Today Daily Devotional

“‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”

— Luke 10:27

When we moved into our house 12 years ago, there were only five other houses on the street and a lot of empty lots where new homes would be built. We imagined what the houses and neighbors would look like—and now, with almost 100 houses on our street alone, we have made friends with many of our neighbors.

Along the way we decided to become “muffin people,” delivering those treats to about a dozen houses nearby. We introduced ourselves without thinking who might be behind the door except that they were neighbors. We began a soup and buns night with neighbors too, learned their stories, and shared life with them. It may have cost us a bit, but the reward of sharing experiences has been life changing.

The parable of the good Samaritan offers a picture of what Jesus was trying to show a religious leader who wanted to test him. It is about risk and relationship with people who are not identical to us. It is about seeing the one that Jesus has placed in front of us and becoming involved in their story. It is about addressing hurts and loneliness because that is what Jesus is asking us to do. It is about paying attention to the needs of people around us and not stepping aside or walking by, thinking that someone else can take care of them.

Who is your neighbor?

Lord, open our eyes and hearts to all the people whom you have given us to be our neighbors. Help us to see and share your love for all. Amen.

“What about you?” [Jesus] asked. “Who do you say I am?” Peter answered, “You are the Messiah.”

— Mark 8:29

When we meet people and get to know them a bit, it’s not unusual to ask each other about work or hobbies or other interests. We look for information to learn about others and to see what we might have in common.

It would be rare, though, to hear a question like this one that Jesus asked: “Who do you say I am?” And yet this is one of Jesus’ most important questions because it focuses on his identity and purpose.

Jesus asks this question of each of us too. And it is not an easy question. It takes deep thought and reflection because our response will reveal how we go about our everyday life and in whom (or what) we believe and have faith.

Peter answered Jesus by saying, “You are the Messiah”—that is, the Christ, the Son of God, who came to save us from sin and death. And if we say the same, we declare that our faith and life are grounded in Jesus Christ. This affects how we pray, how we interact with others—how we live our whole lives. It also directs us to find peace and security in the Lord who loves us and has this world in his hands.

If we merely think that maybe Jesus is the Messiah, that will affect our lives too, and our foundation will feel less secure. Hopefully it will prompt us to ask Jesus himself, “How do you want me to live?”

As we begin this month of reflecting on Jesus’ questions, who do you say Jesus is?

Jesus, give us the courage today to say that you are the Lord and Savior and to show in our lives that we believe it. Amen.

“‘He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”

— Revelation 21:4

Have you ever wondered if we will sleep in heaven?

We already know that all creatures need sleep and that God in his mysterious wisdom created in us the need for sleep. Further, we can assume that the need for sleep isn’t because of sin.

So will we sleep in heaven? The Bible reveals that some basic things in human society, like marriage, will end when we are living in God’s presence forever. But what about sleeping and other basic human functions that we might enjoy in this earthly life? We can say with certainty that if sleep is a problem in this life, it’s the result of other challenges we face in our fallen world. But since the Bible doesn’t actually tell us, we don’t know if we will need sleep in heaven.

Although we have to live with that uncertainty now, we can live confidently with a sure and lasting promise. In heaven, when we live in the presence of the Lord, all that ails us now will be a thing of the past. Until then, our future hope should fill us with confidence as we trust and serve God by day and lie down to sleep at night.

Father, by your wisdom we have been fearfully and wonderfully made. Help us to trust you in all things, including our sleep, as we serve you and wait to be with you in heaven. Amen.

Let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be awake and sober.

— 1 Thessalonians 5:6

Where I live, the summer sun doesn’t set until late in the evening. When our children were young, they would sometimes say at bedtime, “We can’t go to bed yet. It’s not dark out.” They associated darkness with sleep. The apostle Paul does that too.

Paul contrasts day and night in two ways. First, people who reject Jesus or don’t know him live in darkness. They are unaware of Jesus’ promised second coming. And when he does return, Jesus will catch them off guard, “like a thief in the night.” Second, and sadly, people who are without Jesus are “asleep,” living in frustration and without hope. Christians, though, are awake in Jesus and should always walk by the light of the “Son.”

How does Paul suggest we live in the light? He advises us to prepare for daily struggles and be alert. Our daily battles with temptation and sin require faith in Jesus, and for our faith to grow we should spend time reading and reflecting on God’s Word, letting it permeate the deepest reaches of our hearts. We should also be faithful in prayer, “praying always” (1 Thessalonians 5:17).

As our lives orbit around Jesus, his love in us will shine out to the people around us, especially to those without Jesus. Growing in faith and love will develop our hope as we serve Jesus and eagerly await his return.

Lord, thank you for awakening our hearts and letting us live for you in your light. Please move us to share your light and life with people who don’t know you. Amen.

We will be with the Lord forever.

— 1 Thessalonians 4:17

What happens to our souls when we die? Across the ages, many people have offered ideas on our destiny after death. But what does the Bible say?

The Old Testament says that when we die, our bodies will return to the earth but that our souls will return to God (Ecclesiastes 12:7). And here in the New Testament the apostle Paul describes death for believers as being “asleep” in Christ (see also 1 Corinthians 15:20; July 26). Some Christians have suggested that when we die, we are in a state of “soul sleep”—but that may not be the best way to describe it. There’s also the promise from Jesus to the thief on the cross: “Today you will be with me in paradise” (Luke 23:43).

In addition, the apostle Paul provides a promise in 1 Thessalonians 4, describing one of the most striking scenes in the Bible about the Lord’s return. With the shout of the archangel and the blast of a trumpet, the Lord Jesus will descend from heaven. All who belong to Jesus will be raised from the dead, and the living will be gathered to him.

And here Paul supplies an indelible, eternal promise: “We will be with the Lord forever.” With this assurance we can be filled with hope and encourage one another.

Dear Jesus, although the unknown moment of our death is a reality for each of us, we give thanks that you will never leave or forsake us. Amen.

Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry.

— Ephesians 4:26

Some good advice for getting regular rest includes having a consistent bedtime, engaging in a quiet activity before sleep, sleeping in a cool, dark room, and shutting off “blue lights” (our phones). The apostle Paul adds another timeless piece of wisdom: “Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry.”

In his letter to the Ephesians, after providing a deeply textured explanation of God’s love for us in Jesus Christ, Paul describes how we should live daily in the light of God’s amazing grace. Among other things, Paul offers advice about dealing with anger. As creatures made in God’s image, we all have emotions, including anger (even Jesus got angry sometimes). Paul acknowledges anger and then urges us to deal with it in a godly way. He suggests that we deal with our anger quickly, perhaps by beginning to forgive as we have been forgiven, as he says in Colossians 3:13. Why? Because unresolved anger destroys our relationships with God and with others and can devour us alive.

When we are angry, we should acknowledge this strong emotion, perhaps take some deep breaths, ask God to help us calm down, and then commit ourselves to taking timely steps to resolve our anger. We’ll sleep better if we do.

Father, your just wrath for our sin and rebellion against you has been satisfied in Jesus. Help us, we pray, to forgive others as you have forgiven us. Amen.

I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep. . . .

— 2 Corinthians 11:27

In these passages Paul describes many of his sufferings for the cause of Christ. In a way these litanies can sound like boasting, and Paul admits that. But his aim, he says, is to show his own weakness in comparison to Christ.

Paul’s encounter with Jesus on the road to Damascus changed his life forever (Acts 9). The Lord called him to be an apostle to the Gentiles—non-Jewish peoples—so Paul traveled to countless destinations, mostly walking, sometimes on a donkey or riding in a cart, and other times by ship. He spent many nights in unfamiliar and uncomfortable places—perhaps frequently on the cold, hard ground. Though sometimes he probably fell asleep from sheer exhaustion, he often went for long periods without enough sleep or without sleep at all. He also may have spent many nights filled with anxiety about impending dangers or concerns for his fledgling churches.

But Paul refuses to boast or wallow in the hardships he faced. He says that if he is going to boast, he will boast only about Jesus, who suffered so much more for him. Paul counts it as a joy that he has had the opportunity to serve Jesus.

If we are tempted to wallow in our own loss of sleep and hardships, we too should remember and boast in Jesus.

Lord Jesus, you suffered on the cross and died for us. Help us, we pray, to bear our crosses as we seek to follow and serve you. Amen.

But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.

— 1 Corinthians 15:20

Do you ever use euphemisms? Euphemisms are nice-sounding phrases that we use to talk about something harsh or difficult. For example, we may say “golden years” rather than “old age.” And many cultures describe dying in terms of “passing away.” Paul describes Christians who have died as being “asleep in Christ.”

The ancient Hebrews commonly used “sleep” as a euphemism for death. The accounts of Israel’s kings often end by saying “he slept with his fathers” or “rested with his ancestors” (see 1 Kings 2:10). In our reading for today, Paul uses “sleep” several times to describe death. And he does this in a new way in connection with believing in Christ. Apparently some people in the church at Corinth were questioning whether God had truly raised Jesus from the dead. But of course God has done that, Paul says, adding that if God didn’t raise Jesus, then his followers would be the most pitiable of all people.

Indeed, Jesus is risen! And, as Paul describes it here, all who have died believing in Jesus are merely “asleep” in him. Because of Jesus’ victory over sin and the grave, death has been conquered. Paul describes death as “sleep” because death has been defeated!

Until Jesus returns, we will all die, but through his death and resurrection we have all been made alive in him. And one day he will raise our bodies again to live with him forever.

Thank you, Jesus, for conquering death so that we can live with you—body and soul—forever. Amen.

Do this, understanding the present time: The hour has already come for you to wake from your slumber. . . .

— Romans 13:11

I generally try to get between seven and eight hours of sleep each night. Often, though, I get less than that. And at those times when I’m a little “sleep deprived,” I can be a bit grouchy. Maybe you’re that way too. So why does Paul urge us to sleep less and not more?

Paul isn’t talking about restful slumber here. He’s talking about getting drowsy in our spiritual lives. After reminding us that love should be at the center of our hearts, Paul urges us to wake up from our spiritual sleepiness. He spurs us on to live with the commitment and vitality that we had when we first became believers in Jesus. Although we may not be guilty of the “big” sins Paul lists in this passage, we may well need to be reminded about treating our neighbors with love. In our attitudes and actions, it’s easy to treat the people around us—including those whom we love most—with less love than Jesus commands and they deserve.

I’ve been a Christian for a long time, but, sadly, I still need daily reminders to wake up from my spiritual slumber to love and obey God and to love and serve the people around me with the same urgent selfless love that God has shown me in Jesus. What about you?

Lord Jesus, wake us from our spiritual slumber to love you and others with the love you have shown to us. Amen.

The people took the young man home alive and were greatly comforted.

— Acts 20:12

Have you ever fallen asleep in a public place, like during a long talk by a speaker or a preacher? Maybe your eyes began drooping, and your head started to nod. Then, despite your best efforts, you dozed off. Though falling asleep like that can be embarrassing, it’s not usually fatal. But it was for Eutychus, who fell three stories from an open window to the ground.

What should we make of this strange story? Should we judge Paul for being insensitive to his audience? No, Paul was doing just as he was commanded, teaching the good news about Jesus everywhere. Should we criticize Eutychus for falling asleep in “church”? Probably not, since it was midnight and Paul had been talking “on and on.” In fact, this story isn’t mainly about Paul or Eutychus; it’s about the power at the center of the book of Acts, the resurrection of Jesus. The Greek name Eutychus means “fortunate,” and Eutychus was fortunate that Paul was able to raise him from the dead. But Paul performed this miracle only through the power of Jesus Christ, the risen Lord. This story and everything the apostles say and do in Acts points to the resurrection.

In Jesus’ resurrection, God decisively defeated sin and death. The power of the resurrection of Jesus still resounds in the world today as we wait for Jesus’ return and our eternal resurrection.

Father, through Jesus, you have defeated sin and death for our sake. Help us to live victoriously as we look forward to Jesus’ return. Amen.