In the past few devotionals, I have been sharing some insights about a parable Jesus told in Matthew 25 about his return.In short, a groom shows up at his own wedding banquet. Five women who were faithfully waiting for him get let in to the festivities. Five women who were unprepared get left out. The … Continue reading Faith, loving action, perseverance
faith
Not alone in your struggles
Dr. James Tour is a professor at Rice University. His church has a ministry to support families dealing with the challenges of cancer. People need treatment like chemotherapy for months at a time, so families from their church welcome these families into their homes.Sometimes, as we know, even children get cancer. In the midst of … Continue reading Not alone in your struggles
Loving people when you don’t “feel” very loving
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 who don’t … Continue reading Loving people when you don’t “feel” very loving
Going deeper and a quote from Spurgeon
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 good opportunity to tune … Continue reading Going deeper and a quote from Spurgeon
Your Trust-O-Meter
In Mark 10, a blind beggar cried out to Jesus for help.Jesus heard his pleas and called him forward. A miracle followed. Jesus healed his sight! With a word, Jesus changed his life. In response, the man followed Jesus. He expressed his gratitude by dedicating himself to the Lord.But there’s a telling detail in verse … Continue reading Your Trust-O-Meter
Mesus and McJesus
Kyle Idleman came up with the term “Mesus.”* It’s when we project the things we like about ourselves onto Jesus---and only those things. If we like acts of mercy and adventure, we focus on those things in Jesus (while neglecting everything else). We think we’re honouring Jesus, but we’re really just honouring what we like … Continue reading Mesus and McJesus
Doubt your doubts
Perhaps you sometimes have doubts about various aspects of your faith. Perhaps you’ve also thought to yourself, ‘If only I could have seen Jesus when he was resurrected; then I’d have total confidence.’ You may be surprised to hear this, but seeing the risen Jesus in the first century was not a slam-dunk guarantee that … Continue reading Doubt your doubts
Increasing in faith and love
The church in Thessalonica was having a tough time. They were getting assaulted on the outside (persecution) as well as on the inside (false teaching). Despite these hardships, they were doing well. Paul praised them with these words: “We ought always to thank God for you, brothers and sisters, and rightly so, because your faith … Continue reading Increasing in faith and love
He had no legs. And he bought some shoes.
Some days you just need to be inspired by somebody. Well, today is one of those days. Nick Vujicic was born without arms or legs. If you think it’s hard to have your arm in a cast for eight weeks, just imagine what Nick had to deal with on a daily basis with no arms … Continue reading He had no legs. And he bought some shoes.
When man and God switched places
Elie Wiesel tells a story (a made-up story, but an insightful story nevertheless), about a man who came before God on his heavenly throne. The man said, “Which do you think is harder, to be man or to be God?” “Being God is much harder,” God answered. “I have a whole universe to worry about, … Continue reading When man and God switched places
