.

“Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life” (Revelation 2:10).

In the previous devotional we asked how Daniel was able to manage all of that hardship.

He was sent into exile as a young man. He had most of what he had known and loved taken from him. He was forced to serve in a foreign court for nearly 70 years of his life. And then he was given a series of visions describing pain and suffering for many generations to come.

We highlighted how, as a man of faith who trusted in the grace of God, he committed himself to consistent prayer and the resolve to never give up.

Today, let me highlight something else about his character.

In Daniel 6:4 he is called “faithful.” Other translations say “trustworthy.” In this context, it is a reference to his integrity and honesty. In his situation, it would surely have been easy to lie, cheat and steal to improve his situation. But he didn’t. He remained faithful to God in his thoughts, his words, and his actions.

The kingdoms around him might be horrific and evil, but Daniel chose to remain faithful and true. The people around him might have doubted God’s goodness, but he chose to remain faithful and true.

There’s peace in this. When you resolve to remain true to God no matter what, your conscience is clear, your heart is at rest, your direction is established, and your priorities are already decided—regardless of the pandemonium around you. 

We live in a frenzied time. How wonderful would it be if the people closest to you described you with these words? “Faithful and true.”

The world keeps changing. God doesn’t. Let’s remain faithful and true, no matter what.

Notes:
-The Up Devotional is published 5 days a week (Monday-Friday) and returns on March 9, 2026.
-Bible quotes are from the ESV.

Lately, we’ve been spending time studying Daniel.

Over the past few weeks, we have considered all the difficulty he had gone through. As a teenager, he was taken captive to serve in a foreign land. His home was most likely burned. Many of his family members and friends would have been killed. He was probably castrated when taken to Babylon. He was then made to serve in the court of his nation’s oppressors for nearly 70 years. 

To top it all off, he had visions from God which spoke about a series of oppressive kingdoms that would continue for generations (long after he was gone). They would wreak havoc and shed blood for hundreds of years.

It makes you wonder: How did Daniel manage?!

First, he was a man of consistent prayer. 

We are told that specifically in Daniel 6:10: “He got down on his knees three times a day and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as he had done previously.” He prayed morning, noon and night. He did the same the next day, and the next week, and the next month, and the next decade, and the decade after that. 

Second, Daniel was a man who kept going. 

Think back to that list of all the things Daniel endured. Did he ever stop? No. Did he ever give up? No. Sure, he was incredibly upset at times (Daniel 8:27), but he persevered.

In tomorrow’s devotional, we’ll look at something else as well. But today our focus is on these two traits. How did Daniel manage? As a man who trusted in God and relied on his grace, he committed himself to consistent prayer and resolved to never give up.

We can do the same. 

Every generation has its own ups and downs. There are strains and stresses—not only out in the world but inside our own homes and hearts. God will outlast it all. Like Daniel, let’s remain tethered to him through consistent prayer and with the resolve to never give up.

Notes:

-Bible quotes are from the ESV.

John Eldredge is an author and therapist. Recently in an interview he said: “The war for the human heart is the epicentre of the war in the world.”*

That made me stop and think. I hope it makes you stop and think as well.

First, it reminds us that there is in fact a war for the human heart. This is a war for our very souls. It is about ultimate allegiances and priorities. Who are we? Who do we belong to? Will I live out my God-given calling, or not?

Second, his statement reminds us that this war is the “epicentre” of another one—the war in the world.

Usually when we think about wars “out there” in the world, we don’t usually make a connection to what is happening on the inside of us. And, of course, to a degree that’s true. As far as I know, none of us—or, at least, very few of us—are making far-reaching decisions about global conflicts.

Eldredge’s point, however, is that what happens inside of us the main battleground. All over the world, what is happening “out there” is the overflow of what is happening on the inside of people.

In 2 Corinthians 10:5 Paul explains that in spiritual warfare we need to “take every thought captive to obey Christ…” The implication is that unchecked thoughts and ideas can run wild. In fact, they can work against us in the fight against evil and darkness. Our thoughts need to be taken captive. Only then can we wage (spiritual) battle effectively.

What is happening on the inside of you?

Are your thoughts rooted in the Word of God, or the modern spirit of subjectivity? Are they predominantly proud, or humble? Are they self-serving, or others-serving? Are they angry, or patient? Are they calibrated to the kingdom of Jesus, or the domain of darkness (Colossians 1:13-14)? 

Let’s take every thought captive to Christ. “The war for the human heart is the epicentre of the war in the world.”*

Notes:

-“What God is doing—not only around you, but in you” Click here. Sermon.
-*Quoted in: “Giving The Enemy No Foothold with John Eldredge” on The Exorcist Files podcast. February 4, 2026. Interview with host Ryan Bethea.
-Bible quotes are from the ESV.

Xu Yonghai was imprisoned in China because he was working for the legalization of house churches. Here in North America we might take this sort of thing for granted. But over there it is very serious (and dangerous) business. 

Not only was he imprisoned, but he was sentenced to be executed. His last stop was a small cell. All he had was a bar of soap. He spent his time praying and reflecting on Bible passages.  

While waiting for his execution, he had an idea for the outline of a book. Since he didn’t have a pen, pencil or computer, he used the bar of soap to the write the outline for the book on the wall. Then he memorized it.

Eventually—praise be to God!—Xu was released. He wrote down the outline for his book and called it: “God the Creator.”*

Here in our modern, individualistic and “civilized” society, it is incredibly easy to only focus on what God seems to be doing “around” us, and possibly even “for” us, but to neglect what he is doing “in” us—even though what he is doing inside of us may be one of his greatest accomplishments in our lives.

“Oh dear, look at all the badness. Gee whiz, I guess God is on vacation.”

Not so fast.

While in prison, Xu didn’t have very nice things happening around him. I’m sure if you had asked his family about what God was doing for him, they wouldn’t have had many positive things to say. And yet, incredible things were happening inside of him.

In Ephesians 4, Paul tells his readers to “put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness” (verse 24). Since our “new self” is a part of us, it can never be taken away. It goes with us wherever we go. No matter where we are or what we’re doing, and regardless of whether the world around us is chaotic or calm, we can powerfully reflect the goodness of our God

Focus not only on what God is doing around you, but in you. This may be one of his greatest accomplishments in your life.

“…put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.”

Notes:

-“What God is doing—not only around you, but in you” Click here. Sermon.
-*Max Lucado, Outlive Your Life (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2000), 81.
-Bible quotes are from the ESV.