Today Daily Devotional
Religion & Spirituality
About
Today is a daily devotional that helps God's people refresh, refocus and renew their faith through Bible reading, reflection, and prayer.
Episodes
- Filled Minds
Whatever is true . . . noble . . . right . . . pure . . . lovely . . . admirable . . . excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. — Philippians 4:8 Is your mind filled with things that are true, pure, excellent, and praiseworthy? O…
- Prayer, the Solution for Worries
Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. — Philippians 4:6 The Bible urges us not to worry or be anxious. But that is not always easy. We may ask our…
- Slave or Free?
“Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” — John 8:32 Sometimes we use polite, little lies to try to be kind or avoid being rude. We might say, “Yes, I can tell you’ve lost some weight.” Or, “You have not aged a bit.…
- Only One Truth
“I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” — John 14:6 Notice that in this passage Jesus does not just say he knows the truth or can teach the truth. He says, “I am the truth.”This means that t…
- What Do You Want?
What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you? — James 4:1 Desires are thoughts. Sadly, they often begin with the words of our two-year-old selves: “I want that!” We can easily think, f…
- Sing!
Sing to the LORD a new song; sing to the LORD, all the earth. — Psalm 96:1 Whenever my Aunt Rosemary was working in the kitchen, she would sing. I don’t remember whether the songs were popular tunes, hymns, or made-up melodies, but they we…
- In God’s Image
God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. — Genesis 1:27 What do you think of yourself?One person might say, “I’m a guy who made millions selling cars.” Or “I was the first…
- Wisdom and Revelation
[May] the God of our Lord Jesus Christ . . . give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. — Ephesians 1:17 True knowledge is a gift from God. When we know God for who he truly is, that is the most importan…
- Use the Armor of God
Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. — Ephesians 6:11 Our battle is not against flesh and blood but against hostile spiritual powers. These powers are organized but unseen, a truly diab…
- Our Minds Belong to God
We take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. — 2 Corinthians 10:5 Neuroscientists have discovered that we average about 6,000 thoughts per day. What a challenge it is to “take captive every thought” for Christ!There are str…
- Liar, Liar
“When [the devil] lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.” — John 8:44 A lie led to the beginning of human sin. Back in the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve accepted Satan’s lie: “You will not certainly di…
- Confess Your Sinful Thoughts
Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective. — James 5:16 None of us likes to confess sin. The first step in confession is to acknowledge tha…
- Bedtime Prayers
When you lie down, you will not be afraid; when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet. — Proverbs 3:24 Have you ever had a strange dream that woke you up in the middle of the night? Many of us have. Our subconscious is active even when we…
- Rest in Peace
In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, LORD, make me dwell in safety. — Psalm 4:8 We sleep, but the Holy Spirit and the demons do not. So even our subconscious can be a battleground of spirituality.C. S. Lewis recommended the f…
- Desires
Each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. — James 1:14 Temptations are thoughts. We see things or people that appeal to us, and we want them for ourselves, even though we know that would be wro…
- A Renewed Mind
Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. — Romans 12:2 Notice the big contrast in this text. We can follow the “pattern”— or the behaviors, standards, and customs—of the world. Or we can…
- Resist Evil Thoughts
Every inclination of the thoughts of the human heart was only evil all the time. — Genesis 6:5 Wow! The people in those days must have been really, really bad. Look at all those totalizing terms: every, only, all the time. And all of this…
- Seek the Kingdom
“Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” — Matthew 6:33 Did you play hide-and-seek as a child? I did, and I play it now with my grandchildren. (They are easy to find when they’re un…
- With All Our Mind
“‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’” — Mark 12:30 As Jesus answers a question about the greatest commandment, he quotes from Deuteronomy 6 in the Old Testa…
- Royalty, Not “Royal Screw-ups”
You are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession. . . . — 1 Peter 2:9 We are often our own worst critics. I find that many of my inner thoughts tend to be negative about myself. “Kent, what were you thin…
- God’s Big Project
You are a chosen people . . . a holy nation, God’s special possession. . . . — 1 Peter 2:9 While God is busy preparing the new creation, he is working on a special project. He is building a chosen people, a holy nation, the “special posses…
- Awaiting the New Creation
“How long, Sovereign Lord, holy and true, until you judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge our blood?” — Revelation 6:10 Are you waiting for anything these days? Maybe a longplanned vacation or an important birthday? Or maybe you’re…
- Rufus and His Mother, New Creations
Greet Rufus, chosen in the Lord, and his mother, who has been a mother to me, too. — Romans 16:13 Today let’s look at one more set of people whom Paul mentions in Romans 16: Rufus and his mother.First, Rufus: Paul’s comment about Rufus is…
- Tryphena, Tryphosa, and Persis
Greet Tryphena and Tryphosa, those women who work hard in the Lord. . . . [And] Persis, another woman who has worked very hard in the Lord. — Romans 16:12 For the past few days we’ve looked through Paul’s greetings to helpers, coworkers, a…
- Andronicus and Junia, New Creations
Andronicus and Junia, my fellow Jews who have been in prison with me . . . are outstanding among the apostles, and they were in Christ before I was. — Romans 16:7 The text that has shaped our month’s devotions (2 Corinthians 5:17) has an i…
- Priscilla and Aquila, New Creations
They risked their lives for me. Not only I but all the churches of the Gentiles are grateful to them. — Romans 16:4 What level of risk are you comfortable with? Are you willing to invest your money in something that could make a great prof…
- A Community Of New Creations
I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a deacon of the church in Cenchreae. — Romans 16:1 “Don’t call it ‘just a list.’” That was the advice of preaching professor Fred Craddock as he spoke about Romans 16. This collection of Paul’s friends,…
- Whew!
Timothy has . . . brought good news about your faith and love. — 1 Thessalonians 3:6 Paul was overjoyed! He had sent his disciple, Timothy, back to the city of Thessalonica to check on the church they had recently planted there. And Timoth…
- Lydia, Another New Creation
The Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul’s message. — Acts 16:14 I would love to have been there, watching Lydia turn into a new creation. As our story begins, she has no idea who Jesus is. She worships and prays to God, but she doesn’…
- A New Creation Named Timothy
Paul came to Derbe and then to Lystra, where a disciple named Timothy lived. . . . — Acts 16:1 In the United States, where I live, it is common for people to have parents and grandparents from different countries or ethnic backgrounds. A n…
- Another Sign Showing God at Work
The Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” — Acts 13:2 When we see orange barrels on the roadway, that’s usually a sign of work going on.If we see a bag of flour, eggs, and measurin…
- More of God’s Surprising Work
“Do not hesitate to go with them, for I have sent them.” — Acts 10:20 What happens when you hear God give you an instruction? You do what he says.But what if God tells you something, and it doesn’t seem to make sense?In Acts 10 we read abo…
- God’s Chosen Instrument
“Go! This man is my chosen instrument to proclaim my name to the Gentiles and their kings and to the people of Israel.” — Acts 9:15 Would you expect wine to come from a jug of motor oil? What if you cracked open an egg and found maple syru…
- Joseph’s Generosity
Joseph . . . sold a field he owned and brought the money and put it at the apostles’ feet. — Acts 4:36-37 When you see a person who has met Jesus and who is changing to live more and more like Jesus, you know that something new is going on…
- Seeing the Resurrected Jesus
They were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus. — Acts 4:13 When the Jewish religious leaders in our text for today saw two ordinary, unschooled men, Peter and John, speaking courageously and with certainty abou…
- A Formerly Disabled New Creation
He jumped to his feet and began to walk. Then he went with them into the temple courts, walking and jumping, and praising God. — Acts 3:8 Have you ever been allowed into a place that was off-limits? Think of a young sports player, hired by…
- A Family Picture
They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship. . . . — Acts 2:42 In our home we have a family picture on the wall above our fireplace. All of the smiling people in it are there because they were born into our family o…
- Peter, a New Creation
Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice and addressed the crowd. . . . — Acts 2:14 Can God do anything good with me?We might ask this question when we feel as if we are beyond God’s help. We see our flaws and mistakes, and we wond…
- Peter’s New Commission
Then [Jesus] said to [Peter], “Follow me!” — John 21:19 Peter had made some hurtful mistakes. And our text for today shows how Jesus gently addressed them.Before Jesus was arrested and crucified, Peter had promised never to disown or aband…
- Thinking About Sunday Worship
If anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! — 2 Corinthians 5:17 Tomorrow is Sunday, and many Christians throughout the world will attend a worship service at their church. Others may meet in homes…
- Chip: A New Creation
If anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! — 2 Corinthians 5:17 Chip had become an old man, and when he returned to the small town where he had grown up, hardly anyone recognized him.It wasn’t bec…
- Faith Eyes
If anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! — 2 Corinthians 5:17 When Jesus came back to life, the people who saw him required new eyes to see him clearly, truly.Mary saw only a gardener until Jesu…
- Jesus’ Breath
He breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit.” — John 20:22 Dead people don’t breathe. And they surely don’t breathe life that flows into others!Just a few days earlier, Jesus had “breathed his last” (Luke 23:46), and everyone ar…
- I Wish I Could See Better
Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him, and he disappeared from their sight. — Luke 24:31 I often wish I could see better.I wish I could see Jesus face-to-face.I wish I could see God’s will for a decision I have to make.I wish…
- New Eyes
He asked her, “Woman, why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?” — John 20:15 In Isaiah 35 God gives his people a vision of a fully restored creation. His glory will appear, and a desert will turn into a lush, blossoming garden. A…
- Surprise!
“He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you. . . .” — Luke 24:6 I remember walking up to the Grand Canyon in Arizona for the very first time. I thought I knew what to expect since I had heard so much about the Grand Canyon. But…
- Waiting While God Prepares
There was a man named Joseph . . . and he himself was waiting for the kingdom of God. — Luke 23:50-51 There seems to be a lot of waiting in Scripture. Abraham and Sarah waited for a promised child (Genesis 12-18).The Israelites waited for…
- Darkness, for Now
It was now about noon, and darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon, for the sun stopped shining. — Luke 23:44-45 What do you think of when you hear the word “darkness”?Children often think of darkness as scary, and w…
- An Old Story Becomes a New Story
“Take it; this is my body.” . . . and . . . “This is my blood of the covenant . . . poured out for many.” — Mark 14:22-24 The Jews of Jesus’ day often told stories from their history. And every year at this time they told the ancient story…
- Wait . . . What!?!
Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.” — John 3:3 In today’s text Jesus’ words baffled and amazed Nicodemus the Pharisee:• To experience fully what God is doing, you must be bo…