Today Daily Devotional

This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of the Lord’s people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God.

— 2 Corinthians 9:12

The countries of Sudan and South Sudan are among the world’s most difficult places to live in today. Millions of people in these countries have been displaced by civil war, political unrest, and disasters.

Yet Jesus continues to be at work. The mission agency I serve provides a training program for pastors and church leaders called Timothy Leadership Training (TLT). Reverend Patrick, a church leader in South Sudan, recently reported that 43 pastors and ministry leaders completed the TLT program and are making a difference in their communities. Though non-Sudanese people cannot generally enter these countries right now, we can still bless and encourage churches and believers there through programs like TLT.

This reflects the joy that flows through 2 Corinthians 9. Here Paul celebrates the generosity of the church in Corinth as it gives to bless churches in other lands. And their investment in God’s kingdom will result in blessings multiplied for both the giver and the receivers. Most significantly, this work honors Jesus.

As we consider our place in God’s worldwide mission, we cannot underestimate how our partnership with other ministries can benefit people in places we cannot go. Wherever we are, our generosity can bless Christian brothers and sisters around the world in extraordinary ways.

God, help us to grow in the grace of giving. May our generosity minister to others around the world and honor you. Amen.

After Paul had seen the vision, we got ready at once to leave for Macedonia. . . .

— Acts 16:10

Looking back on my life’s journey, I see a series of doors that God opened and closed to bring me where I am today. Along the way, I experienced not only disappointments but also some great surprises. Though I didn’t always see it at the time, I can see more clearly now how God was guiding me. As you reflect on your life, I wonder if you can see God’s direction in similar ways?

We can see God’s direction at work in the episode that Paul and his companions experienced in our reading for today. Paul and his team were on a significant intercultural missionary journey, bringing the gospel to strategic countries and regions in the Roman Empire. He and his companions had tried to go to the province of Asia (part of present-day Turkey), but the Holy Spirit stopped them, and they changed course. Then, at the border leading into Bithynia, the same thing happened.

That night, Paul had a vision in which he saw a man begging him to come to Macedonia. So the missionaries went there, and God opened a remarkable door for them in Philippi.

I find myself challenged by this passage to pay close attention to God’s leading. What neighbor or coworker or friend is God calling me to love more intentionally? Can I sense that the Spirit is beckoning me to cross the street or a cultural boundary or an ocean to follow and trust his leading?

Dear God, I long to have the clarity that you gave to Paul in this episode. Help me to trust that you are urging me to follow you into places and relationships where I can bring your love. Amen.

“Surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

— Matthew 28:20

Many years ago on a mission trip to Central America, I experienced for the first time a culture that was very different from my own. Our team landed at the airport, went through customs, and discovered that our host had not yet arrived to pick us up. In the unfamiliar surroundings we felt alone and anxious. None of us spoke Spanish or knew where we were supposed to go. I remember pacing back and forth in the airport with one of our team members, praying and talking out what we should do if no one came to meet us. Eventually Steve, our missionary host, showed up—to our great relief!

That experience reminds me that there is always a measure of anxiety and uncertainty when we step across cultural and ethnic boundaries, whether it’s in our neighborhood or in a neighboring country or overseas. We become vulnerable—and for many of us that can feel uncomfortable. Yet, as I also learned on that first mission trip, when we take that step, we open ourselves to new relationships, learning opportunities, and experiences that can change our lives for good in many ways.

Most of all, we discover that when we embrace Jesus’ Great Commission to us in Matthew 28, his words also become more real to us than we might imagine: “Surely I am with you always. . . .”

Lord, Jesus, help me to discern how I can support your mission to all nations. What next step are you inviting me into? Thank you for your promise to be with me always. Amen.

All except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria.

— Acts 8:1

This week let’s focus on another important mission word: intercultural. To be intercultural followers of Jesus means that we engage with people from different ethnic and cultural backgrounds to join in God’s mission to the whole world.

If we look closely at the early church in the book of Acts, we can see this principle in action. Jesus spent most of his teaching ministry among his own (Jewish) people, but he gave many hints that the good news of the kingdom is intended for all nations. The focus of missions started in Jerusalem. And when believers in Christ were scattered because of persecution, they “preached the word wherever they went.”

Jesus had promised that his followers would witness in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and to the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8). And in our passage today we see an example of how the preaching of the gospel spread from Jerusalem into Judea and Samaria.

As the good news of Jesus spread, it crossed ethnic boundaries. And within a few years missionaries like the apostle Paul and others spread the word of God’s salvation in Christ throughout the Roman Empire and beyond. Today the fastest growing parts of the church are in places like Africa, Asia, and Central America. Jesus’ promise is still unfolding today!

Jesus, thank you that your good news is for everyone from every culture and nation. We pray for your worldwide church and for missionaries serving in cross-cultural contexts. Amen.

Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God. . . .

— Deuteronomy 6:4-5

I worked in a grocery store when I was in high school. Back then, the prices of products were on stickers, and a cashier had to key the numbers in. Sometimes the sticker would be missing, and the cashier would call for a price check. It was part of my job to run to the shelf where the product came from and find the price.

On busy Saturdays with lots of customers and cashiers, it often happened that a cashier would call my name several times before I would hear it. I thought something was wrong with my hearing. So I went to an ear doctor and discovered that my hearing was fine. The problem was not with my ears; it was me. That experience showed me how easily I could tune out important messages.

Today is the day for Sabbath rest and worship. It is a day to pause, quiet ourselves, and listen for God’s gentle, life-giving voice.

Today’s passage from Deuteronomy 6, called the “Shema” in Hebrew, was often recited by God’s people several times a day. Notice how it begins: “Hear, O Israel. . . .” This can be a helpful reminder to pay attention to what we may have tuned out.

Let’s open our ears today to the message that God is our God, the one true God, who loves us. And may we hear the invitation again to love God with our whole being.

Lord, God, it’s easy for me to grow inattentive to your voice. Tune my entire life to your voice of love and speak to me today, I pray. Amen.

The Word became flesh and blood, and moved into the neighborhood. (The Message)

— John 1:14

On a cool but beautiful fall day, several colleagues and I gathered with Mark, one of our missionaries, in a small house in a struggling neighborhood in Detroit, Michigan. This neighborhood has a history of being overlooked, and signs of decay are all around. Every third property is a vacant lot, and many of the remaining houses are in poor condition.

For all of the external signs of stress, though, the atmosphere inside this small home overflowed with joy and gratitude. Mark introduced us to some of his neighborhood friends who were now involved in the ministry work there. These friends told us how Mark had bought this house to serve as a ministry center in the neighborhood—but that it took seven years before the neighbors actually trusted that this mission effort was genuine. Now the ministry runs a number of support centers in the community. One offers a ministry for men living on the streets, providing showers, food, and other basic needs. Another provides similar services for women. The centers also offer Bible studies and practical support ministries.

What a beautiful picture of holistic mission, when Jesus moves into a neighborhood and the values of his kingdom begin to transform hearts, lives, and communities. May our lives and churches reflect the same missional heart.

Jesus, help us to see the many ways you are at work in the neighborhoods and communities where we live. May we live faithfully as your hands and feet in the places we call home. Amen.

“Love the Lord your God with all your . . . strength.”

— Mark 12:30

In many Christian traditions like my own, the Sunday worship service is the high point of the week. We gather to bring God our praise, offer our prayers, engage with God’s Word, be nourished by the sacraments, and find renewal in our walk with Jesus.

A few years ago a diaconal leader challenged our congregation to think about our Sunday gathering from a different point of view. What if, instead of thinking about our Sunday experience as a worship service, we flipped that around and thought about it as “service worship”? What if we considered that acts of service can be just as worshipful as the other activities of traditional worship?

That started a beautiful new tradition in our church. Several times a year on a Sunday morning, we now gather for a short time of singing, prayer, and reflection, and then we disperse in teams throughout our city. Our teams volunteer at local schools, women’s shelters, food banks, and more.

What we have discovered in this simple change is that worship is so much more than what happens in a typical worship service. To love God not just with our heart, soul, and mind but also to love God and our neighbor with all our strength is a beautiful expression of worship. This is also a powerful expression of holistic mission.

God, may my life be an offering of worship to you, not just through my words but also through my acts of kindness and generosity. I commit my whole self to you today. Amen.

All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation.

— 2 Corinthians 5:18

My wife and I stood silently together, staring up at a small window in the top corner of a large and ominous residential school building. For 140 years this building housed about 150 Indigenous children from a nearby reserve. We had just heard some of the heart-wrenching stories of the children who were forced to live in that school. When they arrived, their hair was cut, and their clothes were taken away and replaced with uniforms. Names were replaced with numbers. Many children suffered abuse and neglect. One man told us that this small window was where he would regularly escape from when he was a boy living at the school.

Sadly, for most of its history this was a church-run school. As you can imagine, many of the children who lived at the school have a very complicated and hostile view of the Christian faith today. Thankfully, some churches and Christians in Canada are beginning to reckon with this shameful past and have taken steps toward reconciliation.

This work is a part of our holistic mission. As Christians, we have been reconciled to God through Christ. And we are called to the ongoing ministry of reconciliation, bringing the hope and healing of Christ into the deeply broken places of our world. It begins by listening and, where necessary, repenting.

Dear God, we confess that your church has at times been a poor reflection of your heart. Forgive us and help us to live as agents of reconciliation in this broken world. Amen.

Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it.

— Hebrews 13:2

Krystal entered our lives many years ago when her life was at rock bottom. With nowhere else to turn, she came to our church, hoping to reconnect with Jesus, who had been a big part of her life when she was younger. As I and a few others began to learn her story, we discovered many layers of brokenness.

I was amazed as members of our church embraced Krystal and provided for her needs. She was supported with a steady supply of healthy food. Someone gave her their older car, and a mechanic fixed it up free of charge. One night, when my daughter and I stopped by Krystal’s place to drop off some groceries, she burst into tears at yet another expression of care.

Then a few months later, when her life stabilized, Krystal moved on, and none of us heard from her again.

Despite that disappointment, I do not regret the experience of connecting with Krystal. We aimed to be faithful in caring for her needs, and we do not know everything she was dealing with. She is in God’s care.

I also can’t help wondering if, through Krystal, we served an angel without knowing it. As we live out the good news of Jesus in our neighborhoods, workplaces, and other communities, we never know how the story will twist and turn, but we do know that God calls us to show his love.

God, help us to let go of our expectations and to serve whoever you may bring into our lives. Thank you for always loving us fully. Amen.

“For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve. . . .”

— Mark 10:45

Last year I took a course with mission leaders from around the world. On the first day, we were asked this question: How would you describe the central, gospel message of the Bible? I spoke up with an answer that reflects my church tradition. A few others chimed in with their answers.

After several people had spoken, a classmate from Ethiopia gave an answer that many of us did not expect. She said, “I think the story of the Bible centers on the story of God as a servant.”

That got our attention. She went on to explain, “The Bible opens with God creating the world and caring for Adam and Eve. The rest of the Bible is the story of how God put into place a plan to serve the world through his Son, Jesus.” And then she pointed out this beautiful detail: “The Bible ends with a picture of the new Jerusalem, which we are told will not need the sun or moon because God provides the light” (Revelation 21:23). From the beginning into eternity, God serves the world and all who are in it. I had never heard the good news framed in that way, reflecting a different perspective and cultural context.

If Jesus came not to be served but to serve, how does that affect the way we live each day? How should it affect the way we live?

Servant God, I am humbled by your willingness to do whatever was necessary to rescue me. Help me in my life to be a reflection of your self-giving heart. Amen.