The Living Word: A Daily Devotional with Jeff & Dale from The Jenkins Institute

We despair the most when hope is lost. In his parable, Ezekiel effectively declares the end of the Davidic dynasty. It seemed at the time as though all hope was lost. The prophecy is problematic since God swears that David will always have a descendant on the throne of Judah (2 Samuel 7). Zedekiah’s removal and the Babylonian destruction of David’s throne called God’s truth into question.

The trait of patience is graphically described in biblical Hebrew. To be “long-suffering” is literally translated “long of nose” ( ’erek ’apayim ). The apparent image is that heat (a symbol of anger) takes longer to fill large cavities; thus, people with large noses are calmer. Of course, the metaphor does not match emotional reality, but that is not the point. God does not anger easily, but once...

In his Maxims , the French aristocrat François de La Rochefoucauld wrote, “We are so accustomed to disguise ourselves to others that in the end we become disguised to ourselves.” The nation of Judah suffered from an identity crisis. God redeemed them from Egypt (Leviticus 26:45) and protected them from Assyrian conquest (2 Kings 19:5–37). Yet, they were ungrateful and sought an international reput...

The French author Montesquieu once quipped, “The best is the mortal enemy of the good.” We often miss the blessing of the good because we are searching for something better. People who constantly change jobs, homes, or vehicles are expressing a deep-seated desire for something different, hoping to find “the best.” Maybe God is calling us to embrace the good. Though the vine (Judah) had been plante...

The annual World Happiness Report (representing 2024 data) recently ranked the United States as the 24th happiest country in the world, down nine slots since 2014 and five slots since 2020. Indeed, 24th is the World Happiness Organization’s lowest ranking of the U.S. since 2011, when they began ranking countries.

In this teaching of Jesus in Matthew 25, it is not difficult to see the connection Jesus makes between Himself and the King. It is the King that says, “Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me” (Matthew 25:40, ESV). While Jesus as King is hardly debated, some raise the question concerning who “my brothers” references. The phrase, “the least of t...

In his book, Christian Ethics , Wayne Grudem states, “Christian ethics is any study that answers the question, ‘What does the whole Bible teach us about which acts, attitudes, and personal character traits receive God’s approval, and which do not?’” He goes on to point out, “Thus theology focuses on ideas while ethics focuses on situations in life. Theology tells us how we should think while ethic...

Humility may be the most needed and most difficult virtue to possess for the follower of Jesus. Norman McGowan shared that Winston Churchill was once asked, “Doesn’t it thrill you to know that every time you make a speech, the hall is packed to overflowing?” “It’s quite flattering,” replied Sir Winston. “But whenever I feel that way, I always remember that if instead of making a political speech I...

Sheep and goats are interesting animals. Certainly, they are mentioned throughout the Bible and were very much a part of daily life in antiquity. In first-century Palestine, sheep and goats often grazed together. However, they would be separated at night due to their different needs. To connect with the symbolic nature of sheep and goats, Jesus taught that they would ultimately be divided–some on...

Throughout His earthly ministry, Jesus served others in many ways. In fact, Jesus clearly explained to His followers that He came not to be served, but to serve. This is the life to which Jesus has called His disciples: service. In His teaching in Matthew 25, Jesus illustrated that the righteous would ask questions as to when they saw Him hungry or thirsty, as a stranger or naked, sick or in priso...

In 2005, at the graduation ceremony for Stanford University students, the commencement speaker stepped to the podium and spoke about how to live before you die. Specifically, he said: “You’ve got to find what you love… Your work is going to fill a large part of your life. And the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love wh...

My grandfather was a master gardener. He maintained a large garden at my house and a smaller one at his house. He grew everything imaginable. If he were still alive, he’d tell me not to phrase it that way. He would say that God grew it. My grandfather would never take credit for the produce from his garden. He’d always say, “Look what God gre

A vacuum cleaner serves a very useful purpose. It has all sorts of attachments. Many of them have an extension wand, a crevice tool, a dusting brush, and an upholstery tool. Some are even more advanced and have a ceiling fan tool and a pet grooming tool. There’s a tool for any job. And, of course, there’s the standard use—just pushing the contraption across the carpet to pick up dirt. Yes, a vacuu...

Hair is a funny thing. We recognize the beauty of hair on other people. We compliment women and men alike for their long, flowing, wavy locks of curly, blonde, brunette, or black hair, but all bets are off when the hair becomes disconnected. We garner a very different attitude toward hair that has fallen out. Hair covering the shower drain is disgusting, even if it is our own hair. We don’t want t...

Ezekiel was a priest living in Jerusalem during the first Babylonian invasion. He was among the first wave of captives taken by the Babylonians. God commissions Ezekiel to be an alarm. The first part of the book that bears his name contains accusations against Israel. God’s people are primarily guilty of idolatry and injustice, and Ezekiel has the unenviable task of warning them, knowing full well...

When we were in kindergarten, we learned that a dot does a lot when we work with glue. When you consider the size of the mustard seed, it is smaller than the periods found in this devotional. James tells us in James 4:14 that life is a vapor. Some have said that vapor lasts for three seconds. At the end of our time on earth, our lives will seem smaller than a mustard seed. The question is, what wi...

Have you ever planted a garden? I am tag-teaming a garden with my neighbor and there is more work that goes into it than I could have ever imagined: tilling the ground, planting in the soil, watering, and so much more. It blows my mind to think that a plant so big started as a little seed.

Have you ever thought on a Saturday night, “I am not going to church tomorrow, no one will even notice if I am not there.” A visitor arrived in a small French village. Evening was drawing near and the people were rushing around town. The traveler discovered that everyone carried a small, personal lamp. When he asked one local resident, he was told, "We are going to the house of worship."...

Have you ever looked up pictures of a mustard tree? If you have not, get your phone and look up images of mustard trees. Notice how much shaded area they can provide and imagine how many birds’ nests they could house. Then consider how many people could rest beneath th

The mustard seed is the smallest of any seed that can be planted, yet a black mustard plant can grow up to six feet six inches tall. We think small things we do for people do not matter, like sending a text to someone who had surgery or wishing someone happy birthday on their Facebook wall. I assure you, trivial things matter to people. What seems like a small thing to us can make a significant di...

During my freshman year of college, my great-uncle drove thirteen hours to meet with me and encourage me to become a minister like him. Thanks to a music scholarship, I was blessed to attend a university well- equipped to instruct students in ministry, though I had not yet chosen to pursue ministry myself. I enjoyed our meal together in Searcy, AR, but I was afraid of leading, so I told him, “No,...

My mother was diagnosed with polio when she was five months old. She’s never walked straight or ran. We could admit she wasn’t blessed physically with what others had, yet she has doubled it with her spiritual influence. We often forgot about her physical limitations because she doubled what she had by her zeal and thirst for the Lord. It had nothing to do with how “talented” she was, but what she...

The age we live in has more free and abundant access to Bibles, devotionals, commentaries, podcasts, and other resources than ever in the history of the world. The availability of it all places tremendous responsibility on Christians. The five-talent man was actually a ten-talent man. He decided to double and use what he was given by the Master, stewarding it wisely. He received praise and reward...

Shout for joy, we live and breathe between our Master’s departure and His return! The parable of the ten virgins was about preparation for the bridegroom, and this parable challenges us not to sit on our hands while we wait for the Master. Jesus left this earth in Acts 1:9-11, and before leaving, He gave His disciples authority, gifts, and a commission. They also were entrusted with talents, and t...

Today, we are reminded of the words of Jesus in Matthew 25. He reminds us that God distributes gifts with expectations along with them. The parable of the talents in Matthew 25 and the parable of the ten minas in Luke 19:11-27 supplement one another and emphasize that our Master has expectations. Every servant received sums entrusted to them, and the Master (or Nobleman) communicated expectations...