Daily Devotion for April 30, 2026

Devotion:

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Read James 1:13.

While God may test our faith to produce growth, He never entices us to evil. Temptation is a personal issue, and we must take on responsibility.  When trials become overwhelming, we are tempted to blame God thinking that He has let us down. James corrects this by saying "no one says when he is tempted, 'I am being tempted by God'". God is holy and cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He tempt any of us. Temptation is inside us being controlled by our own evil desires or lust. It is the lure of our own bad cravings that pulls us toward sin.

Temptations are like fishing lures to a hungry fish. The desires of our human nature prompt us to do what we want, which often means rebelling against our God’s guidance. Both trials and temptations can erode our trust in the Lord and undermine our witness. But God triumphs over the impact of trials and gives us victory over temptations. We praise our God for giving us resistance in times of temptation. God can satisfy all our needs through his great provision.

Personal Worship Option:

Dear God, lead me according to your will today. Help me trust you with all my being and find strength to resist temptations. I want to glorify you in all my ways. Amen.

Daily Devotion for April 29, 2026

Devotion:

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Read Acts 10:34.

When I was growing up, I loved to visit my grandparents who lived in western North Carolina. I loved to hear their stories, eat dinner with them (my grandaddy could cook a mean breakfast and my grandmother made wonderful desserts), and spend time at their house and on the family farm. We were so close that a few of my cousins would comment in disgust that I was “the favorite grandchild.”  I of course have reminded my cousins of that remark ever since.  But the reality was that my grandparents loved all ten of us grandkids in different ways. They didn’t have a favorite. We are prone as humans to constantly be ranking who is “the favorite.”  The disciples argued about status, and the early church constantly was divided about who was in and who was out, and who was on top. Peter struggled with this as well.  But Peter also spent enough time with Jesus to realize the radical nature of God’s love. Peter came to believe by Jesus’ lived example, that “truly God shows no partiality.”  How would our lives be different if we believed as Peter believed?

Personal Worship Option:

Lord, help me to love and to value others as Jesus did and does. Amen.

Daily Devotion for April 28, 2026

Devotion:

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Read Hebrews 6:18.

There are few things in life that feel completely certain. Circumstances change, people fail us, and even our own emotions can shift from one moment to the next. Yet this verse anchors us in something unshakable: God cannot lie. His character is perfectly true, and every promise He has spoken is utterly reliable.

Because of that truth, we are invited to “take hold of the hope set before us.” This isn’t a passive hope or wishful thinking—it’s something we cling to with intention. Like someone running for shelter in a storm, we flee to God’s promises and hold on tightly, knowing they will not give way.

What is this hope? It is the assurance that God keeps His word—about forgiveness, about new life, about His presence, and about eternity with Him. When doubts creep in or life feels uncertain, this verse reminds us that our hope is not built on circumstances, but on the unchanging nature of God Himself.

Today, whatever you are facing, take hold of that hope again. Let it steady your heart and strengthen your spirit. You are not holding onto something fragile—you are anchored in the truth of a God who never lies.

Personal Worship Option:

Lord, thank You that Your Word is always true and Your promises never fail. Help me to hold firmly to the hope You have given me. When I feel uncertain, remind me that You are unchanging and faithful. Strengthen my heart today with the confidence that You will do all You have promised. Amen.

Daily Devotion for April 27, 2026

Devotion:

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Read Matthew 19:18.

This young man was apparently living his life in obedience to the commandments.  There is no indication that he was asking this question in order to trick Jesus, but instead it appears that he sincerely wanted to know how to receive eternal life. Interestingly, he asked what “good” thing he must do in order to get that. Jesus corrected him, saying that God alone is good. When Jesus reminded the young man that he must obey the moral laws, he responded that he had kept them and now wondered what else he lacked. Jesus saw that his shortcoming was in putting too much stock in his wealth, with which he sadly could not bring himself to part.

In our daily devotions this week, we are looking at things God cannot do, and today, we are reminded that God cannot steal. Stealing is taking something we desire from its rightful owner. Everything already belongs to God, so it is not possible for God to steal.  

Personal Worship Option:

Does this lesson remind you that, since everything belongs to God, we are merely stewards and caretakers of what God has given to us? Remembering this helps me to hold onto my possessions and my money a bit less tightly and to be more generous with them.

Daily Devotion for April 26, 2026

Devotion:

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Read John 5:1-9.

Near the Sheep gate in Jerusalem was a pool called Bethesda. When we think of a pool today, we think in terms of recreation. That is not what this pool was used for. They used the water from the Pool of Bethesda for their livelihood. One purpose for the pool could have been to give water to the sheep who were scheduled to be sacrificed.

The word Bethesda means House of Mercy or House of Grace. At this pool lay people who were blind, lame, and paralyzed. Day after day they waited for an angel to come and stir the water so the first one in would be healed.  Among them was a man who had been sick for thirty-eight years. Jesus did not ask, “How long have you been here?” or “Why haven’t you tried harder?” He simply asked, “Do you want to be made well?” We can hear the weakness and disappointment in his voice when he says: “I have no one to help me…”  We all have places in our lives where we feel stuck. We have wounds we can’t heal, hurts we can’t forget, burdens we feel we must carry alone. But Jesus steps into those places and turns them into our own Bethesda, our own House of Mercy. 

Personal Worship Option:

God of mercy and grace, thank You for being my House of Mercy and my source of grace. You see the places where I feel weak, discouraged, or stuck. Speak Your word over my life today. Lift me, heal me, and renew me by Your power. In Jesus name we pray. Amen.

Daily Devotion for April 25, 2026

Devotion:

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Read James 5:14-15.

James gives us a beautiful picture of how God cares for His people through the ministry of the church. The suffering believer does not have to struggle alone. He says, “Call.” Call for support. Call for prayer. Call for the community of faith to come alongside you in your time of difficulty.

It is not a sign of weakness to ask for prayer. It is an act of faith. When we reach out to others, we acknowledge our dependence on God and our need for the body of Christ. James tells us to pray over the sick person anointing them with oil. The oil is a sign of God’s presence with us. When we pray, “The prayer of faith will save the sick.” This does not mean that God always heals in the way we expect, but it boldly declares that prayer matters. God hears. God moves. God raises us up whether through physical healing, renewed strength, or restored peace.

Personal Worship Option:

Jesus, our healer, when I am weak, teach me to reach out for prayer. Remind me that You work powerfully through the faith and support of Your people. Pour out Your healing on those who are sick today. Restore bodies, renew spirits, and strengthen hearts. Help us trust that Your presence is near and that Your power is at work. In Jesus' holy name, Amen.

Daily Devotion for April 24, 2026

Devotion:

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Read John 10:10.

One way the thief tries to steal and destroy is by leading us astray, so we have a misplaced faith.  We need to focus on Jesus, the one who gives us life. In contrast to the thief who takes life, Jesus gives life. The life he gives right now is abundantly rich and full; it is eternal, yet it begins immediately. The avenue to experience this abundant life is obedience. Obey God’s commands.  

Obedience leads to goodness, not just for you but for your children, children’s children, great-grandchildren, and the children of a thousand generations in the future. God promises to show “love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments.” (Exodus 20:6) As we obey God’s commands, we open the door for abundant life.  

Personal Worship Option:

Thank God for His goodness. Meditate on His guidance and gifts He provides. Open your heart to hear His voice today.

Daily Devotion for April 23, 2026

Devotion:

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Read Jeremiah 30:17.

At the time in history of this verse, God’s people were in exile for rebelling against God. They had followed other gods and had refused to honor the Lord, who had made them into a great nation. God had disciplined them by sending them into exile.

Their conquerors had brutally enslaved them and carried them away after destroying their land. And when God’s people cried out in their distress, the Lord heard them. God is powerful enough to overwhelm all evil. The people needed God to save them from this enemy that had exploited them. God promised to bring them honor again, saying, “So you will be my people, and I will be your God.”

This verse was spoken to people described as "outcasts" whom no one cared for. The Message translation suggests God is "curing the incurable". No matter how hopeless a situation seems—a broken relationship, a physical illness, or emotional trauma—it is not beyond God's power to redeem.

Personal Worship Option:

God, your ­power is greater than any other. Thank you for being merciful and just. Help us to honor you above all and to serve you faithfully. Amen

Daily Devotion for April 22, 2026

Devotion:

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Read Lamentations 3:22-23.

Sometimes there are no words. The writer of Lamentations (traditionally Jeremiah) is literally lamenting the crisis he is living through. The Babylonian Empire has just destroyed Jerusalem (586 B.C.E.) and Jeremiah is in the unenviable position of seeing his warnings and prophecies all come to fruition. He looks around and sees his land ravaged and his city destroyed and the people going into exile. And yet - in the midst of all this devastation Jeremiah pauses and writes, “But this I call to mind and therefore I have hope.” (v. 3:1 NRSV). He goes on then to lay out the anguish and humiliation and defeat that he is experiencing and then says: The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness (3:22-23). For Jeremiah, even in the midst of ruin and destruction, God is still present and faithful. That is not an easy lesson to learn. And not one that we can glibly teach others. Sometimes, like Jeremiah, you have to go through hard times to realize how present God is. When in your life has God been most present to you?

Personal Worship Option:

Lord, great is your faithfulness. Help us to look for you at all times. Amen

Daily Devotion for April 21, 2026

Devotion:

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Read Titus 3:5-7.

There is something deeply freeing about knowing our salvation does not rest on our performance. Epistle to Titus reminds us that God’s rescue plan was never about our ability to earn His favor. It is rooted entirely in His mercy.

We often live as though we must prove ourselves worthy striving to be good enough, do enough, or fix enough. But this passage gently dismantles that mindset. God didn’t save us because we had it all together. He saved us because He is merciful. That truth humbles us and lifts us at the same time.

“…through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit…”

Salvation is not just forgiveness—it is transformation. The imagery of washing speaks of cleansing, a fresh start. The Holy Spirit doesn’t merely patch up our old life; He renews us from the inside out. What we could never change in ourselves, God begins to reshape through His Spirit.

This means your past does not define you. Your failures are not final. In Christ, you are continually being made new.

“…so that, having been justified by His grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life.”

Because of grace, we are not only forgiven—we are justified, declared right with God. Even more, we are adopted as heirs. That means we belong. We have a future secured not by our effort, but by His promise.

This hope is not wishful thinking; it is a confident assurance anchored in God’s faithfulness.   

Personal Worship Option:

Lord, thank You for saving me not because of anything I have done, but because of Your mercy. Wash me, renew me, and continue to shape my heart through Your Spirit. Help me to live in the freedom of Your grace and the hope of eternal life. Amen.

Daily Devotion for April 20, 2026

Devotion:

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Read Psalm 103:2-5.

This psalm, like so many, is credited to David, and it appears he may have written this later in life. It is a psalm of praise, thanking God for the many ways God renews us. It is God who forgives our sins, heals our illnesses, and satisfies our desires with good things. It is easy to get caught up in living our days and forget to give thanks to God for the love and compassion God pours out on us. I invite you to read this passage again and see in it how God renews us physically, emotionally, and spiritually.

I love the last part of verse 5 that declares how God renews our youth like that of the eagle. I have heard some of my older friends (certainly not me!) complain of their aches and pains as they age. Muscles become stiff, and joints don’t seem to move as well as they once did. Eagles molt each year, allowing them to soar on fresh feathers. We can exercise regularly, rub on the aspercream, and rest; but God renews us and gives us fresh feathers to soar, no matter what age we happen to be.    

Personal Worship Option:

Thank you, God of love and compassion. When we turn to you and ask for strength and energy, you renew us. You lift us up and heal us. And when we confess, you forgive us. All of this is grace, and I am grateful to you. Help me submit more fully to you. Amen.

Daily Devotion for April 19, 2026

Devotion:

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Read Romans 12:1-2.

This is a call to nonconformity, to living in accordance with the teachings of Christ instead of the ways of the world. This is not something we just decide to do through our human will and then go for it. Paul calls us to let Christ renew our minds and transform us.

Some years ago, I worked for a company that periodically brought in a psychologist who would interview us, give us all kinds of tests, and then recommend ways to improve our performance as leaders. In one of those sessions, the psychologist told me that I was way too altruistic in order to do well in my new position as head of project management. I was confused, because I thought altruism was a good thing, being unselfish, caring for the rights and welfare of others. Back at my office, I looked up the definition and confirmed my understanding of altruism. The psychologist was recommending that I act more aggressively and selfishly to get my way over that of others…in other words, that I “conform to the pattern of the world.” I decided two things: 1) that I needed to be more altruistic in the way I treated others, and 2) this guy was a quack!

Personal Worship Option:

Give some thought today on how and when you push back on the ways and expectations of the world when they are not the way of Christ. Pray for the courage to be different from the world, even if that causes some people in the world to see you as weird.

Daily Devotion for April 18, 2026

Devotion:

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Read John 17:13-18.

As we read this passage, we could see it as simply Jesus’ prayer for his apostles and those who were closest to him in his earthly ministry. However, through the church, Jesus’ teachings, expectations, and promises transcend time and apply equally to us as his current followers.

When Jesus says they and we are not of the world, he is saying that we no longer base our values on the world, and the world is not our center.  Christ is our center. But unlike the Children of Israel, who were initially kept apart from the world in order to purify them, we are sent into the world. Some of our greatest theological writings were penned by hermits who withdrew from the world to live in seclusion. For most of us, however, that is not how we are to live. Jesus sends us into the world, to be with people, and in particular, to be with people who do not yet know Christ. When we live faithfully as Christians, enmeshed in the world and surrounded by people, they will see that we are different and yes, perhaps even weird. They will be curious and open to our witness to them in love. 

Personal Worship Option:

Gracious God, send me where you would have me go. Give me friends and acquaintances who do not yet know you. Let me be as weird as I need to be as I reject the ways of the world and live for you. Amen.

Daily Devotion for April 17, 2026

Devotion:

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Read Matthew 5:21-22.

This is just one example of the many times Jesus calls us to go beyond the Old Testament moral laws as we live our lives of faith. Jesus wasn’t discounting the law or giving his opinion. Rather He was giving a fuller understanding of why God made the law in the first place. We miss the intent of God’s Word when we read his rules for living without trying to understand why he made them. Jesus said the greatest commandment is to love God with everything and the next greatest is to love others. All the Law hinges on these two commandments. Love is the foundation of God’s relationship with us and so it should be our guide in relationships with others.  

Personal Worship Option:

When do you keep God’s rules, but close your eyes to his intent? Does love provide direction in all of your relationships? Open your heart to hear what God has to say to you.

Daily Devotion for April 16, 2026

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Read Acts 13:46-48.

Paul is frustrated that the Jews will not hear and believe what he was proclaiming about who Jesus is. Paul tells Barnabus and the other believers that they should turn away from the Jews and teach and preach to the Gentiles. Gentiles were not of the Jewish descent. This was a dramatic shift of the gospel from the stubborn rejection by the Jews to the eager reception by the Gentiles.

Paul and Barnabas, rejected in their mission, found joy in a new opportunity, proving that God's plan is unstoppable. This scripture emphasizes that those having faith in God will be given eternal life. It shows that salvation is fundamentally a gift from God for all people. The Gentiles were elated because they received the good news, showing that true joy is found in God's word. If we share the good news of Jesus to others, we should not get discouraged if our efforts to help them believe rejected. We could be planting seeds that will grow later.

Personal Worship Option:

Lord, thank You for the message of salvation that has reached us. We honor Your Word and rejoice that You are the one who leads us to eternal life. Help us to be bold in sharing the Gospel with others. Let our hearts be filled with the joy of the Gift that God gives us. Amen.