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Philippians 1:9, John 13:34-35, 1 John 3:14, 4:20

My Prayer

Filed Under: Devotions by Chuck
May 23, 2026

Paul explained to the Philippians that “God only knows” what they mean to him and how deeply he cares for their well-being. It seems likely that he learned from Epaphroditus, the deliverer of the letter, that not everything in Philippi was as it should be. Since Paul could not be with them in person, he did what he often did best: he wrote. After expressing his concern, he began addressing the issues, starting not with correction, but with prayer. Philippians 1:9 begins, “And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more…” At first glance, it is not entirely clear what Paul is asking. Is he praying that they would grow in their love for God or in their understanding of God’s love for them? I would argue, along with Kennedy in The Expositor’s Greek Testament Commentary, that the phrase “can scarcely mean anything else than ‘your love towards one another.’” Paul’s concern was not abstract theology but lived-out relationships among believers.

That emphasis quietly follows us into our daily lives, where relationships tend to reveal what we actually believe. It is not difficult to say the right things about love; it is far more challenging to practice them when personalities clash or when small misunderstandings grow larger than they should. I have noticed that disagreements rarely begin with a trumpet blast; they usually start with a small note played slightly off-key, and before long the whole song sounds different. Paul even mentions two women in Philippi who were at odds, reminding us that tension among believers is not a modern invention. Yet Scripture draws a clear line. Jesus said, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you” (John 13:34-35). John adds, “We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brothers” (1 John 3:14). It becomes evident that love is not merely a feeling but a marker of spiritual life. When love is missing, something deeper is usually unsettled.

The New Testament brings this truth into even sharper focus through Jesus Himself. He not only commanded love; He demonstrated it in a way that leaves little room for confusion. His love was patient, sacrificial, and steady, even when those closest to Him misunderstood or failed Him. John writes, “If anyone says, ‘I love God,’ and hates his brother, he is a liar” (1 John 4:20). That statement has a way of clearing the fog. Christ becomes both the standard and the source of love among believers. What tends to divide us often comes from the flesh or darker influences, while what draws us into healthy, caring relationships reflects His work. Paul’s prayer continues to move forward, inviting growth rather than perfection, as believers learn to live in the kind of love that Jesus first showed.

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Philippians 1:8

God Only Knows!

Filed Under: Devotions by Chuck
May 22, 2026

As I move along in my reading of the Book of Philippians, I came to verse 8 of chapter 1. It says, “For God is my witness, how I yearn for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus.” This is closely linked to verse 7, where Paul speaks of having the Philippians in his heart. There is an unusual depth to his affection for these believers. He has already described them as partners in grace and companions in suffering, joined together in the shared mission of the good news about Jesus. Now he strengthens that expression with what sounds like an oath: “For God is my witness.” Paul wants them to understand that what follows is not casual sentiment but sincere concern. Only God fully knows the truth of his feelings. We often say, “God knows,” sometimes lightly, sometimes with a sigh, and occasionally when we are trying to convince someone that we are right. Paul, however, uses it with a weight that settles in the soul.

In 1966, Brian Wilson wrote a song entitled “God Only Knows.” The Beach Boys carried it into the Top Forty, though it nearly missed wider exposure because some feared a song with “God” in the title might not be played. According to reports, it later gained recognition as a defining song of that decade. Its chorus says, “God only knows what I’d be without you.” In its own way, it tries to capture a depth of feeling that words struggle to express. I find that relatable. There are moments when language seems to fall short, even though we keep talking as if it might eventually catch up. Like Paul, we sometimes reach for phrases that carry more weight than our usual speech. Yet Paul’s yearning comes from a different place. His concern is not rooted in sentiment alone but in a deep awareness of what is happening in the lives of others. As Fee observes, “Whatever was going on among them, reported to him by Epaphroditus, he wants them to know how strongly he feels toward them—toward all of you.”

The New Testament reveals that this kind of concern reflects the very heart of Christ. Paul describes his yearning as the “affection of Christ Jesus,” pointing beyond himself to its true source. This is the same love that moved Jesus toward people who were struggling, wandering, or burdened. It is written, “Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end” (John 13:1). Paul echoes that same spirit in his concern for the Philippians, much like a parent watching a child drift in an unhelpful direction. It is not distant or detached; it is deeply invested. The language of God’s “jealousy” in Scripture reflects this same protective love. In Christ, that love becomes visible and active. As Paul writes elsewhere, “The love of Christ controls us” (2 Corinthians 5:14). In Him, we see that God has not only expressed His concern but has acted on it, drawing us back with a love that is both steady and personal.

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Jeremiah 5:19

When Ya Comin’ Home Son?

Filed Under: Devotions by Chuck
May 21, 2026

God gave the Israelites a land flowing with milk and honey. He gave them wells they did not dig, houses they did not build, and crops they did not plant. They were to be His people, and He was to be their God. Yet they turned from the great Giver of good things to pursue the favor of other gods. They wanted success in this world, or the power of money, or pleasure, instead of the blessings already placed in their hands. Jeremiah explains that God’s judgment is perfectly just because they are without excuse. God even prepares Jeremiah for the inevitable question. In Jeremiah 5:19, He says, “And when your people say, ‘Why has the LORD our God done all these things to us?’ you shall say to them, ‘As you have forsaken me and served foreign gods in your land, so you shall serve foreigners in a land that is not yours.’” It is a sobering reminder that misplaced devotion carries consequences, even when it hides beneath a familiar religious routine.

It seems Israel had learned to live with a divided heart. They maintained rituals and traditions, but their lives were drawn toward other interests. That pattern feels uncomfortably familiar. It is possible to say the right things and still live in a different direction. I have noticed that it is easier to attend to outward habits than to examine inward motives. The schedule may look respectable, while the heart quietly wanders. The story behind Harry Chapin’s song “Cats in the Cradle” captures this tension. “When you comin’ home, dad? I don’t know when, but we’ll get together then.” According to Ravi Zacharias, Chapin himself intended to slow down and invest more in his family, but never found the time. His life ended before that intention became reality. It is a difficult illustration to ignore. Something can be known, believed, and even spoken about, yet never truly lived. Scripture echoes this concern: “This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me” (Matthew 15:8). Words and actions do not always travel together.

The New Testament brings clarity by pointing to Jesus Christ as the answer to this divided life. He did not merely speak truth; He lived it perfectly. In Him, there was no gap between word and action. Paul writes, “Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith” (2 Corinthians 13:5), not as a harsh demand, but as an honest invitation to alignment. Jesus also said, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments” (John 14:15), linking love with lived obedience. In Christ, we see what it means to have a whole heart, not divided between competing desires. He reveals that true devotion is not a performance but a relationship grounded in love. Through Him, the distance between what we say and how we live begins to close, not by effort alone, but by a life reshaped from within.

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Jeremiah 5;18, 1 Peter 1:3-5

Along Came Jesus

Filed Under: Devotions by Chuck
May 20, 2026

Jeremiah does not soften the message when he speaks to Israel. Just as the blessings of the covenant had been theirs for many years, so too would the curses for breaking that covenant follow. It is a difficult truth, yet even in the middle of that warning, God leaves a promise of hope. Jeremiah 5:18 says, “But even in those days, declares the LORD, I will not make a full end of you.” Hall captures it well: “it is the one ray of hope in an ominous sky.” God would preserve a remnant. Jeremiah, with clear vision, had his eyes on Bethlehem and Calvary, even before those places became central to the story. This promise begins to unfold more fully in Jeremiah 31 with the New Covenant, the arrangement God would establish not based on human faithfulness, but on His own. Even in judgment, God refuses to abandon His people completely.

That promise of “not a full end” speaks quietly into our daily lives. We all experience loss, disappointment, and moments that feel final. Plans fall apart, relationships strain, and bodies do not cooperate the way they once did. There are days when hope feels like it took a wrong turn and forgot to leave a forwarding address. Yet something in us keeps listening for good news. I have noticed that even when we say we expect the worst, we still peek around the corner hoping for something better. The phrase “I will not make a full end of you” reminds us that endings in this life are rarely as complete as they seem. There is often more to the story than what we can see in the moment. Even in difficult seasons, there remains a thread of mercy that has not been cut.

The New Testament reveals that this thread of hope finds its fulfillment in Jesus Christ. His life consistently intersected with people who had run out of options. The blind man, the suffering woman, the lepers, the crippled man at the pool, and even grieving sisters at a tomb all discovered that their final chapter was not as final as they thought. Jesus did not simply bring comfort; He brought life. Peter writes, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead” (1 Peter 1:3). This is not a fragile hope but a living one, anchored in His resurrection. In Christ, God’s promise stands clear: there is no full end, only a future held securely in Him.

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Jeremiah 5:17, Romans 1:20

Without Excuse

Filed Under: Devotions by Chuck
May 19, 2026

As part of the blessing God promised Israel when He gave them the promised land, they inherited a rich and productive place. They received houses they did not build, water from wells they did not dig, and food from crops they did not plant. God’s favor rested securely upon His people. Yet over time, they grew comfortable with these blessings and began to follow the desires of the surrounding nations. They turned from the God who had provided everything for them. Alongside the blessings came a clear promise: faithfulness would bring continued life and flourishing, but turning away would bring consequences. This is not a message that easily fits modern preferences, but God speaks plainly. Jeremiah echoes this warning in Jeremiah 5:17: “They shall eat up your harvest and your food; they shall eat up your sons and your daughters…” Willis notes that this judgment mirrors Deuteronomy 28:49–52, where Moses had already warned that a foreign nation would come, devour their resources, and tear down the walls in which they trusted. The message was consistent, and the people were without excuse.

That same pattern quietly finds its way into our lives. It is possible to receive good gifts and slowly forget the Giver. Comfort can turn into complacency, and gratitude can fade into assumption. I have noticed that it does not take long for blessings to feel ordinary. What once caused amazement becomes expected, and before long we begin to act as if we arranged it all ourselves. The human heart has a way of taking credit for what it has only received. Even creation itself speaks against this forgetfulness. As Ryken observes, even something as simple as a patch of pond scum or the colors of autumn points clearly to a Designer. Paul writes, “For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities… have been clearly seen… so that men are without excuse” (Romans 1:20). It seems we are surrounded by reminders, yet we often manage to overlook them with surprising skill, as if we have trained ourselves not to notice what is right in front of us.

The New Testament reveals that God did not leave humanity in this condition without providing a way forward. Just as He provided a Passover lamb and an ark in earlier times, He has now provided something greater in Jesus Christ. Paul writes, “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23). In Him, the warning of judgment is matched by the offer of mercy. Jesus stands as both the evidence of God’s justice and the expression of His grace. Through Him, what we could not repair is addressed, and what we could not earn is given. The same God who made Himself known in creation has made Himself known more fully in His Son, leaving us not only without excuse, but also without a lack of hope.

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Jeremiah 5:17, Zechariah 9:9-10

The Battle Bow

Filed Under: Devotions by Chuck
May 18, 2026

In Jeremiah 5:16, we encounter a striking figure of speech. It is a simile. Speaking of the invading Babylonian army, Jeremiah writes, “Their quiver is like an open tomb; they are all mighty warriors.” Martens explains that “quivers like an open grave” suggests deadly arrows, always ready to claim more victims, as a grave seems to hunger for the living. It is vivid and unsettling. History gives us similar images. When a Persian envoy warned Leonidas that their arrows would darken the sun, he replied, “So much the better…we shall fight them in the shade.” Another account tells of Darius misreading a symbolic warning from the Scythians, nearly to his destruction. These stories remind us that understanding imagery matters. Jeremiah’s image is not poetic decoration; it is a clear warning. The weapons of judgment are real, and they are not idle.

That idea presses into our daily lives in quieter ways. We may not face literal arrows, but words, decisions, and consequences can land with surprising force. It is possible to misunderstand what is right in front of us, just as Darius almost did. I have found that I can be quite confident in my interpretations, even when they are slightly off, which is a polite way of saying I occasionally miss the point entirely. The Bible’s imagery invites us to slow down and look more carefully. What appears harmless may carry weight, and what seems distant may be closer than we think. The language of Scripture is not meant to confuse but to reveal. When we ignore it or reshape it to fit our preferences, we risk walking straight into what we failed to recognize. Even in ordinary life, a poorly understood message can lead to unnecessary trouble.

The New Testament brings this imagery into a different light through Jesus Christ. While the Old Testament speaks of judgment with the language of bows and arrows, the prophets also looked forward to a day when the “battle bow shall be cut off” (Zechariah 9:10). That promise finds its fulfillment in Christ, who comes not riding in with weapons, but “humble and mounted on a donkey” (Matthew 21:5). He brings peace where conflict once ruled. Paul writes, “For he himself is our peace” (Ephesians 2:14). In Him, the imagery of war gives way to reconciliation. The bow is set aside, and peace is proclaimed to the nations. Jesus does not deny the seriousness of judgment, but He provides a path through it. In His life and work, the arrows that once threatened are replaced by a message of grace that reaches farther than any weapon ever could.

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Jeremiah 5:15, Romans 8:37-39

I Understand Him

Filed Under: Devotions by Chuck
May 17, 2026

When man refused to hear and obey God’s Word in Genesis 10, they did not go forth and multiply. Instead, they stayed in one place and united to build a life without Him. God responded by confusing their languages so they could no longer understand one another. This created distance and division, sending people out across the earth just as God had originally directed. Genesis records that nations formed, each with its own language, unable to communicate with the others. That inability to understand still echoes today. Misunderstanding has a way of creating distance far faster than we can repair it. Yet right after this scattering, God “spoke” to Abraham. Abraham heard Him, understood Him, and responded in faith. In the middle of confusion, God made Himself understood to one man, beginning a story that would reach far beyond him.

That tension between hearing and not hearing plays out in daily life more than we might like to admit. We live in a world full of words, yet true understanding can still be rare. Conversations can pass back and forth without ever really connecting. I have noticed that it is possible to nod at the right time, say “I see what you mean,” and still miss the point entirely. The problem is not always the volume of communication but the depth of it. The Israelites struggled in this same way. Though God spoke clearly through Jeremiah, they stopped listening and therefore stopped trusting. Jeremiah warned them in 5:15 that a nation would come “whose language you do not know, nor can you understand what they say.” Without understanding, compassion disappears, and people begin to treat each other as less than human. It is a sobering reminder that when communication breaks down, relationships often follow.

The New Testament reveals that this long story of confusion finds its answer in Jesus Christ. After His death and resurrection, He appeared to His disciples, and soon after, they spoke to people from many nations in languages they could understand. What began in Genesis with division begins to reverse. Jesus is described as the Word, the ultimate expression of God speaking to humanity. John writes, “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us” (John 1:14). In Him, God is no longer distant or unclear. Through Christ, the message is not lost in translation. Paul captures this beautifully in Romans 8:37-39, reminding us that nothing “will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” In Jesus, the language of love is spoken clearly, understood deeply, and shared across every boundary.

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Jeremiah 5:14

Words of Love

Filed Under: Devotions by Chuck
May 16, 2026

I was probably eight years old when my neighbor and best friend, Butch, got into a fight with the two Krum brothers down the street. Their mother ran us off, and as we left, the boys called us some pretty ugly names. Together, we shouted back all the way up the block, “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me!” It sounded convincing at the time. As I grew older, I learned that words can leave marks that no bandage can cover. A punch in the nose fades faster than a sentence that lingers in the mind. Words spoken by those closest to us, parents, teachers, spouses, and friends, can either steady us or quietly undo us. I still find it curious that we try to shrug off words as harmless, even while remembering things said years ago with surprising clarity.

When God speaks, His words do far more than describe reality; they create it. His voice brings order out of chaos, light into darkness, and life where there was none. Yet when His words are rejected, ignored, or dismissed, the result is not neutral. Jeremiah captures this with striking imagery in 5:14: “Because you have spoken this word, behold, I am making my words in your mouth a fire, and this people wood, and the fire shall consume them.” Words can warm or burn, depending on how they are received. That truth settles into daily life in ways we often overlook. We speak constantly, sometimes carefully, sometimes carelessly. I have noticed that it takes far less effort to say something sharp than to say something helpful. The tongue seems to have a quick reflex, and wisdom occasionally arrives a few seconds too late. Scripture reminds us, “Death and life are in the power of the tongue” (Proverbs 18:21), a truth that feels both simple and challenging.

The New Testament reveals that God’s final and clearest Word is not merely spoken but embodied in Jesus Christ. John writes, “In the beginning was the Word… and the Word became flesh and dwelt among us” (John 1:1, 14). In Him, God’s voice is heard not just in sound, but in life and action. The story of Steve Henning, who heard for the first time after decades of silence, captures something of this wonder. The first words he heard from his wife were, “I love you.” That moment reflects the heart of the gospel. Paul writes, “God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). Jesus is the Word spoken to reach us, to be understood, and to be received. In Him, words are no longer empty; they carry the fullness of God’s love into human hearts.

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