Daily Devotionals

Forward Day By Day - February 17, 2020
Faith is the vow we make to God when we seek to respond more deeply to God’s love. Of course, God is the one with unwavering faith and love for us. When we lose faith in God or lose our love, God remains faithful and continues calling us. Faith [...]
Forward Day By Day - February 16, 2020
When I was growing up, memorizing scripture was part of my Christian formation. Sunday School often encouraged children and adults to memorize particular Bible verses—and rewarded us with gold stars and special certificates. While this practice [...]
Forward Day By Day - February 15, 2020
Check yourself before you wreck yourself. This seems to be what Paul is saying. There is no life without relationships. Our relationships shape and make us, even the difficult ones. Paul picks up on a familiar theme of our membership in the body of . [...]
Forward Day By Day - February 14, 2020
Life is filled with drama. When we look at the life of our spiritual ancestors, drama is everywhere—family feuds, wars, mistakes, and failed attempts to be the holy people God has made and called us to be. One faithful step in dealing with our [...]

Ever-Present Presence - February 17, 2020
During the 2018 World Cup, Colombian forward Radamel Falcao scored in the seventieth minute against Poland, securing a victory. The dramatic goal was Falcao’s thirtieth in international play, earning him the distinction of scoring the most goa [...]
Divided in Love - February 16, 2020
When public debate erupted over a controversial Singapore law, it divided Christians with differing views. Some called others “narrow-minded” or accused them of compromising their faith. Controversies can cause sharp divisions among God& [...]
The Mouse That Roared - February 15, 2020
Several years ago my sons and I spent a few days camping in the Selway–Bitterroot Wilderness in Northern Idaho. It’s grizzly bear habitat, but we carried bear spray, kept our campsites clean, and anticipated no major grizzly encounters. [...]
When Life Is Hard - February 14, 2020
Physically, mentally, and emotionally exhausted, I curled up in my recliner. Our family had followed God’s leading and had moved from California to Wisconsin. After we arrived, car broke down and left us without a vehicle for two months. Meanw [...]

Taking the Initiative Against Depression
Arise and eat. —1 Kings 19:5 The angel in this passage did not give Elijah a vision, or explain the Scriptures to him, or do anything remarkable. He simply told Elijah to do a very ordinary thing, that is, to get up and eat. If we were never de [...]
The Inspiration of Spiritual Initiative
Arise from the dead… —Ephesians 5:14 Not all initiative, the willingness to take the first step, is inspired by God. Someone may say to you, “Get up and get going! Take your reluctance by the throat and throw it overboard— ju [...]
“Am I My Brother’s Keeper?”
None of us lives to himself… —Romans 14:7 Has it ever dawned on you that you are responsible spiritually to God for other people? For instance, if I allow any turning away from God in my private life, everyone around me suffers. We &ldqu [...]
The Discipline of Hearing
Whatever I tell you in the dark, speak in the light; and what you hear in the ear, preach on the housetops. —Matthew 10:27 Sometimes God puts us through the experience and discipline of darkness to teach us to hear and obey Him. Song birds are [...]