The Up Devotional

[New podcast link below.] In Mark 11 Jesus says something pretty harsh to a fig tree with leaves but no figs: “May no one ever eat fruit from you again” (verse 14). From there he went into the temple in Jerusalem and overturned the tables of the money-changers. Can you imagine the scene! Perhaps we […]

In Mark 10, a blind beggar cried out to Jesus for help. Jesus heard his pleas and called him forward. A miracle followed. Jesus healed his sight! With a word, Jesus changed his life. In response, the man followed Jesus. He expressed his gratitude by dedicating himself to the Lord. But there’s a telling detail […]

“Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms” (1 Peter 4:10). Rick Warren states: “The greatest tragedy is not death, but life without purpose.”* He’s onto something. For some people, death is most certainly a tragedy. For God’s people, however, […]

It’s no secret that God’s people are to be a people of prayer. Jesus taught us to pray with the Lord’s Prayer (Matthew 6:9-13). In the book of Acts the early church devoted themselves to it (Acts 2:42).  Paul taught to “pray continually” (1 Thessalonians 5:17) and to be “faithful in prayer” (Romans 12:12). Another […]

You sometimes hear people say that they don’t read the Bible very much but they still follow Jesus. In saying this, they seem to suggest that the Bible is all about dusty doctrine and that following Jesus is where the real action is. But this perspective is flawed. Scripture is inspired by God. It is […]

Can you imagine meeting Jesus face-to-face? What would you say? What would you ask him? What do you think he would ask you? It’s amazing to think that one day we will actually get the opportunity to see and speak with our Lord.  Until then we learn about him and hear his voice in Scripture. […]

In Mark 10:29-31 Jesus said: “Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands, for my sake and for the gospel, who will not receive a hundredfold now in this time, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and […]

In Mark 10:17-22 a wealthy young man asked Jesus this question: “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus replied: “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone. You know the commandments: ‘Do not murder, Do not commit adultery, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, […]

Alternative lifestyles. When I use that phrase, what comes to mind? Perhaps someone who creates a belief system out of a mishmash of ideas? What about someone who embraces sexual promiscuity or rejects family life and the idea that marriage and children are a good thing? Or maybe you think about someone who organizes their […]

There are things in the world we would like to be different. We look around at the state of things and can become discouraged. However, this can be an opportunity.  First, we can remember that God is sovereign. The pages of Scripture bellow the wonderful almightiness of God. He is the same yesterday, today and […]

Pause Alert:  After today, The Up Daily Devotional will go on pause for a week, returning on March 17th. I’m taking some vacation time. Can you believe the devotional has been going for almost 10 years? You can access previous devotionals at TheUpDevo.com. You can also listen to back episodes on your favourite podcasting app. […]

In some ways, these are polarizing times. People are becoming very good at arguing.  It can happen face-to-face. It can also happen online. Sometimes it’s with someone you know, and sometimes it’s with a complete stranger. As people of faith we know we have to stand up for certain things. I totally agree with that. […]

“Surely the righteous will never be shaken…” (Psalm 112:6) There is a word that Christians need to reclaim. It’s been neglected and avoided. That’s a problem. Why? Because it’s God’s word. The word is righteousness. Did you wish I had said something else? Perhaps love or courage or community? These are all a part of […]

Today is Ash Wednesday. It marks the beginning of Lent—a forty day period (excluding Sundays) leading up to the ground zero of the Christian faith: the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ.  Some churches and traditions have a custom of putting ashes on people’s foreheads on this day. Why? One of the reasons is that ashes […]

Today is known as Shrove Tuesday. It’s the day before Lent begins on Ash Wednesday. 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 (and is) a custom of using up fatty foods on this day […]

In one of his books Martin Thielen tells the story of a man named Gus. He got cancer and was angry about it. It was inoperable. ‘Why me?’ When he was in hospice he noticed a girl who was five years old. She too was a patient. It just seemed wrong that a five-year old […]

John Piper is a theologian. His colleague had a saying: “Beware loving loving God rather than loving God.”* Let me state that again: “Beware loving loving God rather than loving God.” Are there times when we love the idea of loving God instead of actually showing him our devotion and commitment?  Let’s apply that logic […]

Mark 9:36-37 describes a moving scene: “He [Jesus] took a little child whom he placed among them. Taking the child in his arms, he said to them, ‘Whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me does not welcome me but the one who sent me.’” Today, people […]

In Mark 9:42 Jesus said: “If anyone causes one of these little ones—those who believe in me—to stumble, it would be better for them if a large millstone were hung around their neck and they were thrown into the sea.” Wow!  He went on to say that if their hand, foot or eye caused them […]

I saw a hat: “Make Canada Great Again.” It is, of course, based on the slogan to “Make America Great Again.” I even saw something on the internet to do with making Europe great again. It’s a word we use not only to describe nations but people. “So-and-so is great.” When we use it like […]

In James 3:8 we read: “…no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.” At first that sounds a bit harsh—but not if you’ve been on the receiving end of some verbal poison!  Today’s devotional is quite simple. Be careful with your words. They can do serious good, […]

“Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you” (James 4:7). A man named Abba Elias told an old story about a man who was living in a temple. Demons came to pester him, trying to get him to leave.  To some of you that might seem shocking. Perhaps you’ve […]

It’s critical to know the difference between salvation and sanctification. When we get them confused, it can be a source of misunderstanding—and even anguish. Salvation is about your standing with God. (This is sometimes called “justification.”) By ourselves we are sinful and separated from him. But when we trust in Jesus and in what he […]

“Come near to God and he will come near to you” (James 4:8). More time with God puts you more in tune with God. When you spend time with a friend you learn more about them. The same happens with a spouse. You start to anticipate how they will respond to certain situations. You might […]

Motivation matters.  For example, people who do better in surgery are people who have a reason to live afterwards. It’s a matter of motivation. Or consider the 17-year old girl who didn’t want to go to soccer practice. But then her mom told her that the scout for the university soccer team would be there. […]