The Up Devotional

Note: New podcast episode link in the footnotes below – “Habits are Coordinates.”

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In Ecclesiastes 1:8, the teacher says: “All things are full of weariness; a man cannot utter it; the eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing.”

In other words, nothing makes him content. Nothing he sees, and nothing he hears. Clearly, he’s not having a good day! He feels as if the things he experiences with his senses can’t satisfy his deepest needs.

Some of you might remember a song called, “She ain’t pretty, she just looks that way.”* Basically, a guy likes a girl. She’s pretty. But as he finds out, she only looks that way! The eyes can be deceiving. 

I recently saw a T.V. commercial. In short, everyone thinks everyone else is having a better time than they are. The guy on the street thinks the person in the restaurant has a better life than he does. In turn, the person in the restaurant thinks the person in a helicopter above has a better life than he does. That person envies someone in a jet plane higher in the sky. And then that person looks down and envies the person with a simpler life below on the street. 

Things aren’t always as they seem. They just look that way. 

In today’s world, we need this reminder. Not everyone is having a better time than you. Not everyone has a better life than you. Further, their lives are not always as they seem. People tend to show and share the good news, not the things they don’t want others to see!

But—and this is key—our trajectory in life shouldn’t be determined by other people. It should be determined by Christ. Other people will come and go. Some will seem amazing. Some will seem like a disaster. Sometimes you’ll be doing great. Other times, you’ll be the one trudging through a valley. 

This is why we need to focus on Christ. 

Our identity is in him.
Our worth is in him. 
Our purpose is in him.
Our salvation is in him. 

Things in our world aren’t always as they seem. They just look that way. Only Christ fully satisfies.

Notes:

–New Podcast episode (audio and video options): “Habits are Coordinates.” Click here, or find it on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or YouTube.

-*This is by a band called The Northern Pikes. It was written by Bryan Potvin.

-The Up Devotional is published 5 days a week (Monday-Friday) and returns on September 21, 2026.

-Bible quotes, ESV.

We’ve been spending some time with the book of Ecclesiastes. At first glance, chapter one seems pretty dreary. “All things are full of weariness,” the author says, “a man cannot utter it…” (Ecclesiastes 1:8).

See what I mean!

But the teacher is expressing frustrations, not making conclusions. He’s working out his thoughts and feelings about the challenges of life, and is inviting us to come along for the journey. 

Recently, I came across a statement by Rick Warren that speaks to the rationale of the book as a whole: “The most damaging aspect of contemporary living is short-term thinking.”*

He’s right, and it’s easy to do. We live in a society that seems to prioritize the here and now. We have microwaves and overnight delivery. We have (instant) digital communication and artificial intelligence. Because of this, we are at risk of focusing only on what is right in front of our faces, instead of the bigger picture. 

Money isn’t all there is. If we think it is, that’s short-term thinking. 

Being popular by the world’s standards isn’t all there is. If we think it is, that’s short-term thinking. 

Upward mobility at work or in society isn’t all there is. If we think it is, and if we live in a way that isn’t consistent with God’s kingdom, that’s short-term thinking. 

Fun experiences that make us smile and laugh aren’t all there is. Sure, those are nice from time to time. They can even be medicinal. But if we think they are, that’s short-term thinking. 

Even focusing exclusively on our family isn’t all there is. Is family important? Absolutely. But if we only think about our family and neglect God, that too can be short-term thinking. 

Here’s something I do to keep the big picture in mind. I have a list of priorities. Some of them are about my personal development as a disciple. Some are about my family. Some are about my role as a pastor. Some are about other things. 

Here’s what I do. I look at them every two weeks. That’s it. I simply remind myself about why I’m here and what I’m aiming for. 

Feel free to take it or leave it. Either way, it can be helpful for you to keep the big picture in mind. If not, you might be at risk of letting the tyranny of the here-and-now take over.

“The most damaging aspect of contemporary living is short-term thinking.”

Notes:

-Rick Warren, What On Earth Am I Here For? (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2004), 30.
-Bible quotes, ESV.

In Ecclesiastes 1:3 the teacher asks a question: “What does man gain by all the toil at which he toils under the sun?” 

Let’s note a few things. 

First, when he says ‘man,’ he means ‘humankind.’ He’s not just talking about himself. He’s asking a question of all of us.

Second, when he says ‘toil,’ he’s talking about all the comings and goings of life. 

Third, he’s expressing frustration. ‘I can’t seem to get ahead! Things aren’t working out!’ 

Fourth, he uses a specific phrase: “under the sun.” This expression happens only in this book. It doesn’t occur anywhere else in the Old Testament. And yet, it pops up in Ecclesiastes twenty-eight times! 

Here’s what it means: Living as if this world is all there is without reference to God or eternity. 

The teacher in this book is inviting us to think about how we spend our time and energy. If this physical world is all there is, what’s the point? If we spend our entire lives working and making money and climbing the ladder and seeking temporary experiences that make us happy, but then it all comes to an end when we die, why bother? 

As the book goes on, we discover that the things of this life can be useful. They can even be meaningful. But not if we neglect God, and not if we relegate God to the footnotes of our lives. 

Today, ponder this question: Am I living for everything “under the sun,” or for the Son? 

In other words, am I just living for temporary things and experiences (none of which will last), or am I living for Christ? And I speaking his truth, sharing his love, and working for his kingdom in the hopeful renewal of all things? 

Let’s prioritize people more than stuff. 
Let’s seek truth, not the deceptions of a society drunk on its own lies. 
Let’s bless people, not use them.
Let’s calibrate our lives to God, not selfishness. 

Am I living for everything “under the sun,” or for the Son? It makes all the difference—not only in this world, but in the world to come.

Notes:

-Bible quotes, ESV.

The start of the biblical book of Ecclesiastes is not what I would call “positive.” 

“Vanity of vanities, says the Preacher, vanity of vanities! All is vanity” (Ecclesiastes 1:2). In case it’s not obvious, he’s thinks everything is vanity. 

His keyword in Hebrew is “hevel.” It’s hard to translate because there isn’t an exact English equivalent. It can be translated as “meaningless,” “futility,” “breath,” “vapour,” or “mist.”

Imagine being outside on a cold winter’s day. You can see your breath—but only for a moment. Then it’s gone. That’s the sense in this verse: So many things in this life don’t last—work, stuff, money, and even many of our relationships. They’re here for a moment, and then they’re gone, especially when compared to God’s eternity. 

Have you ever used a spray bottle? I’m sure you have. As soon as you squeeze the handle, mist comes out. You can see it—but only for a moment—and then it’s gone. Same thing.

Perhaps this is why Jesus tells us to not store up treasures on earth, “where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal…” He then goes on to encourage us to store up treasures in heaven. (Matthew 6:19-20)

Then, in the next verse, he says: “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Note the word “treasure.” There’s a difference between things you have, and things you treasure. 

What do you treasure?

Yes, we have lots of things. But what do we treasure? Let’s be sure to focus on the things that matter, and not get distracted by the things that don’t.

-Bible quotes, ESV.

Proverbs 4:26 says: “Give careful thought to the paths for your feet and be steadfast in all your ways.”

In the Bible, various writers speak about a level path. Picture a hiker on a trail making her way up a mountain. If the path is level, that’s good. If it’s rocky, she could roll over on her ankle or slip off the path, which is bad. 

The “path” is often a metaphor for life. In other words, “Give careful thought to the trajectory of your life and be steadfast in all your ways.” 

Hebrew language scholar Robert Alter translates that same verse like this: “Level the pathway of your foot, and all your ways will be sound.”*

In both translations, the emphasis is on being deliberate. Set priorities and live by them. If you don’t, you’ll easily get thrown off course. 

I recently came across a quote by pastor Rick Warren: “If you don’t live by priorities you’ll live by pressures. Either you determine what’s important in life or other people will determine it for you.”

How very true. If you don’t think very specifically about what your priorities are, and if you don’t try to organize your life around achieving those priorities, other pressures can throw you off course. 

Proverbs 4:26 says to give “careful thought” to the paths for your feet, not “careless thought.” If you’ve already done this, that’s great. If not, perhaps it would be a good idea to take some time in the coming week to jot down some of the things that matter most, and ask yourself honestly if your life is properly aligned or out-of-whack.

“Level the pathway of your foot, and all your ways will be sound.”

Notes:

-*Robert Alter, The Wisdom Books: A Translation with Commentary—Job, Proverbs, and Ecclesiastes (New York: W.W. Norton and Company, 2011), 211.
-Bible quotes, ESV.

Summer schedules can become unpredictable. When that happens, it’s easy to let certain practices slip, like having meals together, like regular exercise…

And like going to church. 

Consider this. The average educator spends five thousand hours studying child development before they teach a class. The average paediatrician spends ten years and $500,000 to practice medicine with children. The manufacturer of Barbie will spend about six hundred million dollars a year to win the hearts and minds of an eight-year old girl!*

Let me extrapolate two things from these statistics.

First, in terms of the manufacturer of Barbie, there are many forces that are highly organized and well-funded which are competing for your heart and mind, and also the hearts and minds of the people you care about. 

Worshipping God together continually re-centres us on who and what matters most, despite what we may hear from the well-oiled marketing machines around us.

Second, certain activities take time and preparation if they are going to be done well. It’s true for those studying child development; it’s true for those wanting to become a paediatrician; and it’s true for people who want to be disciples of Jesus. 

Do you want to know what helps with that? Worshiping and serving God in the context of a flesh-and-blood community.

No church is perfect. No worship service will include everything you “like.” But that’s actually a good thing. It’s not about you and me. It’s about God. 

Paul says something direct in Colossians 3:16: “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.”

Wouldn’t it be great if there was a place every week that facilitated these exact things? Oh, wait a second, there is. 

Summer is often unpredictable, and it’s easy to let certain practices slip. So let’s re-stabilize, re-focus, and honour the Lord together as his people have done on Sunday mornings for thousands of years.

Notes:

-*Reggie Joiner and Kristen Ivy, It’s Just a Phase, So Don’t Miss It (Cumming: Orange, 2015), 8.
-The Up Devotional is published 5 days a week (Monday-Friday) and returns on September 14, 2026.
-Bible quotes, ESV.

Matthew 19:26 includes one of Jesus’ most famous sayings: “…with God all things are possible.”

We often appeal to that verse when praying for a something super-big, like a miracle. When we want a dramatic healing, or when we want people who absolutely hate each other to reconcile, or when we want a hurricane to change it’s path, we pray and remind God that he can do anything. 

Recently, I was thinking about the enormity of our sovereign God. It’s a practice I recommend. What if, instead of just seeing problems everywhere, and instead of just seeing reasons to sulk or despair, we intentionally made an effort to consider the bigness of God—and therefore, the big possibilities of God. 

Lord, expand peace where we see only violence. 

Lord, give joy where there are so many tears. 

Lord, give hope when sadness seems to be in charge. 

Lord, give a new perspective to that person who thinks they are only defined by their past.

Lord, give bravery when so-and-so seems so gripped by fear.

If all things are possible with God, why wouldn’t we pray for the biggest things imaginable? 

Lord, give me Daniel’s courage. Give me David’s honesty. Give me Mary’s faith. Give me Paul’s zeal. Give me Jesus’ love. 

Pray like it matters. Because it does. With God all things are possible.

Notes:

–The Up Daily Devotional has a new promo video! If you are thinking of sharing this devotional with a friend or family member, this 1-minute video will tell them what it’s all about. Click here. 
-Bible quotes, ESV.

Like many others, I grew up thinking Obi-Wan Kenobi was pretty cool. He was one of the good guys on Star Wars. In a recent spin-off series, he said: “Only when the eyes are closed can you truly see.”*

If you think that sounds decidedly biblical, you’re right. It’s very reminiscent of what the apostle Paul said in 2 Corinthians 5:7: “we walk by faith, not by sight.”

Our eyes are important. But each of us is at risk of over-relying on them. 

Just because someone looks nice, that doesn’t mean they are nice. Just because someone’s social media feed appears to tell us that they “have it all together,” that doesn’t mean they do. 

Further, just because someone seems to be a wreck, that doesn’t mean they don’t have anything valuable to say. And just because someone has made more mistakes that they can count, that doesn’t mean they are outside of the grace of Christ.

You get the point.

Here are a few implications of what it means to walk by faith, instead of just by sight…

It means that reality is determined by what it says in God’s Word, even when it seems to go against our instincts.

It means that loving others has actual power, even when lashing out at someone might feel better.

It means choosing Jesus even when others dislike you for it, and trusting that God will use your faithfulness for a future you can’t yet see.

Do you over-rely on what you see when you make decisions and set priorities? If so, you may need the reminder that you actually live in a world that is bigger than you think. 

“Only when they eyes are closed can you truly see.”

Notes:

–The Up Daily Devotional has a new promo video! If you are thinking of sharing this devotional with a friend or family member, this 1-minute video will tell them what it’s all about. Click here. 

-Obi-Wan Kenobi, season 1, episode 3. Released on June 1, 2022 on Disney+.

-Bible quotes, ESV.

A story is told by Mitch Albom.

‘A farmer wakes up to find that his horse has run off. The neighbours come by and say, “Too bad, such awful luck.” The farmer says, “Maybe.” 

The next day, the horse returns with a few other horses. The neighbours congratulate the farmer for his reversal of fortune. “Maybe,” the farmer says. 

When his son tries to ride one of the new horses, he breaks his leg, and the neighbours offer condolences. “Maybe,” the farmer says. 

And the next day, when army officials come to draft the son—and don’t take him because of his broken leg—everyone is happy. “Maybe,” the farmer says.’*

At first, the farmer sounds like one of those people who never smiles. I get that. But the reason I like the story is because he doesn’t rush to conclusions when something bad happens. What if there was a bigger purpose that he just couldn’t see?

In faith and life, only God is God. To be clear, we are not God. His wisdom is beyond us. In Romans 11:33, Paul says: “Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!”

As a result, we don’t always know the bigger picture. This can be frustrating. In an age of convenience, overnight delivery, and artificial intelligence, we are becoming increasingly accustomed to having things at our fingertips, including information.

Although it can be frustrating to not know the reason for this or that, it can also present us with an opportunity to trust God. 

The world can be unstable and chaotic, but God is steadfast and true.

The world can be painful, but God provides comfort and peace.

The world can be confusing, but God provides light and wisdom in Christ.

Don’t get overwhelmed when you’re not sure how it all fits together. Use those moments to step into an existence of greater trust under the God who rules eternity, who adopts us into his household, and is the giver of all good gifts. 

There are many “maybes” in life, but there is only one God—and we belong to him.

Notes:

-*Mitch Albom, Have a Little Faith (New York: Hyperion, 2009), 163.
-Bible quotes, ESV.

We’re back! 

After some heavenly vacation time, The Up Daily Devotional is back to your email inboxes, social media feeds, and podcast platforms five mornings a week.

There’s a book by Daniel J. Brown called The Boys in the Boat. It’s about Americans who went to the Berlin Olympics for rowing. I haven’t read it personally, but heard Mother Natalia speak about it recently.*

These Washington freshmen came up with a short mantra: M.I.B. The coxswain kept chanting it to them repeatedly as they raced. “M.I.B.! M.I.B.! M.I.B.!”

But what did it stand for? “Mind in boat.” 

The acronym was all about focus. “His whole world must shrink down to the small space within the gunwales…” The rowers needed a singular focus on the task before them. They had to tune out the crowds, the other boats in the race, all other noises, and even the problems they may have been facing in their personal lives. In those moments, nothing else mattered. 

M.I.B.

This is the first devotional in September. I’ve always considered September to be the real New Year’s. It’s when we set our priorities, habits and overall trajectory for the coming ten months. 

Over time, it’s easy to get distracted…

-We get swept up with the wider culture, and neglect the deeper needs of the people whom God has put into our lives. 
-We get so busy that we put prayer, Bible-reading and Sunday worship on the backburner. 
-We start to form opinions based upon our fluctuating feelings instead of heeding the voice of Jesus. 

What if we all adopted a new attitude of M.I.C.? “Mind in Christ.” 

Do you belong to Jesus? If so, here is what he says in John 10:27: “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.”

“M.I.C.! M.I.C.! M.I.C.! Mind in Christ…”

The (real) New Year’s has arrived. What if we used it as an opportunity to tune out all the distractions, and recalibrate to Christ and to all the things that matter most.

Notes:

-*She spoke about this on the Pints with Aquinas podcast in an episode called “The Jesus Prayer for Beginners,” released on Apple Podcasts, June 18, 2026.
-Bible quotes, ESV.