Today Daily Devotional

“Do not reap to the very edges of your field or gather the gleanings of your harvest. Leave them for the poor and for the foreigner residing among you.”

— Leviticus 23:22

The small prairie city where I live is home to a large population of Canada geese. There are two reasons for this. Our power plant is located along the river, and the warm water that flows from the plant means there is open water all year long. In addition, there is a large food supply in the grain fields surrounding the city. Every day thousands of geese fly from the open waters and glean food from the fields before returning to the city at nightfall.

The habits of these birds remind me in some ways of God’s instructions to the people of Israel. They were to harvest their fields in such a way that there was plenty left for the poor and the foreigner. Similarly, the people were to leave their fields fallow every seventh year, and their vineyards and olive groves as well, leaving the produce for people who struggled to make ends meet (Exodus 23:10-11).

Though farming practices and urbanization today have made those old gleaning practices impossible in many areas, God’s call to care for poor and needy people still stands. And many charitable organizations have found ways to help others who cannot provide for themselves. As followers of Jesus, what can we do to help needy people in the places where we live?

Lord, give us insight to follow your call to show love and mercy to our neighbors—both nearby and far away. Help us to find truly helpful ways to be a blessing to people in need. Amen.

What good is it . . . if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them?

— James 2:14

Many of us have heard the old saying “Actions speak louder than words.” But this statement is not always true. Sometimes a few careless words spoken in anger or frustration can cause irreparable damage. Like a spark that can set a whole forest on fire, words can be incredibly destructive (James 3:1-12). However, in many cases actions do speak louder than words. This is James’s point when he says that faith without deeds is dead. Faith that does not lead to doing good deeds is useless, says James. A fruit tree that does not produce fruit only takes up space in an orchard. It is cut down and burned, and a new tree is planted in its place (Matthew 7:15-20). Because true faith produces fruit, we are often told that we will be judged according to our deeds. In Revelation 20:12-13 we read that “each person was judged according to what they had done.” Paul makes clear in Ephesians 2:8-10 that we are saved by grace and not by works. Yet James points out that all who are saved by grace will begin to produce good works. That is why in Matthew 7:15-20 Jesus says people can be known by their fruit—revealing whether they are citizens of the eternal kingdom of God or citizens of this world, which is passing away.

Help me today, Lord, to examine my life to see if I am producing fruit that shows I am a child of yours. Help me to put off my old sinful nature and to live for your glory alone. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you. . . .”

— Matthew 5:43-44

These words of Jesus can surprise and even shock us. And who, exactly, are our enemies?

In the book of Psalms, King David spoke often of his enemies. David’s enemies wanted him physically dead. They wanted to destroy his kingdom—which was intended to represent the kingdom of God. Those enemies were people who opposed the rule of God in the world.

If we follow Christ today, we might not encounter people who want us physically dead, but we certainly can come into contact with people who would celebrate the end of the church and the end of the Christian faith. We might also think of politicians as enemies if they are working to replace some of our nation’s laws with measures that are openly against God’s Word. While we know that our citizenship is in heaven, we still live as residents of an earthly nation. Further, people who want to destroy our country may also be considered our enemies.

The apostle Paul says, “Hate what is evil; cling to what is good” (Romans 12:9). He does not say, “Hate who is evil,” but what is evil. This means that while we may hate laws and policies and actions that are evil, we are still called to love people who promote and do such things. And we are not to slander or curse them but to pray for them.

Lord, help us to love our enemies. As we work against sin in this world, help us to remember that you loved us even when we were your enemies, as sinners. Amen.

“‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. . . .”

— John 15:20

Are we living in “the last days”? Some people in nearly every generation think so. Yet there is one thing we can be sure of: the problems described in 2 Timothy 3 are happening today, just as in many other periods of history.

People have noted that Christianity has long had a privileged position in the “Western world,” at least since the time of the Roman emperor Constantine, who converted to Christianity. After the Edict of Milan in A.D. 313 and other developments, many of the laws in the Western world became rooted in biblical teaching. As a result, many people have been heavily influenced by the Bible on how to live their lives. This does not mean that all of these people, or even the majority, have been Christians. But Christians in the West have often been free of persecution, and yet that has not been the case in other parts of the world. Nor was this what Jesus prepared his followers to expect. He taught them to expect persecution.

Today Christianity is fading in the West, and so is Christian influence on the laws and policies of Western nations. As time goes on, it may become harder for Christians to live day by day without being persecuted.

But there is no reason to fear or lose hope. The Lord is faithful, and the Lord is King. His kingdom is not of this world, and we are called to serve him, following the teachings of Scripture and living by God’s way of love.

Lord, in the face of many changes today, help us to live truly Christian lives. In Jesus’ name, Amen!

There before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb.

— Revelation 7:9

In our campus ministry we gather at 5:30 on Thursday afternoons for a time of worship, Bible study, and prayer. We also break bread and enjoy fellowship together. On one occasion, we had 16 people gathered from nine different countries. They were from Africa, Asia, Europe, the Caribbean, and North and South America. Sometimes people say that Christianity is a “Western” religion, but God’s kingdom is made up of people from all over the world! Sadly, in Europe and North America, the church is growing stale. Countless congregations across Canada, the United States, and Western Europe have closed. Many others are struggling to remain open. Weekly attendance at worship services has been decreasing. Yet newcomers from other lands are breathing new life into our worshiping communities. Though many newcomers arrive in the “West” lacking financial resources, they often come with an amazing, infectious passion for Jesus Christ. We do well to embrace and enfold our brothers and sisters in Christ, seeking together to build revitalized worshiping communities. This helps us to glimpse what John describes in Revelation 7. It is hard to find anything more beautiful than worshiping together with people of every nation.

Lord, thank you for breathing new life into our churches through newcomers from all nations. Keep growing your kingdom, we pray, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

A great persecution broke out against the church in Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria. . . . Those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went.

— Acts 8:1, 4

History has shown that the church has often grown during times of persecution. While the early church was growing rapidly in Jerusalem, it also began to spread widely as people scattered from persecution and “preached the word wherever they went” in the surrounding territories.

At the college where I serve as a campus minister, I often see a similar thing happening. Christian students come to the college from Africa, Asia, and South and Central America. Many of these foreign students have a passion for sharing the good news of Jesus with friends and classmates.

It is exciting to see the kingdom of God advancing as Christians from other lands reinvigorate the church here. It is also exciting to see the kingdom welcoming newcomers among students who did not know Jesus before they came to this land.

I routinely meet people who are unhappy about the number of immigrants coming to the “West” from around the world. But for those who are kingdom-minded rather than country-minded, those objections pale in comparison to the joy of seeing God’s kingdom growing.

Lord God, thank you for Jesus, who bled and died for us and then called us to be his witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, “and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8). We rejoice and marvel at the growth of your kingdom! Amen.

Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven.

— Acts 2:5

On the day of Pentecost, God-fearing Jews from many nations were staying in Jerusalem. They were gathering to celebrate the Feast of Weeks that God had established for his people Israel some 1,500 years earlier (Deuteronomy 16:9-12). They all converged on the temple on Pentecost (fifty days after the Feast of Passover) to bring offerings of the firstfruits of their harvests. That day people from many nations heard the good news of Jesus for the first time. And about 3,000 believed and were baptized (Acts 2:41).

Scholars estimate that the world population was about 300 million people at that time. That is 1/27th of today’s population. It took 1,800 years for the world’s population to grow to a billion. Prior to the 1800s there were few formal immigration laws. But with the world’s population at over 8 billion today, almost every country has decided to regulate immigration.

Christians are free to differ and disagree over the details of immigration laws. However, as immigrants, migrants, refugees, and others cross borders today, many hear the gospel for the first time. God’s people have the opportunity and responsibility to share the gospel with them. And as the gospel is shared, many people continue to enter God’s kingdom each day! That of course is a good thing—regardless of our views on immigration.

Lord, we pray for every person who has left their homeland to find a new home. Enfold them into your kingdom, we pray, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

“‘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

Soon after we moved into our house, new neighbors moved into the house next door. Their children were the same ages as ours. We found that we shared many of the same values. They were good neighbors, and our kids played together and even slept over at each other's houses. My neighbor also knows that he can borrow my pickup truck whenever he needs it. Sometimes I smugly think, “I love my neighbor as myself.”

A teacher of the law tried to test Jesus by asking the way to eternal life. Jesus answered by summarizing God’s law, saying, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, strength, and mind; and love your neighbor as yourself.” Perhaps the teacher of the law should have left the matter there. But then he also asked, “And who is my neighbor?” He likely expected Jesus to say something like “Your neighbor is someone who has the same faith and values that you have.” But Jesus took the conversation in a much different direction. “Your neighbor,” Jesus said, in effect, “is someone with a different ethnicity and religion, from a people you generally despise. . . . Now go and love him too!”

Thank you, Jesus, for pushing us out of our comfort zones. Thank you for reminding us to love people who are different from us—even our enemies—for we are all created in the image of God. Amen.

Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established.

— Romans 13:1

I have never met a president or a prime minister. (I did see Queen Elizabeth II of England from a distance on two occasions, though!) As a regular citizen, I have little influence over the laws and policies of my country. My vote is just one among millions, and attending policy meetings does little to set the nation’s direction. This is true for immigration laws and policies as well as for most other laws. But just because I do not write my country’s laws and policies, I do not have the right to ignore them or to rebel against them. Even when I think the laws are horrible and destructive, I do not have the right to break them. Thankfully, however, in many countries like mine, people have the right to protest unfair policies. And if a government’s demand is in direct conflict with God’s commands, we must choose God’s way (Acts 5:29). Still, Jesus taught his followers to give to Caesar what was due him (Mark 12:17), even though Caesar may have used taxes for unethical purposes.

Even when we are disillusioned with our government and its policies, we cannot use that as an excuse to treat other people poorly. Whether we are pro-immigration or anti-immigration, for example, the God who told Israel to love the foreigner among them also calls us to do the same, loving our neighbors as ourselves.

Lord Jesus, help us to obey our governing authorities as you did, and to love all our neighbors as ourselves. For your sake, Amen.

“The foreigner residing among you must be treated as your native-born. Love them as yourself. . . .”

— Leviticus 19:34

The Bible includes a number of stories about God’s people fleeing their homes to find refuge elsewhere. Abram and Sarai took refuge in Egypt because of a famine (Genesis 12:10). So did Jacob and his whole clan (Genesis 46). Elimelek and Naomi did something similar (Ruth 1:1-2). Jacob had also fled for his life after stealing his brother’s birthright (Genesis 27:41-44). And Joseph and Mary fled with baby Jesus when King Herod sent soldiers to kill him (Matthew 2). As we read these stories, we are relieved to find God’s people welcomed into foreign lands!

The Bible also instructs God’s people on how to treat foreigners. Leviticus 19:34 makes clear that the foreigner was to have the same legal protection as the native-born Israelite. Like a neighbor, the foreigner was also to be loved as oneself!

Our world remains a place where countless people flee from one place to another. Escaping from war, famine, persecution, and poverty, millions of people are on the move. Is there any reason to think that God would have his people treat foreigners differently today than long ago?

In what ways can we show God’s love and care for the foreigners among us?

Lord, help us to love foreigners as we love ourselves. Please help us to see each person we meet as your imagebearer, and to love everyone as you love us. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.