The Up Devotional

Paul was known for speaking confidently and boldly about God, even in the face of violent opposition.  He faced riots in Thessalonica (see Acts 17:1-10) and beatings and unjust imprisonment in Philippi (see Acts 16:16-24). Nevertheless, he said: “we speak, not to please man, but to please God who tests our hearts” (1 Thessalonians 2:4, … Continue reading Confidence not arrogance

In the previous few devotionals I said that honouring God in a big situation is 99% preparation. We know this to be true in other aspects of our lives. Let’s say that someone wants give their child some good advice for a problem they’re dealing with. Over the course of a week, that conversation probably … Continue reading Followers of the Way, not of the moment

In the previous devotional I said that honouring God in a big situation is 99% preparation. We know this to be true in other aspects of life. Let’s say that a sprinter wants to be successful in his race. That race represents 1% of his time. The other 99% is preparation. The same can be … Continue reading Preparing for big situations with little situations

Jesus did big things. So did his early followers. They spoke boldly, even in the face of violent opposition. They loved enemies, turned the other cheek, gave freely, and laid down their lives for others. Too often, we find ourselves being people-pleasers instead of God-pleasers. Instead of saying or doing something which honours God but … Continue reading Honouring God in big situations

When you read through 1st Thessalonians 1, don’t skip too quickly past verse 6. Here is what Paul says as he pays his readers a compliment: “You became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you welcomed the message in the midst of severe suffering with the joy given by the Holy Spirit.” There’s … Continue reading Remain faithful in affliction

Someone was telling me about a survival show on T.V. A guy was dropped way out in the forest. He had to make his own shelter and catch his own food. But he had to remain healthy. Otherwise he would be medically evacuated and taken to safety. He made a shelter. He even caught a … Continue reading Bread won’t help you if you don’t eat it

Recently I’ve been spending a lot of time in 1st Thessalonians. It was written less than twenty years after the resurrection of Jesus. One of the things that characterized their thought was that they were eagerly awaiting the return of Jesus. You can sense their anticipation. They thought it would happen any day. In chapter … Continue reading Keeping hope in front of your face

Hope. It changes things. C.R. Wiley says it like this: “We live by the light of tomorrow’s sun, and that sun is the Lord God.”* He cites the description of Eden restored in Revelation 22:5: “There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the … Continue reading Living by the light of tomorrow’s sun

Steadfastness of hope. What an inspiring phrase. Here it is in 1 Thessalonians 1:2-3 (ESV): “We give thanks to God always for all of you… remembering before our God and Father your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.” Hope. We like it. We want it. … Continue reading Hope works backward to lift you forward

When someone says the word "habits," what do you think about? Perhaps it's a bad habit like chewing your nails. Or perhaps it's a good habit like eating fruit with your breakfast. I'm a word nerd so I looked up some background on the word "habit." It has a variety of uses. But I find … Continue reading Things you keep doing to keep growing

In the past few devotionals I have said that the battle is waged from a place of stillness. When I say "battle," I'm speaking about the personal and spiritual battles we face. Whenever we have to face hardships, we want to do so from a place that is calm, focused, rested and ready. It might … Continue reading Set up camp

In the previous devotional I said that the battle is waged from a place of stillness. I was speaking about the personal and spiritual battles we face.  Whenever we have to face hardships, we want to do so from a place that is calm, focused, rested and ready. In Psalm 131, David says: “I have … Continue reading Take back your mind

“I have calmed and quieted myself, I am like a weaned child with its mother…” (Psalm 131:2) If an army is in chaos, it's not going to respond very well when the enemy strikes. If a soldier is always fatigued and confused about what to do, he's not going to face the enemy with power. … Continue reading From a place of stillness

Proverbs 16:18 says: “Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall.” When you start to look for it, you start to notice how many times pride and humility are at work in the Bible. Pride causes people to make massive blunders, mistakes, and to engage in outright sin. Humility is continually lifted up … Continue reading Pride goes before destruction

The biblical book of Proverbs has a lot to say about friendship. Here’s another: “A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for a time of adversity” (Proverbs 17:17). Let’s flush out the meaning. True friends are there for you at all times, including the ups and downs. This is a warning … Continue reading A friend loves at all times

Twitter (aka “X”) didn’t exist in biblical times. If it did, the proverbs would be posted frequently. They are short and to-the-point. They communicate eternal truths in memorable, bite-sized chunks. Proverbs 27:6 says: “Wounds from a friend can be trusted, but an enemy multiplies kisses.” What does it mean? It starts by speaking about wounds. … Continue reading Wounds from a friend

Proverbs 22:1 contains one of the many proverbs of Solomon. He says: “A good name is more desirable than great riches; to be esteemed is better than silver or gold.” What does it mean? First, we need to see that having “a good name” is about having a good reputation. But it’s not about being … Continue reading A good name is desirable

Proverbs are short, memorable statements in the Bible meant to help us live wisely daily. One of them is Proverbs 26:11: “As a dog returns to its vomit, so fools repeat their folly.” Wow, talk about memorable! What principle is it trying to teach us? We should learn from our mistakes. We should not foolishly … Continue reading As a dog returns to its vomit

Hello! After some vacation time The Up Devotional is back to your email inboxes, social media feeds and podcast platforms five mornings a week! Today let’s look at Proverbs 3:11-12: “My son, do not despise the LORD’s discipline or be weary of his reproof, for the LORD reproves him whom he loves, as a father … Continue reading God’s loving discipline

Before I share today’s devotional let me offer a quick reminder that The Up Devotional is going on pause after today for four weeks. I’m having some vacation time! It returns on August 29th. You can listen to past devotionals as a podcast wherever you subscribe, or you can read text versions at TheUpDevo.com.  Here … Continue reading Envy rots the bones