Today’s devotional from Abide Above focuses on the vital connection between inward preparation and outward service. Using David’s refusal to wear Saul’s armor as a springboard (1 Samuel 17:38–39), it reminds us that the work God calls us to must not be approached in borrowed strength, borrowed methods, or borrowed revelations. The Spirit patiently prepares each believer through deeply personal experiences—experiences that shape and refine them into instruments of authenticity.

This devotional reflects on one of the more painful realities of spiritual care: the rejection of the shepherd by those he came to feed. Using Joseph and Jesus as parallel examples, the message reveals a divine pattern — true authority is born from sacrificial shepherding.

Esther 2 unfolds with a mixture of human schemes and divine orchestration. After the removal of Queen Vashti, King Xerxes seeks a new queen through a morally questionable process—gathering young women from across the empire, subjecting them to a year of beauty treatments, and selecting the one who pleases him most.

Ezekiel 45 gives a striking glimpse into the reordered life of Israel following its restoration. Everything revolves around the temple—literally. God designates a holy district in the center of the land, around which everything else is distributed: the city, the prince’s allotment, and the tribes. The temple is not just a place of worship; it’s the geographic and spiritual center from which all else is measured and oriented.

Psalm 5 opens with the quiet intensity of a morning soul turned toward heaven. David speaks not with self-assurance but with expectancy. He knows God listens—not only to articulate petitions but to the heart’s inaudible longings. In this sacred posture, David begins the day not by bracing for battle but by entrusting the day to a holy God whose favor surrounds the righteous.

E. Stanley Jones reflects on the powerful truth embedded in Jesus’ words from John 15:16 — “You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit.” Traditionally, we’ve reserved the word “ordination” for formal ceremonies where a select few are set apart through the laying on of hands. But Jones invites us to reconsider this concept through a more biblical lens — one that springs from our union with Christ rather than human ritual.

Today’s reflection by Ray Stedman opens the book of Acts not as a historical conclusion, but as a living continuation of Christ’s life on earth. The writer reminds us that Luke's Gospel recorded what Jesus began to do and teach in His physical body, and Acts continues that record—not through the actions of independent believers, but through Christ Himself, now living and acting through His people. This is not merely a shift in method, but a profound unveiling of God's strategy: incarnation is ongoing.

In today's reading from A. B. Simpson, we are drawn into the fruit of the Spirit described in Galatians 5:22, particularly the spirit of gentleness. The author invites us to observe how the season of spring reflects this very attribute—nature shedding its harshness and adorning itself with beauty and warmth. In the same way, the believer who yields to the indwelling Holy Spirit reflects the gentleness of Christ, not as forced behavior but as the natural outflow of His life within.

Today’s devotional by Bob Hoekstra centers us on the heart of the exchanged life: the understanding that we are not the source of anything we need—and God is the source of everything we need. Bob invites us to consider the tension between the human instinct to self-produce and the divine truth that sufficiency never originates from the self.

Oswald Chambers, with his usual bold clarity, reminds us today that true spiritual maturity isn't about living in a continuous state of emotional inspiration. It's about quietly walking by faith, even in obscurity. While God may give us mountain-top moments of light and glory, those are His gifts—not His requirements for us to act.

This morning's reflection from Abide Above invites us into a deeper understanding of love—not as a principle or doctrine—but as a Person who draws us into ever-deepening intimacy. C.A.C. begins with the truth every believer first encounters: Christ loved us so much that He saved us. But that first experience of His love—at the Cross—is merely the beginning.

This morning’s devotional from eManna invites us to consider Joseph as the clearest Old Testament foreshadowing of the perfection of Christ. Unlike other notable figures—David, Moses, Solomon—Joseph’s scriptural record carries no stain, no documented defect. He’s not presented as flawless in behavior alone, but as one whose life points forward to Jesus—the true and final Good Shepherd.

Paul opens this letter not with complaint about his suffering, but with gratitude. Even while imprisoned, he celebrates the grace of God revealed in the Colossians' lives. These believers had heard the gospel from Epaphras, a fellow laborer in the faith, and were now walking in faith and love—clear signs of their transformed hearts. Paul emphasizes that this transformation didn't come from personal effort but from the Spirit's work in them. He reminds us that the gospel is spreading and bearing fruit because it is rooted in grace, not human striving.

Paul’s letter to the Colossians is a call to remain rooted in the sufficiency of Christ. Written from Roman house arrest, possibly chained to a guard while awaiting trial before Nero, Paul’s heart overflowed not with fear but with concern for the flourishing of the body of Christ. Even under pressure, his thoughts were with the believers in Colossae—people he had never met but loved deeply in Christ.

John 16 carries the tone of a parting gift from Jesus—a message spoken to hearts soon to be torn by grief, then flooded with joy. Jesus prepares His disciples for persecution, not to frighten them, but to reassure them that their suffering will not be unexpected, meaningless, or endured alone. He speaks as a Shepherd who knows the valley ahead and lovingly tells them what is coming, and why.

Many seek peace through human effort—through religion, philosophy, or personal striving—only to come up empty. Some turn to systems that promise enlightenment, rules that demand perfection, or rituals that attempt to erase guilt. Yet, no system, no ritual, no philosophy can remove the deep weight of sin. Only in Christ do we find the reality of total forgiveness and freedom from condemnation.

E. Stanley Jones draws us into the heart of what it means to be “in Christ”—a phrase that surpasses all religious identifiers. Being in Christ is more than being in the church, more than embracing right doctrine or living out good behavior. It’s not even merely being born again. To be in Christ is to live in love—a particular kind of love—the self-giving, limitless love that flows from Christ Himself.

Today’s devotional entry by Ray Stedman draws from Leviticus 27, where Israelite vows to the Lord were assessed by fixed valuations, depending on the age and gender of the person being offered. These vows weren’t empty pledges; they were heartfelt offerings — often made on behalf of others — in response to the desire for God’s blessing. A parent might vow to dedicate their child to God’s service, or a friend might pledge a gift if God would work in someone’s life. And when someone made such a vow, they were expected to fulfill it with exactness.

Today’s reading draws our gaze to the unrelenting love of God—a love that chooses to see His people through the covering of Christ’s blood, not through the blemishes of their faults. A.B. Simpson brings out the mystery and mercy found in Isaiah’s words: “They are My people… so He was their Savior.” Even though they had lied and failed, God speaks as if He saw none of it.

Today’s reading by Bob Hoekstra reveals the heart of new covenant living: a life that draws its sufficiency entirely from God, not self. The devotional reflects on several beautiful traits that are meant to grow in the life of the believer—triumph, godly fragrance, sincerity, and being a living letter of Christ. But rather than prescribing a method of self-improvement, Bob reaffirms what Paul makes clear: Who is sufficient for these things? Not us. Only God.