In James 3:8 we read: “…no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.”At first that sounds a bit harsh—but not if you’ve been on the receiving end of some verbal poison! Today’s devotional is quite simple. Be careful with your words. They can do serious good, and they … Continue reading The ripple effect of words
Author: Matthew Ruttan
Call out to God. Don’t wait.
“Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you” (James 4:7).A man named Abba Elias told an old story about a man who was living in a temple. Demons came to pester him, trying to get him to leave. To some of you that might seem shocking. Perhaps you’ve been told … Continue reading Call out to God. Don’t wait.
God’s will: your sanctification
It’s critical to know the difference between salvation and sanctification. When we get them confused, it can be a source of misunderstanding—and even anguish.Salvation is about your standing with God. (This is sometimes called “justification.”) By ourselves we are sinful and separated from him. But when we trust in Jesus and in what he has … Continue reading God’s will: your sanctification
Put in the time
“Come near to God and he will come near to you” (James 4:8).More time with God puts you more in tune with God.When you spend time with a friend you learn more about them. The same happens with a spouse. You start to anticipate how they will respond to certain situations. You might even start … Continue reading Put in the time
Spiritual muscle matters
Motivation matters. For example, people who do better in surgery are people who have a reason to live afterwards. It’s a matter of motivation.Or consider the 17-year old girl who didn’t want to go to soccer practice. But then her mom told her that the scout for the university soccer team would be there. “Why didn’t … Continue reading Spiritual muscle matters
Tuning your instrument after the concert
“Evening, morning and noon I cry out in distress, and he hears my voice” (Psalm 55:17).Hudson Taylor was a British missionary. He was known to say this: “Don’t have your concert first, and then tune your instruments afterward.”*That makes sense. There’s no point of tuning your instrument after the concert is already over. You have … Continue reading Tuning your instrument after the concert
Enduring mockery
One of the earliest physical depictions of Jesus is found in some graffiti in Rome. You can see it the graphic that accompanies today’s devotional. It dates from the late-first to early-third centuries, probably closer to the later. It shows a man on a cross, but the man has a donkey head. There is another person … Continue reading Enduring mockery
See to it that no one takes you captive
“See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the elemental spiritual forces of this world rather than on Christ” (Colossians 2:8).In the Odyssey, Ulysses is travelling by boat past the island of the sirens. He knows that when he and his crewmates hear the … Continue reading See to it that no one takes you captive
The vortex
An outdoor adventurer loved to get close to big whirlpools in lakes and other locations. He used a body camera and got up close under the water. He would then post the videos to YouTube.It was exhilarating, but dangerous. During one of his dives he died. He got too close and was sucked into the … Continue reading The vortex
Listen to him
In Mark 9 we learn about the transfiguration of Jesus. “There he was transfigured before them. His clothes became dazzling white, whiter than anyone in the world could bleach them” (verses 2-3).Then Moses and Elijah arrive. Then a voice from heaven proclaims: “This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to him!” (verse 7)Both then … Continue reading Listen to him
