Devotionals

Devotionals gathers Christian Standard articles designed to encourage daily faithfulness through Scripture, prayer, and reflection. Here you’ll find short, accessible readings that connect God’s Word to everyday life—offering wisdom for discipleship, comfort in hardship, and reminders of the hope found in Christ. These devotionals aim to help readers stay rooted in the gospel, grow in spiritual maturity, and practice consistent habits of worship and obedience.

September 23, 2018

Michael C. Mack

Five-Minute Daily Devotions for Leaders: C’mon Man!

By Michael C. Mack Recently as I was reading Psalm 61, I came to a significant verse: “Let me live forever in your sanctuary, safe beneath the shelter of your wings!” (Psalm 61:4, New Living Translation). King David was on the run, but he yearned to be back in Jerusalem, not because that’s where his palatial home was, but because that’s where God’s sanctuary was. To David, God’s presence resided especially in the sanctuary, and David yearned to be there. Don’t miss the word forever in this verse. David longed to dwell in God’s presence forever. The relationship—the fellowship he

August 21, 2018

Christian Standard

Spiritual Post-it Notes

By Joe Harvey He forgot . . . and twice in one week. First, he forgot to arrange transportation to a doctor’s appointment. Then, while at the appointment, he forgot to regather all his possessions before leaving. Neither incident was a big deal, but it did take time to sort things out, and it did cause inconvenience and frustration. There are tools and techniques for remembering and staying on track. And these days, even phones and watches can remind us of upcoming events and chide us if we are being lazy. In this crazy multitasking world, some people need all

August 14, 2018

Christian Standard

Reflecting and Reactivating

By Joe Harvey Remembering can be powerful! Yet it all depends on how we go about it. We can remember that something happened: “Yes, I did pay that bill.” That kind of remembering is functionally useful. It answers a question or settles an uneasy feeling. That is not what Jesus had in mind when he told his disciples to “remember me” during the Lord’s Supper, however. Surely, he was calling them to a different kind of remembering—one that involves reflection and reactivation. Reflection is simple enough. It means revisiting the past and regathering the meaningfulness of that remembered moment. Jesus’

August 7, 2018

Christian Standard

Value Statement

By Joe Harvey Some people are collectors, some are not. Some folks consider themselves too practical to spend time building a collection of coins, cards, stamps, or other treasures. If they don’t have a practical use for something, they sell it, donate it, or throw it away. Noncollectors just don’t understand the remarkable prices people pay for collectibles—like baseball cards. A Babe Ruth card from 1914 is reportedly worth $517,000. Another baseball card, featuring Hall of Famer Honus Wagner, is worth $2.8 million. People say collectibles can be valuable if they are rare, in demand, authentic, and in mint condition.

May 22, 2018

Christian Standard

Battlefield Sacrifice

By Rick Chromey This weekend marks the unofficial beginning of summer, but it’s also when we pause to remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice for our country. Since 1970, the last Monday of May has been designated as Memorial Day. It’s an annual sacred holiday to remember our fallen soldiers. Jesus taught his disciples, “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends” (John 15:13). Friends will do that for friends. A friend will honorably take a bullet for a buddy, but those who serve in our military often die for people they

May 1, 2018

Christian Standard

A Divine Springtime

By Rick Chromey Spring is a beautiful time of year. Flowers bloom. Trees bud. Babies are everywhere. Daylight saving time provides an extra hour of sun nightly. Barbecues, backyards, and baseball are back. Springtime is a testimony to God’s redemption. As temperatures warm, the snow and ice melt, the days lengthen, and a new world emerges from winter hibernation. What was dead now has life. What was brown now is green. What was dark now is light. It’s no wonder God used the spring of the year to release his final redemptive act to mankind. The Easter story is perfectly

April 10, 2018

Christian Standard

What You’re Looking For

By Jackina Stark When Lynn’s mom died and then her dad three years later, she inherited many good things from her parents, including a little 14-year-old dog named Gracie who is now 17. Gracie is nearly blind and deaf and is beginning to experience congestive heart failure. She starts and ends her days with eye drops and pills. But she, like most pets, is sweet beyond words and can prance to the door to go out like a puppy. Lynn and her husband consider caring for Gracie the last gift to Lynn’s parents and tend to her with love. Gracie

March 27, 2018

Christian Standard

‘I Have Seen the Lord’

By Jackina Stark John’s account of the resurrection of Jesus includes a tender story about Mary Magdalene that can take your breath away (John 20:1-18): The sun surely is rising—how perfectly symbolic—as Mary approaches the tomb with spices and perfume to anoint Jesus’ body. She is surprised and confused to find the “stone had been removed from the entrance.” Her heart beating furiously, she makes her way to the opening and looks in and is horrified to find the tomb empty. What travesty has taken place now? she wonders. As she runs to find Peter and John, she surmises what

March 25, 2018

Christian Standard

Surprised by Life

(This article originally appeared in the April 2013 issue of Christian Standard)   By Daniel Schantz To a child, a cemetery is the perfect playground. It has a hundred hiding places, and if you fall down, the grass is very forgiving. I was 7 years old, playing hide-and-seek in the cemetery next to the country church, just outside of New Antioch, Ohio, where my father preached. “Don’t play on the graves,” my mother warned. “It’s disrespectful.” “OK,” I said, but I didn’t see it her way. I thought that if I were buried in the ground I would get really

February 22, 2018

Michael C. Mack

The Wrong Number

By Michael C. Mack My life started changing while I was preparing for Christmas in 1987. While I was decorating my apartment, trimming my tree, and wrapping presents to celebrate Jesus’ coming into the world, I realized· he wasn’t really in my world. About that time, I took a class on stress and time management. We were to prioritize our “guiding values,’’ those things in our lives—like job security, financial success, good friends, and faith—that are most important to us. I learned that my leading values were faith and creativity, both of which had little to do with my job

December 23, 2017

Christian Standard

What Can I Give Him?

This Christmas essay originally appeared in the December 18/25, 2011, issue of Christian Standard. ___ By Caleb Kaltenbach Every Christmas I struggle with the same thing: what in the world do I give my wife? Do I get her shoes, clothes, jewelry, a massage, or what? Maybe this is a better question: what gift will I give Jesus this season? In Luke 1, we see the birth of a child who would be a gift to Jesus. In the time of Herod king of Judea there was a priest named Zechariah, who belonged to the priestly division of Abijah; his

December 22, 2017

Doug Redford

Keeping Down Appearances

By Doug Redford Some years ago an article in the Cincinnati Enquirer featured this headline: “Appearance Counts When Wrapping Holiday Gifts.” Said one employee at a luxury goods store in San Antonio, Texas, “The biggest thing I”ve seen through the years is that the wrapping is just as important as what”s on the inside. You can take a $5 item and make it look like a million bucks.” Another person quoted in the article noted, “Packaging will make a whole lot of difference, and it will make the gift special.” On the other hand, there are occasions when the lack

December 17, 2017

Christian Standard

The Merry Makeover

This essay originally appeared in the December 2012 issue of Christian Standard. ___ By Daniel Schantz It was the worst of times for children. Charles Dickens, a handsome man of 31, trudged up the steps of Number One Downing Terrace, a tall brick house surrounded by flower beds. He was returning from his morning walk. Often he walked 10 to 20 miles a day around London. One day he would walk through the rich neighborhoods. The next day he would pass through the rookeries, or slums, where as many as 30 children lived in one room, with no bathing facilities. The

December 16, 2017

Christian Standard

“˜And It Came to Pass in Those Days”

This Christmas essay originally appeared in the December 18/25, 2011, issue of Christian Standard. ___ By John Caldwell I love Christmas! It is without a doubt my favorite season of the year. I like almost everything about it, both secular and spiritual. I enjoy the music, the lights, the decorations, the parties, and the programs. I enjoy the hustle and the bustle, the giving and receiving of gifts. But most of all, I enjoy the Christmas story itself””the fact that God became flesh and dwelt among us; that Jesus is indeed the reason for the season. In our 46 years

December 14, 2017

Doug Redford

Irreplaceable

By Doug Redford Every Christmas season a funeral home not far from where I live sets up a nativity scene in the front of its property. Live animals are part of the scene, and the people are represented by wax figurines made by the director of the funeral home. Each includes glass eyes and real hair, and a few (including the baby Jesus) have been sculpted after the likeness of the director”s family members. Just a few days after Christmas in 2002, someone vandalized the nativity set, stealing the Christ child figurine and replacing it with a stuffed monkey. The

December 10, 2017

Christian Standard

Bethlehem: Big Dreams in a Little Town

(This article originally appeared in the December 23, 2007, issue of The Lookout, and subsequently was published in the December 18/25 issue of Christian Standard.)   By David Faust The first time Bethlehem is mentioned in the Bible, it”s not a birthplace but a burial place. According to Genesis 35:17-19, Jacob”s beloved wife Rachel died while giving birth to their son Benjamin, “and was buried on the way to Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem).” For Jacob, Bethlehem was a place of tears. For Ruth, it was a place of new beginnings. She and her mother-in-law, Naomi. moved to Bethlehem after their

December 7, 2017

Doug Redford

The Other “˜Silent Night’

By Doug Redford “Silent Night” remains one of the most beloved of the traditional Christmas carols. The words, the tune, the message are all so simple yet so unforgettable (which is true of the Christmas message itself). The picture of the Christ child sleeping “in heavenly peace” amid less than ideal surroundings is one that beckons us during a season when crowds and commotion are all too common. “Silent night” also describes an evening that took place, ironically, near the end of Jesus” earthly life. That was the night of his betrayal and so-called trial””the series of events that led

November 30, 2017

Christian Standard

Good News

By Greg Swinney Bad news shouts at us from the television, newspaper, doctor”s office, and our checkbook registers. Some days we seem to wake up and find ourselves plodding through our routine in quiet desperation. We secretly just want to hear some good news. Please, just some good news that offers a little hope. Anne Murray sang a song with the recurring line, “We sure could use a little good news today.” Her words, although more than 20 years old, ring true even today . . . especially today. All we want is some good news. The war is ended,

November 23, 2017

Christian Standard

All in the Family

By Daniel Schantz “Seven times a day I praise you” (Psalm 119:164). It”s Thanksgiving season, the perfect time to give thanks for the family of God. The Father””We can be thankful that God, the Father, let his Son make the trip to earth. Letting go of our children when they grow up is the hardest thing a parent ever does. We know what they will have to face, but holding them back is selfish and weakens them. How did God, the Father, find the strength to stand by while the Jewish leaders slimed his Son, kicked him around, and then

November 8, 2017

Christian Standard

Embrace the Cross

By David Ray Born on an Indiana farm that had no electricity or indoor plumbing, John Wooden shot his first basketball through a hoop nailed to a barn hayloft. But he went on to lead his high school team to an Indiana state championship. Playing for Purdue, he was named All-American three times and his Boilermakers won the national championship during his senior year. Wooden”s greatest fame, though, came through a much-heralded coaching career. While leading the UCLA Bruins, he built one of the greatest sports dynasties of all time. Over 27 years, Wooden”s teams won 10 NCAA basketball championships,

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