Today Daily Devotional

“Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”

— Matthew 6:33

In my work I travel a lot throughout the year, and I have a suitcase that is just the right size for an overhead bin in an airplane. But that doesn’t work so well if I am away for more than four days. I often need a different outfit each day, and what if I spill something on one of them? Or what if I need an extra shirt in case the weather is cooler? I have to pack it all just right so that the suitcase closes.

On these trips I also wonder about the places where I am going and who I will be meeting. In prayer I wonder about the encounters that will happen and what God might be wanting to teach me. What needs to go into the suitcase of my heart?

Jesus was pretty clear as he taught about life and our worries. I think he was saying, in effect, “Don’t sweat the small stuff. Pay attention to what is really important. When you put your focus on me and trust me, the rest will come together. I will be enough for you.”

Emotional baggage can be heavy, can’t it? Whatever you might be stressing about, remember that God knows, God cares, and God loves you —and by his grace he will carry you. With God looking after us, we can pack light.

Thank you, God, that I don’t need to worry because you have all the details in your hands. Thank you that you love me and know the plans you have for me. Help me to put down the day’s anxiety for the peace you give freely. Amen.

Once more Jesus put his hands on the man’s eyes. Then his eyes were opened, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly.

— Mark 8:25

On a work trip recently, I lost my glasses. I think they are hanging on a cactus somewhere in Arizona. After my glasses disappeared, the last few days of the trip were a bit blurry, to say the least. I have since ordered new glasses, but in the meantime I am wearing an old pair. Not quite as blurry, but definitely not clear and sharp.

It’s important to be honest. The blind man in our story today had the choice to tell Jesus the truth or to go through life seeing a blur. Because of the man’s honesty, Jesus touched him a second time and brought him from blurry vision to clear sight. I bet he was beyond overwhelmed at what he could see.

There are times when we have been blinded by our circumstances, our pain, or all the distractions around us. A friend may step in and invite us into a conversation with Jesus. If we accept the invitation, we may have an opportunity to be healed by Jesus.

What I love about this story is that Jesus asks, in effect, “What are you seeing?” Sometimes our healing can take place progressively rather than instantaneously. Jesus walks with us. He continues to engage in the conversation, and he asks for our honesty.

When we admit where we are in our circumstances, Jesus continues taking us from blurry sight to clarity. What do you see today?

Jesus, help us to be honest and to accept that you bring clarity. Show us your love for us and for others. Amen.

Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!”

— Mark 9:24

Around Christmastime last year, we decided that making memories was more important than gifts under the tree, so we booked a week of holidays with our grandkids and had a wonderful time. The problem was that the holiday week was in November, and when December came around, our grandson, with soulful eyes, said, “Grandma, there will still be presents under the tree, right?” I looked at him and winked, assuring him that I was still a Christmas fanatic. He was much relieved that I had given him hope.

In the commotion of our Bible story today, a father is desperate for his son to be well. The disciples aren’t able to send an impure spirit out of him, and chaos erupts when they argue with the local religious leaders. As Jesus comes on the scene, the desperate father looks to him for hope. And I wonder if there isn’t a moment of sarcasm or a wink as Jesus responds, “If I can?”

Immediately the boy’s father has renewed hope, and he pleads with Jesus to help him overcome his doubts. Jesus, the relational Savior, sends the spirit shrieking and restores the boy to his father.

Jesus also tells the disciples that sometimes hope and prayer need to go together. Today let’s remember that with Jesus “everything is possible.”

Thank you, Jesus, that you can do all things. Thank you for the reminder and hope of this truth. Help us with our doubts and anxieties to trust you for the answers. Amen.

“How many loaves do you have?” he asked. “Go and see.” When they found out, they said, “Five—and two fish.”

— Mark 6:38

When I am at our grandkids’ home as they pile in after school, I watch them empty their backpacks and then head to the fridge or the cupboard. “I’m hungry,” they cry, and they go looking for a snack. Though there is plenty to satisfy them, they often seem to have trouble finding just the right thing. But after some suggestions from their parents, they figure it out.

The large crowd of people with Jesus had been with him the whole day. Jesus could see that all of these people following him were spiritually hungry and wanted something more. Even his disciples noticed, and they tried to convince Jesus to send them away. But Jesus responded by sending the disciples to see what was “in the cupboard.”

They found that they had a total of five loaves and two fish. Jesus was satisfied with what they brought, and he instructed them to seat the crowd. I wonder what it was like to keep handing out pieces of fish and bread—so much that the leftovers filled 12 baskets!

When we give Jesus what we have, even though it seems small, he multiplies it. Jesus also includes us in his work, setting us on a mission. “Seek and you will find.” And in our shared search, together we find and together we share.

Perhaps today he is asking you what you might find—what are you willing to give so that it might be shared?

Jesus, thank you for asking the hard questions and inviting us into the solution. Help us to see and believe that you can do anything. Amen.

He got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm.

— Matthew 8:26

This past year I was privileged to be on a wonderful mission trip to the small town of Mahdia in Guyana. I became a little fearful one day, though, when I saw a tarantula hanging on the wall of an outhouse. I was incredibly thankful for a pastor who knew how to bring calm into that scary situation for me. He did it with a gracious smile on his face and a broom in his hand—and I still wonder what he was really thinking of this Canadian at that moment.

Jesus’ disciples had been with him long enough to have watched him step in, heal the sick, provide food, and do other miracles. And yet there in a boat, in the midst of “a furious storm,” fear showed up again. This storm was probably bigger than most of the storms these fishermen had seen over the years—and the moment of panic set in. I sometimes wonder if they had forgotten who was in the boat with them, or if maybe they were just annoyed that he was sleeping.

Nevertheless, Jesus’ question applies to us today just as it did to his first followers: If you know me, “why are you afraid?” In what difficulties do you hear him say, “Trust me in whatever you are facing, and see what I can do”?

God, forgive us when we walk in fear instead of faith. Thank you for being bigger than our fear. Help us to remember that even in the midst of the biggest storms, you, the Lord of all, are able to bring calm. Amen.

When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, “Will you give me a drink?”

— John 4:7

Often when I invite someone into my home, I’ll ask if they would like a drink. Coffee, tea, water, perhaps? It would be rare, though, for someone to come in and ask for a drink—unless it was very hot outside or the visitor was a grandchild.

Jesus’ request for water was also unusual. Not only was he not supposed to talk to a Samaritan woman, but he was a guest at the well where she had come to draw water. She had also come alone at the hottest time of day, probably to avoid judgmental eyes and gossip.

And there Jesus met her and reached out to her. It began with a question that led into a conversation in which Jesus declared who he really was. Jesus also knew the woman’s life story before inviting her into his story. Jesus always invites. He does not demand but, rather, chooses to connect with each one of us just as he did with the Samaritan woman.

In the places where you go to step away from others, Jesus is waiting with a question: “Will you join me in a conversation about your life and where you would like it to go?” What question would you like to ask Jesus? What are the circumstances that may have brought you to this place?

When the woman came to the well, she was expecting only to get a jar of water. Instead she received living water (hope in the Messiah) that would fill her soul and change both her and her community (vv. 28-42). What is Jesus asking of you today?

Jesus, thank you for your living water and for listening to us. Fill our hearts to overflowing with your love. Amen.

At once Jesus realized that power had gone out from him. He . . . asked, “Who touched my clothes?”

— Mark 5:30

I don’t know about your family, but ours has a few pranksters. One game they love to play is to walk up behind someone and tap their shoulder from the opposite side and pretend it wasn’t them. Maybe you have had someone do that to you too.

For the woman who had been sick for 12 years, she knew that her only hope would be to touch Jesus. She thought, “If I just touch his cloak, no one will notice, and yet it will be enough to make me well.” She had incredible faith.

Jesus knew when she touched him because he felt the healing power flow out from him. So he asked, “Who touched my clothes?”

In the midst of our worst circumstances, when we have given up hope or tried everything, this story reminds us that reaching out to Jesus gets his attention. He is not asking us to get everything in our lives cleaned up first. He is present at all times.

Jesus is also waiting for us to admit that we need him. He knows each one of us, and even in a crowd he knows when we reach out for him.

Are you ready for a conversation with Jesus today?

Thank you, Lord, for being there for me. Thank you that you know when I reach out to you. Thank you for your healing power. Amen.

[Jesus’] mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.”

— John 2:5

While my grandson was out shopping with me, he decided that I needed two new plants: a lemon tree and a prayer plant. He carefully chose both and placed them in the cart.

My own grandmother had grown lemons, so I thought, “Why not?” I now have both the lemon tree and the prayer plant in my office. The lemon tree eventually started to flower, and now it is beginning to bear fruit. One lemon has been the star of the show and is now the size of an apple. For a long time, the lemon was bright green, so I heard a lot of comments that maybe I had a lime tree. But now the yellow color is beginning to show. Maybe in a few more weeks we’ll have a lemon pie worth making a party for.

In the Jewish culture of Jesus’ day, celebrations were important, and weddings were often lavish events. No one would want to see a failed wedding party. However, in this case the wine had run out, and Jesus’ mother, Mary, knew the best solution to the problem. She knew that Jesus could solve this. And she didn’t look for other options.

How often don’t we also know whom to turn to—and yet we often look for other solutions first? Today, as Mary suggested, we should do whatever Jesus tells us to. Are we ready to involve him? What might the possibilities be?

Lord Jesus, thank you for loving people so much that you step into our lives. Thank you for your compassion and care. May we always call on you first, and may you be glorified. Amen.

“We have found the Messiah” (that is, the Christ).

— John 1:41

Our Bible reading today begins with an announcement from John the Baptist saying, “Look, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!”

That was quite an announcement! God’s people had been waiting for the promised Messiah for a long time—hundreds of years. Could this be the deliverer God had promised through his prophets so long ago?

John heard a voice from heaven describing Jesus as “God’s Chosen One,” so he shared that news with everyone who could hear him that day. Then, the next day, two of John’s disciples who heard this message left to follow after Jesus. Would he be the one to fulfill their souls’ deepest longings?

As they began to follow him, Jesus turned around and asked, “What do you want?” They seemed a little tongue-tied but managed to ask where Jesus was staying. They were not so much concerned about location but about abiding with him, wherever he might go. He said, “Come and see.”

Could they be welcomed into his life, his journey, his story? Jesus’ invitation brought them into relationship, and what they were looking for was fulfilled enough for them to invite someone else, and then others, and so on.

Today, come and see.

Jesus, thank you for inviting us into your story. May we learn from you and follow you faithfully. Help us to accept your invitation to grace, sharing the good news that you are the Lamb of God. Amen.

When they did not find him, they went back to Jerusalem to look for him.

— Luke 2:45

When our son was five years old, we visited my mother-in-law, who lived across the street from the Niagara River. There were no barriers to prevent children from wandering to the riverside—there was just the street, the riverbank, and then open water.

We could see Brandon’s shoes, but no Brandon. We called his name, probably yelling, but heard no answer. We walked along in panic and saw nothing but the current. After an hour we were joined by neighbors, who circled the block and went further into the local village. Still no Brandon. In total fear, my husband picked up the phone and called the police. As he described what our son looked like, a small figure walked out from the bedroom behind him. Brandon explained that he was hiding from his sister. We weren’t so sure it was the best explanation, but our hearts were relieved, and we stopped worrying.

I suspect Mary and Joseph had that same sense of panic. Jesus was already 12 years old then, but he wasn’t answering either. When they found him in the temple, his answer was a question: Didn’t they know that he needed to be there, about his Father’s business?

On days when Jesus may feel distant, we can be assured that he is still doing the will of his Father. Look for him, and you will find him—and he might have a question for you.

Dear God, when we are distracted and missing you, help us to refocus and realize that you are where you need to be. Keep us in tune with you, we pray. Amen.