The Up Devotional

I was recently reminded of a story about Martin Luther, the well-known church reformer from the sixteenth century.  One day he was confronted by the devil who accused him of sin after sin. I’m paraphrasing, but in essence the devil said, ‘How can you pretend to be a leader and reformer of the church? You’re […]

Recently, I was putting together a new piece of furniture. The instruction manual had some spelling mistakes. As a result, I started to doubt how accurate it was. If you don’t trust what you’re reading, you’ll start to question whether or not it’s actually going to help you. This is why it’s important to be […]

The Bible includes different kinds of lists. Some of these are sin lists. Others are virtue lists, which we could also consider character traits to pursue. One of them is found in 2 Peter 1:5-8. It says: “For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and […]

Have you ever felt frustrated at your lack of spiritual growth? Or perhaps you can see some progress, but you feel defeated because it’s taking longer than you’d like?  If so, Walter Adams has some food for thought. He says: “Look after the roots, and the fruits will look after themselves.”* Let’s look more closely […]

“Don’t drink the Kool Aid.” It’s an expression that traces back to a cult leader who compelled his followers to consume a sugary drink (it wasn’t technically “Kool Aid”, but the idea caught on.) This person’s followers died in the process. Today, the expression is used to warn people against dangerous group-think. ‘Don’t blindly adhere […]

In Ephesians 4:27 we are told to “give no opportunity to the devil.”  In the original Greek manuscripts of this verse, the word for “opportunity” is topos. It’s where we get our English word “topography.” In Ephesians, this word suggests some sort of location or space.  Various biblical translation teams have struggled to adequately capture […]

Have you ever noticed the words that are used to describe the devil? Let me provide three examples. First, he “prowls.” We find this detail in 1 Peter 5:8: “Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.” Second, he is “crafty.” This detail comes up in the Garden of […]

In the Bible, we are often told be humble. We’re often warned to steer clear of pride. So here’s a helpful way to think about the difference between the two.  It’s the difference between self-forgetfulness and self-infatuation.  Self-forgetfulness isn’t about being self-deprecating. Nor is it about beating yourself up. It’s about focusing more and more […]

Worry. It happens. We don’t like it, but it’s a part of life.  Here’s what I’ve come to know about worry. Worry loves to make you question the past, fear the future, and doubt God in the present, so that you are forever frantic and mentally somewhere else. Let’s break that down one idea at […]

In 1 Peter 4, the apostle is instructing his readers about something important. There are times, he says, when we will suffer for our faith. Just as Jesus suffered, we too will suffer. Just as Jesus was insulted, so too will we be insulted. He then goes on to provide some further clarity: “But let […]

[Note: New podcast episode about The Apostles’ Creed — link in footnotes.] ~ Thousands of years ago the people of God were encouraged with these words: “Yet the LORD set his affection on your ancestors and loved them, and he chose you, their descendants, above all the nations—as it is today” (Deuteronomy 10:15). In his […]

In 1 Peter 4, the apostle is encouraging his readers to be prayerful and loving. As a part of this he shares a word about hospitality: “Show hospitality to one another without grumbling” (verse 9). When we think about the word hospitality, we often think of the “hospitality industry.” That’s not unrelated, but it’s not […]

“Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you” (1 Peter 4:12). Whenever we go through hardship or adversity, it’s good to remain tethered to sources of help. Unfortunately, one of the things some people do is isolate themselves—from […]

What are some of the things that all people have in common?  We’re all born and we all die. As pundits often say, we all pay taxes!  Further, we all need food, oxygen and water. We probably all like to be happy and don’t like to be sad. Generally speaking, we want our lives to […]

“Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it” (1 Corinthians 12:27). Today’s devotional is an invitation to see things from a new perspective. We sometimes need that, don’t we? Perhaps you’ve heard the story of the young boy who thought he was the world’s greatest baseball hitter.  He threw the ball […]

These days, humans have access to a mind-boggling amount of information. In many ways, this is great. We have an increasing amount of data and knowledge about the medical sciences, the human mind, the environment, and so many other areas. However, this can sometimes make us over-confident. This over-confidence can cause us to think that […]

Why do we like stories?  I’m sure there are many answers to that question. But I have a suspicion that they inspire us to think about how we might apply big, important ideas to our own lives. I’m about to share a story with you. It’s very inspiring. It’s also troubling. Let that be a […]

Some people are scared to death of death. Is that you? Perhaps it describes you perfectly. As a result, you are living in fear.  Perhaps it’s not you. Perhaps you’re not scared to death of it, but are still really worried.  Either way, it can be helpful to ask ourselves why.  Why am I scared […]

“Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the LORD that will stand” (Proverbs 19:21). Over the years, I have had many conversations with people who want to know about God’s plan for their life.  Does he want me to do this, or that? What should I […]

Many of us worry. And then we worry about how much we’re worrying!  We worry about a relationship or money. We worry about global conflict or next week’s visit to the doctor. We worry about saying the right thing at the right time. We worry about our children, our grandchildren, our employment prospects, what other […]

“Greatness.” When we think of people who fall into this category we tend to think about people who have done great things for God. We also tend to think about people who have done great things for others, often in a way that is self-sacrificial. I think it’s safe to say that King David was […]

Let me share a quote from Richard Sibbes. At first, it might seem abrasive. But after we think about it for a moment, I think it helps us to re-frame our thinking towards the battle we face with greater clarity. “There are two grand sides in the world, to which all belong: there is God’s […]

When you’re spiritually dry, revisit the psalms The Up Devotional for June 10, 2026 “I rejoice at your word like one who finds great spoil” (Psalm 119:162). I sometimes get asked for ideas about what to do when your devotional life feels flat. It happens. There are times when you just feel spiritually dry. During […]

Quoting Psalm 34, the apostle Peter says that “the face of the Lord is against those who do evil” (1 Peter 3:12). That’s clearly a category we do not want to be in!  If your teacher is “against” you, it may reflect poorly on your grades. If your soccer coach is “against” you, it may […]

“…we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us” (Romans 5:3-5). One of the spin-offs from the Star Wars […]