The Up Devotional

Our society values achievement. That’s one of the reasons we have things like trophies, ribbons, A-pluses, and year-end bonuses.  If we’re not careful we can start to think that our value is connected to our achievements. “I’m only truly valuable if others recognize me, or if I have a lot of money, or if I […]

In one of his speeches John F. Kennedy said that America would put a man on the moon by the end of the decade. “In a very real sense,” he said, “it will not be one man going to the moon—it will be an entire nation. For all of us must work to put him […]

“Be holy, because I am holy” (1 Peter 1:16). In the 17th century, George Swinnock said that a Christian should regard “his shop as well as his chapel as holy ground.”* Here is what he meant. We often think of church buildings as “holy ground.” We might also think of a special location as “holy […]

Psalm 121:3-4 says this about God’s guardianship over his people: “He will not let your foot slip—he who watches over you will not slumber; indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.” I think that the psalm is alluding to a story from 1 Kings 18. There the prophet Elijah is in […]

Christians believe in certain things. One of those things isn’t luck. Luck is the idea that everything unfolds according to chance. According to that line of thinking, God is neither almighty nor active. Granted, someone might say “What luck!” when it’s sunny on the same day they decide to go for a picnic. But any […]

One of the most popular movies of all time is The Sound of Music. Toward the end there is a dramatic scene where the von Trapp family is trying to flee from danger. They are being pursued by the sinister authorities. Maria von Trapp is played by Julie Andrews. She speaks briefly with the Reverend […]

One of the most famous verses in Psalm 103 is number 19: “The LORD has established his throne in heaven, and his kingdom rules over all.” God’s throne is in heaven. And his kingdom rules over all. Note the word “all.” About this Matthew Henry writes: “there is no exempt jurisdiction.”* Therefore, his throne rules […]

Before I was ordained as a pastor, I served for a summer as a student at a church called St. David’s. We held a Vacation Bible Camp. On one of the days we taught about Noah and the flood. We often think about it as a children’s story. After all it has a bunch of […]

I’m a planner. I like being organized.  The good thing about being a planner is that things tend to get done. You map out how to use your time and organize that time so that it moves you toward your goals. I don’t always get it right—far from it!—but being a planner has benefits. It […]

“And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests” (Ephesians 6:18). Have you ever seen someone walking down the street and been prompted to pray for them? I have. I bet you have too. Perhaps you discounted the feeling as just a fleeting thought. But what if that was […]

This week I’m leading a Bible story centre at our church’s Vacation Bible Camp. It’s always a lot of energy, music and laughter! I consider it a profound and meaningful privilege to teach the Bible. Within its Spirit-inspired pages, people of all ages start to know more about God, his promises, and his loving plans […]

“Therefore encourage one another and build each other up…” (1 Thessalonians 5:11). Go out of your way to say, “Way to go!” You’re right. Seems a bit gimmicky, doesn’t it? Perhaps. But hear me out. Jesus often taught about the kingdom of God. The kingdom of God is where and when God rules as King […]

God blesses us in many ways. But in Psalm 103:1 (ESV) we are encouraged to bless him back: “Bless the LORD, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name!” But what does that mean? The Hebrew word for bless is “barach.” It is sometimes translated as “praise.” So blessing God […]

“Follow your heart!” We hear that a lot. I’m sure it’s well-intentioned: our instincts and feelings are important. But our hearts can often lead us astray since (a) we are sinful by nature, and (b) our hearts are heavily influenced by the non-stop negativity around us. Wouldn’t it be better to “follow your head” insofar […]

David begins Psalm 103 like this: “Praise the LORD, my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name.” Have you ever noticed that David is speaking… to himself? That’s right. He’s speaking to his own soul. Seems strange, right? Why would he do that? We can learn a lot of things in a single […]

In the previous devotional I encouraged you to pray for “anti-lukewarm-ness” in North America. We need less apathy and more commitment. That sentiment was based on Jesus’ words to the church in Laodicea from Revelation 3:16: “because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth.” Yikes! Today I […]

Open Doors Canada raises awareness about persecuted Christians and provides support. In 2020 one of their workers posted this statement on Instagram: “I remember visiting the believers in China. They didn’t have a building to worship in, so a few of them would gather in their homes instead. Sometimes they would travel across the mountains […]

When you think about friendship, what comes to mind? Similar interests, laughter, or support? Those are all good things.  How about confessing your sins? If you think that sounds like a downer, I hear you. But when it comes to supporting one another, speaking openly and honestly about sin can be very helpful. One psychology […]

In Matthew 25 Jesus tells a parable about some people who were entrusted with some wealth by their master.  Those who invested it well were greeted with a compliment: “Well done, good and faithful servant!” (verse 23). This statement is sometimes quoted at funerals. When someone has tried to live faithfully toward God and as […]

“May the favor of the Lord our God rest on us; establish the work of our hands for us—yes, establish the work of our hands” (Psalm 90:17). That was a prayer of Moses, the great man of God. But what did he mean when he asked God to “establish the work of our hands”? It’s […]

Moses went through tough times. He made mistakes. He spoke with God. He accumulated wisdom. He led others. In Psalm 90:12 he offered this prayer: “Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.” His meaning is this: Remind us that life is short so that we live our lives […]

Psalm 91 is sometimes called The Soldier’s Psalm. We hear stories of soldiers putting its words on small pieces of paper or cardboard and tucking them in a pocket in their uniform.  Through history others have put its words in small lockets as if to ward off evil. Although Psalm 91 most certainly speaks about […]

In Psalm 91:15 God says: “When he calls to me, I will answer him…” What does it mean to call out to God? It means to speak with him honestly in prayer. It also means so trusting in him that you expect some sort of response. With that in mind let me ask you a […]

“Because he holds fast to me in love, I will deliver him…” (Psalm 91:14, ESV). What (or who) do you “hold fast” to? What (or who) do you “cling” to?  If someone you care about is about to go away on a long trip, that last hug good bye is often a long one. That’s […]

In The Rise of Skywalker there is a scene where the good guys are in a heated fight with the dark side. They are big, bad and ugly, and there are many more of them.  One of the leaders for the good guys is named Poe. He is looking exhausted and defeated. A fellow pilot […]