The Up Devotional

Daniel’s three friends were told to bow to the king’s statue. If they did, they would live. If they didn’t bow they would burn. They refused. “…even if he does not [rescue us],” they said, “…we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up” (Daniel 3:18). Let me […]

In yesterday’s devotional we talked about having an “even if” kind of faith. This was based on the words of Daniel’s three friends. They were told to bow down to the king’s statue. If they didn’t, they would be thrown into a fiery furnace. They had two options: Bow or burn. But they said No.  […]

It was a ruthless time. Daniel’s three friends—Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego—were threatened with death. If they didn’t bow down to the king’s statue they would be thrown into a fiery furnace.  The king gave them one last chance—bow or burn. In response, this is what the young men said: “If we are thrown into the […]

“For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope” (Romans 15:4). Theologian J.I. Packer makes the following observation: “In 1963, J.A.T. Robinson’s ‘Honest to God’ was heralded by an article in one of England’s national newspapers entitled “Our […]

In Daniel 2, the king of Babylon has a puzzling dream. God reveals the meaning to Daniel, who then explains it to the king.  In short, the king has seen a big statue made of different materials: gold, silver, bronze, iron, and clay. At the end of the dream, a stone (or rock) hits the […]

In Daniel 2, the Babylonian king issued a death order. Since some of his “wise men” couldn’t tell him his dream or it’s interpretation, he wanted to kill them all. Yikes! It was literal insanity. Since Daniel and his friends were among the class of wise men, they too were in danger. After learning what […]

“…he [God] knows what is in the darkness, and the light dwells with him” (Daniel 2:22). The darker the dark, the brighter the light.  Imagine being in a well-lit room in the middle of the day. There are a lot of windows. You hold up a torch. It will definitely bring extra light. After all, […]

The presence of darkness does not mean the absence of God.  Let me explain. Lately I have been spending a lot of time studying Daniel. As a young man, he endured horrible things. His nation was attacked and capital city was besieged. Many of his friends and family members would have been killed. Picture homes […]

We live in a time in which we have incredible access to information. This includes information about our faith. If we want to know when the Exodus happened, where Nazareth was, or what verses talk about angels, we can look them up in one of a thousand different resources. We can also research end-times theories, […]

In the autumn of 445 B.C., the governor Nehemiah had finished rebuilding the wall of Jerusalem after it had been destroyed. After exile, the people had gathered for a festival. Nehemiah 8:8 says: “They read from the book, from the Law of God, clearly, and they gave the sense, so that the people understood the […]

The book of Daniel tells us that Daniel and his friends were exiled to a foreign nation, Babylon, after Jerusalem was besieged. The text tells us that they were young. We find this in Daniel 1:3-4: “Then the king commanded Ashpenaz, his chief eunuch, to bring some of the people of Israel, both of the […]

“Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life” (Proverbs 4:23). Writer Selma Lagerlöf tells the story of a knight from Italy. This was the Middle Ages, the time of the Crusades. He was a warrior, capable of dark things.  When he got to the Holy Land he found himself […]

“In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it” (Daniel 1:1).  And with that, Daniel and his friends—and many others—were exiled to Babylon. As I study the book of Daniel, I’m struck by the abject calamity which came up on him: His […]

Fred Craddock tells a story from when he and his wife lived in Oklahoma.  There was a tornado warning. They went out on their porch. They could literally see the tornado coming. It looked like it was going to change directions, but it didn’t. In fact, it was coming straight toward their house!  So they […]

“…put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness” (Ephesians 4:24). In “The Happy Hypocrite” Lord George was an immoral man with a bloated face.  He fell in love with a lovely young lady. He figured that she would never love him back. So, as the story goes, […]

“…whoever says he abides in [Jesus] ought to walk in the same way in which he walked” (1 John 2:6). Tucker was in grade eleven. He was in an apprenticeship program to become a welder. He was working and learning under Bill, a retired teacher. Bill was known for three things: his sense of humour, […]

“If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God” (Colossians 3:1-3). What […]

Holidays like Christmas, Easter and Thanksgiving are well-known. “Epiphany,” however, is a different story. (And it’s today.) It’s not a day when we get a vacation, which means it gets less attention. But since it has something to do with our faith, what is it all about? It’s a date which has become associated with […]

Happy 2026! After some vacation time, The Up Daily Devotional is back to your email inboxes and social media and podcast feeds five mornings a week. Let me also say welcome to the new subscribers who have joined us over the past few weeks! Okay, here we go: As we look upon the next twelve […]

“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!” (Luke 2:14) Christ is born!  For today’s devotional I’d like to wish you a merry Christmas!  I’d also like to remind you of the good news of Jesus’ arrival—and in general of his life, death and resurrection—through the […]

Welcome to Christmas Eve! Over 700 years before the birth of Jesus, the prophet Isaiah spoke of a coming King.  Like many prophecies, not only were the prophet’s words rooted in historical situations and concerns, but they looked ahead to the future.  This King would bear divinity. He would be born of a virgin and […]

At this time of year, we often hear people talking about “the true meaning of Christmas.” I’m glad about that. We need to focus on what and Who matters most. However, be careful. There are competing definitions of “the true meaning of Christmas.” For example, I’ve heard it said that the true meaning of Christmas […]

“Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour” (Matthew 25:13). A dying boy wanted to meet Dwight Eisenhower, the 34th President of America, whose term occupied most of the 1950’s.  Somehow his request made its way to the President. One day, low and behold, Eisenhower just showed up at his front door, […]

In the past few devotionals, I have been sharing some insights about a parable Jesus told in Matthew 25 about his return. In short, a groom shows up at his own wedding banquet. Five women who were faithfully waiting for him get let in to the festivities. Five women who were unprepared get left out. […]

In Matthew 25 Jesus tells a parable about his return.  Some people are ready for him, others aren’t. The people who are ready to meet him get let into a wedding banquet—which, based on my own study, represents the new heavens and the new earth. Others aren’t ready for him and get left outside. After […]