Daily Worship Devotional

DAILY READING Matthew 4:12-17 REFLECTION   A Light Has Dawned By Carmel Elmer “The people living in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned” Boom!!  Drop the Mic! For centuries, the Jewish people had waited in anticipation for the promised Messiah to come and rescue them.  Generation after generation, they had been oppressed, exiled, returned to Jerusalem, conquered…and the cycle just seemed to continue over and

DAILY READING Luke 1:26-38 REFLECTION Mary’s Grit & God’s Compassion By Todd Marti Two things that have always struck me about this passage. One is Mary’s courage. Not only did Mary show tremendous faith in taking on the awesome task God asked of her, she handled the very stressful encounter described here with remarkable composure. The other is God’s grace in helping her through this.  Several things stand out:   1.  Mary is very brave. Other accounts of Gabriel’s appearance

DAILY READING Isaiah 26:3, 8-9 REFLECTION   TITLE By Judy Webb "You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in You." (Isaiah 26:3) There are times when I open a scripture passage and before long I realize God is speaking to me and affirming something I just read, or thought, or prayed about. It is those moments I feel a sense of being on the same page with Him. I love these special moments yet realize that I am not special because I am s

DAILY READING Isaiah 25:1-9 REFLECTION   The Lord Has Spoken By Beth Voltmann There is such comfort in knowing that Yahweh has spoken - we can trust his Word. Let us exult and praise him for his perfect faithfulness and for the wonderful things that he has done - things planned long ago.   As I write this devotional, I am in Texas with a large group of family members who have gathered for my mother-in-law’s funeral. Though saddened by our recent loss, we can celebrate her lif

DAILY READING Micah 5:2-5a REFLECTION   God’s Plan for the Little Guy By Pam Mann What a prophecy Micah has for small-town Bethlehem! Don’t our hearts rejoice at how God uses the little guy to do great things? Don’t we all root for the underdog in fiction and in sports? Here is little Bethlehem, always overshadowed by mighty Jerusalem on the heights. Now at last, Bethlehem is called into the game. God loves using the little guy to lead in the unexpected moment of grace interv

DAILY READING Psalm 130 REFLECTION   Praying When Life Is Hard By Dave Mann   What do you pray when life is really difficult?  Sometimes life is so bad that we are angry with God.  Sometimes, we don’t feel very spiritual and we don’t really feel in the mood to pray.    There are times when we are in the presence of other believers.  Our lives are filled with many problems but everyone else seems to be doing just fine.  They smile.  They pray.  But we don’t feel like any of th

Advent Candles Devotionals ENGAGING IN THE ADVENT SEASON: WEEK 2  Welcome to week 2 of the Advent season. If you haven’t implemented a rhythm of devotions this Advent season, it’s not too late to start! Here is an example of a simple rhythm of connecting with God with your family:   Light a candle and together say “We begin this time in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen.” If you have an advent wreath, you’ll light an additional candle with each new week leadin

DAILY READING Isaiah 7:14 REFLECTION   God Reaches Out By Todd Marti “Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.” Isaiah 7:14  (NIV, other translations here ) Although we correctly recognize this as a prophecy of Jesus’ birth, it was also a prophecy of another event involving the same dynamic: God reaching out to deliver from sin and the dysfunction it causes. This prophecy was first made duri

DAILY READING 1 Peter 1:17-25 REFLECTION   Resident Aliens By Terry Gustafson I have had the privilege to live and work in other countries for extended times. I remember feeling very out of place when we lived in Japan for four months. I knew that I was not like all the other people on the train on my way to work. I looked different and I did not understand the language. The recipients of Peter’s letter were also “strangers in the world” ( 1:1 ), dispersed across several

DAILY READING Psalm 121 REFLECTION Always Watching By Judy Webb Psalm 121 We probably all have those seasons when everything seems to go wrong; when we are so overwhelmed with life and getting through every day, that we feel alone and adrift. It is times like these when Psalm 121 lifts me up out of the dumps and sets my sights on things far above these earthly situations. “I lift my eyes to the mountains—where does my help comes from? (Psalm 121:1)   When was the last time y

DAILY READING Ezekiel 34:23-31 , John 10:11 REFLECTION   THE GOOD SHEPHERD By Katie Borden There is a verse of “Joy to the World” that we don’t often sing but that happens to have one of my favorite lines in the entirety of the hymnody: No more let sin or sorrow grow Nor thorns infest the ground; He comes to make his blessings flow Far as the curse is found. “He comes to make his blessings flow far as the curse is found.” What a fantastic, hopeful statement about the love an

DAILY READING Isaiah 59:16-21 REFLECTION   Our Redeemer By Pam Mann As we read a rich passage like this one from Isaiah 59, it’s easy to understand why Isaiah is the Old Testament book that New Testament writers quoted most. Earlier in chapter 59, Isaiah lists many of the ways that humanity is lost in depravity. It’s grim. On our own, our situation is hopeless. No one among us can take us from death to life. God knows we need a Savior. No human effort can manage it. God Himse

DAILY READING Luke 3:2-6 Luke 3:15-18 REFLECTION   Spiritual Excavation By Dave Mann When I was a child, my family took several vacations in mountainous regions of the U.S.  One of the amazing things for my young eyes was seeing the mountainsides that were cut out and then observing how the nearby valleys were filled in.  The end result was that the road we drove on was relatively flat and smooth though the original terrain was steep, rugged, and perilous.  Sometimes we were

Advent Candles Devotional ENGAGING IN THE ADVENT SEASON: WEEK 1 Advent is the perfect time to continue or start up the tradition of evening devotions with your family, friends or neighbors. Try this simple rhythm of connecting with God right before or after dinner:  1)    Light a candle and together say “We begin this time in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen.” If you have an advent wreath, you’ll light an additional candle with each new week leading up to Chr

DAILY READING Isaiah 35:1-10 REFLECTION   Who Can You Trust? By Gene Pierce After predicting the destruction of Israel and centuries of disappointment, Isaiah here tells Israel that one day God’s punishment will end.  Good news! More good news! When the punishment ended, Isaiah said the people of Israel wouldn’t just revert to their old relationship with God. Instead they would find themselves in an era of marvelous miracles and blessings. Something new was going to break ou

DAILY READING Romans 15:5-12 REFLECTION   Abounding in Hope By Diane Ward Paul prayed for believers to live in harmony with one another guided by Christ’s example to bring glory to God. He used Old Testament scripture to show that God’s plan has always been for both Jews and Gentiles to glorify Him, the source of hope and encouragement for all believers. He wanted us to see and understand His plan for restoration. My left eye was accidentally injured by a piece of propelled

DAILY READING Ephesians 3:1-11 REFLECTION Thanksgiving and God’s Marvelous Plan for the Gentiles By Judy Webb “This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus.” (Ephesians 3:6) The mystery unfolds in Paul’s letter to the Ephesians in the third chapter. We find Paul in prison--under house arrest--for two years. He could still preach, but only to those who ca

DAILY READING Isaiah 45:14-19 REFLECTION   There Is No Other By Beth Voltmann Does it ever seem as if God is unaware of what is going on in your life? Does it feel as if he has been hiding himself? Perhaps you, like Job, have had some “tall Sabeans” (v. 14) ruining your existence, overshadowing your joy, causing fear or discouragement. (See Job 1:13-15)   Many have endured such seasons, but Isaiah reaches out through the pages of prophecy to reassure us of the character of Go

DAILY READING Isaiah 44:2-5 , 21-28 REFLECTION   Don't You Forget It By Pam Mann   In Isaiah 44:21, God speaks to Jacob (and to us): Remember these things, Jacob, for you, Israel, are my servant. I have made you; you are my servant; I will not forget you.   Even in the ancient world, though devoid of social media clammer, God instructs His chosen to challenge negative self-talk and to think what is true. Face reality. Don’t be afraid. God is who He says He is and you are who

DAILY READING Isaiah 11:11-16 REFLECTION   Can You Believe It? By Dave Mann If we lived in Jerusalem at the time of Isaiah, what sort of feelings would we have at the mention of Egypt and Assyria?  No doubt, our thoughts would be quite negative.  After all, Egypt had oppressed our ancestors as slaves, and Assyria had brutally conquered Israel, the northern kingdom, and almost did the same to us in Jerusalem.  Did God have any kind words for these empires?  Isaiah brought word