The Up Devotional

Max Lucado was teaching a group of people in Jerusalem. They were in an enclosed space. They were accompanied by a tour guide and some guards.  His text was John 3:16: “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have […]

In Matthew 16 Jesus asked his disciples about his identity. Peter answered correctly: “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven. And I tell you that you […]

We’ve been talking about the power of words. These days we tend to devalue them. When someone says “actions speak louder than words” they are commenting on this very trend. While our actions should certainly back up our words, words can still have incredible power on their own. In Jesus’ day his words were thought […]

In elementary school there was a kid who did a lot of annoying things. He would slap people in the back of the head for no reason or pull a girl’s ponytail and run away. Other kids would inevitably chase him or call him names. In response he would shout out the well-known playground rebuttal: […]

I recently asked some young people what they thought of when they heard the word “discipline.” One of them said “hard work.” Another said: “when you get in trouble you get disciplined.” A third said “self-control.” They had good insights. I was impressed. Self-control is definitely closely related to discipline. Self-control is listed as a […]

We’ve been talking about religious hypocrisy—in ourselves. This isn’t about being ourselves up, but about honest self-evaluation as we strive to grow and become more like Jesus. But that’s just what can happen. We beat ourselves up. The more we examine ourselves to see our sin, the more sin we see! It can be discouraging. […]

“You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving. For this people’s heart has become calloused…” (Matthew 13:14-15). Jesus often speaks against hypocrisy. It is giving lip service to faith. It is pretending, or simply going through the religious motions. So how do we guard against hypocrisy in […]

The opposite of religious hypocrisy is faithful sincerity. With God’s help we want to move from the first category to the second. Not only do we want to say we believe in Jesus, but to think and act like we believe in Jesus. An important ingredient is humility. In Mark 7 Jesus speaks with a […]

Hypocrite. It’s a heavy, negative word. It means “pretender”—someone who says and does things which aren’t harmonious with what they say they believe.  Richard Baxter says: “As fencers upon a stage differ from soldiers fighting for their lives, so hypocrites differ from serious Christians.”* In Mark 7:6 (ESV) Jesus took issue with some Pharisees who […]

The early Christians prayed. A lot. In 1 Thessalonians 5:17 Paul famously says to “pray continuously.” Does he mean that we should never stop uttering words to God? What about when we’re sleeping or eating? His point, of course, is that we should make a regular habit of prayer.  Some have argued that many of […]

C. Peter Wagner writes: “The chief end of humans is to glorify God and the chief end of Satan is to prevent God from being glorified.”* There’s a lot in that statement so let’s take a few moments to unpack it. When he says that the “chief end of humans is to glorify God” he’s […]

In Mark 6 Jesus taught and fed thousands upon thousands of people. Afterward he sought some alone time with his heavenly Father. That makes sense. He had a big day and was also preparing for the next task. “And after he had taken leave of them, he went up on the mountain to pray” (Mark […]

Some things are so obvious we almost miss them. One of them is found in Mark 6. The disciples have been walking and talking with Jesus himself. What an amazing opportunity! They have seen him preach and teach, heal people, cast out demons, calm a storm, and raise a dead child back to life. As […]

Proximity. According to my online dictionary it means this: “nearness in place, time, order, occurrence, or relation; closeness.” Being in close proximity to the right things or people changes how you think and feel. Example 1: You’re alone in the forest at dusk and a shadowy figure approaches. You’re afraid. But what if you are […]

“I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow” (1 Corinthians 3:6). One of JRR Tolkien’s characters was called Niggle. He spent his entire life trying to paint a picture of a forest. In fact, he envisioned an entire beautiful landscape. But before he could finish, he died. Andy Bannister describes what […]

Blaise Pascal once said: “All of humanity’s problems stem from man’s inability to sit quietly alone in a room.”* To be honest, it’s a bit simplistic. But there’s something to it. When we can’t calm down, zip our lips, sit quietly, and take time to reflect, we’re probably going to create more problems than we […]

Some people hear directly from God. It happened in the Bible (with people like Saul, for example). And it sometimes happens today.  But more often than not, we need to discern God’s will in our lives without the benefit of an audible voice from above. Primarily, he speaks to us through the Bible. It is […]

There’s often more happening in Bible stories than we realize. Take, for example, when Jesus fed 5000 men in the wilderness. Yes, it shows us that Jesus can do miraculous things. But it also demonstrates that he is the new and greater Moses.  Here’s what I mean, and why it matters. Moses led God’s people […]

“…continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose” (Philippians 2:12-13). If only. If only I had fewer problems in my past… If only I was a better speaker… If only I had more […]

In Mark 6 Jesus fed a crowd of 5,000 men with only five loaves and two fish. Before he did so, the disciples had wanted to send the people away so they could get some food. That’s when Jesus looked at them and said, “You give them something to eat” (verse 37). In the Greek, […]

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit” (Romans 15:13). Going to a resort is really nice. But why? First, it’s a break from your usual routines and stresses. If you’re employed, […]

Happy New Year! After a week of vacation, The Up Daily Devotional is back. The start of a new year tends to make us reflect on our goals for the coming 12 months. I’d like to put a bit of a different spin on this trend. If you are in Christ, you are already new, […]

Merry Christmas! “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.” (Luke 2:10-11). Think of everything that has happened in the past 100 years. 100 years ago […]

[Pause warning below.] “And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night” (Luke 2:8). On that now-famous night the angels appeared to shepherds to announce the Messiah’s birth. Why shepherds? You sometimes hear it said that shepherding was looked down upon. Generally speaking, the reason is because […]

Anthony Ross was a famous Scottish priest, also known as a preacher.  He had a stroke which left him wordless. For a man whose work was so closely tied to his use of words, it was a big blow. The doctor actually told Anthony that he wouldn’t be able to speak again. In response, he […]