- Today's Devotional
Worshiping God’s Holiness
Psalm 96 portrays all of creation awake to God’s majesty, acknowledging him as their King. The earth sings. The heavens rejoice. The seas and trees resound with joy. All people are compelled to respond to the Lord’s holiness. While Israel's neighbors worship gods made of carved stone and hammered silver, who cannot act or speak, Israel’s God speaks, creates, and reigns. The psalmist calls everyone—every nation and creature—to drop the lesser things and declare his glory, worshiping his holiness. The Lord is the only one worthy and able to judge rightly. His presence and his intent to right all wrongs elicit the joyful abandon of his creation. Nothing and no one holds back worship...
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Latest Devotionals
For every step of your journey.
- Devotional
Lament
King David wrestles with sorrow that refuses to lift. His enemies close in, and God feels silent. Day after day, a deep ache weighs on his heart, and he wonders if God has forgotten him. As king, David could easily hide his pain behind a strong image. Instead, he brings his raw, unfiltered emotions straight to God. He doesn’t wait until he feels better or finds the right words. He simply says what’s true: he feels alone, forgotten, and afraid. Even in this deep sorrow, David doesn’t run from God. He runs toward him with honesty and trust...
- Devotional
The Good Soil
Jesus concludes his parable by pointing to a fourth and final soil: the good soil. It is healthy. The rocks have been removed. Its ground is soft, and the weeds are gone. The seed that falls into this soil yields a crop a hundred times over. Jesus’s audience notices the discrepancy between a typical harvest and what he describes. A hundredfold is unheard of! It’s supernatural! When pressed for an explanation, Jesus tells his disciples that this soil represents the person who hears the Word, retains it, and perseveres. It is the person whose faith holds firm in the most difficult circumstances. Faith that holds onto the Word and doesn’t let go reveals God’s light to a darkened world...
- Devotional
The Thorns
Jesus turns his attention to soil that has signs of life. Roots have taken hold, and the plant is growing. Rocks have been removed. The soil is soft. Yet, weeds grow alongside the young plant. These seemingly harmless neighbors suffocate the plant, causing it to die. The disciples press Jesus for an explanation. He tells them that the soil represents the person who hears God’s Word, but is carried away by life’s worries, riches, and pleasures. These weeds represent valid concerns for Jesus’s audience. Questions about burdensome Roman taxes. The fear of a disease, like leprosy. They included life’s great joys, like a wedding in Cana or the birth of a child. Jesus knows that the stuff of life will compete for the throne of their hearts...
- Devotional
The Rocks
Palpable excitement fills the air around Jesus as he continues to speak. The Pharisees look at him with bewildered concern. People with disabilities listen with once-forgotten hope. The average Jewish person wonders in a whisper, "Is this the Messiah?" Jesus describes the second soil. The seed sprouts, but there is an issue. Rocks fill the soil, and the baby plant cannot grow roots to produce fruit. When his disciples press for understanding, he tells them. This soil represents people who receive God’s Word with joy. However, because they are not rooted, they fall away when tested. Jesus understands that testing is inevitable in a broken world. Saving faith requires deep roots, growing over time, and the habit of removing what gets in the way...
- Devotional
The Path
Jesus shares this parable at the height of his traveling ministry. News spreads fast about the Galilean casting out spirits and healing diseases. Rumors even spread that he forgives sins! Everyone is curious. As the crowd around him grows, Jesus shares this parable. A farmer went out to sow seed. It fell on different soils, each yielding various results. Jesus pulls this analogy from his surroundings: fields dotting the landscape. The first soil is the hard path, incapable of yielding crops due to traffic and birds. Later, his disciples press him on the meaning of the parable. He tells them that the hard path represents those who hear God’s Word but cannot receive it because of theft! Satan has kept the Word from their hearts...
- Devotional
Worshiping God’s Holiness
Psalm 96 portrays all of creation awake to God’s majesty, acknowledging him as their King. The earth sings. The heavens rejoice. The seas and trees resound with joy. All people are compelled to respond to the Lord’s holiness. While Israel's neighbors worship gods made of carved stone and hammered silver, who cannot act or speak, Israel’s God speaks, creates, and reigns. The psalmist calls everyone—every nation and creature—to drop the lesser things and declare his glory, worshiping his holiness. The Lord is the only one worthy and able to judge rightly. His presence and his intent to right all wrongs elicit the joyful abandon of his creation. Nothing and no one holds back worship...
- Devotional
The Foundation
Jesus closes his sermon with one final picture. He compares two builders. One digs deep and builds his house on solid rock. The other builds directly on the shifting ground with no foundation. When the storm comes, the house built on the rock stands firm, while the house without a foundation collapses. This illustration brings together everything Jesus has been teaching. He opens blind eyes to the pitfalls of sin. Hearts rooted in him produce good fruit. And a life that obeys his words is a life built on the unshakeable foundation of Christ...
- Devotional
The Fruit
Fruit orchards and vineyards cover the hillside of Israel. After warning his disciples about spiritual blindness and pitfalls, Jesus gives another picture to consider. Everyone knows that healthy trees produce good fruit, while unhealthy trees do not. Figs come from fig trees and grapes grow on healthy vines. In the same way, Jesus explains how words and actions reveal what is growing in the hearts of his listeners. Good fruit—God-honoring words and actions—grow from a heart that is rooted in God and his Word...
