The Up Devotional

[Note: New podcast episode and blog — link in footnotes.] ~ Peter Wagner writes: “Without holiness we can expect very little power in spiritual warfare. The opposite of holiness is worldliness…”* I’ll be honest. In an earlier chapter of my life, I would have grimaced at a statement like that. What in the world is […]

In the past hundred or a hundred and fifty-years or so, many Christians have started believing and doing things which have impacted how many of us live—or don’t live—as followers of Jesus. First, a significant tradition has emerged which treats the Bible exclusively as a historical document. And don’t get me wrong, it is most […]

In Daniel 10:12 he was given this angelic message: “Fear not, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand and humbled yourself before your God, your words have been heard, and I have come because of your words.” In this verse we are specifically told that God heard Daniel’s prayer. […]

Perhaps the biggest challenge facing most Christians today is not that they won’t spend eternity with God but that they don’t spend today with God.  Here’s what I mean. If you trust in the risen Jesus—in who he is and what he has done for you on the cross—your sin is forgiven. You are given […]

John Ortberg has a clever way of describing the ABCs of faith. He says we must Abandon our old life, Believe God’s promises are trustworthy, and Commit to a new journey.  The reason I like this is because it’s biblical.  First, in 2 Corinthians 5:17 Paul writes: “if anyone is in Christ, he is a […]

Hello!  This is just a quick reminder that The Up Daily Devotional is on pause this week. It returns in full on March 23, 2026 to your email inboxes, social media feeds, and podcast platforms. But since you’re here, let me offer a quick word of help and hope. In James 4:7-8, Jesus’ half-brother provided […]

[Notice: Pause alert – see details in the footnotes.] ~ What does it mean to be the hands and feet of Jesus? When I ask that question, what first comes to mind? Do you think about praying, feeding the poor, going to church, or loving your neighbour? Those are all good things.  But I recently […]

While reading the prophet Jeremiah, Daniel came across a very important detail. The exile of his people was about to come to an end. In response, this is what he did: “Then I turned my face to the Lord God, seeking him by prayer and pleas for mercy with fasting and sackcloth and ashes” (Daniel […]

In Daniel 9:18-19, this inspiring man of single solitary devotion gives us an example of the ideal attitude we should have in prayer. This is what he says: “For we do not present our pleas before you because of our righteousness, but because of your great mercy. O Lord, hear; O Lord, forgive. O Lord, […]

Promises shape the character and direction of our lives. Some promises are small. “I’ll pick you up after soccer practice, I promise.” Others are big, like the ones people say during wedding ceremonies. “For better, for worse, in sickness, and in health…” However, over time it is easy to get cynical about promises. We sometimes […]

“Be still, and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10). In an essay in 1963, literary critic and author C.S. Lewis said something about how to avoid God: “Avoid silence, avoid solitude, avoid any train of thought that leads off the beaten track. Concentrate on money, sex, status, health and (above all) your own grievances. […]

“Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life” (Revelation 2:10). In the previous devotional we asked how Daniel was able to manage all of that hardship. He was sent into exile as a young man. He had most of what he had known and loved taken from him. He was […]

Lately, we’ve been spending time studying Daniel. Over the past few weeks, we have considered all the difficulty he had gone through. As a teenager, he was taken captive to serve in a foreign land. His home was most likely burned. Many of his family members and friends would have been killed. He was probably […]

John Eldredge is an author and therapist. Recently in an interview he said: “The war for the human heart is the epicentre of the war in the world.”* That made me stop and think. I hope it makes you stop and think as well. First, it reminds us that there is in fact a war […]

Xu Yonghai was imprisoned in China because he was working for the legalization of house churches. Here in North America we might take this sort of thing for granted. But over there it is very serious (and dangerous) business.  Not only was he imprisoned, but he was sentenced to be executed. His last stop was […]

Have you ever wondered what the voice of Jesus must have sounded like? Jesus would have spoken Aramaic. He would have known Hebrew and Greek as well. As a boy he would have received the standard education for his day, been raised in the synagogue, and learned the language of commerce when apprenticing under Joseph. […]

Daniel had a series of visions about the end of days. It’s big stuff. At one point he sees four dreadful creatures. “And four great beasts came up out of the sea, different from one another” (Daniel 7:3). The first was like a lion with eagle’s wings. The second was like a bear with ribs […]

When reading the Bible, we can get so focused on the verse-by-verse details of a story or teaching, that we can sometimes forget to step back and consider the bigger picture of what is happening. The specific in-the-moment details are critically important, of course. But looking at the broader narrative can also be instructive for […]

Having a baby is at the same time exciting and scary, painful and joyful, dangerous and life-changing. Let’s think about a pregnancy. The longer it goes, the more discomfort there is for the mother. After all, there’s a human growing inside of her; it’s getting bigger. Toward the end of nine months, labour begins. Contractions […]

When someone uses the word “strict,” what comes to mind? Maybe you think about a “strict” parent—someone who has lots of rules and doesn’t want their kids to have any fun. Some people think about God like this as well.  But this simply isn’t true.  Let me highlight one of the uses of the word […]

A regular habit of prayer shapes you. Let me explain. In the sixth century B.C., Darius passed a law that no one could “petition” any man or god except himself for 30 days. It was most likely an act designed to consolidate political loyalty across the new empire. If anyone broke the law, he would […]

Today, let me offer this definition: True bravery is kneeling before God while facing the lions.  It is inspired by Daniel in the lion’s den. It’s one of the most famous Bible stories—and for good reason. Daniel had served in a foreign court for nearly 70 years. At this point, he was in his early […]

Today is Ash Wednesday. It marks the beginning of Lent, the forty-day period (excluding Sundays) leading up to Easter.  The word itself, Lent, was chosen for convenience. It traces to an old English word for “springtime,” lencten. More literally, it means “lengthen,” which is a reference to the lengthening of days after a long, dark […]

Today is known as “Shrove Tuesday.” It’s the day before Lent begins on Ash Wednesday. What does it mean? The name comes from a practice in England to “shrive” on this day—meaning confessing our sins and seeking God’s forgiveness. Since many people fast during Lent, there was a custom of using up fatty foods on […]

When I ask people about their favourite Bible verse, many point to Matthew 11:28. That’s where Jesus says: “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” He goes on to talk about his “yoke” which is easy, and his burden which is light. A “yoke” was shared […]