Today Daily Devotional

All the believers . . . broke bread . . . together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God. . . .
— Acts 2:44-47

My wife and I have been part of many small groups in our church over the years, but one experience of community stands out as especially rich. We were in a group with three other couples who were younger than us and in a different stage of life. When we first began meeting, none of them were married; they were dating or engaged. That soon changed, and in a short span of time we joyfully celebrated three weddings. At each reception our small group sat together, enjoying the gift of walking through these milestones side by side.We also shared one another’s sorrows. Shortly before one of those weddings, the bridal couple experienced the sudden and tragic loss of a beloved family member. On the day of their celebration, tears and laughter mingled freely as we felt both grief and gratitude, mourning what was lost while giving thanks for a new beginning.When I read the description of community in Acts 2, it can sound almost too ideal. Yet the rest of the New Testament shows that the early church also knew conflict and pain.Still today, the Spirit continues to draw believers into deep, resonant fellowship. We are not meant to follow Jesus alone. Though we are imperfect people in a broken world, God chooses to live among his people. How might we open our lives and homes more fully to one another?

Dear Jesus, though Christian community can be challenging at times, help us to step more deeply into our relationships. Fill us with your love and care for each other. Amen.

If anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!
— 2 Corinthians 5:17

For the next few days, let’s think about how the gospel resonates with us personally, then spreads into our relationships, and then rings out further into the world.I was speaking in a church in Canada recently that has baptized hundreds of new immigrants from a country in the Middle East. After the service, a young man came up to me and shared in broken English that this was his first time in the church. He had just immigrated to Canada and was curious about Jesus. He had shown up that morning to see what the Christian faith was about. What a joy it was to be able to tell him about Jesus’ love for him and to connect him with someone who could explain the good news of Jesus in his own language. He was warmly welcomed and invited to experience personal resonance with Jesus.In our passage for today, we hear the good news ringing out: “If anyone is in Christ . . . the old has gone, the new is here!” This passage invites us to receive all that Jesus has accomplished on the cross for us. Each one of us—whoever we are, whatever our story—can be personally reconciled with God through Jesus Christ. The promise of complete forgiveness is possible in Jesus— and this good news is for everyone!May the joy and hope of Jesus resonate in your heart. And may you respond in faith and be reconciled to God!

Dear Jesus, you who had no sin became sin for us so that we could be reconciled to God! May this life-giving message resonate deep within each of us today. Amen.

Whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.
— 1 Corinthians 11:26

“Do this . . . in remembrance of me.” The church of Jesus has been living into these words for nearly 2,000 years. Thinking about our devotional theme for this month, we might say that the celebration of the Lord’s Supper, or Holy Communion, is one of the most resonant experiences in the Christian life. Through the work of the Holy Spirit, everything that Jesus accomplished on the cross is available to us. And we receive this gift by faith, putting our trust in him.The Bible describes this good news in a multitude of ways. Through Jesus’ death and resurrection our sins are forgiven. Our spiritual debt is paid in full. We become citizens of the kingdom of God. We are rescued from death and receive new life now and forever!Verse 26 of our passage for today makes a remarkable statement. Whenever we come to the Lord’s table in faith to receive the bread and cup that represent his broken body and shed blood, we “proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.” Our lives become an announcement of our spiritual victory. Death has been defeated! The grave has been conquered! We are set free!There is something both mysterious and holy about the Lord’s Supper. Jesus is present with his people as they gather around his table. May our hearts be open to receive him.

Jesus, thank you for the gift of communion, reminding us of your sacrifice on the cross. Fill us with your grace, and help us follow you faithfully till you come again. Amen.

The leaves of the tree [of life] are for the healing of the nations.
— Revelation 22:2

Several colleagues and I were on a call with church leaders from a West African nation where Christians have been facing increased hostility and violence. We wanted to connect and hear how they were doing, and we wanted to ask how we might pray for and support them.Yet the conversation proved difficult. Technical problems disrupted the connection again and again, and it took considerable time and effort just to share a few meaningful moments together.For many Christians around the world, this kind of disruption is a daily reality. We all long for experiences of spiritual and emotional resonance— times when we can connect deeply with God and with one another. But in places marked by political and religious persecution, natural disasters, or war, such a connection can be fragile and hard won.St. Augustine wrote that “our hearts are restless until they find rest in God.” Until Jesus returns, there will always be some measure of restlessness and dissonance in our lives and in the world around us.For this reason we continue to pray with longing for the day when Christ will make all things right and bring healing to the nations. Until that day arrives, it is vital that we stand with our suffering brothers and sisters, remembering them in prayer and supporting them in whatever ways we can.

Dear Jesus, we read of the river of life and the healing of the nations, and our hearts ache for the day when you will return. Come quickly, Lord Jesus. Amen.

“Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night. . . .”
— Joshua 1:8

This year the Today devotional guide is celebrating its 75th anniversary.As we think about the Word of God resonating around the world, these devotions are one of the ways in which the Spirit is at work, encouraging and challenging many thousands of Christians and people who are curious about the Christian faith. Every day is a new opportunity to read a portion of Scripture and apply it to our daily lives.I was in a small town in the midwestern United States recently, and as I walked out of the hotel where I was staying, I saw the Today devotions on display in the lobby for people to pick up. Shortly afterward, I ran into some people in an airport. They recognized me as a pastor, and then one of them exclaimed, “Hey, we read your devotion this morning in Today— thanks for that!” This little devotional guide is shared in churches, homes, hotels, prisons, restaurants, and online. What a ministry!In our Bible reading today in the book of Joshua, God’s people are about to enter the land God has promised them. They are encouraged to be strong and courageous because the Lord is with them. But that strength and courage would stay with them only if they kept the Word of God on their lips and in their hearts. May that be true for us today and every day.

Father, thank you for your faithfulness. Thank you for providing the Today devotions for so many people for the past 75 years. May your Word ring out and keep strengthening all who seek you. Amen.