“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. Keep the … Continue reading How to avoid God (by C.S. Lewis)
The Up Devo
Faithful and true, no matter what
“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 forced to … Continue reading Faithful and true, no matter what
Prayer and perseverance
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 castrated … Continue reading Prayer and perseverance
The epicentre of the war in the world
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 for the … Continue reading The epicentre of the war in the world
What God is doing in you, not just around you
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 a … Continue reading What God is doing in you, not just around you
The psalms and the personal voice of Christ
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.Unfortunately, we … Continue reading The psalms and the personal voice of Christ
The kingdoms of the world
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 in … Continue reading The kingdoms of the world
Delay does not mean defeat
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 … Continue reading Delay does not mean defeat
The beginning of the birth pains
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 get … Continue reading The beginning of the birth pains
The surprising detail about “strictly” following God
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 “strict” in the … Continue reading The surprising detail about “strictly” following God
