Today Daily Devotional

All the believers . . . broke bread . . . together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God. . . .

— Acts 2:44-47

My wife and I have been part of many small groups in our church over the years, but one experience of community stands out as especially rich. We were in a group with three other couples who were younger than us and in a different stage of life. When we first began meeting, none of them were married; they were dating or engaged. That soon changed, and in a short span of time we joyfully celebrated three weddings. At each reception our small group sat together, enjoying the gift of walking through these milestones side by side.We also shared one another’s sorrows. Shortly before one of those weddings, the bridal couple experienced the sudden and tragic loss of a beloved family member. On the day of their celebration, tears and laughter mingled freely as we felt both grief and gratitude, mourning what was lost while giving thanks for a new beginning.When I read the description of community in Acts 2, it can sound almost too ideal. Yet the rest of the New Testament shows that the early church also knew conflict and pain.Still today, the Spirit continues to draw believers into deep, resonant fellowship. We are not meant to follow Jesus alone. Though we are imperfect people in a broken world, God chooses to live among his people. How might we open our lives and homes more fully to one another?

Dear Jesus, though Christian community can be challenging at times, help us to step more deeply into our relationships. Fill us with your love and care for each other. Amen.

If anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!

— 2 Corinthians 5:17

For the next few days, let’s think about how the gospel resonates with us personally, then spreads into our relationships, and then rings out further into the world.I was speaking in a church in Canada recently that has baptized hundreds of new immigrants from a country in the Middle East. After the service, a young man came up to me and shared in broken English that this was his first time in the church. He had just immigrated to Canada and was curious about Jesus. He had shown up that morning to see what the Christian faith was about. What a joy it was to be able to tell him about Jesus’ love for him and to connect him with someone who could explain the good news of Jesus in his own language. He was warmly welcomed and invited to experience personal resonance with Jesus.In our passage for today, we hear the good news ringing out: “If anyone is in Christ . . . the old has gone, the new is here!” This passage invites us to receive all that Jesus has accomplished on the cross for us. Each one of us—whoever we are, whatever our story—can be personally reconciled with God through Jesus Christ. The promise of complete forgiveness is possible in Jesus— and this good news is for everyone!May the joy and hope of Jesus resonate in your heart. And may you respond in faith and be reconciled to God!

Dear Jesus, you who had no sin became sin for us so that we could be reconciled to God! May this life-giving message resonate deep within each of us today. Amen.

Whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.

— 1 Corinthians 11:26

“Do this . . . in remembrance of me.” The church of Jesus has been living into these words for nearly 2,000 years. Thinking about our devotional theme for this month, we might say that the celebration of the Lord’s Supper, or Holy Communion, is one of the most resonant experiences in the Christian life. Through the work of the Holy Spirit, everything that Jesus accomplished on the cross is available to us. And we receive this gift by faith, putting our trust in him.The Bible describes this good news in a multitude of ways. Through Jesus’ death and resurrection our sins are forgiven. Our spiritual debt is paid in full. We become citizens of the kingdom of God. We are rescued from death and receive new life now and forever!Verse 26 of our passage for today makes a remarkable statement. Whenever we come to the Lord’s table in faith to receive the bread and cup that represent his broken body and shed blood, we “proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.” Our lives become an announcement of our spiritual victory. Death has been defeated! The grave has been conquered! We are set free!There is something both mysterious and holy about the Lord’s Supper. Jesus is present with his people as they gather around his table. May our hearts be open to receive him.

Jesus, thank you for the gift of communion, reminding us of your sacrifice on the cross. Fill us with your grace, and help us follow you faithfully till you come again. Amen.

The leaves of the tree [of life] are for the healing of the nations.

— Revelation 22:2

Several colleagues and I were on a call with church leaders from a West African nation where Christians have been facing increased hostility and violence. We wanted to connect and hear how they were doing, and we wanted to ask how we might pray for and support them.Yet the conversation proved difficult. Technical problems disrupted the connection again and again, and it took considerable time and effort just to share a few meaningful moments together.For many Christians around the world, this kind of disruption is a daily reality. We all long for experiences of spiritual and emotional resonance— times when we can connect deeply with God and with one another. But in places marked by political and religious persecution, natural disasters, or war, such a connection can be fragile and hard won.St. Augustine wrote that “our hearts are restless until they find rest in God.” Until Jesus returns, there will always be some measure of restlessness and dissonance in our lives and in the world around us.For this reason we continue to pray with longing for the day when Christ will make all things right and bring healing to the nations. Until that day arrives, it is vital that we stand with our suffering brothers and sisters, remembering them in prayer and supporting them in whatever ways we can.

Dear Jesus, we read of the river of life and the healing of the nations, and our hearts ache for the day when you will return. Come quickly, Lord Jesus. Amen.

“Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night. . . .”

— Joshua 1:8

This year the Today devotional guide is celebrating its 75th anniversary.As we think about the Word of God resonating around the world, these devotions are one of the ways in which the Spirit is at work, encouraging and challenging many thousands of Christians and people who are curious about the Christian faith. Every day is a new opportunity to read a portion of Scripture and apply it to our daily lives.I was in a small town in the midwestern United States recently, and as I walked out of the hotel where I was staying, I saw the Today devotions on display in the lobby for people to pick up. Shortly afterward, I ran into some people in an airport. They recognized me as a pastor, and then one of them exclaimed, “Hey, we read your devotion this morning in Today— thanks for that!” This little devotional guide is shared in churches, homes, hotels, prisons, restaurants, and online. What a ministry!In our Bible reading today in the book of Joshua, God’s people are about to enter the land God has promised them. They are encouraged to be strong and courageous because the Lord is with them. But that strength and courage would stay with them only if they kept the Word of God on their lips and in their hearts. May that be true for us today and every day.

Father, thank you for your faithfulness. Thank you for providing the Today devotions for so many people for the past 75 years. May your Word ring out and keep strengthening all who seek you. Amen.

I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me.

— Psalm 51:3

It can happen so easily. A quick or thoughtless word can hurt someone else. And if we are confronted with our guilt, we instinctively move into denial or defense. We try to shift blame to another person or circumstance as we try to justify ourselves. Or we sink into shame, allowing self-damaging thoughts to take hold. The cycle becomes destructive for everyone involved.Psalm 51 is a response to the convicting work of the Holy Spirit. King David, who wrote this psalm, had been confronted by the prophet Nathan, who had shown him his guilt and deceit in taking Bathsheba and arranging the death of her husband (2 Samuel 11).In this remarkable psalm we see what true conviction by the Spirit can bring. David did not deny what he had done or try to justify his actions. He refused to blame others, yet he also did not drown in despair. Instead he recognized his sin, confessed it before God, and asked for mercy. He also asked for a new beginning: “Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.”We often experience resonance with God through the beauty of his creation and the truth of his Word. But another powerful meeting place with God is in our honest admission of sin. May God lead us to genuine repentance so that we can be forgiven in Jesus, who is always ready to restore to us the joy of salvation.

Dear Jesus, as hard as it may be, help us to see the places in our lives where we need forgiveness and restoration. Cleanse us and wash us clean, we pray. Amen.

Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn.

— Romans 12:15

The life-giving power of Jesus rings out in many ways. My colleague Joyce, a former missionary to Nigeria, tells of her moving experience with the Nigerian practice of “greeting.” She learned that whenever something significant happened— whether joyful or painful—people would gather simply to be present with you in that moment. Presence itself was the gift.She recalls how, when her daughter was born, neighbors came one after another to “greet” the child. There was singing and dancing, and the joy was immense. This little girl was embraced and welcomed into the life of the whole community.Joyce also recalls another, very different day—on September 12, 2001. Early in the morning she and her husband were awakened by neighbors at their door. These friends had just learned of the destruction of the World Trade Center in New York City the day before. Though none of them had ever been to the United States, they knew this would be devastating news for their American friends. They came to “greet” them—to hold them in love as they tried to absorb their shock and grief.As our theme verse for today reminds us, both joy and sorrow are contagious. Whom might you “greet” today—to celebrate their gladness or to sit gently with them in their pain—as a reflection of God’s resounding love?

Jesus, thank you for ministering to us in our joy and sorrow. Help us to respond with care for our friends and neighbors in their times of happiness and sadness. Amen.

If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ.

— 1 Peter 4:11

I often have the privilege of meeting creative and courageous leaders in different parts of the world. In Kenya recently, I stood on a tidy little property tucked between tall buildings in a small town outside Nairobi. It was once a vacant lot, choked with garbage and weeds, but today it is home to a lively school serving dozens of children. Two classrooms, fashioned from repurposed shipping containers, provide bright learning spaces, complete with washroom facilities and a small playground.Lucy is the teacher God used to bring about this remarkable change. She had worked for years in another school system, but she had grown frustrated because she was unable to apply the kind of education she believed the children needed. One day her husband said to her, “If God has placed this burden on your heart, perhaps he is also calling you to be part of the solution.” So, in faith and courage, she left her position and, with her husband and a handful of volunteers, began to build this small school to offer Christ-centered education to the children of the community.When I asked Lucy about her journey, she pointed to God’s faithfulness. God continues to work miracles of transformation today through ordinary people who have faith in him.

Dear Lord, may you find a resounding “yes” in our lives as we respond to your love for us and to your call on our lives. May all we do today bring you praise and honor. In Jesus, Amen.

Having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.

— Colossians 2:15

I read about a missionary walking through a vast temple who witnessed something deeply heartbreaking. Crowds of people— many of them poor and desperate—were bowing before a massive golden statue. They placed what appeared to be their meager earnings into a treasury box and knelt in earnest prayer, hoping to receive a blessing from the idol.On the other side of the statue, scaffolding had been set up. The idol had begun to crumble, and a team of workers was repairing it. The scene struck the missionary with painful irony: broken people bowing to a broken statue, asking it to fix their broken lives—while others were busy working to fix the broken statue itself.Though we might not see people bowing before physical idols much today, we live in a world that is just as desperate. Broken people still look to other broken people—and to broken substitutes for God—to do what only God can do. We place our hopes in success, relationships, wealth, technology, politics, and more—only to learn that these too are unreliable.Paul reminds us that the only answer to our brokenness is that Jesus has triumphed over every destructive power and authority. Only his saving love can bring us from death to life and from despair to hope. This is the good-news message we are called to share with the nations.

Lord Jesus, we are often tempted to look for sources of help apart from you. Please forgive us and help us to see and experience your saving power. Amen.

“Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.”

— Mark 10:14

My church denomination baptizes children, and one of the great joys for me as a pastor has been to baptize many children through the years.It may seem odd to say, but I like it that baptism ceremonies can sometimes be a little chaotic. The parents usually come to church a little frazzled on the day of their child’s baptism. Getting ready in the morning can be frenzied, and there are often additional family and friends to host.What’s more, babies are unpredictable. Sometimes they smile sweetly throughout the worship service. Other times they are not happy and cannot be consoled easily.Jesus knew that children could be unpredictable, and that didn’t bother him. As he said to his disciples long ago, he still says to us, in effect, with warm firmness in his voice: “Bring the children to me, and do not stop them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to them as well.” What a beautiful picture this provides us! Jesus embraces every single one of our children.Not every church practices infant baptism, but I invite you to think about what it means for Jesus to welcome and embrace the children of your community. Let’s pray that as they grow and mature, they will embrace Jesus’ love for them and the gospel will resonate through their lives.

Jesus, thank you for your unconditional love for us all, including children. Help us to receive your love, experience your forgiveness, and walk in the path you have set for us. In your name, Amen.