Devotionals

“Whoever welcomes you welcomes me…”

When Jesus sends His disciples, He sends them with His own presence. In the kingdom of God, welcome and hospitality is sacramental. To receive a disciple is to receive Christ Himself. This type of welcome reflects the deep union between Christ and God’s people (all people): Jesus is not distant from the church but intimately bound to it. When someone welcomes you—your encouragement, your prayer, your presence—they are welcoming Christ’s work in you.

Jesus dignifies even the simplest acts of hospitality. He reminds us that our lives carry His presence into ordinary spaces: homes, workplaces, conversations, quiet moments. Today, consider how your presence might be a doorway for someone to encounter Christ’s compassion. Where might Jesus be welcomed through your presence today?

“…and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me.”

Jesus widens the circle: welcoming Jesus is welcoming the God. Mission is never merely human effort—it is participation in the life of the Triune God. This is the core of discipleship: God sends the Jesus, Jesus sends the church, and the Spirit empowers the mission. Every act of welcome becomes an act of worship, a recognition of God’s initiative.

When someone receives you with kindness, they are unknowingly touching the edges of divine hospitality. God is the first welcomer—the One who is open to us through Christ. As you move through your day, remember that you are not simply representing Jesus; you are bearing the welcome of God the Creator. How does knowing you carry the God’s welcome change the way you see your interactions?

“Whoever welcomes a prophet in the name of a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward…”

A prophet speaks God’s truth, often in difficult places. Welcoming a prophet means welcoming the Word they carry. Jesus teaches that those who support the mission share in its blessing. We believe that God works even through ordinary means—ordinary people, ordinary acts—to advance His kingdom.

You may not see yourself as a prophet, but you can welcome God’s truth by making space for it: listening deeply, encouraging those who speak it, honoring the voices that call you toward faithfulness. When you welcome truth, you share in its reward—clarity, courage, and the joy of seeing God at work. Where is God inviting you to welcome His truth—even if it challenges you?

“…and whoever welcomes a righteous person in the name of a righteous person will receive the reward of the righteous.”

A righteous person is someone shaped by God’s grace, living faithfully in the everyday. Welcoming them means honoring the quiet work of God in their life. Jesus reminds us that righteousness is not flashy—it is steady, humble, and often unnoticed. Yet those who support and encourage such people share in the blessing of their faithfulness.

Think of the righteous people in your life—the ones who pray quietly, serve without applause, love consistently. Welcoming them might look like gratitude, encouragement, or simply noticing their faithfulness. In God’s kingdom, honoring righteousness strengthens righteousness. Who is a righteous person you can intentionally honor or encourage today?

“And whoever gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones in the name of a disciple—truly I tell you, none of these will lose their reward.”

A cup of cold water—simple, small, ordinary (and necessary in these hot days of summer!). Yet Jesus says it carries eternal significance. This small gesture reflects the beauty of God’s providence: God uses the smallest acts to accomplish some of the greatest purposes. “Little ones” may be children, new believers, or anyone vulnerable in faith. Jesus sees every act of care offered in His name.

Your kindness today—your patience, your listening, your encouragement—may feel small, but in God’s kingdom nothing done in love is wasted. Jesus promises that even the smallest act of mercy is remembered, honored, and woven into His mission. What “cup of cold water” can you offer someone today—something small, simple, and full of grace?

12 When the Lord has finished all his work against Mount Zion and Jerusalem, …

As we start looking at this passage, we pause to consider the context. In the preceding verses, the author has described how God will use the Assyrian Empire to punish the people of God for their sins. In Isaiah 10:1-2 God identifies these sins saying, “Woe to those who make unjust laws, to those who issue oppressive decrees, to deprive the poor of their rights and withhold justice from the oppressed of my people, making widows their prey and robbing the fatherless.” But while God refrains from intervention and allows the Assyrians to destroy Israel, God is not passing his favor onto the Assyrians. In the passage this week we see God’s condemnation of the Assyrian King. Oftentimes, we assume in conflict one person is right and the other wrong. When we look at people we classify them as good or bad. Despite perhaps knowing it deep down, we expect the world to function in neat and orderly binaries - black and white. In this passage, we see how God moves through the shades of grey. The people of God were wicked, so were the Assyrians. They each would receive the consequences of those actions. How does this relate to our own lives?

He will say, ‘I will punish the king of Assyria for the willful pride of his heart and the haughty look in his eyes.’

The fathers of the Christian faith wrote very early on in church history that all sins were a variation on the sin of pride. This is because committing the sin of pride leads us to reject God's instruction, which must happen before we willfully commit any other sin. The sin of pride, therefore, is serious. When Moses strikes the rock instead of speaking to it to bring out water, God punishes Moses because he succeeds in his own way instead of submission to God. It’s important to remember that outcomes are not a direct indication of approval by God. God’s will will be done, sometimes in spite of our pride. But God’s single most important desire is that we trust and obey when He instructs us for how to act.

“‘By the strength of my hand I have done this,"

When we consider power, it is important to ask the question, “what kind of power.” The power exerted by a beautiful woman over the single men at a bar is much different than the power that a gun exerts over the person staring down its barrel, but yet they are each a form of power unto themselves. A king most certainly has power, and in God’s condemnation three types of power will be identified. First is the king's capacity to effect change through force of will. The king's error is believing he is the source of his own power. Like Moses in the story from yesterday, he has lost the script about what true power looks like. Jesus would later tell a parable about tenants of a vineyard who believed the vineyard could be theirs by force if they kill the heir. Everyone knows this is foolish. If I’m renting a house and kill the owner, the house doesn’t become mine. But human nature tends to forget that when it becomes consumed with greed for wealth or power. The king forgets that he is merely a tenant in God's world. If we want to truly be righteous people, then we should instead focus on ridding ourselves of the malice and pride that flow from a heart focused on self-achievement.

“and by my wisdom, because I have understanding. I removed the boundaries of nations, I plundered their treasures;"

Wisdom is most certainly a different form of power than sheer force of will. But it is absolutely a form of power that can lead to pride. Thinking that you have things all figured out closes your mind to conflicting opinions and ultimately to your own ability to grow. After all, what does someone who knows everything need to learn? Attributing success to our own "wisdom" or "understanding" is a subtle form of idolatry. When we think we are so smart that everyone would be better off taking orders from us, we demonstrate a lack of the humility God requires. The greatest form of wisdom, in my experience, is the ability to acknowledge that every lesson learned also asks 10 questions, and that is often by realizing how despite a lifetime of learning you still know less than you don’t know that forms wisdom tempered by humility. That kind of wisdom continues to grow and bloom, instead of getting turned off.

“like a mighty one I subdued their kings."

Political power is another form of power that the king sees himself embodying. There is a saying that some thieves steal with a knife and others with a ball point pen. Political power is a means to elevate one person above others. In this arena, the people who are upwardly mobile are winners, and everyone else are losers. This reminds us that when we elevate ourselves, we often forget the truth about power within the kingdom of God. Jesus says, “the first will be last and the last will be first,” and “those who wish to be greatest among you must be servant of all.” Positions of authority are a part of the world, but the quality of character required of those in elevated positions only increases, and the servant heart of leaders places God at the highest authority, not the individual.

I“As one reaches into a nest, so my hand reached for the wealth of the nations; as people gather abandoned eggs, so I gathered all the countries; not one flapped a wing, or opened its mouth to chirp.’”

The silence of the nations in response to the king's power highlights the absolute dominance the king believes he has achieved. However, we know that if people are kept quiet, even the "stones will cry out" in witness to God's will. True power does not silence others. True power does not marvel in its ability to plunder and take. The most powerful any human has ever been in all of recorded history was the moment Jesus was lifted up onto the cross and died. That is the true measure of power. Jesus faced down death itself and won. Christ is Lord because it is only through Christ’s power and Christ’s victory do we have life. Our power is so pathetic, the power of the king in Isaiah is so pathetic, the power of presidents and armies and missiles is so pathetic, the power of economic titans is so pathetic. It is all pathetic before Jesus’ power, and yet we live as if Jesus was the loser and when Jesus calls us to be losers in his name we reject the instruction outright. We idolize and seek out power, and we idolize false Christian leaders who embody worldly power in a way that leads us right back where we started - pride. Jesus says, “For whoever wants to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world [wealth, fame, success], but forfeits his soul?” (Matthew 16:25-26). What is one way that we can lay down our pride and bloom into Jesus’ example of power?

In Matthew 24, Jesus spoke to the disciples about the signs of the end times and how that time will remain unknown, but to always be prepared. In our passage this week, Jesus continued to describe what this end time would be like and what will happen. Jesus does not do this to frighten His disciples, but to honestly answer their questions and encourage them to live a life demonstrating the importance of the gospel message of salvation and the primacy of Jesus as Lord.

Monday September 7

Matthew 25:31

“When the Son of Man comes in his glory and all the angels with him, then he will sit on the throne of his glory. 

What a beautiful picture Jesus is sharing. This is King Jesus returning in glory, seated on His throne, with all the angels surrounding Him. This will be the moment when His kingdom becomes visible, His justice is revealed, His people are vindicated, and evil is finally defeated. Jesus, our King who came in humility, will return in majesty. What a glorious moment! When life becomes hard and our burdens heavy, we should remember this picture of the future glory to come.

32 All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, 33 and he will put the sheep at his right hand and the goats at the left. 

Who are “all the nations” that he summons and separates? Are they all Gentiles? All non-Christians? All Christians? All humanity? If we remember the final words of Jesus in Matthew 28:19, known as the Great Commission, we have our answer. All means all - all of humanity. The Son of Man, now in His glory, proceeds with the judgment by separation. He puts the sheep to His right and the goats on His left. This begs the question - who is a sheep and who is a goat? If you read on in this chapter, verses 41-45 identifies those on the left – the goats are those who ignored the obvious needs of others by putting themselves above others, and those on the right are those who served others above themselves. Remember Jesus’ strong command to love God and love your neighbor as yourself. While we will have times that we are selfish, every day brings a new opportunity to share the love of God with others. Be a sheep!

34 Then the king will say to those at his right hand, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world, 

Aren’t these the words we want to hear? But do you consider yourself blessed by God and an heir to God’s Kingdom? Do you realize that these words mean that God, in God’s great love for humanity, planned from the very beginning that you would inherit the kingdom. Romans 8:17 tells us that we are co-heirs with Christ. As heirs, we are promised an inheritance that is imperishable and eternal (1 Peter 1:4). Being co-heirs with Christ signifies sharing in the privileges and responsibilities of Christ's kingdom. This reflects unity with Christ but also a responsibility. Not only are we, as believers, called to partake in His sufferings and glory, but also to demonstrate His love. Do you believe you are blessed by God (you are) and in what ways are you demonstrating this amazing gift? Jesus tells us how to demonstrate it – read on.

35 for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, 36 I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.’ 

Can you see how those designated by Jesus as “blessed by my Father” are those who have been a blessing to those in need? Who are the needy? Jesus gives us a list – those who are “hungry... thirsty... a stranger... naked... sick... [and] in prison”. Now, please don't miss how those descriptions of neediness are emphasized in this passage. Is this a new emphasis in terms of what God has revealed? Not at all. The Old Testament speaks in many places about the righteous person who “does not oppress anyone, exacts no pledge, commits no robbery, but gives his bread to the hungry and covers the naked with a garment” (Ezekiel 18:16). The book of Proverbs reminds us that, “Whoever oppresses a poor man insults his Maker, but he who is generous to the needy honors him” (14:31), and Psalm 41:1, “Blessed is the one who considers the poor.” But what is stunning about this emphasis is that Jesus identifies himself as the needy one. Why does He do this and what does He mean?  Read on.

37 Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food or thirsty and gave you something to drink? 38 And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you or naked and gave you clothing? 39 And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?’ 

Clearly, the righteous are dumbfounded by the previous descriptors in Jesus’ list! Remember, this is happening at the final judgement long after Jesus ascended into heaven. Many generations will pass – more than we can possibly know so our knowledge of Jesus and our relationship with Him is through the Holy Spirit. If we are the righteous, and I pray we all are, then perhaps we might want to consider what it means to be righteous. In Greek, the word for “righteousness” primarily describes our conduct in relation to others and our relationship to God. It is contrasted with wickedness, the conduct of the one who, out of gross self-centeredness, neither reveres God nor respects people. Psalms 33: 18-22 describes the righteous person as just or right, holding to God and trusting in God. The bad news is that true and perfect righteousness is not possible for us to attain on our own; the standard is simply too high. But the good news is that true righteousness is possible for us, but only through our acceptance of the gift of grace through Jesus and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. So, to be blessed and to be righteous are directly correlated to our inheritance through Jesus as co-heirs to the promise. This is the final set up to tomorrow’s answer – when did the righteous respond in the ways Jesus describes. Read on!

40 And the king will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did it to me.’

And here we have our answer. In the final judgment, those who are at the right hand of the Son of Man – King Jesus - are called the righteous not because of their superior knowledge of Scripture or exceptional spiritual gifts. Rather, it is through acts of mercy and compassion that they have shown to the needy that indicates their righteousness. The Son of Man, who is also identified as a King, says to them, “Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did it to me.” Our challenge now is to take these words to heart and demonstrate our love of Jesus by showing love and mercy to others.

There is a time for everything and a season for every activity under the heavens: 2A time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, September. The summer season is over; fall is at hand. Football games are on the schedule, and summer vacation is a fond memory. Every year, we go through these seasonal changes. Sometimes a year is a new season of life itself. We get married; we lose a loved one. Kids go off to college; grandchildren are born. God has made a plan for us to go through these seasons in our lives. Since these changes are part of God’s plan for our lives, do you accept them as such? Or do you struggle with thinking this uncomfortable season is going to last forever?

3   a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build, 4   a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance, What does it mean, “a time to kill”? Certainly, God is not suggesting we kill someone. But what about killing our bad habits? Tearing down the walls that we have allowed to fence us in or keep others out? There is time for healing and building new relationships, new habits, and examining our own perspectives. There is time for sorrow and mourning: take all the time you need. Just remember that afterward there will again be time for laughter and dancing.

5  a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing

6  a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away,

At times, we may feel we have too many things on our plates, and we find it difficult to juggle them all. We may need to take the time to evaluate whether we can give up any of those things that are not helpful to us – after we figure out what is actually helpful. Downsizing, simplifying – these seem like good things to do, but remember to be thoughtful because some things are worth keeping. Maybe we feel that life is somehow less fulfilling than we want, and it is time to search for some new hobbies or spiritual practices to give our lives meaning. It’s time.

7  a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak, 

8  a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace.

All these things are important. It is good for us to realize that, even though there are so many things that we have no control over, we do have control over how we react to the things that happen in our lives. Pain and joy are part of every life. Accepting this helps us find peace as well as patience. We can learn not to fight the natural cycles of life, but to trust that each moment has a purpose, and that God is ultimately in control. God is trustworthy.

5 Lord, you alone are my portion and my cup; you make my lot secure.
6 The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; surely I have a delightful inheritance.
7 I will praise the Lord, who counsels me; even at night my heart instructs me.

This psalm is attributed to King David, a sinful yet God-fearing man. David didn’t do things in a small way. When he sinned, he sinned mightily!  And when he turned to the Lord, he turned with all his heart. Not so different from us, although with more extremes. He trusted in God and he understood that God was the one with the power to control outcomes, not himself. It was his son Solomon who wrote the verses we read earlier from Ecclesiastes, so perhaps we know where Solomon began gaining wisdom as he went through life. These two ancestors of our faith set a good example for us: trusting God to help us through the seasons of our lives, appreciating the good things we have, understanding that pain and sorrow are parts of every life, and mostly that when we experience everything its own time, we will grow in patience and perseverance.

8 I keep my eyes always on the Lord. With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken.

9 Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will rest secure,
10 because you will not abandon me to the realm of the dead, nor will you let your faithful one see decay. 11 You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence,
with eternal pleasures at your right hand.

How can you apply the joyous faith of David and the incredible wisdom of Solomon to your own life? What areas do you need to concentrate on right now? Would it be helpful just to start by defining the season you are in right now? Is it possible to be in a positive season in one area of life but not in another? Does one affect the other? What do you need to do to recognize God’s presence in your life at the various stages you have gone through? Some people find journaling helpful; others may simply want to spend time alone with God in nature or another comfortable place. Remember, there is a time for every purpose under Heaven. Take the time to see God at work in your life.