The Up Devotional

Relationships can be a source of great joy in our lives. They can also be a source of pain. Quite often they are somewhere in between. Sometimes they are life-giving, and sometimes they are draining. We modern westerners are at risk of treating people like commodities. Since there is so much individualism and consumerism in […]

The resurrection of Christ was about one man, but it was about more than one man. It is the inauguration of God’s renewed world.  I’m thankful to historian and scholar Tom Wright for highlighting the following points in his research. First, God began the work of creation on a Sunday. Well, the work of God’s […]

“The angel said to the women, ‘Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said’” (Matthew 28:5-6). I hope you are en-joy-ing Easter Monday. The resurrection of Jesus was about… Jesus. But it wasn’t only about Jesus. […]

Today is Good Friday. It’s when we gather at the foot of the cross to ponder and give thanks that Jesus gave his life for ours. He paid the price for our sin so that we could be reconciled to God. I sometimes tell the story about a young person who asked me why Good […]

Today is Maundy Thursday. It begins a series of days sometimes called the Triduum which include Good Friday and Easter Sunday. “The big three.” On Maundy Thursday we remember Jesus’ new commandment to love one another and celebrate the inaugural Lord’s Supper. On Good Friday we gather at the foot of the cross to ponder […]

I know, it’s a curious title for a devotional. Perhaps even a bit ominous.  Professor Alasdair MacIntyre surveyed how different people have understood virtue throughout history. Morality today, he writes, “is in a state of grave disorder.” Although we are not without hope, he makes a rather stark conclusion that we are living in “the […]

“Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord” (Romans 12:11). A little while ago a video started circulating online of Bobby Hastings, the head equipment manager for the Toronto Maple Leafs hockey team. During a game, Hastings could be seen on the bench closely watching the play. When a player […]

Hello everyone!  After two weeks away, The Up Devotional is back to your email inboxes, social media feeds, and podcast platforms five mornings a week. We are now in what is often called Holy Week. Yesterday was Palm Sunday. This coming weekend we remember and centre ourselves in the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ. It […]

For the past few devotionals we have been reflecting on God’s providence. That’s his invisible hand, working in the lives of his people even when they can’t see it. Let’s continue with that encouraging theme. In World War One a troupe was engaged in trench warfare. A lieutenant told his men to sneak across a […]

God works in the trenches. Consider the story of Esther and how messy it was. Young virgins were summoned for a sort of dark, horrid beauty contest in the Persian court. Because Mordechai refused to bow to the king’s second-in-command, Haman, a plot was hatched to kill not only Mordechai, but all of the Jewish […]

William Perkins was a well-known theologian in the 16th century. He was known for his faithfulness. But it wasn’t always that way.  When he was younger he had a reputation for recklessness, profanity and public drunkenness. He was also dabbling in black magic and the occult.  One evening he overheard a mother correcting her child […]

You’re doing your best to trust God. You want him to act.  You want him to help. You’ve been waiting. And waiting some more. So you start to think to yourself: “I’ll give God to the end of the year to do something about this situation. If he doesn’t do anything it must be because […]

In 1 Corinthians 1 Paul doubles down to make a point. God is waaaaay smarter than any of us: “Where is the wise person? Where is the teacher of the law? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?… For the foolishness of God is wiser […]

Things are not always as they seem. A simple word of encouragement can bring someone back from the brink. A hug can be the reassurance someone needs that they are not alone. This Sunday many Christians will celebrate the Lord’s Supper, also called “Communion.” Some churches do this weekly, some monthly, and some four or […]

Two wise and faithful men were being interviewed after years of exemplary teaching and service. They were both humble, despite their many accolades and awards. The interviewer asked how they were able to resist pride and stay humble? One of the men replied: “How on earth can anyone be arrogant when standing beside the cross?”* […]

Theologian J.I. Packer said that “Christians… grow greater by growing smaller.”* That’s a helpful reminder. People talk about “greatness.” Sometimes they simply think about it. And yes, they might use different words, but the idea is the same. In the book of Esther, Haman seemed to be concerned with a certain understanding of greatness. With […]

Do you want to experience destruction?  Do you want to experience destruction in your family, among your friends, at work, at school, or with your reputation or soul? If the answer is no, we need to heed Proverbs 16:18: “Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall.” Let’s be clear. If we want […]

I’ve been spending time studying the book of Esther. As I go through the story line by line I notice things I didn’t notice before.  One of the famous parts of the story is when she decides to approach the King to help her people, even at great risk to her own life: “I will […]

Let’s put what I’m about to say in the category of ‘news you won’t hear on the news.’ A Harvard study says that participating in religious services once a week or more is correlated with greater longevity, lower levels of depression, more optimism, and lower suicide rates.* Um, pardon? Yes, that’s right. Participating in religious […]

It’s hard to read the book of Esther and not be impressed by her courage. Her people were in danger of annihilation. Her adoptive father Mordechai encouraged her to approach the King to intervene. Sounds simple enough. But if she approached without an invitation she could be killed. (I’m glad I don’t live in a […]

Have you ever wondered if you should have been born in another time? Perhaps 19th century France or even in the pioneer days? I realize that it’s fun to dream. But God isn’t that haphazard. God’s people were chosen before the foundation of the world (Ephesians 1:4). He fashioned us in our mother’s wombs and […]

Providence is the invisible hand of God. It is God directing, guiding and providing for his people, even when you can’t see him. Some people say they trust in God’s providence, and then they use that as an excuse for not responding to God’s call on their lives. They think to themselves, ‘Well, God is […]

I recently came across a correspondence between the Reformer Martin Luther and a friend. in The Voice, Keith S. Lindley sets the scene like this:  “In July of 1530, Martin Luther penned a letter to his dear friend, Jerome Weller. During a season of depression, Weller began to doubt the reality of his salvation, and […]

Corrie ten Boom tells the story about an old Russian woman she met during the Cold War.  She was a woman of faith, but Bibles were not allowed. It was a time of persecution for Christians. The woman was so sick she couldn’t get off her couch. But she had one finger she could still […]

A lot of people “give up” things for Lent. The biblical—and therefore, accurate—word for this is fasting. If you’re going to fast it’s important to know the reason. Going through the motions is of limited value if you don’t know why you’re doing it. One example of fasting is found in Ezra 8:21: “I proclaimed […]