The Up Devotional

“For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23). In A Tale of Two Cities two men look a lot alike. Their names are Charles and Sydney. They both fall in love with the same woman. She falls back in love […]

In 1 John 1:5-6 John the apostle says “God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.” In this verse, what does “light” mean? In the Bible, light often refers to wisdom. It “illuminates” our understanding. It can also refer to purity or holiness. It also provides clarity. Let’s say you’re stumbling around […]

“If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth” (1 John 1:6). Nectarios Trevino is a veteran of the U.S. Air Force. He was as a squadron commander and also worked in intelligence. He served on General Schwarzkopf’s staff during the Gulf War.  […]

There’s usually more happening in the Bible than we realize. Here’s an example. In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus famously said: “love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you…” (Matthew 5:44).  That’s huge. The love that Jesus taught and exemplified changed (and changes) the world. But let’s also take note of something […]

A writer named William Somerset Maugham said: “If fifty million people say something foolish, it is still foolish.”* His words are a helpful (and accurate) reminder that we need to evaluate ideas based on their merit, not popular opinion.  As followers of Christ, we also need to evaluate ideas based on whether or not they […]

The words of Psalm 143:10 are a good prayer for all of us: “Teach me to do your will, for you are my God; may your good Spirit lead me on level ground.” As followers of Jesus, we want to do God’s will. Sometimes his will is clear. Sometimes it is not. What do we […]

“Now the LORD provided a huge fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights” (Jonah 1:17). As you begin September, do you need a reminder that with God all things are actually possible? As modern people, we can get sucked into the prevailing skepticism of […]

“All who are prudent act with knowledge, but fools expose their folly” (Proverbs 13:16). If you ever get caught under a colossal pile of snow as a result of an avalanche, don’t dig blindly. Spit first. Let me explain. Science Magazine told the story of an individual who, after being trapped under the snow, died. […]

Hello and welcome back to The Up Daily Devotional. I’ve been taking some vacation time but am now back five mornings a week to your email inbox, social media and podcasts feeds, and radio airwaves. I also return to teach and preach at Westminster this coming Sunday. Okay, here we go. I often say that […]

Hello!  Today I’m here to remind you that The Up Daily Devotional continues to be on pause because I’m on vacation. It will resume five days a week one week from today, September 1, 2025. In the meantime, I’d like to share two things.  First, some long-form content. This time of year can be a […]

{See below for a vacation notice.} Why are we supposed to love our enemies? It’s a big question. I recently dedicated an entire sermon to the subject (which can you access in the footnotes below if you’re interested). Among the many answers to this question, here’s one that is worth pondering. People who are radically […]

We’ve been spending some time thinking about Jesus’ words in Matthew 5:44: “love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you…” With this in mind, I have a suggestion. Go the extra inch. Yes, our goal should be big. But let’s back up a minute. In October 2006, a gunman took hostages in a […]

Jesus said: “love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you” (Matthew 5:44). Actor Kelsey Grammer is best known for playing Dr. Frasier Crane on the hit shows Cheers and Frasier.  A few years ago he was interviewed about playing a pastor in the movie “Jesus Revolution.” When asked about faith, he said: “The […]

It’s one of Jesus’ most famous and inspirational statements. It’s also one of the most difficult: “love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you” (Matthew 5:44). Sounds good in theory, but what about in reality? What about the people who have wronged you personally or who have done something against someone you care […]

John Mark Comer says we should find our inner monk “to live with depth and serenity and focus right in the middle of the noise and traffic and hurry of the modern world.”* I like that.  Depth. Serenity. Focus. Right in the middle of the…Noise. Traffic. Hurry of the modern world. Can I get an Amen?! The challenge isn’t […]

“The time has come,” Jesus said. “The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!” (Mark 1:15) We live in a time when many Christian movies and T.V. shows are being produced. They are high quality and can be very inspiring. Some of you have seen The Chosen (about the life […]

“The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God” (2 Corinthians 4:4). A chatbot is a computer-simulated feature of artificial intelligence. It mimics a human and is designed to interact with […]

One of the benefits of reading the whole Bible (instead of just small bits of it) is that you begin to gain a clearer understanding of certain concepts. Each time a biblical author mentions something about a specific word or idea it helps you understand more about it. Take, for example, the idea of coveting. […]

Genesis 1:27 famously states that we humans are made in the image of God. “So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.” Not only is this a statement of fact, but it’s something to aspire to. Yes, we are made in […]

After a week of vacation, The Up Daily Devotional is back five mornings a week. To the new subscribers who have joined us in the past week, welcome! Okay, on to today’s devotional… Your circumstances have a big impact on you. They can influence how you see the world.  If someone in your day-to-day life […]

[1-week pause alert. See notification at the end of today’s devotional.] ~ In 1 Corinthians 10:31 Paul writes: “whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” It’s a famous verse. It reminds us to give God the glory no matter what. It’s not about us; it’s about him. When we feel overlooked […]

In 2 Corinthians 5:20 Paul writes: “We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God.” As the people of God this is what we want for all people, including our friends, family members, schoolmates, co-workers, everybody! But what’s the big deal about reconciliation? Think first about separation and hostility. There are two opposing sides. […]

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” (2 Corinthians 5:17) In the previous devotional we talked about how Jesus’ righteousness, faithfulness and perfection gets credited to us. When his people stand before their Maker, God he sees not their sin (because Jesus has […]

The Bible verse I’m about to share is not one people tend to memorize, but it stands at the heart of what we call the gospel, a word that simply means “good news.” It’s found in 2 Corinthians 5:21: “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him […]

Donald McCullough has a book called “The Trivialization of God.”* You should never judge a book by its cover, of course, but the cover is particularly good. It shows a yellow pin-on button that says “God.” It’s the kind of button you might get at a political rally, or perhaps with the name or logo […]