The Up Devotional

“A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity” (Proverbs 17:17). I sometimes see T-shirts or online memes that say something like this: “Surround yourself with people who make you happy.” I get it. But that’s an unfortunately shallow way to look at life.  Now, before you think I’m being too […]

One of Jesus’ most famous statements—and also one of his most challenging—is about taking up your cross. Here it is: “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake […]

“So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets” (Matthew 7:12). What comes to mind when I say the word “rival”? A rival competes for something—and that competition is usually fierce. Perhaps you think about a sports rivalry, like the one that […]

I’m going to share Jesus’ famous statement about loving our enemies. Then I’m going to point out what is perhaps the most neglected part of that statement: “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those […]

Hi everyone, Matthew here with a quick reminder that The Up Daily Devotional is on pause this week. I’m having some dedicated study and prayer time. It will return this coming Monday. Until then, here’s a short message and request for those who listen to the podcast version:

“Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing” (1 Thessalonians 5:11). I was recently surprised to learn that JRR Tolkien could get discouraged about his work. He wrote the epic Lord of the Rings trilogy, perhaps one of the greatest movie epics of all time. It chronicles the battle […]

My colleague Paul Carter says: “Faithfulness is a team sport.”* That’s an important reminder, especially for Christians in the modern west. Our society is highly individualistic. We can get sucked into the thinking that faith is only about “me and Jesus.” Don’t get me wrong. It is definitely about you and Jesus. But it is […]

Look at the word ‘encouragement.’ In the middle of it there is the word ‘courage.’ It’s based on an old French word for heart: ‘corage.’  Encouragement is about enlarging or fortifying someone’s heart—who they are within—so that they can face the battles of life.  As Jesus’ people, encouragement isn’t just something we receive, but something […]

Today is Remembrance Day, also called Veterans Day or Armistice Day in other countries. We remember and give thanks for those who lost their lives in the miseries of war. We wear poppies. We read In Flanders Fields. We thank veterans. We pray for peace. We consider the value of our freedoms. We attend Remembrance […]

Some of the biblical authors use repetition to drive home a point. It is an effective way to keep focusing our attention on something critical. The apostle John does this very well. He uses the word “abide” a lot. This refers to “a close, intimate (and permanent) relationship between the believer and God.”* I’m going […]

Let me share one of the most comforting verses in the Bible. There are times when we feel as if our prayer life is deflated. In fact, there are times when we feel deflated, generally speaking. Things are not as they should be. We feel as though we can barely do the basics let alone […]

We’ve been talking about prayer. Did you know that when it comes to effective prayer, what is happening in your heart matters? Recently I was struck by Psalm 66:18. The psalmist says: “If I had cherished iniquity in my heart, the Lord would not have listened.” When someone “cherishes” something they are adoring it; they […]

Prayer is a significant part of our lives. However, when God doesn’t seem to respond in a way we want or expect, we can start to question him. When that happens—and even when it doesn’t—we need to trust in God’s wisdom and timing. He truly knows better than we do. A helpful verse that reminds […]

In 1 John 5:14 the apostle writes: “And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us.” This verse is about prayer. I invite you to notice four words: “according to his will.” John is providing a direct instruction about prayer. He is […]

Let’s say you take some illegal drugs (I hope you don’t be the way, but just hear me out). Let’s say you take some illegal drugs and then ask God to bless your experience. Would you then think that God was bad or negligent if he didn’t bless it? Of course not. After all, you’re […]

“For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?” (1 John 5:4-5) In these verses, John introduces the idea of “overcoming the world.” […]

“For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome” (1 John 5:3). Did the apostle John just say that keeping God’s commandments are “not burdensome”? Some of them, sure. But all of them? Friends, hear this: The closer you get to God, the less burdensome his […]

“For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments” (1 John 5:3). What if I told you that you had to climb a steep mountain. It would be difficult and take several hours. You probably wouldn’t want to do it. But what if I then told you that when you got to […]

John Ortberg writes: “Obedience has become the virtue that nobody wants.”* What does he mean? The apostle Peter says that to “make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue” (2 Peter 1:5). Patience is a virtue, as we often hear. So is kindness. So is loyalty. But many people find obedience a tougher pill […]

We’ve been spending some time thinking about love. Makes sense. After all, it comes up in the Bible—a lot. Truth is critical. So is doctrine. Related to these is love. It is an outward expression of the faith that God has given to us. Today I want to share a word of encouragement to those […]

“In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him” (1 John 4:9). Autumn is a time of gratitude. The leaves on the trees are beautiful. We sing “Great is thy faithfulness” and remind ourselves about the good […]

“Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love” (1 John 4:8). This is a famous verse. It’s inspiring. It’s also a verse that is frequently abused.  Some people use it to justify any behaviour they want, including ideas or actions which directly contradict God’s own teachings. To them, “God is […]

In the previous devotional we talked about “distracted living.” Just how someone can become a “distracted driver” when behind the wheel, we can lose our focus about what and who matters most in life. As the people of God, it can be helpful to think deliberately about this with the following question: Am I prioritizing […]

One of the biggest threats to road safety today is distracted driving. The national collision database says it contributed to 25.5% of serious injury collisions in 2021. Each year it seems to be increasing. A national survey found that 79% of drivers admitted to being distracted while driving.  But this devotional isn’t about distracted driving. […]

In 1 John 3:14 the apostle John writes: “We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brothers. Whoever does not love abides in death.” Did you see it? Love flowing from faith. It’s an idea that permeates the letters of the apostle John. It permeates the Gospel he […]