Today Daily Devotional

“There is no faithfulness, no love, no acknowledgment of God in the land.”
— Hosea 4:1

Teenagers will often verify that they “know.”• “Aiden, you need to be home by 11:00.” “I know.”• “Sophia, you can’t wear that skirt.” “I know.”• “Jack, that room of yours is a disaster.” “I know.”In situations like these, the facts are not in question. Both the parents and teens “know.” But like many teenagers, we don’t always act on the basis of the facts we know.God’s people had the same problem. Though they “knew,” they did not “acknowledge.” As Hosea pointed out, the people didn’t acknowledge God. They didn’t pay attention to God’s law—his guidelines for daily living in community. Instead, they mistreated each other in all kinds of ways.The people did know that God is loving and just, but they ignored that truth. They did know that following God’s law was the right way to live, but they ignored that truth as well. The results of all this were devastating. God said he would reject his people since they did not acknowledge him.The same process can occur today. Do you “know” that the just and powerful God of the universe sees you? Of course. Do you “know” that following God’s direction is the only way to live in peace with God and neighbors? Of course.If any of us is pretending that we don’t need God or his law in some part of our life, we need to stop and acknowledge the truth.

God, we know that you are faithful, just, and loving. Help us to acknowledge these great truths in our lives today. Amen.

Whatever is true . . . noble . . . right . . . pure . . . lovely . . . admirable . . . excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.
— Philippians 4:8

Is your mind filled with things that are true, pure, excellent, and praiseworthy? Or is it distracted by things that are false, polluted, ugly, and dishonorable? We likely have some amount of each, since we are all sinners.Let’s look first at filling our minds with what is true. This can be hard today when there is often little regard for speaking truth on the internet and in the media. We need to ask God to show us what is right and true, recognizing that we can depend on his Word in the Bible and on teachings that are solidly based on all of it.We can also seek what is lovely, good, and praiseworthy. God and his creation are beautiful. God’s love and his salvation are the most beautiful things of all. When we seek the lovely and beautiful, we will find God behind it all.However, if we not only see but also revel in what is ugly, distasteful, violent, or worse, we’ll find ourselves following the way of the devil, who is behind all things that are repulsive and corrupt.Let’s be sure to fill our minds with thoughts that honor God, others, and ourselves. Let’s steer away from thoughts that spread lies, hurt others, drag reputations down, or create cynicism. God knows what we are thinking, and in his strength we can control our thoughts so that they honor him.

Lord, help us to fill our minds with pure, true, wholesome things. Let us not stray into ugly, dishonorable thinking that can lead us to destruction. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.
— Philippians 4:6

The Bible urges us not to worry or be anxious. But that is not always easy. We may ask ourselves, “What if some disaster happens?” or, “What if I lose my job?” or, “What if my health fails?” Such questions show our concerns about a future we can’t control.As we learn from experience, there are many things in life that we can’t control. And yet we can also trust that at all times in the future God will be our faithful Lord and Savior. God will always seek our good. So, in him, we can have confidence about the future.When concerns arise, we need to turn to God in prayer, knowing that he has all that we need. God is our Father, and he loves to give good gifts to his children. We can turn to God and remember his faithfulness in the past, to both ourselves and other believers. We know that God has our destiny in his hands and has prepared a place for us in eternity.And we can give thanks. We can thank God because he has provided for our needs in years past. We can thank him for providing for the needs of so many believers throughout the ages. Ultimately we can thank God that through his Son we are saved from death, sin, and futility.Our lives can potentially be full of anxiety. But each day we can bring all our concerns to him, knowing that we are ultimately secure in his hands.

Father, comfort us in our worry and anxiety. You have been faithful in the past; guide us to trust you in the future. Help us know the comfort of your Spirit always. Amen.

“Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
— John 8:32

Sometimes we use polite, little lies to try to be kind or avoid being rude. We might say, “Yes, I can tell you’ve lost some weight.” Or, “You have not aged a bit.” Or, “Wow, you almost scored a goal on that play.” But our passage here is talking about truth and lies at a more profound level than the social niceties we practice.Are you a slave to sin and death, or are you free from them? In John 8:34, Jesus says that “everyone who sins is a slave to sin.” That certainly includes me—and you too. If we wish to be free from that slavery, we must embrace the truth that is Jesus. Only he can liberate us from the sin that enslaves us.Which sins enslave you? Are you a slave to anger, or lust, or greed, or envy, or sports, or beauty, or money? We are all slaves to something. We might tell ourselves that we will be truly happy once we get this or that thing, or when we reach a certain goal. But only faithful followers of Jesus have a real shot at freedom from slavery to sin. All other plans for liberation just end up in a new form of slavery.An example of this is political revolution. In Nicaragua, for example, the Sandinistas overthrew an oppressive oligarchy led by Anastasio Somaza. Now, under the Sandinista leaders Daniel and Rosario Ortega, things are worse than ever before.Let’s not flip from one slave master to another. We can find freedom by following Jesus. Only then will we be free.

Lord, we keep enslaving ourselves. Give us the desire to be free, and free us to live fully in you, we pray. Amen.

“I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
— John 14:6

Notice that in this passage Jesus does not just say he knows the truth or can teach the truth. He says, “I am the truth.”This means that to know Jesus is to know the truth. The truth is that there is one God, who can be found only through Jesus Christ. The truth is that the God who created the world and filled it with good things is the same God who came to give us salvation and new life. We are made in the image of the one true God, and we find our true selves when we receive full life in him.The counterpoint of Jesus’ statement here is that all other claims to truth are false, including all the other “isms” of the world: consumerism, communism, capitalism, hedonism, nationalism, and so on. If you think that the truth is that we need to make more money, or have more fun, or have your political party succeed, you are telling yourself a lie. Only Jesus is the truth.All truths eventually arrive at Jesus. Some brilliant scientists and philosophers have accepted Jesus because he has greeted them at the end of their investigations. Some addicts have received Jesus because they have discovered that only he can save them from themselves. Some have seen Christians faithfully living out the truth and have learned that Jesus must be the truth who makes that possible.Jesus is the truth. Let’s show it, tell it, and live it today.

Lord and God, help us to seek your truth and to ignore all the false claims that tempt us in our lives. May we be so true to you that others see it and want it too. Amen.