This past Friday, I sat in a crowded auditorium at Harvard Medical School, watching my oldest son walk across the stage during his Match Day ceremony. He opened his envelope and discovered he had matched at his top choice: a six-year integrative cardiothoracic surgery residency at Columbia University. His face lit up. My heart did too.

Years ago, after finishing dental school, I was accepted into a six-year MD/Oral Surgery residency. It was everything I had worked for… but I turned it down, choosing a path in orthodontics instead—for the sake of family and a more sustainable lifestyle. I set aside the dream of becoming a surgeon. Now, my son is stepping into that very world. What I laid down, he has taken up.

In our last reflection, we explored a crucial distinction: the difference between reading Scripture as a behavioral checklist and receiving it as a living expression of the indwelling Christ. A friend’s comment—“How are they supposed to learn the Bible, by osmosis?”—was meant in jest, but it illuminated something deeper: many believers still view sanctification primarily as an obedience-based effort to reform behavior, rather than a Spirit-led transformation from within.

Paul’s final words to the Corinthians are both weighty and tender. In 2 Corinthians 13, he prepares them for his third visit, framing it as the third confirming witness in keeping with Deuteronomy 19:15. His prior leniency is over; if the church does not repent, they will see the power of Christ through judgment, not just gentleness. Ironically, they have sought proof of Christ speaking through Paul—but that proof will not come in grand signs or human strength. Rather, it will come through Paul’s Spirit-empowered firmness, even in weakness.

Luke 23 is one of the most solemn and paradoxically hope-filled chapters in all of Scripture. It unveils the events leading up to and including the crucifixion of Jesus, and Luke carefully emphasizes that Jesus was entirely innocent. The religious leaders, Pilate, Herod, and the crowds—everyone had a hand in the miscarriage of justice, and yet no one could truly find fault in Jesus. Despite their participation, Jesus remained composed, silent at times, and when He spoke, His words were filled with mercy and purpose. He was not only wrongly accused but willingly offered up.

Ezra 6 is the remarkable conclusion to a long, uncertain season. The rebuilding of the temple, once halted by resistance, was revived by divine orchestration. King Darius discovered Cyrus’s original decree and fully supported the continuation of the temple construction. God's providence was on full display—He used royal decrees, archival diligence, and imperial funding to accomplish His will. Even the obstacles became instruments in His hand.

Ezekiel 27 contains a lament from God through Ezekiel over the majestic city of Tyre, once celebrated as the “gateway to the sea.” Its global reach in trade, mastery of maritime skill, and political power made it an icon of human achievement. The city was pictured as a stunning ship crafted with the best materials and manned by experts. Nations relied on it, profited from it, and admired it. But even this polished vessel, with all its wisdom, wealth, and strength, would be shattered by the sovereign wind of God.

Job 29 reads like the nostalgic sigh of a man who once walked in radiant intimacy with God. What made Job’s past so precious to him wasn’t his wealth or influence—it was the nearness of God’s presence, the felt friendship of the Almighty. That’s what he misses most. His recollection paints a portrait not only of who Job was, but also of who Christ is—and who we, in Christ, are becoming.

In today’s devotional, we’re invited to do something both radical and liberating: take an honest inventory of everything we consider assets—our education, personality, money, skills, reputation—and then view them as liabilities when compared to the surpassing worth of knowing Christ. Paul didn’t simply renounce his old life in theory; he considered every fleshly confidence trash in light of the treasure of Jesus living in him. He wasn’t begrudging in this loss—he was joyful, because what he gained in return was true adequacy. The deeper point is this: many of us have Christ in us, but haven’t yet “gained” Him experientially because we are still clinging to what we used to draw life and value from. Only when we drop the rod—our means of self-support—can Christ become our full source. The life we once managed from the outside, He now lives through us from within. But we can’t walk in both. One must be counted loss to enjoy the other as gain.

In his devotional, E. Stanley Jones highlights Paul’s greeting in Romans 16:3–4, calling Aquila and Priscilla his “fellow workers in Christ Jesus.” Though refugees, they weren’t dependent or defeated—they worked with their hands and ministered in the Spirit. Their strength in Christ gave them dignity and purpose, which they shared with Apollos, helping move him from John’s baptism to the fuller truth of Jesus’ baptism—life in the Spirit. The emphasis is not on verbal inspiration but on the vital inspiration of Scripture and the spiritual vitality found in those who live and work in Christ.

📖 Romans 15:29 – “I know that when I come to you, I will come in the fullness of the blessing of Christ.”

E. Stanley Jones draws from Paul’s remarkable words in Romans 15:29 to show how confident Paul was—not in himself, but in Christ. Paul didn’t claim he would bring a blessing from Christ; he said he would come in the fullness of the blessing of Christ. That kind of confidence flows from total surrender. We lack Christ-confidence because we haven’t fully surrendered self. The more we cling to our independence, the more we second-guess, hesitate, and feel empty. But full surrender opens us to full supply. When we are “in Christ,” we don’t walk into situations conscious of our lack; we arrive conscious of His fullness. That’s what made Paul sufficient to face Rome—he wasn’t drawing from his own strength. He was abiding in a limitless supply. And so can we.

📖 “I want to know Christ — yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death.” – Philippians 3:10

Today’s devotional reminds us that knowing Christ isn’t about accumulating knowledge about Him; it’s about sharing life with Him. Paul wasn’t seeking prestige or recognition—he was longing for intimacy. True friendship with Jesus comes not through occasional contact but through moment-by-moment fellowship. This is a relationship formed in the crucible of shared experience.

Elijah didn’t just believe that the rain would come—he leaned into it. First, he declared the promise before a cloud was in sight. Then, with his face between his knees on the mountaintop, he persisted in prayer. This devotional by AB Simpson calls us to see that simple trust isn’t the whole story—true faith moves us beyond initial confidence into a tenacious clinging to Christ until His promise becomes our reality. The picture of Joash is fitting: one arrow shot in hope, then repeated strikes in endurance. We often stop short—trusting once, but not abiding. Yet the house of God is built not just on initial faith, but enduring faith. We hold fast not because we are strong, but because we are held by the One who overcame.

Today’s devotional reminds me that many of the burdens I have carried were not mine to bear. The writer points to Nehemiah’s example: he did not allow fear or false accusations to disrupt his focus or draw him into unnecessary defenses—not even under the cover of prayer. Most of what troubles us doesn’t require our response. We stack up imagined scenarios, fret over future outcomes, and even spiritualize our worry. But God calls us to something far simpler and far freer—release. Rest. Like a bird tucked safely under His wing, we are invited to trust that He is already at work in all things for our good. The things that matter will always be met with His care.

Today’s reading from Day by Day by Grace reminds me that resurrection life isn’t just about beginning the Christian journey—it's also the power by which we continue. Paul’s prayer in Ephesians 1 is an invitation to live with spiritual eyes wide open. God longs for us not only to see the power that raised Christ from the dead, but to know it personally—experientially—as the very power that works in us. The same power that raised Jesus and seated Him in heavenly places is available to us for sanctification, enabling us to rise above the pull of the flesh, the weariness of the world, and the lies of the enemy. This isn’t just theological—it’s transformational.

Verse: “Were not our hearts burning within us?” — Luke 24:32
Oswald Chambers invites us to recognize and nurture the holy fire that the Spirit ignites in our hearts. It’s not enough to simply experience those burning moments of clarity and vision—we must learn to stay in experiential union with Christ so that the flame doesn’t fade when routine life returns. Chambers warns that it’s often not sin but ignorance of how we’re made that causes us to lose heart. When the Spirit sparks an emotion aligned with God’s purposes, we should welcome it and let it run its course. If we resist or suppress it, we drift into dullness or even despair. The key to sustaining the burning heart? Abiding in Jesus.

Today’s eManna devotional reminds me that while eternal life is secure in Christ, sin is not without consequence. The promise of Jesus in John 10:28 is a beautiful anchor—eternal life is a gift that cannot be taken away. But this doesn’t mean sin is trivial for the believer. Even though God’s relational forgiveness is always available through confession, sin carries real consequences in this life and may also affect our future role in the coming kingdom. Using David as an example, the message warns that while guilt can be removed, the earthly repercussions of our choices sometimes linger. God loves us too much to let sin go unchecked—His discipline is part of His love.

God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of His Son Jesus Christ our Lord.” —1 Corinthians 1:9

The longing to walk in close fellowship with Christ often includes a yearning for His peace, joy, and victory. But we may shrink back from the means through which He deepens that fellowship—namely, suffering. This devotional reminds us that true usefulness in the kingdom doesn’t come through ease, but through being made into channels of comfort—people who have known sorrow and can minister Christ’s love to broken hearts.

A Conversation About Discipleship, Pressure, and the Power of Union With Christ

“Come to Me, all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest… Learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart.” – Matthew 11:28–29
“It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me.” – Galatians 2:20

A Conversation About Purpose, Presence, and Letting Christ Be Seen

“We all… beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another.” – 2 Corinthians 3:18
“To them God chose to make known… the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.” – Colossians 1:27

A Conversation About Focus, Freedom, and Living From Christ Within

“Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.” – Colossians 3:2–3
“Walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.” – Galatians 5:16