Hosea 10 continues the prophet’s lament over Israel’s unfaithfulness by weaving together three stark images. First, Israel is portrayed as a lush, spreading vine—one that bore fruit not for God’s glory, but to expand its own altars and pagan worship. Their prosperity bred idolatry, not gratitude. Instead of obeying the Lord’s instructions for worship (as in Deuteronomy 12), they mimicked the nations around them, trusting in political leaders and idols. These leaders made promises they never kept and allowed injustice to fester like toxic weeds. Samaria, the capital, became the hub of false religion and empty fear—fearing a calf-idol instead of the living God.

Genesis 18 gives us a deeply intimate and yet theologically rich portrait of God’s interaction with His covenant friend, Abraham. The scene opens with an unusual visit—three men appear, yet it quickly becomes clear one of them is divine. This is not just a passing encounter, but a purposeful appearance: a promise is reaffirmed, a future is foretold, and a question is posed that still rings through history: Is anything too hard for the Lord?

When Jesus called the twelve disciples, He wasn’t assembling a team of spiritual giants. He chose a group full of flaws, misperceptions, materialism, and selfish ambition. The Gospels do not airbrush their weaknesses; rather, they highlight them. From their misunderstandings to their self-centered expectations, the twelve consistently failed to grasp spiritual realities. And yet, Jesus remained committed to them.

Today’s devotional from Ray Stedman draws us into Paul’s perilous sea voyage in Acts 27, where he, along with 275 others, faces a violent storm that strips away every earthly confidence. Days without food, battered by wind and wave, and on the edge of despair, Paul rises—not with empty optimism, but with unwavering confidence rooted in a divine assurance. He announces that no lives will be lost, because the God he belongs to and serves sent an angel to deliver a message of hope and promise.

Today’s devotional from Bob Hoekstra draws our attention to God’s unwavering commitment to fulfill His promises, not only in the life of Abraham but in the lives of all who belong to Him. Abraham’s two sons—Ishmael and Isaac—serve as symbolic contrasts between fleshly striving and divine fulfillment. Ishmael came through human planning and effort, while Isaac was born purely through the promise and power of God. In this distinction, Paul reminds us that we, too, are not products of human striving or self-effort, but of God’s promise.

Oswald Chambers reminds us today that spiritual understanding doesn’t come through intellect—it comes through obedience. When Jesus speaks truth to our hearts, He doesn’t first ask us to comprehend, analyze, or debate. He asks us to yield and walk in what we already know to be true. Chambers warns that when the teachings of Christ seem unclear or distant, it may not be due to a lack of intelligence but rather a reluctance to obey.

Today’s devotional from A.B. Simpson brings us to Gethsemane, where surrender was not a posture of weakness but the very means of victory. Jesus bowed before the Father’s will—not in defeat, but in complete trust. His “Yes” to God’s plan was not passive resignation, but active yielding, full of confidence in the goodness and sovereignty of His Father.

This morning’s reading from Abide Above draws us into the liberating truth of Galatians 2:19—we died to the law so we might live to God. While many believers know that the law cannot impart life, far too many still seek to let it govern their walk. But Scripture insists that we are no longer under law, having been crucified with Christ. We’ve been raised to live in a new way—through the indwelling Christ who is full of grace and truth.

Today’s reflection from Witness Lee brings our attention to a subtle but very real temptation in the Christian life—turning our trust in God into a test of God. The devotional highlights the moment when Jesus was tempted to throw Himself from the temple wing in order to compel a miraculous display of divine rescue. Satan’s suggestion wasn't just bold; it cloaked itself in spiritual language and even Scripture. But Jesus didn’t bite. Instead, He reminded Satan—and us—of a foundational truth: You shall not test the Lord your God.

E. Stanley Jones points us to a reality often lost in denominational dialogue: the unity God desires is not founded on forms, doctrines, or offices—it is founded solely on Christ Himself. In a world cluttered with well-meaning but man-made attempts at church unity, Jones clarifies that God's plan was never to gather us around practices or polity, but around a Person.

Today’s devotional compiled by Nick Harrison gently exposes one of the deepest sources of unrest in a believer’s heart: the continual striving to find something good in ourselves that God can accept. T. Austin-Sparks explains that peace of conscience and rest of heart are not found by searching inwardly but by abandoning hope in the old man altogether. There is no good thing in our flesh. The enemy loves to keep us busy trying to uncover some hidden virtue—something salvageable in our fallen nature—but this is a trap that leads only to spiritual exhaustion and condemnation.

Today’s entry from T. Austin-Sparks is a beautiful reminder that the glory of Christ is not a future hope we strain toward—it’s a present reality that breaks into the deepest darkness with blazing light. Jesus isn’t merely a teacher who points to the light; He is the Light. His presence doesn't just bring knowledge—it brings transformation.

In today’s passage, Paul stands before King Agrippa, not as a pleading prisoner, but as a man filled with something the king could never purchase—freedom of spirit and joy unspeakable. With boldness and compassion, Paul lays the truth before Agrippa: the prophets have spoken, Christ has fulfilled, and the invitation is extended.

Today’s devotional from Bob Hoekstra draws a clear distinction between hearing the promises of God and actually living by them. Not everyone who hears the truth walks in the freedom it offers—because the promises of God are activated through faith. Faith isn’t a one-time doorway into the Christian life; it’s the hallway, the living room, the kitchen, and every step in between. Paul reminds us that the gospel is the power of God unto salvation for everyone who believes, and in it, the righteousness of God is revealed—from faith to faith.

God rarely rushes to reveal His purpose in our lives. He crafts vessels in hiddenness, often shaping the soul through mundane routines and unnoticed faithfulness. Today’s devotional from A.B. Simpson invites us to consider that our present trials, obscure as they may seem, are not wasted. They are preparatory. The Lord is forming a soul that can bear the weight of His eternal purposes.

Spiritual understanding doesn’t come through effortful reasoning or theological expertise—it comes by yielding to the Spirit’s promptings. Today, Oswald Chambers reminds us that Jesus doesn’t veil His truth in obscurity; it becomes veiled when we choose not to obey. The teachings of Christ are not hidden from us because we’re unintelligent but because we’re unwilling. The issue isn’t mental darkness—it’s the resistance of the heart.

Today’s reflection from Miles Stanford invites us to see suffering not as a barrier to God’s blessing, but as the very means by which He bestows it. Instead of seeking immediate relief from discomfort, we are reminded that God's purposes are often hidden in affliction. His refining hand doesn’t waste pain—it shapes, prunes, and produces fruit that could not have grown any other way.

When Satan came to tempt Jesus in the wilderness, his strategy wasn’t just to bait Jesus into sin but to lure Him into abandoning His place as a man. The devil challenged Him, “If You are the Son of God…” But Jesus did not answer from the lofty heights of divinity—He replied as a man, using the Word of God as His defense. “Man shall not live by bread alone,” He said, affirming that He stood where Adam fell—not as God, but as a man fully dependent on God.

Today’s reflection from His Victorious Indwelling draws from the sobering moment in Exodus 12:29–30 when the Lord passed through Egypt and struck down every firstborn not covered by the blood. Yet in every Israelite household where the blood of the lamb marked the doorpost, peace reigned. That peace didn’t depend on feelings or emotions—it rested entirely on the reliability of God’s promise: When I see the blood, I will pass over you.

E. Stanley Jones points us to a radiant truth: the will of God is not some cryptic decree to be decoded—it is a Person. Jesus Christ is the mystery of God’s will made visible, tangible, and knowable. He is not a philosophical puzzle or a distant ideal, but a living demonstration of God’s heart. Jesus is God’s will embodied in human life—loving, healing, correcting, forgiving, and ultimately, laying Himself down.