Today Daily Devotional

ReFrame Ministries
  • 4.7 (29)
  • CHRISTIANITY
  • UPDATED DAILY

Today is a daily devotional that helps God's people refresh, refocus and renew their faith through Bible reading, reflection, and prayer.

  1. 18H AGO

    Covenant Creation

    “Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your very great reward.” — Genesis 15:1 How long can you live on a promise? Abram and Sarai had lived with God’s promise of a child for many years. Their faith was being tested, and their hope was beginning to fade.One evening God came to renew his promise to Abram, saying that his descendants would be as many as the stars in the night sky. Abram’s faith was strengthened—and God provided even more.Our reading for today shows how God not only approaches people but also creates a pathway of relating to them. In this passage we read about a special kind of covenant (a binding promise) in which two parties would walk between the split carcasses of animals, as if to say, “May the same be done to me if I break my promise.” But here we find that only God goes between the carcasses. While Abram is in a deep, trance-like sleep, God himself takes on both sides of this covenant. This arrangement will have twists and turns, and God looks to the future, telling Abram that his descendants will become slaves in Egypt. But God also promises to bring them back—and he does that (see Exodus 12- 20; Deuteronomy 1-3).Since history began, people have tried to grab for themselves whatever they think their “great reward” should be. But God offers himself, making clear that the way to full life comes from understanding that the Lord is our shield and our ultimate reward. Dear God, thank you for making the way and providing for us. May we remember that you always provide for us and for our salvation. Amen.

  2. 1D AGO

    Who is She?

    Pharaoh . . . sent [Abram] on his way, with his wife and everything he had. — Genesis 12:20 It was a time of famine, and Abram and Sarai needed food. There was food in Egypt, but going there could be dangerous. (This would not be the first time God’s people sought food in Egypt during a famine, and this episode foreshadows events that took place later in the story of Abram’s descendants— see Genesis 37-50.)As Abram and Sarai entered Egypt, Abram came up with a plan. He told Sarai, in effect, “If people ask who you are, I will tell them you are my sister. If I say you are my wife, they might kill me to get to you.”So a deception began, and one lie led to another. Before long, Sarai was taken to become a wife in Pharaoh’s household. And the truth came out when God protected Sarai by inflicting diseases on Pharaoh and his household. (Some years later, a similar type of cover-up took place in the life of Abram’s son Isaac during another famine—Genesis 26.)Abram had thought he was providing for himself and his wife, but he learned that it is God who provides and protects. Pharaoh could easily have killed Abram for his actions, but God provided protection for him in that way too.Instead of being killed, Abram was sent away with all the gifts he had received when Sarai was taken into the palace. And those blessings came ultimately through the faithful provision of God. Dear God, so often we think we can protect and provide for ourselves. Please take away our deception and pride, and help us to see that you alone are the one who provides. Amen.

  3. 2D AGO

    The Call to Follow

    “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you.” — Genesis 12:1 Abram and Sarai will become key figures in the story of God’s covenant and his plan for salvation.When we first meet this couple, they do not have children (Genesis 11:30). In those days, if a couple could not have a child, that was usually seen as a sign that God had chosen not to bless them. But that was a mistaken notion.God called Abram to go to another land that God would show him. We aren’t told exactly why—but the initial step in this relationship came from God, who promised to bless Abram and to make him and Sarai into a great nation, and the next step was to follow where God would lead. But that could not have been easy.Abram was told to leave his country, his people, and his father’s household. All that he had known for providing a level of security and safety was to be left behind.Where would they go? God didn’t say, but he did promise to show them. Trusting in the call of God would place them on a journey that would totally change their lives.When we head out on a journey, we like to know where we are going and how we can get there safely. Yet when God calls, there is usually a step of faith involved. God calls us to put our trust in him and not in what we already have or know. And his faithfulness is a gift that can only be received by hands open to him. Lord, may we come to you with open hands and hearts. Help us to rely on you, knowing that all we have is ultimately from you. Amen.

  4. 3D AGO

    After the Flood

    God said to Noah, “This is the sign of the covenant . . . between me and all life on the earth.” — Genesis 9:17 God works in line with his character and principles—and he has made those clear to us, as we can see in this passage and in others. For example, there are consequences to sin and evil. When the earth was filled with wickedness, God made a clean slate by sending a flood (Genesis 6-8). And God chose Noah and his family to make a new start.Yet as Noah and his family took tentative steps into this new beginning, God encouraged them by making a promise: “Never again will all life be destroyed by . . . a flood.” And this promise was not only for Noah’s family; it was for all future generations.In this covenant, God does not rely on Noah and his descendants to keep from sinning. In fact, sin continues in the human story. The only way that this promise or covenant can be kept is if God is willing to step in and hold both ends of it. God notes also that the rainbow will be a sign of his enduring promise. The rainbow will be a reminder of his covenant with us and with “all living creatures of every kind.”This story shows us a pattern that began to unfold early in our history: God is the covenant maker and the covenant keeper for us and for our salvation. Dear God, thank you for your care for us and for all of your creation. Help us to understand that you care for all of life. May we see it as your precious work that you faithfully love and hold in your hands. Amen.

  5. 4D AGO

    Pain and New Birth

    “God has granted me another child in place of Abel, since Cain killed him.” — Genesis 4:25 God had told Adam and Eve that there would be consequences for their sin. When Eve gave birth to Cain and then Abel, she experienced the pain of childbirth—but, sadly, more pain would come.As the boys grew up, one was drawn to till the soil, and the other to keep flocks. But when they brought offerings to God from the fruits of their labors, there was a difference. Abel brought the best portions, but Cain brought merely “some of the fruits of the soil.” God looked with favor on Abel, but not on Cain. Jealousy sparked, and Cain grew angry while Abel grew closer to God. Cain nurtured his anger, and eventually he killed his brother.Adam and Eve grieved the loss of one son by death and of the other by banishment through the just judgment of God. Their home was no longer full. The pain of childbirth could not compare to the pain of losing both sons.Then Adam and Eve conceived again and welcomed a new child, and Eve gave praise for what God granted.Some of you know the pain of losing a child. Some wonder if God can bring new life in after such a loss. Pain is not the end of our story because God, who loves us, is present with us.Through Adam and Eve’s new child, Seth, God began preparing a way for his own Son, Jesus, to come into the world. And he became the Savior from sin for all who believe in him. Dear God, help us to see beyond our pain and to trust that you can bring us healing and even joy again. Thank you for being present with us. In Jesus, Amen.

  6. 5D AGO

    Faithful God

    “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.” — Genesis 3:15 The story in Genesis 3 is often described as “the fall into sin.” Adam and Eve started with a wonderful, day-by-day relationship with God, but then one day they sinned. And they hid from God in their shame. God had said they should not eat the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (Genesis 2:16-17). But then the devil, Satan, planted seeds of doubt in their minds, and they disobeyed. They ate the forbidden fruit and fell from their close relationship with God.The curse of disobeying, God had said, would be death. But Adam and Eve did not die that day. God sought them out and did not strike them down. They also failed to take the blame for their actions, and God took the consequences of their sin on himself. It turned out that one day his own Son, who was also their offspring, would give up his own life to pay for the sins of all people (Matthew 1:18-25).Friends are faithful to each other. God is always a friend to us, but we are not equally faithful. We sin. We are often unfaithful, but God is faithful.How could God make us right with him? The plan of salvation is not what we would expect. It was not fully visible to Adam and Eve, but it started, continued, and became complete when God sent his Son, born of a woman, to live without sin and to give his life to pay for all our sin. What an amazing, faithful God! Dear God, we sin in many ways every day. Thank you for being faithful, and please help us to live faithfully for you. In Jesus, Amen.

  7. 6D AGO

    Faithfulness in the Morning

    His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. — Lamentations 3:22-23 Have you ever lost sleep because your mind and heart were busy or burdened? You can lie down and try to fall asleep, but sleep won’t come.Jeremiah surely knew what that was like. He often poured out his heart and soul to God and to his people, but most of the people ignored what he had to say as God’s prophet. At times he was even put in prison for speaking God’s Word.Jeremiah lamented over the people who denied God and persecuted him. The book of Lamentations is a brief collection of some of those laments. They are a companion piece to the narrative provided in the book of Jeremiah. Jeremiah had done all he could to bring God’s Word to his people, but it was not enough. Even so, one of the great hymns of faith—“Great Is Thy Faithfulness”—arises from the passage we have read for today.I have often wondered how a great song about faithfulness could be born out of lament. Yet this is a key insight for us to ponder. When times are good, we tend to forget about God and rely on ourselves. But when times are hard and we cry out to God in our struggles, we can often see God and his work more clearly. God’s love, compassion, and faithfulness stand out against the darkness of sin and destruction.God is with us always, and he promises new beginnings and new life each day to all who seek him. “Great Is Thy Faithfulness” is a song we can sing every day! God of all days and nights, thank you for your faithfulness to us each day and throughout every season. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

  8. MAR 1

    Faithfulness in the Journey

    Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me. . . . — Psalm 23:4 Bible teachers have often wondered about the setting of this song of David. When was it written?In Psalm 23 we find descriptions of the work of a young man who herded and guarded his father’s sheep, finding calm pastureland and plenty of water so that the sheep could eatand drink.We also hear echoes of David’s life as a king, in which he often had to be wary of enemies. God provided a banquet table and an anointing or blessing, providing protection, abundance, and favor despite those enemies.In addition, we observe the reflections of an older man, looking back on his journey of life and looking forward to living with the Lord . . . forever!Many key phrases in this psalm have been read at commemorative services and at funerals. One key word is through. When you are in the midst of trouble and hardship, you want to know that it will come to an end. You want to be assured that you will come out on the other side.We can get through the darkest valleys in life knowing that God is with us. This month, as we review key texts about the faithfulness of God in the Bible, we will see again and again that God’s faithfulness is part of the promise of his presence with us.In what areas do you need the assurance of God’s presence in your life? Lord, may we know your presence so that we can take every step with you, no matter what is before us. Thank you for being our shepherd. Amen.

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About

Today is a daily devotional that helps God's people refresh, refocus and renew their faith through Bible reading, reflection, and prayer.

Information

  • Creator
    ReFrame Ministries
  • Years Active
    2018 - 2026
  • Episodes
    63
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 1977-2026 ReFrame Ministries
  • Show Website
    Today Daily Devotional

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