The Up Devotional

[PAUSE ALERT – After today, The Up Daily Devotional will go on pause for 2 weeks, resuming on September 7, 2026.]

~

Let’s begin with three verses from John 15. As we go through them, let’s look for what Jesus says about joy.

“As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love.  If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full” (verses 9-11).

Let’s follow the logic.

Jesus invites us to abide in his love. How do we do that? By keeping his commandments. Why did he tell us this? So that his joy may be in us, and that our joy may be “full.”

I think this is one of those passages that we quickly skip over, but shouldn’t. 

Jesus is telling us something very important about joy. He is telling us that when we keep his commandments, not only are we abiding in his love, but we are being filled with more and more joy! 

As always, it’s important to highlight the difference between happiness and joy. Happiness is based on how you feel. In contrast, joy is based on whose you are and how you live. 

Perhaps this is why G.K. Chesterton calls joy “the gigantic secret of the Christian.”* You may not always be “happy,” but you can have an identity and purpose which is firmly rooted in Christ, and you can have a meaningful existence as you keep Jesus’ commandments and share his love as a part of the body of Christ.

The “good life” is about getting; but a great life is about giving. 

Let’s abide in Jesus’ love and keep his commandments. “These things I have spoken to you,” he says, “that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.”

Notes:

-Quoted in: Ryan Skoog, Peter Greer, and Cameron Doolittle, Lead with Prayer: The Spiritual Habits of World-Changing Leaders (Nashville: Faith Words, 2025), 11.

-Bible quotes, ESV.

In the previous devotional we talked about prayer.

There is more than one way to pray, of course. I included some suggestions of short, biblical statements that you can put on a mental “loop” as you go about your day.

Here’s some additional motivation to pray, no matter how you do it. 

It comes to us from J.C. Ryle, a preacher from the 1800’s. He said: “Pray without ceasing because Satan is preying without ceasing.”*

Yes!

The first part of his sentence comes to us from Paul in 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18: “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”

The second part of his sentence includes a play-on-words. “Praying” is contrasted with “preying.” He says that Satan is preying like a predator (which he is). It recalls 1 Peter 5:8: “Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.”

This can be jarring to Christians who have never taken spiritual warfare seriously. They discount Satan and demons because they think those notions are “out of date” and inconsistent with a modern worldview. By the way, they’re not. They also awkwardly skip over the non-stop conflict that we see in the Gospels related to the unseen realm.

Ryle’s point is this: Stay tethered to God in prayer because it’s a battle! The world is not neutral. There are dark, unseen forces trying to harm you and the ones you love. Happily, there is nothing to fear if we are in Christ. His name is above every name (Philippians 2:9), and he is the ultimate victor over all dark powers (Colossians 2:15). 

At the same time, the battle is real. If you’ve become lax in prayer, you may need the reminder that it is an actual weapon that is more significant and powerful than physical armour. Without it, you may be floating around like a sitting duck in a pond with real crocodiles.

You don’t need to be long-winded or fancy. You don’t need to be a professional theologian. But you need to be honest, and you need to come to him in the almighty name of Jesus. 

“Pray without ceasing because Satan is preying without ceasing.”

Notes:

-Note: As of August 10, I am on vacation. However, The Up Daily Devotional will continue daily until August 21, then go on pause for 2 weeks, resuming on September 7, 2026.

-*Quoted on X on June 30, 2026.

-Bible quotes, ESV.

Have you ever heard of “The Jesus Prayer”? 

It’s an ancient prayer that goes like this: “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.” It’s common for people to repeat it—as if on a loop—as they go about their day. 

It comes from a variety of different statements in the Bible which have been patched together. For example, Jesus is often called “Lord” and “Son of God.” The beggar in Luke 18:38 says: “have mercy on me.” Earlier in verse 13, a tax collector also asked for mercy and identified himself as “a sinner.”

Mother Natalia has made a practice of using this prayer. She says the words in conjunction with her breathing. She likens it to breathing in Jesus’ mercy, and then breathing out her sin.*

If you have trouble keeping your mind focussed as you go throughout your day, let me make a suggestion. Use a short, biblical phrase, and put it on a loop.

I often use “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me” (Luke 18:38). 

Here are a few others:

“Lord, help me” (Matthew 15:25).
“I love you, O LORD, my strength” (Psalm 18:1).
“Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom” (Luke 23:42).
“Father, glorify your name” (John 12:28).

These are short, biblical, and prayerful. 

It can also be helpful to simply use the name “Jesus.” There’s an old hymn that says “there is power in the name.” And it’s true! 

There is more than one way to pray. Let’s centre ourselves in Christ and be a part of his kingdom, not only “out there,” but within.

Notes:

-Note: As of August 10, I am on vacation. However, The Up Daily Devotional will continue daily until August 21, then go on pause for 2 weeks, resuming on September 7, 2026.

-*On the ‘Pints with Aquinas’ podcast, “The Jesus Prayer for Beginners,” released on Apple Podcasts on June 18, 2026.

-Bible quotes, ESV.

Today I’m going to say something that might sound a bit jarring. But I think it’s for your own good. Please hear me out. 

Do you find it difficult to find time to pray, even though you don’t find it difficult to do other less important things? 

Do you find it hard to focus your attention when you read the Bible, even though you never have a problem focusing your attention when you’re scrolling online or watching a movie? 

Do you find it challenging to get to church on Sunday morning, or to share your faith with someone (even when they’ve opened the door to a conversation about it), or to simply show a kindness to one of your neighbours? 

If so, has it ever crossed your mind that there may be dark forces that are trying to stop you? 

I know, I know, sounds pretty dramatic, right? 

In 2 Corinthians 10:5, Paul writes: “take every thought captive to obey Christ…” The implication is that our thoughts are easily led astray. Why would we have to take our own thoughts “captive” unless there was someone else competing for them? 

In the wider passage, Paul is talking about spiritual warfare with dark forces. So yes, it is possible that these dark forces are trying to keep you from focusing on God as your ultimate source of help and hope. 

As modern people, this is hard for us to digest. Our default way-of-thinking is to presume that everything we experience is based purely on physical or psychological realities. Sometimes? Yes. But not always.  

Neil Anderson and Timothy Warner have observed the same thing: “People often complain that when they try to pray, their minds wader, they get sleepy, or they think of a dozen other things to do. My response is, “Welcome to the war!”*

I’m not sitting beside you, so I don’t know about your specific situation, nor can I help provide a diagnosis. But if this is you—and even if it isn’t—ask God to protect your mind and to keep you focused on him, his Word, and his will. Bind the enemy in the name of Jesus. 

Have you noticed how everyone is so distracted all the time. Gee, I wonder if that’s intentional… 

As Paul says, let’s take every thought captive to obey Christ, and let’s live in the abundant grace and truth that the Lord intends for his clear-minded children.

Notes:

-Note: As of August 10, I am on vacation. However, The Up Daily Devotional will continue daily until August 21, then go on pause for 2 weeks, resuming on September 7, 2026.

-*Neil T. Anderson and Timothy M. Warner, The Essential Guide to Spiritual Warfare (Minneapolis: BethanyHouse, 2000), 135.

-Bible quotes, ESV.

In the world of business, companies can outsource all sorts of things. They can outsource administrative tasks, or even their payroll or legal services.

As people, however, we can’t outsource intimacy. 

John Ortberg tells the unfortunate story of a man who became attracted to a certain woman and wanted to ask her out on a date. Instead of approaching her himself, he asked his administrative assistant to get in touch with her to set up a time.* Oops! 

In the context of this devotional, I’m not talking about romantic intimacy. I’m talking about our one-on-one relationship with the Lord. When someone says “you can’t inherit faith,” they’re referring to this same idea. 

One day when you stand before God it’s not going to work if you say, ‘Yes, I neglected you, but my grandma really, really loved you!’ Each new generation—and each individual person—needs to put in the time, personally.

I sometimes get asked about Matthew 7:21. That’s where Jesus says: “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.” As you can imagine, it can make people feel unsettled.

The key, however, is found in the next few verses. Sure, many people were doing things in Jesus’ name, but they didn’t have a relationship with him. “I never knew you,” he says. 

Someone can know about you without knowing you. There’s a difference.

This same point is made in John 15:4: “Abide in me, and I in you,” Jesus says. This is a reciprocal invitation. It means getting to know him and his words. It means putting in the time. It means listening. It means doing Christlike things. It means trusting him with your secrets—and even your future.

That’s what a relationship looks like.

Let’s say your best friend really wants you to be there at their graduation. You say, ‘Okay.’ But instead of showing up yourself, you send a guy whom you gave ten bucks to sit in your seat. What will your friend think? 

When it comes to a relationship with God, we can’t outsource intimacy. Let’s make it personal and meaningful. 

“Abide in me,” Jesus says,” “and I in you.”

Notes:

-Note: As of August 10, I am on vacation. However, The Up Daily Devotional will continue daily until August 21, then go on pause for 2 weeks, resuming on September 7, 2026.

-*John Ortberg, All the Places You Go (Tyndale House Publishers, 2015), 74.

-Bible quotes, ESV.

This week we have been spending some time thinking about the forgiveness that God gives to his children. 

Today, let’s flip that coin and talk about the forgiveness that we can extend to others.

First, it’s important to remember that our approach to forgiveness is grounded in what we have first received in Christ. Paul makes this clear in Colossians 3:13: “as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.” 

Just as loved people love people, so do forgiven people forgive people. It is a part of our spiritual D.N.A. You can only “pay forward” what you have first received. It’s not always easy, but it’s there. 

Second, keep in mind that unforgiveness is about you just as much as it is about the other person. “Unforgiveness creates bondage,” says Doris Wagner. “Bondage is like a rope that ties up two things, in this case two persons: the one who was wronged and the one who committed the wrong.”*

She makes a good point. Quite often, when we carry around a spirit of unforgiveness, it impacts us too.

Third, forgiveness isn’t about saying “oh, that’s okay.” Nor is it about forgetting what someone did. The saying, “Forgive and forget” is wildly naïve. Forgiveness seeks to entrust resentment and a desire for vengeance to God. 

Fourth—and this is something we don’t talk about very much—but forgiveness says something about the kind of world God is bringing into existence. N.T. Wright says that our “birthright” is “to breathe in true divine forgiveness day by day, as the cool, clear air which our spiritual lungs need instead of the grimy, germ-laden air that is pumped at us from all sides.”**

Ah yes. Imagine a world where the fresh air around us is perfumed with forgiveness—both received and given—instead of the grimy, germy air of disdain, impatience vengeance.

Think of specific people. Think of specific sins. Search your heart. Pray to God. Take a step toward liberation and fresh air. 

“…as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.”

Notes:

-*Doris M. Wagner, How to Cast Out Demons: A Guide to the Basics (Ventura: Regal Books, 2000), 61-62.

-**N.T. Wright, The Lord and His Prayer (Eerdman’s, 2014), 63.

-Note: As of August 10, I am on vacation. However, The Up Daily Devotional will continue daily until August 21, then go on pause for 2 weeks, resuming on September 7, 2026.

-The Up Devotional is published 5 days a week (Monday-Friday) and returns on August 17, 2026.

-Bible quotes, ESV.

We have been spending some time with Psalm 32.

It is one of seven “penitential” psalms. That word is connected to repentance. If it sounds like “penitentiary,” you’re right. Prisons are intended to be houses of repentance, where inmates gather in cells (notice that a ‘cell’ is also where a monk lives as a place of prayer and reflection), to reform themselves.

As one of the penitential psalms, Psalm 32 seems a bit heavy. But that’s on purpose—and that purpose is helpful and beautiful. Let me explain…

Verses 1 and 2 say: “Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man against whom the LORD counts no iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit.”

In those two short verses, David uses four different words for sin. He’s being very, very comprehensive (for a reason). 

“Transgression” (Hebrew: pesha’), means rebellion. The general word “sin” (hata’ah) is a deliberate offense. “Iniquity” (‘awon) means going astray. “Deceit” (remiyyah) refers to falsehood or hypocrisy.*

Wow. David is really going out of his way to cover his bases. Sin is everywhere. In fact, it’s not just things we do; it’s in our nature. Don Carson uses the analogy of a fish in a tank of water. The water surrounds the fish. It’s even within. The fish have no real desire to get out and can’t even perceive of life outside of water. So it is with us and sin.**

This is where the good news comes in.

When we come to God for forgiveness, he covers our sin (verse 1). Think of a big pile of garbage that has been covered by a tarp. How many pieces of garbage are under the tarp? According to Martin Luther, what cannot be seen cannot be counted!*** 

In Christ, when it comes to your transgressions, God has you “covered.”

God’s loving kindness toward you as his child is more comprehensive that all of your mistakes, blunders, sins and offenses—combined.

Today’s devotional is a bit heavy. But that’s okay. Life is heavy! The point of Psalm 32 is that when it comes to your sin, God’s grace is a mountain range, not an ant hill.

Place your honest trust in the one who has you “covered,” no matter what you’ve done.

As David says in verse 1: “Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven…”

Notes:

*-This summary is provided by the CSB Study Bible.

-**Carson makes this analogy in an article titled: “The Puritans: What they have that the moderns have not.” This article appeared in the Northwest Journal of Theology 1 (1972), p. 86. 

-***Martin Luther, Luther: Lectures on Romans, ed. Wilhelm Pauck (Philadelphia: The Westminster Press, 1961), 132.

-Note: As of August 10, I am on vacation. However, The Up Daily Devotional will continue daily until August 21, then go on pause for 2 weeks, resuming on September 7, 2026.

-Bible quotes, ESV.

Several years ago, I was watching an episode of Little House on the Prairie. There was a girl in a wheelchair. She was upset about how much her life had changed. 

Her mom, wanting the best for her, knew she needed to change her perspective. She said: “Live your life as it is, not as it was.”* In other words, don’t live your life today (and tomorrow) based on how you used to be. Let’s move forward instead of getting stuck in the past.

Psalm 32 gives us a picture of how David was, in some ways, consumed by his own past. He had sinned. He kept it to himself and didn’t confess it to God. Verses 3-4 say: “For when I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was dried up as by the heat of summer.”

That’s a description of a man who was burdened by what had happened in the past. However, when he confessed his sin to the Lord, he was forgiven and able to move forward (verse 5). He experienced God’s instruction (verse 8), steadfast love (verse 10), and was able to rejoice (verse 11).

Are you feeling burdened and stuck—as if a heavy hand is upon you (verse 4)? I don’t know your specific situation, so I can’t speak to it. But there are times when we are weighed down because we haven’t been honest with God. 

Perhaps there is a sin we haven’t confessed. Perhaps it is something from long ago, but which still lingers in your mind. Or perhaps we are knowingly living in a way that is contrary to the teachings of Jesus. As a result, there is internal static. Something is “off” because we are saying we love Jesus with our lips but are trying to get away with subtle rebellion.

If so, do what David did. Be honest with God. Ask for his forgiveness. Find relief. And start fresh. Live in the light of today instead of the darkness of yesterday. 

In verse 6 David speaks of relief: “surely in the rush of great waters, they shall not reach him.” 

Or you.

“Live your life as it is, not as it was.” And how it is—if you are in Christ—is forgiven.

Notes:

-“#Blessed and Forgiven (Don’t Believe the Lies), Psalm 32.” Click here. Full sermon.

-Note: As of August 10, I am on vacation. However, The Up Daily Devotional will continue daily until August 21, then go on pause for 2 weeks, resuming on September 7, 2026.

-*The episode was titled “Farewell Albert, I’ll miss you.”

-Bible quotes, ESV.

In Psalm 32:1, David wrote: “Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.”

According to the psalm, if you have received God’s forgiveness, you are “blessed.”

That’s a popular phrase to use these days. “Blessed.” It’s even used as a hashtag by people who would not otherwise call themselves “religious.” 

When someone has a much-anticipated reunion with friends they say they are #blessed. When they get a promotion at work, they say they are #blessed. While spending an afternoon at the beach, they say they are #blessed.

With that in mind, we all need a constant reminder about a major blessing in our lives: God’s forgiveness. Why do we so often need this reminder? Because we live in a world that preaches lies to us every single day, and sometimes even every single hour. “You’re not enough! You don’t have enough! You can’t keep up! There is something missing in your life!” 

Enough.

What if you didn’t spend so much of your time wishing you had somebody else’s life? What if you were more content, and less unsettled? What if you discovered more about your purpose in Christ, instead of chasing rabbits at racetracks?

In Christ, you already have what matters most—forgiveness from sin, peace with God, a firm identity, a life of purpose, and eternity itself.

Let’s avoid the soul-sucking vortex of more, more, more. Instead, let’s be at peace at the side of a God who has already given us what matters most.

Notes:

-“#Blessed and Forgiven (Don’t Believe the Lies), Psalm 32. Click here. Full sermon.

-Note: As of August 10, I am on vacation. However, The Up Daily Devotional will continue daily until August 21, then go on pause for 2 weeks, resuming on September 7, 2026.

-Bible quotes, ESV.

In John’s Gospel, Jesus makes a series of well-known statements that begin with the words, “I am.”

Here they are:

“I am the bread of life” (John 6:35)
“I am the light of the world” (John 8:12)
“I am the door of the sheep” (John 10:7)
“I am the good shepherd” (John 10:11)
“I am the resurrection and the life” (John 11:25)
“I am the way, and the truth, and the life” (John 14:6)
“I am the true vine” (John 15:1)

Scholars note that this pattern happens seven times—a number often associated with perfection. 

They also point out that the words “I am” in Greek (ego eimi), are a specific construction first employed by God himself at the burning bush when he revealed his name to Moses: “I am who I am” (Exodus 3:14). In other words, Jesus consciously chooses the well-known name of God and applies it to himself.

These statements in John were unambiguously understood as comments about Jesus’ own divinity. If I (Matthew) told you that I was the bread of life or the light of the world, you would probably conclude one of two things—that I was either crazy or blasphemous! With Jesus, however, he is simply stating the truth about his own identity and divinity. 

My point today isn’t simply that Jesus was God incarnate. It’s related to a further implication for you and me today. Here it is.

Jesus is the answer to our deepest needs. Yes, all the deepest ones.

He is the bread of life—and we long for it, need it, and find satisfaction in it! 

He is the light of the world—and we long for it, need it, and find satisfaction in it! 

He is the way, and the truth, and the life—and we long for those things, need them, and find ultimate satisfaction only in him.

God comes to us because of his never-ending love for his kids in all the ways that matter most.

-Are you searching? Look to Jesus. 

-Are you being led astray by false teachers who say that Jesus isn’t sufficient? Don’t be fooled, look to Jesus. 

-Are you wanting to make a change in your life so it is more fulfilling? Look to Jesus. 

In a world of cheap substitutes, Christ is the real deal. God knows we have deep needs, and so he came to us in Jesus.

“I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” (John 8:12).

Notes:

-Note: As of August 10, I am on vacation. However, The Up Daily Devotional will continue daily until August 21, then go on pause for 2 weeks, resuming on September 7, 2026.
-Bible quotes, ESV.