I know you’re looking at the above verse and thinking it’s a strange verse for a daily devotional. It’s certainly not a verse any of us would tape to our mirrors to memorize. Yet the Bible teaches us lessons in many ways. Sometimes it tells us what to do and the positives of doing it and sometimes, like this verse, it tells us what not to do and the consequences of doing those.

Saul, Israel’s first king, seemed like the perfect pick for the crown from a human standpoint. He was taller and better looking than anyone around, a king who would certainly stand out in a crowd or while dealing with other kings.

However, what Saul didn’t have was devotion to the True King, the Lord. He tried to play the role of a priest instead of waiting on God and tried to consult a medium instead of praying to the Lord and waiting for His answer.

This verse tells us this was due to unfaithfulness, a trait that shows up when trouble occurs and we look for answers anywhere but through God. When you run into problems, show faith by taking it to God and letting Him provide the answers.

Strengthen my faith,

Pastor Ron Kitchell

You have probably heard the expression: it was written all over his face. We have trained ourselves to hide our true hearts beneath a smile, raised eyebrows, or a stare of silence. But a wonderful thing happens when we come to know the Lord. His presence in our lives changes our countenance, our face! The sons of Korah wrote in Psalms 42-43 about souls that were depressed, downcast, and disquieted. They prayed the Lord would be the help of their countenance. What does your face say about your relationship with Almighty God? Look in the mirror for it seems to me nothing should exude more peace and joy than a child of God. May the world see that in you today.

May my face reflect what my heart has received!

Pastor Jack Abeelen

Jonathan was the son of King Saul. He had surely heard the story of Gideon and his band of 300 routing a countless army of invaders. He knew in his heart that if God was with you, the odds against you did not matter. He determined that if the Philistines called him to come up the hill to them, then God was going to deliver them into his hands. But if they said to stay where they saw him, it was not the time to face the Philistines.

Sure enough, they called him to come up to them. He and his armor bearer went up against overwhelming odds, and a great defeat of the Philistines followed. God and one man or woman is a majority. Jonathan did not look at the size of the army he was facing, but at the greatness of his God.

We are always tempted to look at the physical and make calculations, but if God’s will is involved, then all the practical reasoning in the world goes out the window. He can do as He pleases. He is never limited by circumstances. Faith looks at the greatness of God not the circumstances.

When we are led by the Spirit of God, we have to fix our gaze on the greatness of God or we will become fearful and doubt His will. Our trust must be in Him and His Word and not in our own ability, statistics, programs, or previous success. God does great things through us when we will listen for His leading and act on it in faith.

Consider: Has the Lord been leading you to do something that just doesn’t seem reasonable? Fix your eyes on His greatness and step out in faith.

Pastor William Del Casale

In the prior chapter, Paul warned the Colossians about being deceived with worldly philosophies and the doctrines of man. In our passage today, he commands the mindset that we should establish in order to stand strong against any line of thought or doctrine that diminishes Christ. He first tells us that we are to “seek those things which are above.” Seek means “to go in search or quest of,” therefore we need to actively put forth the effort to search and know the ways of God and His truth. If we are bombarded day in and day out by the ways and enticements of the world without us actively seeking fellowship with God, we are not going to advance in our walk with Him. We must fight to set aside time of devotion, prayer, and study of His word so that we can have a steady, daily dose of His truth in our lives.

Secondly, we are to set our mind on “those things above.” The picture here is a choice of the foundation on which we are going to place our minds. Rather than choosing the decaying foundation of the world, we are to place our mind on the solid foundation of the things of God.

Lord, empower us by your Spirit to actively seek you day in and day out, and may we renew our minds so that they are built upon the foundation of your truths.

Jeff Mericle

An inheritance is something that comes into one’s own possession that once belonged to a predecessor. All believers in Christ have obtained an infinitely-valuable inheritance that was obtained solely by the death of Christ on the cross. The riches of the glory of this inheritance has been passed on to us, even though we were once dead in our sins and deserved only His wrath.

Because of the death of Jesus on the cross, the penalty for our many sins was paid, and through faith in Him, we have obtained the priceless inheritance of eternal life in His glorious presence. Verse 11 then states the mysterious truth about “being predestined…”

Before time began, God made a plan in which the hopeless debt for my sin would be paid. Furthermore, He amazingly predestined me according to His own purposes and the counsel of His will to live forever in His presence to the praise of His glory. It was the Father’s own good pleasure to make a way of salvation for you and me. Though we were undeserving sinners, Christ died for us and paid our debt, and as a result, we are the eternal beneficiaries of His kindness and love.

The only appropriate response for this over-the-top, absolutely undeserved kindness of God is bow before Him in amazed thankfulness. Then we should rise together in resounding praise to His glorious name with all our hearts.

Tom Day

Envision bacon sizzling on a skillet as you prepare your most beloved breakfast. Can you smell the bacon by just thinking about it? Can you begin to taste it as you concentrate your mind on the smell? For bacon lovers, this is an intoxicating smell regardless if it’s just being imagined.

Jesus, in the passage above, is pretty much calling out the crowd of people that came looking for Him, not because Jesus is a great conversationalist, not because His teaching was so amazing, not necessarily because he was doing some pretty awesome miracles, it was because of free food.

I’m sure there are many reading this that are guilty of caring more about their breakfast than the current Sunday morning message that is being delivered. For us pastors, this could hurt our feelings until we realize that if it happened to Jesus, it will happen to us.

There is a tendency to care a lot more about physical, temporal, materialistic things than about the spiritual. I think this is a battle for all of us because our flesh is hungry for the things of this world, but the more we push into the things of God and learn and understand our Savior more, the more we will learn that the spiritual and eternal things of this life are by far more intoxicating to the soul than even, dare I say… bacon!

Pastor Jason Witt

James reminds us of what Jesus told us in Matthew 7. Don’t judge one another. We are not called to judge but to share the gospel of Jesus Christ to those around us. I find that I can become too critical about people who are not walking with the Lord. I make judgements towards them that I should not be making. I say things like they need to get right with the Lord, or I say things like, I can’t believe they say they are Christians.

My job is to share the love of Christ not to go around pointing out what is wrong. I’m called to be a light, to love others, to make disciples. James reminds us that it’s God’s job to judge not ours. If we want to live a holy life, let’s stop pointing out what is wrong with people and start to love them in the way Jesus showed us.

Joshua Navarro

Half-heartedness is a thief that we allow to rob us of success throughout our lives. When we approach our daily work, whether it’s our career, our educational pursuits, or the tasks that we set forth to complete; engaging in these endeavors with a distracted effort often leads to a sorry result. Apply this idea to our relationships, and we can see how we sometimes end up with regret and sorrow where love and fulfillment were once ours to hold.

Now consider the most important relationship of all, the one between ourselves and our Maker. I have found myself “guilty on all counts” of giving the Lord a half-hearted effort in seeking Him. I can read His word until my eyes bleed and I can pray 50 times a day, but if my heart is inattentive to His voice and to His Spirit, my wheels are just spinning on an icy road.

In seasons of hardship and in seasons of prosperity, may each of us give God our full attention. Growth, love, and hope await us if we do. Let’s give Him a chance to show each of us how true this verse of promise really is!

Jeff Deal

Every week it seems this world gets darker and darker. We read about natural disasters like earthquakes and hurricanes, we are experiencing economic collapse in our country and around the world, and the news is full of stories about terrorist attacks and unbelievable acts of violence. All around us is the evidence that we are living in a fallen world and there seems to be no bottom. To the unbeliever, these events bring uncertainty and fear. After all, if this world is all there is and it’s clearly unpredictable and broken, how can they know what to do? Yet to a follower of Christ, we look at these things from a different perspective, a biblical one.

Jesus told us that as believers in this world, “We will have trials and tribulations.” The Bible is very clear because of sin, this world has been corrupted and therefore, we will experience its effects. But that is not the final word, we can “Be of good cheer, because He has overcome this world.” Yes, this world that we live in is broken.

I’m not telling you to cancel your newspaper and never turn on the news, but I would encourage you as you see all of these things, “look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near.”

Pastor Doug Hardin

Have you ever been brokenhearted and felt as though there was no one to comfort you? The beauty of the gospel is that our Lord draws near to you in such times. The book of Hebrews tells us Jesus is our empathetic High Priest because He has endured everything that we do, yet without sin. Whatever has left you brokenhearted, Jesus also endured; He knows. He knows what it is to be betrayed by a close friend, to have people slander your name, to have family not believe in you, to love someone so deeply only to have them reject you, to feel the crushing weight of sin, or whatever you are going through. He understands your hurt and draws near to you. He will never make you feel silly for feeling broken, tell you to rub some dirt on it, or tell you He has been through much worse.

As He draws near, He empathizes with you and asks you to give it to Him; He walks with us through our heartbreak. If you are feeling heartbroken, remember that we have a God who draws near. Also, follow His example and draw near to those who have a broken heart.

For the King,

Pastor Daniel Batistelli