God’s Redeeming Kindness
Sunday, July 27
Hosea 11:1-4
It’s hard not to be moved by this description of God tenderly caring for his people. God reveals himself as a loving and compassionate Father to his children—rescuing them from danger, stooping down to teach them to walk, feeding them, even nursing them back to health. “I led them with cords of human kindness, with ties of love” (v. 4, NIV). What a powerful display of sacrificial, caring love!
So it’s heartrending that this love was not reciprocated: “The more they were called, the more they went away from me” (v. 2). Are we ever fickle like that? Most of us know in our heads that God is loving, yet we are also prone to distractions and being drawn away by the cares of the world. May the riches of God’s tender love draw us back to him in joyful repentance.
Lord, thank you for drawing us with cords of kindness and ties of love. Forgive us when we push you away. Help us draw near to you today. Amen.
Revive Us, O Lord!
Monday, July 28
Psalm 85:1-7
This psalm was likely written in the early post-exilic period as God’s people began returning home after eighty years of captivity. Despite a fragile hope, there must have been a lingering heaviness in the air. After enduring a long season of the Lord’s discipline, the people may have felt their hearts sink when they discovered their homeland still in ruins.
Have you ever endured a dark night of the soul that seemed to stretch much longer than a single night? Like the psalmist, we too can cry out to the Lord, “Revive us again, that your people my rejoice in you” (v. 6). Notice this prayer is not so much for a change in outward circumstances but for an internal revival of the heart.
Where do you need hope restored in your life? Our passage today reminds us that revival is not dependent on our circumstances but comes from the gracious mercies of our Lord, restoring the joy of our salvation.
Reviving God, renew and restore us again so we may rejoice fully in you. Amen.
Righteousness And Peace
Tuesday, July 29
Psalm 85:8-13
These verses of grace come as welcome respite to God’s people following a period of sinful folly and judgment. Now God has forgiven and restored his people, and the psalmist pictures this beautiful embrace of righteousness and peace—faithfulness springing forth from the ground and righteousness shining down from the skies. Does it remind us of the perfection of Eden? Perhaps may it stir our hearts to look forward to the glories of our eternal home?
Yet in between those two gardens is also the promise of God’s presence right here, right now. Our world and lives are troubled in so many ways. But God has not forsaken us—he is with us and promises peace and joy to all who fear his name, giving us what is good and what is needful, and transforming even our struggles into kingdom blessings.
Father, may your kingdom come and your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Amen.
Living Your Life In Christ
Wednesday, July 30
Colossians 2:1-7
My wife, Heather, and I are proud parents of two teenagers who love the Lord. But we are frequently concerned about the deceptive voices and temptations that come at them from every angle, the many pressures to conform to this world’s values in all kinds of ways.
And the truth is, that’s not just true for teenagers! Worldly voices and values compete for the attention and allegiance of every one of us.
In our passage today, Paul contrasts the world’s “fine-sounding arguments” (v. 4) with the genuine and lasting “treasures of wisdom and knowledge” (v. 3) found in Christ. These verses mirror Jesus’s admonition to build our house on the rock rather than the world’s shifting sand.
What a blessed reminder that we are not missing out on anything by rejecting the siren call of the world. By trusting Christ, rather, we are strengthened in our faith, and our hearts overflow with thankfulness!
Jesus, thank you that you are the pearl of great price, more valuable than anything this world can offer. Amen.
Resurrection Hope!
Thursday, July 31
Colossians 2:8-15
In my first year as a pastor, I received word that a beloved saint from our church was nearing the end of her life. Members of our church choir and I gathered around her hospital bed and sang, “The Lord bless you and keep you…” By the final “amen,” many of us were in tears as the earthly veil was lifted and the room was bathed in heavenly glory.
Our passage today reveals Christ as high and exalted above every power and authority. Through Christ, even death, our last great enemy, has lost its sting! And though we face battles and troubles of many kinds this side of eternity, we can rest assured that the war has already been won. Christ, on the cross, not only disarmed and triumphed over every power and authority, but he has also raised us up from death to resurrection life. Thanks be to God!
Lord, even as we endure struggles and hardship in this fallen world, remind us that the ultimate victory belongs to you! Amen.
God’s Great Faithfulness
Friday, August 1
Colossians 2:16-23
Being a chaplain to seniors has blessed me in some unexpected ways. Nearly every day I am inspired to see how the temporary trappings of this world have faded in importance for these older saints. Petty arguments, our tendency to take offense at various slights, our chasing after popular trends, comparing ourselves to others—these things matter less and less as we grow closer to eternity. The things that do matter? Cherishing family and friends, counting our blessings, forgiving and encouraging each other, calling to mind God’s goodness and grace.
At a recent hymn sing, an older saint requested that we sing “Great Is Thy Faithfulness.” After we finished, the room was quiet for a moment as we enjoyed the presence of God among us. Finally, another resident spoke up: “Can we sing that one again?”
Father, how easily we get caught up in things that don’t really matter in light of eternity. Fill our hearts anew with your great love, grace, and faithfulness so we can share those blessings with others. Amen.
With All My Soul
Saturday, August 2
Psalm 108:1-6
We live in a world where distractions and diversions abound. Social media experts warn us of media “algorithms” that are insidiously engineered to assess and exploit our every passion, prejudice, and curiosity. When everything on our screens is designed to capture and keep our attention, the real world of organic relationships, complexities, and nuance struggles to keep up.
How refreshing, then, is David’s clear intention to praise the Lord “with all my soul” (v. 1). He steadfastly declares, “I will praise you, Lord…I will sing” (v. 3). It’s a declaration of the will to fix his affections on the Lord. And with that steadfast and adoring gaze upon the living God, David gloriously expands his praise and extends his eyes beyond his own little world: “For great is your love, higher than the heavens; your faithfulness reaches to the skies” (v. 4).
Lord, give us faith and courage to turn away from things that diminish our spirits and, instead, to fix our gaze upon your great goodness and glory. Amen.
