Daily Devotionals

John 8:4–11

The longer I live the less I know with absolute certainty.

In my younger years, I viewed most things as either black or white. Over the years, my perspective has been transformed—by the seasoning of years, the pain ofdisappointment, the reality of adversity, and the still small voice of God tempering my long-held convictions.

Now I’m much more uncomfortable with sweeping generalities.

Romans 12:1–3

2 Timothy 4:9–13

If you found yourself near the end of your days, close to death, who or what would youmost want by your side? That’s a compelling question, isn’t it? I know that as I grow older, much that I once attended to and perhaps even worried over through the yearsmeans very little now that I’m in my eighth decade. In those times of rare but necessary re-evaluation, what’s really important comes into clearer focus.

The aging apostle, likely nearing his seventh decade of life, wrote these meaningful words to Timothy, his younger apprentice:

Colossians 3:17, 23

My high school graduating class had its 30th-anniversary reunion many summers ago. Since I could not attend, I decided to blow the dust off my yearbook and stroll down nostalgia lane. I remembered a project we seniors were given before the yearbook went to press back in ’52. We were asked to think about the next 20 years and answer, “What do I want to do?” The plan was to record our dreams and goals in the yearbook, then evaluate them at each subsequent reunion. Some of the goals are not fitting to repeat, but some are both interesting and revealing:

Psalm 46:10

Psalm 33:1–3

I cannot imagine anything more boring and less desirable than being poured into the mould of predictability. Few things interest me less than the routine, the expected, the status quo. A fresh run at life by an untried route will get my vote every time. Stay open-minded for a moment, and I’ll try to show you why.

Mark 12:29–30

Your mind is a muscle. It needs to be stretched to stay sharp. It needs to be prodded and pushed to perform. Let it get idle and lazy on you, and that muscle will become a pitiful mass of flab in a brief period of time.

How can you stretch your mind? What are some good mental exercises that will keep the cobwebs away? Here’s how Jesus said it:

Romans 2:1–4

Ever feel worn out by the spinning of your wheels in the muck of sin? Are you fatigued from fighting the battle against your dark nature? Do you sometimes feel like throwing up your hands and surrendering to the constant barrage of spiritual attacks that attempt to lure you away from a life of holiness and devotion?

Daniel 4:35

Dawson Trotman, founder of the Navigators, an organization discipling and mentoring ministry leaders around the world, drowned while saving a swimmer from certain death. Eyewitnesses tell of the tears and helpless disbelief in the faces of those who now looked out across the deep blue water of Schroon Lake. Everyone’s face except one—Lila Trotman. Dawson’s widow. As she arrived a close friend shouted, “Oh, Lila, he’s gone. Dawson’s gone!” She replied in calm assurance the words of Psalm 115:3:

Our God is in the heavens,

Luke 12:17–21

Practically speaking, greed is an inordinate desire for more, an excessive, unsatisfied hunger to possess. Like an untamed beast, greed grasps, claws, reaches, clutches, and clings—stubbornly refusing to surrender. The word enough is not in this beast’s vocabulary.