The Up Devotional

“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 […]

The American Bible Society conducted a survey. They found that there was a correlation between engaging with the Bible and having lower anxiety levels. This correlation exists, they said, among all Americans “but is especially evident among Gen Z.”  “Young people who identified as “Bible Engaged” had an anxiety score of 3.4, while people in […]

“Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours” (Mark 11:24). There are different types of prayers.  Free-form prayers are prayers you say as the words come into your mind. There are also set prayers. These are where the words are always the […]

An angel told Joseph something significant about Jesus’ role: “[Mary] will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21). What does it mean for Jesus to save someone from their sins? Firstly, he saves us from the “consequence” […]

Matthew’s Gospel begins with a genealogy. By today’s standards, that’s not a particularly exciting way to begin. Wouldn’t you rather start with something attention-grabbing? But in Jesus’ time, it would have accomplished just that. In the ancient world, a genealogy functioned somewhat like a resume. If you wanted to know what someone was really liked […]

You sometimes hear it said that as Christians we have three enemies—the world, the flesh and the Devil. The Devil is the Devil. That’s pretty clear. No ambiguity there. The “flesh” is a reference to the internal battle we experience with our own sin and temptation. The “world” is perhaps less understood than the previous […]

“Yet not one of [these sparrows] will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care” (Matthew 10:29). Today is Friday the 13th. Oh no, lookout!  Some people think that Friday the thirteenth is unlucky. Why?  I never knew the reason. After a quick google search it seems that there isn’t a clear answer. Today provides […]

We’ve spent some time thinking about our true citizenship. Paul says that “our citizenship is in heaven” (Philippians 3:20). That reality has implications for the lives we are leading right now. The ancient city of Philippi was a Roman colony. Rome had tonnes of people, including retired soldiers. The city was too small to support […]

Let’s begin with two ideas. I’ll explain them and then bring it all together at the end. First, speaking to fellow Christians, Paul explains that “our citizenship is in heaven” (Philippians 3:20). We may be from Canada, Cambodia or Cameroon, but if we follow Christ, our true citizenship is in heaven. Second, Eugene Peterson explains […]

Herod Antipas decapitated John the Baptist. In short, Herod married his brother’s wife, Herodias. This was contrary to biblical law. John the Baptist criticized him for it and was thrown in jail.  During his birthday party, Herod made a lavish promise to his stepdaughter: “Whatever you ask I will give you, up to half my […]

Jesus did a lot of incredible and mind-blowing things. Because of that, I think it’s easy to forget that he had human emotions too. He wasn’t immune to many of the feelings we experience on a daily basis. For example, he experienced hunger (Mark 11:12), tears (John 11:35), and fatigue (John 4:6).   Mark 6 […]

There are many biblical descriptions for the church. It is called the bride of Christ, the people of the Way, and a family. It is also called the body of Christ. This is captured in 1 Corinthians 12:27: “Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.” […]

In Mark 6 Jesus sent out the twelve apostles on mission. They cast out demons, healed people, and preached.  Verse 12 tells us something specific about the content of their preaching: “They went out and preached that people should repent.” Let’s face it. Repentance isn’t a very popular topic. If you show up at a […]

“For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:21). Recently at a youth group event, a colleague used this phrase in a prayer—that God would help us “hold the things of the world loosely.” The “things of the world” are the things that are temporary. They don’t last. They include that […]

Anthony was a well-known monk who became known for his close relationship with God, for fighting demons, and for his enduring wisdom. People would journey for days to find him and get his advice. One of those people was Abba Pambo. Over the course of their conversation, Anthony said this: “A time is coming when […]