Today is going to be a little different. I have an announcement to make.

It’s been a lot of fun writing these daily devotions for the past year and a half, but over the course of the last couple of months, my responsibilities have grown, and as a result, I’ve had to cut back on some things that I love to do.

As many of you know, it was recently announced that I will be the new campus pastor of Southside Kathleen. As a result of this added responsibility, I have been looking for ways to make my life simpler and more manageable and one of the conclusions I’ve come to was that I needed to shut down this site.

For the one or two of you who might be sad about this, I would like to say thank you for reading these devotionals. Most were written out of my own quiet time with the Lord and I’m glad they encouraged you and helped you in your journey to become like Christ.

And if you’re still looking for a place online to find daily devotions, I encourage you to click here and you will find a wealth of options to choose from, including some of the most loved Christian authors and speakers on the planet.

Anyway, although I’m a little sad to see this site go, I know it’s the right decision, and I hope you understand.

-Matt

Read Mark 7:24-30

As Jesus works miracles and teaches with unparalleled authority, people can’t get enough of him. Everywhere he goes, the crowd follows.

But even Jesus needed time to recharge – to escape to the wilderness to be with the Father.

In Mark 7, Jesus goes all the way to Tyre, in modern-day Lebanon. But Jesus can’t stay hidden for long.

So many times in the Gospels, we see Jesus’ incredible insight and wit; Jesus continually outmatches the Pharisees. He asks one question that immediately silences disingenuous questioners.

The woman in this passage has faith, and she’s also pretty sharp. I love her response: “Even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs.”

She says, “Jesus, I know your message is first going to the Jews. Even though I’m a Greek, even though it’s not quite time for Gentiles to receive you, even though I’m not worthy, I believe.”

Jesus heals her daughter.

“He who tends a fig tree will eat its fruit.” Proverbs 27:18a

Just because you’re tending a fig tree doesn’t mean you’re planning on eating figs.

Maybe you want to sell the figs.

Maybe you like the way fig trees look.

“I don’t like figs,” you say. It doesn’t matter.

When you nurture a fig tree, when you spend time under its branches, you’re going to eat figs regardless of your intentions.

What kind of trees are you tending, intentionally and unintentionally?

Read Lamentations 3:52-58

In this unusual passage, Jeremiah tells the people that God is going to let their enemies take them over. As a result, the people throw him in a deep pit. As he is sitting in this pit, covered in mud, he begins to lose hope:

I’ve spoken with many people who have felt this way. A relationship ends badly, a friend stabs them in the back, a marriage breaks up, parents that become bitter at their kids/kids that become bitter at their parents, etc.

“Enemies with no reason to be enemies” often times are those who have been closest to us. Sometimes close, dear friends. Boyfriends, girlfriends, husbands, wives, brothers, sisters, moms, dads, etc.

We can’t understand why they have turned on us, but they have and often times they are mean and aggressive with their behavior against us, especially if we are doing right in our lives. With deep betrayal, we often feel like we are in a pit, with water slowly rising over our heads. We feel deeply hurt/wounded, sometimes to the point that we think our lives are over.

But just like Jeremiah, we simply need to call out to God during those difficult times.

He listens and He cares!

Read Proverbs 28:9

I wonder how often my prayers are just a waste of time?

I’m so focused on me, and doing things my way, am I really listening to God’s voice?

I make sure to pray every day, but when I think back, the conversation is often just one sided on my part. It is me telling God what he should do. “God bless our church”, “God take care of my family”, “God help me to get all this work done today”, “God give me this and that”, etc.

In light of the above verse, I really don’t think God was listening.

I know it is not because he doesn’t want to give me good things, but it is painfully obvious that he wants to be part of a “conversation” and not just a “to do list”.

We’ve all had conversations with people that want to be the ones doing all the talking (I find myself being this person too much!). They interrupt you when you are talking. They often are clearly thinking about what they will say next, making it obvious they aren’t really listening. They always have an answer for why they don’t need to listen to your advice (i.e. I’ve already tried that, it doesn’t work, etc.).

I wonder how often I’ve done that with God?

Read Proverbs 4:23

“What were you thinking?”

I used to hear this phrase all the time growing up.

Actually, I still hear it today (although far less frequently). This verse really caught my attention today. I liked this version the best:

Prov 4:23 (TEV) Be careful how you think; your life is shaped by your thoughts.

I’ve also heard it put this way, “What you plant and grow in your mind determines your destiny.”

I find this true so often in my life. What I spend my time thinking about, is what determines the direction/quality of my life. If my thoughts are consumed with what I don’t have, I tend to become very bitter. If I am constantly thinking about how much I hate my job (I love my job, but this is just an example), my work becomes difficult. If your thoughts are surrounded by what your spouse doesn’t do for you, it often leads to a bad marriage situation, etc..

On the flip side, if we are consistently thinking about serving others, thinking about ways we can better serve our God, or even better yet, thinking about how grateful we are to a God who loves and takes care of us, we often have a very joy filled life.

What are you thinking right now? Whatever has your mind’s attention, will ultimately control the direction of your life. When we obsess over things we cannot change, we often find ourselves doing CRAZY things. Be careful or you may find yourself headed somewhere you NEVER intended to be.

Read John 5:1-9

This devotional was written by our Children’s Pastor, Drew Cook

This is the story about the crippled man who believed that, when the water was stirred, if he were the first man in the pool of water called Bethesda, he would be healed.

The problem was, he was crippled and had been trying to do this for 38 YEARS. For 38 years he watched others get in front of him, but he never gave up. He obviously wanted healing in the worst way.

What needs healing in your life?

Maybe it is something you are just not ready to give up, no matter how much it hurts. You desire freedom and wholeness but you feel stuck/imprisoned. The pain has become a part of your life and in reality you just aren’t ready to move on.

On the other hand, maybe you are ready for healing. Be ready because just like the guy in the story, Jesus may bring healing when you least expect it.

Of course maybe you feel ready and nothing seems to be happening. You feel like your are in the right place in life, but God seems to have forgotten you/nobody seems to be helping you.

Even when things seem overwhelming, remember that God has already healed us of our sin debt. We can trust Him to take care of the rest of the pains in our lives.

The question is, do we want to get well?

It is hard to hear, but sometimes we just have to let things be. We need to continue talking to Him about our situation, being alert to what He has for us.

Read Zephaniah 1

Most see God as a God of comfort, guidance, and love.

Nothing wrong with that, it is just incomplete.

God is also a God of justice who becomes angry with our complacent and arrogant sin when we dump Him for our own things.

When I take the time to think about it, there are areas of complacency and rebellion toward God in my life.

I believe, like the Scripture today says, that this rebellion angers God’s heart. He certainly is a merciful, loving God, but I believe we often don’t understand the balance between mercy and justice.

The one thing that bothers me most, right now, in my life is how easily I can see arrogance and rebellion in others lives, but so often fail to see it in my own. I want people to understand God’s judgment and have a healthy fear of it, but when I examine my life, do I have a healthy fear of God?

Read John 8:1-11

I’ve often looked at this story as one who was outside looking in.

The story starts with the religious leaders and Pharisees bringing in a woman who was obviously involved in deep sin. I would have to say it is probably among the most painful, and destructive sins we have, adultery.

Reading this story, I feel like I’m sitting in a movie theater. I begin booing the Pharisees and religious leaders, and I cheer as Jesus puts them in their place. Jesus forgives the woman and I appreciate the happy ending.

The problem I now face with this story is that I never put myself in the her shoes. I’ve never had an improper relationship with a married woman, but when I think about my relationship with God, I have committed spiritual adultery on many occasions.

The comforting part in this story is that when I confess those acts of spiritual adultery, I can close my eyes, and hear Him say those same words to me. “I don’t condemn you. Go on your way and sin no more.”

Read Nehemiah 13:31

Sometimes a short prayer suffices.

And I think Nehemiah prays a great one when he says, “Remember me with favor, O my God”

Some might accuse him of being blatantly selfish, but I would have to disagree.

Yes, it may be selfish in the sense that his prayer focuses on himself, but how is that any different than most of the prayers we pray on a regular basis?

Most of the prayers we pray are about us and what we want to see God do in us, to us, or for us, and that’s all Nehemiah does on this occasion as well.

He has been faithful and He simply asks God to bless him for his obedience.

And I have to believe that’s exactly what God did.