The Up Devotional

Every day we are exposed to countless arguments. We witness them on the news, online, and sometimes in our own homes. I’ve noticed a pattern. A lot of people try to belittle someone else’s viewpoint to make their own sound superior. There are two simple steps in this process. Step one: Oversimplify someone’s viewpoint to […]

In the ancient world, being poor was an incredibly desperate situation. If you didn’t have family to take you in, you were basically thrown into a world of hunger, begging, stereotypes, ridicule, slave labour, prostitution or violence. Christians or Jews often came into the picture and provided much-needed help. But beyond that, you were basically […]

In the previous devotional we talked about simplicity of lifestyle and how it can keep you focussed on what matters most. Today, let’s continue with that same theme.  To be clear, what matters most is God. If we fail to appreciate that, the mixed-up culture around us will also mix-up our priority list. Kevin Myers […]

Proverbs 15:16 says: “Better a little with the fear of the LORD than great wealth with turmoil.” Here is what it means. It is better to live simply faithfully, than to have a lot of money and constant trouble. There were some couples in Georgia who were talking about when they were the most happy […]

“I dry up the green tree and make the dry tree flourish” (Ezekiel 17:24). Generally speaking, we do not like hardship. We try to avoid it.  But if we’re being honest, I think that most of us can look back on certain hardships from our past and see how some good was able to come […]

Jesus is going to come back.  He said that he would. The early church said that he would. Christians have looked forward to this powerful day ever since. There are two unhealthy extremes when it comes to this topic. One is to never think about it, or to downplay it. The other is to obsess […]

A soldier was in Nagasaki, a long way from home. On Sunday morning he saw what looked like a church. He went inside.  There were about twenty people there. The soldier wasn’t sure how it was going to go since he only knew one word: brother.  But that’s the word he heard: “Brother.” As you […]

When it comes to journeying through life—and to making decisions in general—discernment is important. It involves sifting through information, figuring out right from wrong, and going forward based on what you’ve discovered. If someone is “discerning,” it usually means that they are deliberate and proactive about their choices. When Solomon prayed to God to be […]

“Be devoted to one another in love” (Romans 12:10). Let me start by asking you a question. Would you rather be known for what you’re FOR, or what you’re AGAINST? In other words, would you rather be known for beliefs, causes or issues that you are FOR, or would you rather be known for beliefs, […]

By now you have surely heard about (or seen footage of) the terrorist attacks by Hamas in Israel. It is so very horrifying to learn about innocent people—including women and children—being torn from homes, assaulted, and killed and/or taken prisoner. When I hear about the bodies of innocent victims being paraded through the streets while […]

Proverbs 15:1 says: “A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.” Wow, talk about practical. Let’s say someone says something harsh to you. Perhaps it happens in person, but maybe it happens online. Either way, your instinct is to react. You want to say some things that are probably not […]

None of us are getting any younger. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but it’s true! Despite what our culture might tell you, aging in and of itself is not a bad thing. It’s a part of life. It may be difficult, but it’s not a disaster, and it can even be a […]

I read about a psychology experiment. Some of the participants were sad. Others were happy. The entire group was asked to descramble messages. There were a variety of phrases which could be made. Here’s what happened. The people who were already sad created more sad messages, even though happier ones were possible. And people who […]

Jesus said: “’Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.’ By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive” (John 7:38-39). What are the “means of grace”? Historically, these are practices which God puts into our lives and which […]

The book One Hundred Years of Solitude describes a town that suffers from a plague of forgetfulness. People start forgetting everything, like it’s contagious. And it is certainly very scary. One man starts putting notes on everything so that he doesn’t forget. “This is a table… a lamp… a door.” He goes into the town […]

There are certain virtues which never grow old. That’s because God has ordained them. They are eternally good. We should strive for them regardless of whether the year is 1039, 2023 or 3245. One of them is humility. I’ve been spending time thinking about Communion since this past Sunday was World Communion Sunday. This Sacrament […]

In 1 Thessalonians 3:17-18 (ESV) Paul mentions something to his fellow-believers. He was writing from a different town but really wanted to see them in person so he could help and encourage them. He wrote: “we endeavored the more eagerly and with great desire to see you face to face, because we wanted to come […]

We’ve been thinking about holiness. That word makes some people think about strongly scented candles, fancy cathedrals, or even a certain kind of religious snobbery. But that’s off the mark. Holiness is about being set apart for a special, godly purpose. We need to reclaim (and be humbly confident about) that understanding. After all, if […]

In the past few devotionals we’ve been speaking about holiness.  In more recent times, people tend to think that holiness is either (a) about hoity-toity self-righteousness, or (b) an inner state of being. The first is simply wrong, and the second is only half-true. Holiness is about being set-part for a special, godly purpose. If […]

When someone asks you to describe yourself, what do you say?  I’m guessing you don’t use the word “holy.” After all, you don’t want to appear “holier than thou.” I get it. And perhaps you don’t think you’re very holy. That’s certainly a humble way of seeing things. But if you are a follower of […]

You’ve probably seen the bumper sticker which says: “Jesus is coming, look busy!” It’s supposed to be funny, of course. And although Jesus won’t be fooled, and although busyness shouldn’t be our focus, it does certainly remind us that when he comes we should be doing something. But what is that something? It is that […]

In Proverbs 16:3 Solomon wrote: “Commit to the LORD whatever you do, and he will establish your plans.” This is a great reminder to commit to God whatever you do—whether you’re in school, in the workforce, a retiree, or something else. When it comes to faith we can mistakenly relegate it to a few quiet […]

Paul was known for speaking confidently and boldly about God, even in the face of violent opposition.  He faced riots in Thessalonica (see Acts 17:1-10) and beatings and unjust imprisonment in Philippi (see Acts 16:16-24). Nevertheless, he said: “we speak, not to please man, but to please God who tests our hearts” (1 Thessalonians 2:4, […]

In the previous few devotionals I said that honouring God in a big situation is 99% preparation. We know this to be true in other aspects of our lives. Let’s say that someone wants give their child some good advice for a problem they’re dealing with. Over the course of a week, that conversation probably […]

In the previous devotional I said that honouring God in a big situation is 99% preparation. We know this to be true in other aspects of life. Let’s say that a sprinter wants to be successful in his race. That race represents 1% of his time. The other 99% is preparation. The same can be […]