Today Daily Devotional

Everyone had gathered just as much as they needed.

— Exodus 16:18

There’s an old saying: “You can take a boy out of the country, but you can’t take the country out of the boy.” Likewise for the people of Israel, it seemed. Though they were now freed from slavery, they complained of being hungry in the desert. They grumbled that at least they had plenty of food back in Egypt.

And how did God respond? In his mercy, God provided the gift of daily bread. This was a lesson in providence to teach the people that they could trust God to care for them. God even invited them to trust him enough so that they could take a weekly day off. The Sabbath was a day to set aside toil and labor and to turn one’s mind to rest, worship, and community.

Sabbath-keeping became the basis for a whole new way of thinking about life. The pattern of a weekly day of rest later expanded to include a Sabbath year every seven years, when the land could also take a rest and debts could be forgiven. Then Sabbath years were extended so that after seven times seven (49) years there would also be a Year of Jubilee, when slaves were released, debts were forgiven, and land was returned to its original owners (Leviticus 25). These practices were meant to protect people from poverty and to show other nations that God’s people could depend on him. It all has to do with trusting God and living God’s way.

God of abundance, you still provide our daily bread. Receive our thanks and teach us and others that we can trust in you. Amen.

The Israelites groaned in their slavery and cried out . . . to God. God heard their groaning and . . . was concerned about them.

— Exodus 2:23-25

The Israelites were the Old Testament people of God, chosen to become a nation through whom God would bless all other peoples (see Genesis 12:1-3). But, as we can see in the opening chapters of Exodus, God’s chosen people were in a bad way. The people of Israel had become slaves in Egypt. And in this way, they were not able to be the blessing to others that God had promised.

The king of Egypt feared the Israelites because their numbers were a potential threat to his domain. So he made life unbearable for them until the people cried out in their slavery and suffering. Some of the deepest weeping happened because many baby boys were murdered. What trauma and hopelessness!

But finally, after seeming to be absent for a long time, God heard the people’s groaning and acted to bring them freedom. It wouldn’t be easy or quick, but it would be decisive and provide rescue for God’s suffering people.

And isn’t it startling, as we find in the next chapter, that while God was moved to help the oppressed, his first move was to call a human being, Moses, to be the agent of his liberating power?

Dear God, see and hear the groaning of people who suffer everywhere in this world. Be concerned, righteous God, and move us to be faithful to your call to act in your name. Amen!

“Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.”

— Luke 6:20

God’s concern for the poor is written all over the pages of Scripture. Nearly 500 verses in the Bible express God’s concern for the needy and God’s desire to act on their behalf.

But who are the poor? They are varied, and the Bible has many different words to describe them. Some people are poor because they have no money or wealth. Some are simply dependent on others. Some are poor by choice. Some are poor because of misfortune, and some are poor because of poor decisions they made. Most commonly, the poor are those who are oppressed, suffering not only material poverty but also social poverty from lack of power and opportunity. They are poor, vulnerable, and weak.

God cares for them all. The Bible teaches that God has concern not just for people who are materially poor but also for those who are put down, oppressed, marginalized, shunned, denied opportunity, and overlooked. Again and again the Bible reveals the God who shows the poor his “tender mercies,” offering himself in promises of protection and provision.

Followers of Jesus are called to imitate God’s compassion, care, and mercy, lovingly assisting the poor in whatever ways are required, whether it means helping individuals, revitalizing communities, or working to create a more just and sustainable world.

Jesus, you blessed the poor with your words and your love. Teach us to do the same. Amen.

God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. . . .

— Genesis 1:31

The good, perfect, and loving Creator made an amazingly good world. The great song of creation in Genesis 1 closes with this resounding affirmation: “God saw all that he had made, and it was very good.” The star-studded heavens, the warming sun and glistening moon, the lush forests and the underlying biosphere, the sea teeming with marine life, and the air humming with birds—all of it was good. And human­kind, bearing God’s image, empowered to care for God’s good earth, was also good. It was all very good.

An important word that we will consider often this month is shalom. This Hebrew word, often translated as “peace,” means much more than that. While “peace” often refers mainly to an absence of conflict, shalom suggests the presence of goodness, flourishing, right relationships, and all things being as God created them to be. Shalom points to all things living in line with their character so that they can fully achieve God’s intentions for them.

Living in right relationship is essential for human flourishing—right relationship with God, with others, with self, and with God’s creation. That’s what God intended. Yet because of human sin and rebellion, those relations are twisted and spoiled. Poverty and all its limitations are the result of relationships gone wrong. Even so, God’s great work of love is to free us and his creation from the bondage of sin and to restore shalom.

God, thank you for loving us enough to restore us and make all things new. In Jesus, Amen.

God created mankind in his own image. . . . God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number, fill the earth and subdue it. . . .”

— Genesis 1:27

Good news begins right at the beginning. The good news found at the beginning of things in Genesis 1 is that there is a God who makes and upholds all that there is, and that we humans are made in the image of this amazing God.

We don’t look like God, of course, for God is Spirit—but this means, among other things, that we are God’s representatives. We are called to take care of all that God has made—and not just the creatures mentioned in these ­verses, but also the unfolding of all human history that follows, in all its complexity.

Amazing! Mere mortals are endowed with the dignity and honor of representing the infinite God, acting on God’s behalf to care for his creation with all its potential. We are God’s agents with a most prestigious job description. And this leads us, with joy and gratitude, to a profound sense of identity and calling.

This is good news for everyone, of course—but perhaps especially for people whose sense of identity and purpose are diminished, whose ability to live joyfully and fully are held back because of poverty or anything else that hinders their participation in life. Good news for the poor begins with a reminder that they bear God’s image.

Thank you, God, for creating us in your image and giving us life in your world. Help us to see your image in everyone we meet. Amen.

The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor.

— Isaiah 61:1

We all need good news, and the best news is that we are all children of the loving God, who calls us to trust and obey him so that we can live life abundantly. God wants to save us so that we can live life forever with him. God wants this for all of us.

In these devotions we’ll explore what this means, especially for people who experience poverty and hunger, who are also often oppressed, displaced, and vulnerable. That is not the way life is supposed to be. Instead, there should be abundance and flourishing for all. That is the great vision of peace and flourishing that God has for all of his creatures and all of his creation.

The Bible reminds us again and again that God has great compassion for all who are poor and oppressed, and he acts on their behalf. God also wants his followers to love and serve these people in his name.

So let’s think about how we can serve God by caring for poor and hurting people in tangible ways, from feeding and helping people to rebuild after disasters to helping with long-term development.

As we do this, we’ll also be thinking about God and his heart for the poor, revealed in Jesus Christ. And this will lead us into deeper discipleship, doing justice and loving mercy in Jesus’ name.

Thank you, loving God, for the Bible and for your creation, in which you reveal your heart of love and your care for all who are poor. By your Spirit, guide us to share your love. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

I will exalt you, my God the King; I will praise your name for ever and ever. Every day I will praise you. . . .

— Psalm 145:1-2

In the hymn “Love Divine, All Loves Excelling,” Charles Wesley describes our life in God’s coming kingdom: “Changed from glory into glory . . . we [will] cast our crowns before thee, lost in wonder, love, and praise.”

Living in the presence of God, we will be so filled with wonder, love, and praise for the Lord that, in a way, we won’t be able to think of anything else.

The celebration in Psalm 145 is similar. The psalmist is filled with praise and wonder at the beauty of God and all God’s works. The writer sings about it in grand language. He says he will praise God “for ever and ever . . . every day.” He says that no one can fathom God’s greatness. God’s ­majesty is described with “glorious splendor,” and God’s goodness is described as “abundant.” God is “gracious and compassionate,” and all his works “tell of the glory” of his everlasting kingdom. With such an amazing God, no wonder the psalmist is filled with praise.

Because we have such a great and beautiful future promised to us, we can resonate with some other phrases in Wesley’s hymn as we look forward to God’s kingdom in hope: “Finish, then, thy new creation; pure and spotless let us be. Let us see thy great salvation perfectly restored in thee.”

Come quickly, Lord Jesus. Fill us with wonder, love, and praise as we reflect on your beauty. We praise you for being such a great and loving God. Amen.

I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.

— Revelation 21:2

God doesn’t tell us exactly what his coming kingdom will be like. But God does give us some pictures in the Bible to help us look forward in hope.

In Revelation 21, John describes a vision of the new heaven and new earth. He sees the city of Jerusalem coming down out of heaven. In the world as John knew it, the people could go to the temple in Jerusalem to be with God. But in this vision, the city comes down out of heaven to be with the people.

John describes the city as “a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.” The city was radiant, looking beautiful for the sake of celebration and love.

All of this sounds nice, but the best news comes when John hears what this means. A voice tells him that the coming of this beautiful city means that God will now live with his people. Because of the presence of God, in the new heaven and earth there will be “no more death or mourning or crying or pain.” God will restore his creation to complete wholeness and peace.

When you face death or mourning or crying or pain in your life today, take courage. Though these things are very difficult, they are not forever. God will make all things new.

God of hope, be near to us in our struggles. Give us courage to face the unknown future. Give us trust that we can know that you will make all things new. Amen.

How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation. . . .

— Isaiah 52:7

When I watch or read the news, I sometimes feel sad because of all the pain and violence in the world. Other times I feel angry, and it seems that the news is even designed to make people angry. I’m ready to hear good news.

The prophet Isaiah spoke to God’s people at a time when they needed to hear good news. They were in exile, and they longed to return to their homeland and the city of Jerusalem.

God had such good news for the people that Isaiah said the feet of those who brought this news were beautiful. It’s not that the messengers’ feet were actually beautiful; they were probably dirty, blistered, and smelly after a long journey! But the news of restoration was so good and full of the hope of blessing that it helped people to appreciate the feet that brought this news to them.

The good news was that God reigns. No matter what bad news we hear, God is still in control of this world. No matter how sad or angry we might feel about the news of the world, God promises us a future of beauty and perfect peace. Just as God restored his people in ancient times, so too God will one day restore the world for all time. This is such good news that it helps us to persevere, looking ahead to the day when God will renew all things.

God, you rule over all things, and you will make everything beautiful again someday. Thank you for that good news! Amen.

On this mountain the Lord Almighty will prepare a feast. . . . The Sovereign Lord will wipe away the tears from all faces. . . .

— Isaiah 25:6-8

As we reflect on the beauty of God, the beauty of his creation, and the beauty of living and serving together as God’s people, it’s important also to look ahead. The Bible includes many promises about the restored beauty that Jesus brings, and about the beautiful life that this restoration invites us to live.

The world we live in now is still tainted by the pollution and ugliness of sin, but we need to remember that it is also filled with signs of beautiful hope. The Bible promises that one day Jesus will return to make all things new.

For example, Isaiah 25 points to a future celebration, a feast on the holy mountain of God. The joy and happiness that we feel at a wedding celebration or at an anniversary party is like a glimpse of the future celebration that God has in store for us. And in that beautiful future, Isaiah says, God will take away all sadness and sorrow and disgrace. The prophet was speaking to people who were in exile, who had reason to be afraid—but he gave them words of hope.

We too live in hope as we await this beautiful future. We can trust that God will keep his promises.

God of the future, thank you for the promises you give us in your Word, saying you will make all things new. Give us hope and help us to serve you as we await that beautiful day. In Jesus’ name, Amen.