Today Daily Devotional

We are co-workers in God’s service; you are God’s field, God’s building.
— 1 Corinthians 3:9

Honeybees are great builders. Inside their hive they make honeycombs consisting of hundreds of six-sided cells. These are the basic building blocks of beehives. The amazing geometry of these cells maximizes storage space while minimizing the wax needed for a stable structure. Beeswax is an ingenious blend of nectar, pollen, saliva, and other ingredients produced by worker bees to form the walls of the cells, which keep their shape in both heat and cold. While these cells are used mainly to store honey and some pollen and nectar, some of the cells are also used as nurseries for eggs and larvae.Hive building is a tribute to the bees’ ability to work well together. Each bee takes up its role in the building process.A tragic contrast to this is our struggle as human beings to build caring communities. Jesus came to reverse our faulty construction habits by reconnecting people to his Father and to one another. Yet we often fail to practice what he taught us. In place of humbly serving with each other in caring, harmonious, constructive ways, for example, the Christian community gets distracted by competing and comparing and by excluding and neglecting one another.Are you a co-worker with God in building a community with others? In what ways is God calling you from self-service to serving him with others?

Thank you, God, for the firm foundation you have made for us in Christ. By your Spirit, direct us to care for each other as we serve to build up the body of Christ. Amen.

Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ.
— 1 Corinthians 12:12

People who count honeybees estimate that there are 20,000 to 60,000 bees in any given hive. Yet there is one hive. The hive has three basic kinds of bees: the queen, workers, and drones. Yet there is one hive. All of the bees work together by instinct to function as an interdependent community, like a living organism.The Christ-followers at Corinth, estimated to be about 40 to 150 people, were not acting as “one.” This multiethnic group of recent converts included a mixture of educated and working-class people, rich and poor, and they struggled to care for and show God’s love to one another. The letter Paul wrote to them describes a divided, individualistic, selfish, and proud gaggle of believers. At best, they revealed that they were many parts struggling to become one body.Similarly, our world today does little to encourage us to believe and act like we are an organic, interdependent community— one body. Individualism, privilege, possessions, and self-gratification are often the altars at which people worship. These behaviors make being one body most difficult.Christ-followers can be one body only “in Christ.” This is not instinctual. It takes heart change and the hard and humble work of love. Will you pray and work humbly to love and serve with others who make up the body of Christ?

Lord Jesus, inspire us all to work toward the unity of your one body. Change our hearts and energize us to love and build up others as we serve with you. Amen.

“As long as it is day, we must do the works of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work. While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”
— John 9:4-5

My favorite time at our beehives is around sunset. Gatherer bees are coming back to the hive. If I look closely, I can see the bulging pollen packs on their hind legs, holding the fruit of their labor. Amazing! These worker bees have been busy since sunrise—making the most of their opportunities to gather pollen and nectar. With darkness coming—and eventually the dark and cold of winter— the opportunity to work will end. Bees work and make honey “as long as it is day.”In John 9, Jesus talks about being “the light of the world,” and he warns his disciples about a kind of darkness that is coming. In this chapter we see Jesus bring light to a blind man’s eyes in the face of growing opposition and looming darkness. Jesus says,” As long as it is day, we must do the works of him who sent me.” And did you notice that Jesus includes his followers in the work he is doing?The rest of the story in John 9 gets very dark. We can observe a similar darkness in the world around us as well. Yet Jesus, the light of the world, keeps working to bring sight to the blind.In your coming and going, what are your opportunities to shine? How can you make the most of your opportunities to spread the light of Jesus?

Lord Jesus, live in us and through us to bring your light into the darkness of this world. May the fruit of your goodness and truth shine brightly as we make the most of the opportunities we have. In your name, Amen.

“I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd.”
— John 10:16

As a keeper of honeybees, I’ve grown a bit narrowminded. I’ve become partial to honeybees even though I know there are lots of others—like bumblebees, sweat bees, and carpenter bees—to name a few. Recently I learned there are also mason bees, which use mud to make nests is small cavities. There are actually over 20,000 species of bees all around the world. Mind-boggling!This could lead us to wonder about people groups too. Estimates for the number of people groups in the world range from about 11,000 to 24,000. Did you know that?Jesus knew about other people groups—"other sheep” besides the people into which he was born. Jesus, the good shepherd, could not and would not be content in rescuing just one people group. He came to bring God’s salvation to all the people groups throughout the world.In my thinking about honeybees, I need to remember that all of the bees in God’s creation are treasured. And when it comes to people, we need to remember that each one is made in the image of God. Jesus came to rescue God’s children from every people group in the whole human race.In what ways can we show others that they are precious in God’s sight?

Jesus, thank you for being the good shepherd. Thank you for rescuing us from the curse of sin and death. Guide us to pray for and work with others whom you have come to rescue as well. In your name, Amen.

Pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests.
— Ephesians 6:18

As a child, I was taught to pray a simple bedtime prayer. It was a “repeat-after-me” prayer, and it started like this: “Now I lay me down to sleep . . .” After memorizing it, I was encouraged to add other requests— mostly for sick family members or friends or about other concerns. Learning to pray with a parent was a good start for which I am grateful.Over the years, my prayers have expanded and matured by fits and starts through the examples of others, prayer courses, and readings—and most profoundly by prayers in the Bible. Still, my prayers are often limited. I am still a child learning to pray. It has been a humbling path.Near the close of his life, Paul urged Christ-followers to pray “on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests.” “Keep on praying for all the Lord’s people,” he said, and “pray also for me.” These words came to mind while I was reading a book that included a prayer for the “Keeping of Bees.” Looking back, I realize that I’ve often overlooked this step in my caring for bees. No prayer is too small. Here is another lesson from the Spirit about praying on all occasions.Are you praying in the Spirit? In what ways are your prayers maturing or being expanded? For what and whom are you being led to pray?

“Spirit of the living God, fall afresh on me.” Continue the good and perfect teaching of your Word in our lives, Lord. In the strong name of Jesus we pray. Amen.