The Daily Memo

The truth is that God’s desire is always to bless us. His commands and instruction are given so that you might flourish (see Deuteronomy 6:1–3). We see this in the fortunes of the different kings of Israel and Judah. The writer of 1 and 2 Kings gives us a thumbnail assessment of whether each king did what was right in the eyes of the Lord. Every one of the kings of Israel is described as doing ‘evil in the eyes of the Lord’ (2 Kings 17:2), and it…

The more you know yourself, the more this will prove an immensely helpful category. (And please, as Socrates urged, do not live an unexamined life; know yourself.) What are you historically prone to do when it comes to making decisions? If yours is a story filled with indecision, that “confusion” might have nothing to do with clarity and everything to do with fear, or shame, or a wounded heart. A young man afflicted with relational paralysis (he just couldn&rsquo…

In 2000, an upstart company operating on a movie-rental-by-mail system offered to sell their company for $50 million to Blockbuster, the home movies and video game rentals king at that time. Netflix had roughly 300,000 subscribers, while Blockbuster had millions and millions of them. Blockbuster passed on the opportunity to purchase their little competitor. The result? Today Netflix has more than 180 million subscribers and is worth nearly $200 billion. As for Blockbuster,…

There are many places in our lives that we have a yearning--a mysterious hunger for something we may not consciously recognize. Is it possible that our unconscious remembers what it was like to walk and talk with God in the Garden of Eden? Or maybe even more absurd--could we remember our very own spiritual creation-- the one that takes place "before I placed you in your mothers’ womb?" (Jer 1:5) Have you ever closed your eyes for a few moments and asked God…

When Apollo 11’s Eagle lunar module landed on the moon’s Sea of Tranquility on July 20, 1969, the space travelers took time to recover from their flight before stepping onto the moon’s surface. Astronaut Buzz Aldrin had received permission to bring bread and wine so he could take Communion. After reading Scripture, he tasted the first foods ever consumed on the moon. Later, he wrote: “I poured the wine into the chalice our church had given me. In the one…

Denial is a favorite method of coping for many Christians. But not with Jesus. He wants truth in the inmost being, and to get it there he's got to take us into our inmost being. One way he'll do this is by bringing up an old memory. You'll be driving down the road and suddenly remember something from your childhood. Or maybe you'll have a dream about a long-forgotten person, event, or place. However he brings it up, go with him there. He has something to…

The Lord has plans for each of us and specific work that He has called us to do. This might be hopeful news to you, or it might be overwhelming if you’re already struggling to manage all that’s on your plate. Thankfully, balancing five areas of our schedule can help us live according to God’s purposes. 1. Our top priority should be spending time with the Lord each day. We can read and meditate on His Word, pray, listen for His directions, or simply be with.…

In 1555, Nicholas Ridley, a former Bishop of London, was burned at the stake in Oxford because of his beliefs. On the night before Ridley's execution, his brother offered to remain with him in the prison chamber to be of assistance and comfort. Nicholas declined the offer and replied that he meant to go to bed and sleep as quietly as ever he did in his life. Because he knew the peace of God, he could rest in the strength of the everlasting arms of his Lord to meet his.…

First thing in the morning I scan emails and read a few inbox devotionals, always Jesus Calling. This morning I had to stop and consider just how profound this paragraph is for all believers in Jesus Christ. As if to quote Jesus, Sarah Young said this, “I am pleased with you, My child. Though you are still a work in progress, you desire for Me to sanctify you—to make you holy. . . . However, as long as you live in this world, you inhabit the not yet of brokenness&mdash…