The Up Devotional

“Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life” (Revelation 2:10). In the previous devotional we asked how Daniel was able to manage all of that hardship. He was sent into exile as a young man. He had most of what he had known and loved taken from him. He was […]

Lately, we’ve been spending time studying Daniel. Over the past few weeks, we have considered all the difficulty he had gone through. As a teenager, he was taken captive to serve in a foreign land. His home was most likely burned. Many of his family members and friends would have been killed. He was probably […]

John Eldredge is an author and therapist. Recently in an interview he said: “The war for the human heart is the epicentre of the war in the world.”* That made me stop and think. I hope it makes you stop and think as well. First, it reminds us that there is in fact a war […]

Xu Yonghai was imprisoned in China because he was working for the legalization of house churches. Here in North America we might take this sort of thing for granted. But over there it is very serious (and dangerous) business.  Not only was he imprisoned, but he was sentenced to be executed. His last stop was […]

Have you ever wondered what the voice of Jesus must have sounded like? Jesus would have spoken Aramaic. He would have known Hebrew and Greek as well. As a boy he would have received the standard education for his day, been raised in the synagogue, and learned the language of commerce when apprenticing under Joseph. […]

Daniel had a series of visions about the end of days. It’s big stuff. At one point he sees four dreadful creatures. “And four great beasts came up out of the sea, different from one another” (Daniel 7:3). The first was like a lion with eagle’s wings. The second was like a bear with ribs […]

When reading the Bible, we can get so focused on the verse-by-verse details of a story or teaching, that we can sometimes forget to step back and consider the bigger picture of what is happening. The specific in-the-moment details are critically important, of course. But looking at the broader narrative can also be instructive for […]

Having a baby is at the same time exciting and scary, painful and joyful, dangerous and life-changing. Let’s think about a pregnancy. The longer it goes, the more discomfort there is for the mother. After all, there’s a human growing inside of her; it’s getting bigger. Toward the end of nine months, labour begins. Contractions […]

When someone uses the word “strict,” what comes to mind? Maybe you think about a “strict” parent—someone who has lots of rules and doesn’t want their kids to have any fun. Some people think about God like this as well.  But this simply isn’t true.  Let me highlight one of the uses of the word […]

A regular habit of prayer shapes you. Let me explain. In the sixth century B.C., Darius passed a law that no one could “petition” any man or god except himself for 30 days. It was most likely an act designed to consolidate political loyalty across the new empire. If anyone broke the law, he would […]

Today, let me offer this definition: True bravery is kneeling before God while facing the lions.  It is inspired by Daniel in the lion’s den. It’s one of the most famous Bible stories—and for good reason. Daniel had served in a foreign court for nearly 70 years. At this point, he was in his early […]

Today is Ash Wednesday. It marks the beginning of Lent, the forty-day period (excluding Sundays) leading up to Easter.  The word itself, Lent, was chosen for convenience. It traces to an old English word for “springtime,” lencten. More literally, it means “lengthen,” which is a reference to the lengthening of days after a long, dark […]

Today is known as “Shrove Tuesday.” It’s the day before Lent begins on Ash Wednesday. What does it mean? The name comes from a practice in England to “shrive” on this day—meaning confessing our sins and seeking God’s forgiveness. Since many people fast during Lent, there was a custom of using up fatty foods on […]

When I ask people about their favourite Bible verse, many point to Matthew 11:28. That’s where Jesus says: “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” He goes on to talk about his “yoke” which is easy, and his burden which is light. A “yoke” was shared […]

Have you ever had someone say to you that all religions are basically the same, and that none is better than the other? I answered this question in a recent podcast episode. You can listen to my full response below.  For today’s devotional, however, I’d like to give you a shortened version of my response […]

In Daniel 5 the king was perplexed by some mysterious writing on a wall. Since Daniel had developed a reputation as a wise man, he was summoned to help.  In exchange for this help the king would give him rewards and status. In response, Daniel said: “Let your gifts be for yourself, and give your […]

“Then the king commanded, and Daniel was brought and cast into the den of lions. The king declared to Daniel, ‘May your God, whom you serve continually, deliver you!’” (Daniel 6:16) When you picture Daniel in the lion’s den, what do you see? A young vibrant man full of vigour and prayerful bravery? As I […]

“We ought always to give thanks to God for you, brothers, as is right, because your faith is growing abundantly, and the love of every one of you for one another is increasing” (2 Thessalonians 1:3). What if you are someone’s answered prayer even though yours feel unanswered? You’ve probably heard the first part of […]

“Keep me as the apple of your eye…” (Psalm 17:8) There is a deep human tendency to over-value our achievements. For example, in the movie Rocky, the hard-working boxer’s girlfriend asks him why it is so important for him to “go the distance” in the ring. “Then I’ll know I’m not a bum,” he replies. […]

Lucy Maud Montgomery was the famous author of Anne of Green Gables. In her journal entry from Christmas Eve 1909 she left a record about how much anguish she was feeling at that point in her life: “I feel shrieking at [God] defiantly, ‘Why did you create me to suffer like this?’”* She was certainly […]

[Note: New podcast episode link below.] ~ In Daniel 4, we learn about a king who has become proud and arrogant. He has a troubling dream. Since Daniel has developed a reputation for successfully interpreting dreams, he is summoned to help. Daniel says that the king will be humbled. He will be driven away from […]

In the previous devotional I raised the topic of humility. In Daniel 4, the pagan king was full of himself. But God taught him a lesson and punished him for seven years. He was made to live like an animal and even eat like one. When he finally acknowledged God and was restored to his […]

“Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others” (Philippians 2:3-4). In the eighteenth century there was a very heated debate between two theological heavyweights—George Whitfield and John Wesley. It […]

“And after he had taken leave of them, [Jesus] went up on the mountain to pray” (Mark 6:46). Towards the end of last year, I went away on a silent retreat. It was a peaceful time to read, pray and sing the psalms. I’m an introvert, so the silence wasn’t difficult. Other than the worship […]

This week we have been exploring the bravery and faith of Daniel’s three friends, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. We have been using their experience to ask important questions about our own faith today. These three young men refused to bow down to the king’s statue. But why? In the Ten Commandments God says: “You shall […]