Today Daily Devotional

By ReFrame Ministries

Today is a daily devotional that helps God's people refresh, refocus and renew their faith through Bible reading, reflection, and prayer.... more

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How many episodes does Today Daily Devotional have?

The podcast currently has 2,850 episodes available.

Today Daily Devotional episodes:

June 26, 2018 Living Generous Lives
Paul
was a contented Christian. Yes, he could put up with all kinds of
things (good and bad), in Christ’s strength. Still, everyone needs
a little help from friends now and then. And there is nothing wrong
with admitting that.
The
Philippians had helped Paul by supplying him with some money, and
perhaps some food and clothing, on more than one occasion. That did
not go unnoticed, and Paul did not pretend that he didn’t need the
help, or that he would have been just fine without it. Paul admitted
that it was kind and helpful of the Philippians to send their gifts
to him.
He
even said that the Philippians did a better job than some other
congregations he had worked with. Here it seems that Paul was
engaging in a bit of back-handed shaming toward those other churches,
and this may be surprising to us.
But
from earlier in this letter we know where Paul was coming from. It’s
not that he was begging for money or trying to manipulate anyone. For
Paul, generosity was clearly a part of the whole Jesus package.
Living generous lives shows that we “get it” when it comes to the
gospel. In response to God’s amazing grace, we give too! And Paul
dearly wanted everyone to understand this—because getting
Jesus right is the most important thing in the whole universe!
...more
2min
June 25, 2018 Through Christ Alone
Yesterday
we focused on Christian contentment as something we all must
learn. Paul elaborates by saying that his life—like most people’s
lives—has had its share of ups and downs. He has had times of
plenty, dining on fine food and sleeping in a warm bed. And he has
had times of great want, going to sleep hungry and without having a
bed at all or even a blanket to keep him warm and dry.
“This
has been my school of contentment,” Paul says, in effect. One
learns to be content in good times without forgetting that they are a
gift from God, and one learns to be content in bad times without
forgetting that the Lord is still with you.
But
here’s the real secret: our strength is not our own. Paul says he
can do all this through the one who strengthens him.
Note
that this means not only being content when times are tough, but also
being grateful when times are good. Both require a kind of strength,
and this comes from Christ alone. This is the message woven
throughout this letter we have been exploring. For Paul, it is always
Jesus, Jesus, Jesus. Without Jesus, we are nothing. With Jesus, we
can do all things.
That
is, very simply, the good news, the gospel. Do you know this Jesus in
whom we can do all things?
...more
2min
June 24, 2018 Learning Contentment
Sometimes
we have the pleasure of meeting a Christian who exudes calm, peace,
and contentment even though they are living with limitations or
ailments that are difficult and painful. Or maybe they have faced
heart-wrenching tragedy in the past—and yet there they are, almost
serene in their faith and utterly joyful on every level.
When
we see such people, we sometimes conclude that God must have wired
them really well. We figure that such people must have been born
sunny-side up with a personality and disposition that lends itself to
a contented nature. But if we think that way, we are usually wrong.
Talk to such folks long enough, and you will discover what Paul wrote
to the Philippians: contentment is a learned behavior. You are not
born with it. It does not come easily for anyone. But by grace we
grow, we learn, we mature. And as we do, contentment becomes a way of
life.
But
it is not inevitable. Many of us know someone who got trapped by
their suffering long ago. They turned inward and curdled into an
angry, resentful person.
None
of us can avoid some level of pain, hardship, or deprivation in
life. Our prayer is that when we face difficult times, we can learn
what Paul learned over the long haul: a contentment anchored in
Christ.
...more
2min
June 23, 2018 Reveling in the Good
What
do we like talking about more—good news or bad news? How much of
our conversation includes hashing over bad things going on at work or
in the church? If we are honest, we might have to admit that bad
news not only travels fast but can also dominate our minds. True,
sometimes we are eager to share good news: to announce an engagement,
a wedding, or the birth of a child. But pondering the ugly is more
common. Bad news and conflict sell more news, the experts say.
Paul
wants the Philippians to concentrate on what is admirable, lovely,
pure, excellent, and praiseworthy. Yes, there are plenty of bad
things to ponder, and we have to deal with them. But let’s try,
Paul urges, to focus on what is good. Let’s try to spend long
stretches in our conversations pondering beautiful things from all
kinds of angles rather than hashing over bad stuff again and again.
Paul
must have been pretty good at this himself, since he holds himself up
as a role model. But the point is that it brings us peace to
fill our minds with all that God has made lovely and praiseworthy.
Pondering what is beautiful leads to gratitude, and we all know that
grateful people also tend to be very content, peaceful people.
Be
that way, Paul says. It is the best way to live before the face of
our generous, loving God!
...more
2min
June 22, 2018 Rejoicing and Peace
Paul’s
letters often include a section like this one: verses that burst with
energy and are chock-full of meaning.
Following
his need to tell two members to start getting along again (see
Philippians 4:2-3), Paul gives another reason why we should not be at
odds with one another: we are supposed to be rejoicing always. Then
he says it again: “Rejoice!” We cannot emphasize it enough!
This
is all part of our witness for Christ. We need to radiate joy,
gentleness, and a sense of peace that comes from knowing who is
really in charge of the universe: Jesus! Rather than be bundles of
nerves and anxiety, we pray. We hand over this world’s problems to
this world’s Savior. Things may or may not change immediately, or
come out the way we like, but we do the right thing by handing it
over to him.
And
the peace we receive as a result? Well, it does not make sense. Ours
is a troubling world. Anxiety seems warranted. But, instead, the
Savior who already passed through the worst things of this world
gives us a peace we cannot understand. Jesus has already suffered all
things for us. The peace he gives is not cheap or fake. It’s the
real deal from the Savior who died and rose again for us. Thanks be
to God!
...more
2min
June 21, 2018 One Mind
Paul’s
letters to churches like the one at Philippi were probably first read
aloud at a worship gathering. So in Philippi one day, do you suppose
Euodia and Syntyche got embarrassed at this point, hearing their
names read in connection with a conflict?
For
some reason they had had a falling out, and everyone knew about it.
Perhaps these two had not spoken to each other in a while, and they
tended to avoid each other. Even if they were not talking, others
likely were talking about them—so it’s no surprise that Paul
himself had heard about it.
Most
congregations have a scenario or two in which some members nurse a
grudge against one another. Sadly, in some situations people conclude
that there’s no fixing it, so they resolve to put up with it. “I’m
not stepping into the middle of that one!” we might say, or, “I
wouldn’t touch that one with a ten-foot pole!”
But
Paul stepped in. We cannot be united in Christ and yet be at odds
with one another. Strained relationships may not be easy to repair.
But we are called to try.
As
Paul puts it, it’s not just about having the same mind but having
the same mind “in the Lord.” The Lord himself is involved with
our disagreements, and we need to resolve them for his sake.
...more
2min
June 20, 2018 Citizens of Heaven
C.S.
Lewis observed that if you aim to be successful only on earth, you
may never get to heaven even as the things of earth slip away. But if
you aim for the things of heaven, not only will the Lord graciously
bring you there; he will also make your life on earth something
wonderful. So if you aim only for earth, you get nothing. But if you
aim for heaven, you get everything—life to the full.
This
is Paul’s point too as he rounds out Philippians 3. We all are
citizens of one country or another here on earth. But believers in
Christ have a far more important status as citizens of heaven. All of
our other identities fall in line under our heavenly citizenship.
Paul
pointed this out for the Philippians because then—and now—there
are all kinds of influences that distract us from giving God’s
kingdom first place in our lives. We receive messages like this every
day: live for the moment, go for the gusto, do whatever feels right,
look out for number one. All this, Paul claims, makes people enemies
of the cross. It all amounts to self-centered living and reflects
none of Christ’s selflessness. But if we live as Christ’s people,
then one day we will be made like Jesus, arrayed in all the
glory of God’s kingdom!
...more
2min
June 19, 2018 Maturing in Christ
As
we were reminded yesterday, we are saved by God’s grace alone in
Christ alone. But experiencing God’s amazing salvation changes us
so much that we devote ourselves to Christlike living.
In
today’s passage Paul confirms that there is a measure of spiritual
maturity required to understand all this and keep it in balance.
Someone
once said that the New Testament is like a body of water: on the one
hand, it is shallow enough that a baby could splash around in it
safely. But, on the other hand, a skilled diver could descend to
great depths in pondering the subtleties of God’s salvation. In
other words, the gospel is simple, and yet it is amazingly complex.
Throughout
his letters, Paul urges believers not to be satisfied with only what
is simple. Using another metaphor, the Bible teaches elsewhere that
we cannot be satisfied forever with the simple milk of the gospel but
need to mature and move on to its meatier teachings (Hebrews
5:13-14).
God’s
Spirit will help us with this, as Paul makes clear in this letter.
But the idea is to keep exploring, keep growing, keep maturing. Let’s
keep what we have already attained, says Paul, but let’s also keep
moving forward into ever greater truths about God and Jesus Christ!
...more
2min
June 18, 2018 The Prize
Many
of us know what it takes to win prizes in this world. People who win
medals at the Olympics, for example, do not achieve that by sheer
grace or because someone decided to be nice to them. No, they
practice many hours a day for years to get stronger and faster than
anyone else.
Paul
uses competitive athletic imagery in this passage, and the ancient
world knew as well as we do what it takes to attain athletic
prowess. But how do these verses align with the message of God’s
grace? Earlier in this chapter Paul deemed his human achievements as
“garbage,” so how does this prize image fit with that?
Well,
for Paul, the grace-granted knowledge of Jesus’ amazing work
of salvation for us motivated him to give his all in grateful service
to the Savior. Paul knew full well that we cannot earn salvation. But
he also knew that once we receive salvation by grace, we should have
all the determination of an Olympic athlete to do our best for God’s
glory.
When
God the Father looks at how we have lived after encountering Jesus
and responding to the Spirit’s work in us, won’t it be a joy to
hear him say, “You remind me of my Son”? That’s a goal we
should all pursue with the zeal of a world-class athlete!
...more
2min
June 17, 2018 To Suffer With Jesus
If
we are honest, we’ll admit that we do not usually, if ever, hope
for suffering. We may be eager to experience the power of Christ’s
resurrection, but we are less passionate about wanting to experience
the agony of his death. Yet in several places in the New Testament
Paul expresses a desire to share in the sufferings of Christ (for
example, see Romans 8:17-18; 2 Corinthians 1:5-7; 2 Timothy
1:8).
Across
church history, many Christians have suffered for Jesus, whether they
wanted to or not. To this day, parts of the church are persecuted,
and in recent years we have seen or heard about horrifying spectacles
of Christians being beheaded for their faith. If we are blessed to
live free of such persecution, we tend to pray that things may stay
that way for us. We also pray that persecution will cease for sisters
and brothers who are hurting. Yet Paul speaks positively about
suffering for Jesus’ sake, and he invites others to join with him.
Of
course, in baptism we do die and rise with Christ (Romans 6:1-7).
Spiritually we affirm this. Physical suffering may or may not come,
but if it does, Paul indicates that it only draws us closer to Jesus.
This
may be another way of expressing what Paul wrote in Romans 8:31-39:
nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ because Jesus
achieved salvation by suffering and dying for us.
...more
2min

FAQs about Today Daily Devotional:

How many episodes does Today Daily Devotional have?

The podcast currently has 2,850 episodes available.

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