Today Daily Devotional

“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” — John 15:5 How do we “remain” in Jesus? I think it has a lot to do with prayer. I grew up in the church, and I remember that when I was young, prayer always seemed boring. We clasped our hands, closed our eyes, and bowed our heads as the pastor prayed for what seemed a long, long time. But as I grew older and Jesus became more real to me, my prayer life started to change. There’s nothing wrong with the posture of folding your hands and closing your eyes—I still sometimes take that posture to concentrate. But as I grew in faith, prayer became much more about spending time with God. I not only learned to praise God and lift up my requests to him; I also learned to spend time reading the Bible and listening for what the Spirit had to say. I’ve found that when I make sure to spend time with Jesus in prayer, I’m a much more patient person—even in the midst of life’s challenges. On days when there is too much to do, I’m more likely to be kinder and slower in my responses to family and friends. I’m also more likely to take time for a conversation with a neighbor who passes by. And I’m more likely to look for and respond to the Holy Spirit’s promptings. Lord, thank you that we’re able to spend time in your presence through prayer. Help us to be intentional about spending time with you so that your love and grace can transform us to become more like you. Amen.

Your faith in God has become known everywhere. — 1 Thessalonians 1:8 I have a soccer friend who quit his full-time job to become a social-media influencer. He focuses on differences between Canadian and American products. Did you know that Corn PopsTM cereal is almost completely different in Canada from what it is in the United States? Of course, influencers are into everything from home design to fashion to video games and parenting. There’s no end. But influencing is not new to our generation. In his letter to the Thessalonians, Paul reflects on the powerful effects of influence in this young church. Through Paul and his companions they were introduced to Jesus and, in turn, began to reflect Jesus themselves. Listen to what Paul says in verse 7: “You became a model to all the believers in [the surrounding area]. . . . The Lord’s message rang out from you . . . your faith in God has become known everywhere.” Talk about influence! Think about your own faith journey and who has influenced you. Who made Jesus real to you? And how about your own influence? What would it look like for the good news of Jesus to ring out from your life today? Dear Jesus, may our lives be so open to the influence of your love and forgiveness that we bring that same influence to all the people in our lives and in all the places we go today. In your name we pray. Amen.

“‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. . . .” — John 15:20 Are we living in “the last days”? Some people in nearly every generation think so. Yet there is one thing we can be sure of: the problems described in 2 Timothy 3 are happening today, just as in many other periods of history. People have noted that Christianity has long had a privileged position in the “Western world,” at least since the time of the Roman emperor Constantine, who converted to Christianity. After the Edict of Milan in A.D. 313 and other developments, many of the laws in the Western world became rooted in biblical teaching. As a result, many people have been heavily influenced by the Bible on how to live their lives. This does not mean that all of these people, or even the majority, have been Christians. But Christians in the West have often been free of persecution, and yet that has not been the case in other parts of the world. Nor was this what Jesus prepared his followers to expect. He taught them to expect persecution. Today Christianity is fading in the West, and so is Christian influence on the laws and policies of Western nations. As time goes on, it may become harder for Christians to live day by day without being persecuted. But there is no reason to fear or lose hope. The Lord is faithful, and the Lord is King. His kingdom is not of this world, and we are called to serve him, following the teachings of Scripture and living by God’s way of love. Lord, in the face of many changes today, help us to live truly Christian lives. In Jesus’ name, Amen!

“May our Lord Jesus Christ himself . . . encourage your hearts and strengthen you. . . .” — 2 Thessalonians 2:16-17 As we sat down for breakfast at a restaurant, Jack said to me for about the tenth time, “I love you, brother; I love you so much!” I certainly didn’t feel worthy of that love because I hadn’t seen Jack for years. I was there because a friend had faithfully kept up contact much better than I had done. So this breakfast meeting was long overdue. Some years ago, I had been in contact with Jack quite a lot. He was going through a painful time with lots of personal struggles. He had a young daughter he was trying to care for, and I was one of several people who did our best to surround him with care and encouragement. He saw it all as a gift from Jesus. But time passed, Jack moved to another area, and I hadn’t seen him in a long time. As I processed my own feelings of guilt for letting our friendship slide, I also began to see with new clarity what a gift Jack was to me. He showed me what resilient faith looks like in the midst of a hard story. Despite my long absence, he bore me no ill will—he was just overjoyed that I showed up. Another friend and I joked that we heard “I love you” that day more times from Jack than we had heard from our family members in a while. I was reminded of how powerful just being present can be. This also helped me remember that the Lord Jesus is present with us always (Matthew 28:20). Lord, thank you that no matter where we go, you are already there. Help us to bring your love to others. Amen.