The Up Devotional

“For the LORD watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked leads to destruction” (Psalm 1:6). Psalm 1 is sometimes called the “gateway to the Psalms.” As if providing a general introduction to the 149 psalms that follow, it gives us high-level wisdom about life and foregrounds a very important […]

Jesus said: “So you also, when you have done everything you were told to do, should say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty’” (Luke 17:10). Human beings are naturally selfish. It’s something we need to guard against. It’s also something we should be frequently asking God to forgive us for: “Dear […]

After the resurrection, Jesus asked Peter if he loved him. Not once, but three times.  “The third time [Jesus] said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, “Do you love me?” He said, “Lord, you know all things; you know that I […]

We’ve been talking about learning from our mistakes and failures. In fact, when it comes to serving God, they don’t disqualify you, they educate you. Let’s consider the example of Peter. Before Jesus’ crucifixion, he denied knowing him three times. That is a very serious offense, especially in Jesus’ time of need! After the resurrection, […]

“We all stumble in many ways” (James 3:2). We all make mistakes. Do you wallow in yours, or do you learn from them?  A junior executive at IBM lost over ten million dollars in a risky venture. He was called into the office of Tom Watson Sr., the founder of IBM.  The junior executive asked, […]

Mistakes are a part of life. You know that. I know that. But some people dwell on their mistakes—and I mean dwellllll on them—as if they are the defining factor in their lives. Consider Babe Ruth. In his day he was the home run king. He hit an amazing 714 home runs and led the […]

In John 15:26-27 (ESV) Jesus said: “when the Helper comes [i.e. the Holy Spirit]… he will bear witness about me. And you also will bear witness, because you have been with me from the beginning.” Jesus specifically says that in the context of hatred and persecution, the Holy Spirit will ‘bear witness’ (meaning, ‘speak the […]

“…by his wounds we are healed” (Isaiah 53:5). Susanna Petroysan and her 4-year old daughter lived in soviet Armenia. They went to visit a relative in an apartment building on December 7, 1988. After they arrived, the country was struck with a massive earthquake. They were on the fifth floor and there was no time […]

There are stories about farmers in the American Midwest who would tie ropes from their houses to their barns when a big wind storm was coming. The rope helped them find their way and not get swept away. If they were in the house and needed to check on the animals, they could do so. […]

At the church where I serve, we have a monthly memory verse. The more you get into God’s word, the more God’s word gets into you. Recently I introduced John 14:6. It’s quite well-known. I asked the congregation who had memorized this at some point in their lives. About 40 hands went up. These words […]

As Christians we have a commission. It’s a word that means “with a mission.” Whenever we use language like this the first thing we often think about is the “great commission” in Matthew 28 to go and make disciples of all nations. But there is a lesser-known commission in John 20:21-22. Jesus said: “As the […]

When Fred Craddock was young he remembered listening to preachers and teachers talk about what it meant to be a Christian. He heard stories about Mother Teresa working with the poor in the slums of Calcutta. He heard about Albert Schweitzer as a medical missionary. He heard about the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. […]

In John 17, Jesus prayed for his followers, both then and now.  It’s important for us to remember that these aren’t just the prayers of some random guy. Jesus is the Messiah and Son of God! Therefore, what Jesus prays for you IS God’s will for you. Hopefully that perks up your ears and heart. […]

In a prayer for his disciples—both then and now—Jesus prays: “Father, I want those you have given me… to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world” (John 17:24). Jesus prays that we will see his glory. This surely includes a growing appreciation of […]

In The Pilgrim’s Progress, a character named Christian makes his way to the Celestial City. He would have considered himself “religious,” but doesn’t come to personally experience the significance of the cross until after he has already begun his journey. As he walks along the path, he carries a big “burden” on his back. It […]

Harold Kusher tells the Hasidic story of a man who got a telegram. It told him that a relative had died and left him some valuable property. He had to contact a rabbi for details.  When he did so he was told that the relative was Moses and the valuable property was his religious tradition.  […]

Bobby Fischer was a world chess champion. There’s a story about a time when he went to see a film, called The Seventh Seal. A medieval knight plays a game of chess with death, the evil one. As the film progresses, they make moves back and forth. Finally, the evil one makes a move and […]

Today is Good Friday. Christians from all over the world gather at special services to ponder the cross and to thank God for what he has done for us in Christ. He has given his life for ours. The Reformer Martin Luther called it the “glorious exchange.” We’re the ones who deserve to be up […]

Today is Maundy Thursday. It’s not as well-known as Good Friday, Easter morning, or even Palm Sunday. Some churches hold special services; some don’t. Either way, it’s a very significant day. The word “Maundy” comes from the Latin translation of Jesus’ words in John 13:34. “Mandatum novum” means “new commandment.” This new commandment is to […]

Holy Week is upon us. Like Christmas it can be a time of traditions.  We wave palms on Palm Sunday, sing “The Old Rugged Cross” on Good Friday, and say “He is Risen!” on Easter morning. Some people also have family gatherings or Easter Egg hunts. At its heart, a tradition is about passing on […]

When it comes to traditions, Christians sometimes have mixed views. On the one hand we can be suspicious of them. Fair enough. Over time people can elevate man-made traditions and give them an authority they should not have. In fact, Jesus warns against this in Mark 7:8: “You have let go of the commands of […]

In April 1958 a young Korean student attending university in Philadelphia wrote a letter to his parents back home. After putting it in the mailbox he was brutally attacked by eleven teenage boys and died. The city was outraged. The district attorney got authority to try the boys as adults so they could receive the […]

According to an old legend, many years ago when spies were taken captive by the Persian Army and brought in to be killed, the general did something strange.  He would give the spy an option. He could choose to face the firing squad, or he could choose to be subject to whatever was behind a […]

You want to be faithful. You want to be loving. But if you’re always running on empty that will be hard to do. It will also be difficult if you’re always giving and giving and giving. Yes, giving is good. It can be a blessing when we give our time and talent to help others. […]

“Do everything in love” (1 Corinthians 16:14). Jesus had a love-first mentality. Therefore, we also want to have a love-first mentality. Love isn’t wishy-washy or wobbly. It is a resolute commitment to seeking the good of others. It honours God and is often self-sacrificing. But it takes some work. Our default setting is to take […]