Daily Devotionals

2 Corinthians 8:7-8

Can you recall Jesus' radical philosophy: "Be a servant, give to others"? The basis of that statement is tucked away in Luke 9:23. Following Christ is a costly, unselfish decision. He says: "If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me."

1 Corinthians 15-16

I heard a statistic the other day that blew my mind. Anna Sklar, the author of a book called Runaway Wives, was a guest on a local talk show. In the course of the discussion, she cited that 10 years ago, for every wife or mother who walked away from her home and responsibilities, 600 husbands and fathers walked out. Today for each man who walks away, two women do.

Pause and let that sink in.

Ephesians 6:18; Philippians 4:6

Paul found himself between a rock and a hard place. He wanted to be in heaven but needed to be on earth. In a temporal sort of way, I share the same frustration every year on Super Bowl Sunday. "But I am hard-pressed from both directions, having the desire to depart and watch the Super Bowl...yet to remain in the pulpit is more necessary for your sake" (Philippians 1:23-24, Swindoll paraphrase).

Psalm 103

We salute visionaries of yesteryear. We shake our heads in amazement as we imagine the herculean courage it took to stand so confidently when the majority frowned so sternly. Looking back, we laud those who refused to take no for an answer. We quote them with gusto. We even name our children after them. Yesterday's progress earns today's monuments of stone.

Micah 6:6-8

Micah isn't exactly a household word. Too bad. Though obscure, the ancient prophet had his stuff together. Eclipsed by the much more famous Isaiah, who ministered among the elite, Micah took God's message to the streets.

Colossians 1

My first direct view of Titanic lasted less than two minutes, but the stark sight of her immense black hull towering above the ocean floor will remain forever ingrained in my memory. My lifelong dream was to find this great ship, and during the past thirteen years the quest for her had dominated my life. Now, finally, the quest was over.

Philippians 2:1-4

To be "humble in heart," as Christ stated He was, is to be submissive to the core. It involves being more interested in serving the needs of others than in having one's own needs met.

Someone who is truly unselfish is generous with his or her time and possessions, energy and money. As that works its way out, it is demonstrated in various ways, such as thoughtfulness and gentleness, an unpretentious spirit, and servant-hearted leadership.

Psalm 42

Our fast-lane living these days does not lend itself to the traits we have traditionally attached to godliness. Remember the old hymn we sang in church years ago? "Take time to be holy, speak oft with thy Lord; abide in Him always and feed on His Word.... Take time to be holy, the world rushes on."

Mark 6:30-32

Throughout the past months we've reaffirmed the significance of pacing ourselves and not allowing the tyranny of the urgent to blind us to the value of the important.

Well...how's it going? Pause long enough to review and reflect as you answer these questions.

Is my pace this year really that different from last year?

Am I enjoying most of my activities or just enduring them?

Have I deliberately taken time on several occasions this year for personal restoration?

Do I give myself permission to relax, to have leisure?

2 Corinthians 4:1-7

In his fine little volume In the Name of Jesus, Henri Nouwen mentions three very real, albeit subtle temptations any servant of Christ faces. They correspond with the three temptations our Lord faced before He began His earthly ministry. They also fit with three observations the Apostle Paul mentions in his letter to the Corinthians (2 Corinthians 4:1-7).

First Temptation: To be self-sufficient and self-reliant. Instead of being so self-assured, we need to be open, unguarded, and vulnerable.