Daily Devotions

God Gives the Growth

Scripture:

“The one who plants and the one who waters are nothing, but only God who gives the growth.”

— 1 Corinthians 3:7

When We Forget Who Makes Things Grow

It’s easy to get caught up in comparison.

Who preached the best sermon?

Who led the biggest group?

Who brought someone to Christ?

But Paul reminds us of a simple, humbling truth: it’s not about us.

Yes, we each have roles to play. We plant seeds of truth. We water with encouragement and prayer. But no matter how faithful, passionate, or skilled we are, only God can bring life. Only God can change hearts, open eyes, and cause true spiritual growth.

This truth is both humbling and freeing:

• Humbling, because we have no reason to boast.
• Freeing, because the results are in God’s hands—not ours.

The Garden Lesson

One spring, a young boy and his grandfather planted a garden together. They dug the soil, sowed the seeds, and watered the ground every day.

The boy waited eagerly. He was sure their hard work would bring instant results.

But days passed—then weeks—and nothing seemed to change. Frustrated, he said,

“Grandpa, we worked so hard! Why isn’t anything growing?”

His grandfather smiled and said,

“We’ve done our part. But it’s not our hands that make things grow. God works in the soil, in the seed, and in time. Growth comes when He says so.”

The boy learned a truth that every believer needs to remember: God gives the growth.

Faithful in Our Part

Whether your service is seen or unseen—teaching, praying, visiting, giving, or simply showing kindness—your faithfulness matters.

But the fruit belongs to God.

We are called to plant, to water, to love, and to trust. God alone brings the harvest.

And when it comes, He alone gets the glory.

 Prayer

Lord, thank You for the privilege of planting and watering in Your kingdom.

Remind me that it’s not about my skill or success—it’s about Your power and purpose.

Teach me to serve with humility and to trust You with the results.

You bring the growth. You get the glory.

Amen.

Daily Devotions

Let Perseverance Finish Its Work

Scripture:

“Let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.”

— James 1:4

Reflection 

In our fast-paced world, we’re trained to crave instant results—fast food, quick answers, overnight shipping. But spiritual maturity doesn’t come overnight. It comes through a process—often a painful one—called perseverance.

James reminds us that when trials come, they’re not interruptions or detours. They are God’s tools to shape us. But there’s a condition: we must let perseverance finish its work. That means we don’t quit halfway, we don’t rush the process, and we don’t resist what God is building in us through hardship.

Think of a blacksmith forging a sword. If the sword is pulled from the fire too soon, it remains weak and brittle. Only when it endures the full process does it become strong, useful, and complete.

God is doing the same in our lives. It’s important not to cut short what He wants to complete. He grows our patience through waiting, strengthens our character through adversity, and deepens our trust through uncertainty.

In the end, we won’t just come out of the trial — we’ll come out mature, complete, and spiritually unshakable.

Prayer:

Lord, help me not to run from the process.

Teach me to embrace what You are doing in my life, even when it’s hard.

Give me the strength to let perseverance finish its work,

so I may be mature and complete in You.

Amen.

Devotional for Sunday, 19 October 2025

📖 Lectionary Readings (Proper 24 / Nineteenth Sunday after Pentecost)

• Jeremiah 31:27–34 – God promises a new covenant, writing the law on hearts.

• Psalm 119:97–104 – A love for God’s law, meditating on it day and night.

• 2 Timothy 3:14–4:5 – Paul’s encouragement to continue in faith and proclaim the gospel.

• Luke 18:1–8 – The parable of the persistent widow, teaching the importance of persistent prayer.

🎶 Hymn Suggestion from Singing the Faith

“Be still and know that I am God” (StF 18)

This hymn reflects the theme of God’s presence and the call to trust in Him, aligning with the readings’ emphasis on God’s covenant and the importance of prayer.

💡 Reflection

The readings today invite us to consider God’s enduring faithfulness and our response. In Jeremiah, God promises a new covenant, one that is internal and personal. Psalm 119 echoes a deep love for God’s law, suggesting that meditation on His Word brings wisdom. In 2 Timothy, Paul urges Timothy to continue in faith and to proclaim the gospel, despite challenges. The parable in Luke emphasizes the importance of persistent prayer, illustrating that God hears and responds to those who earnestly seek Him.

As we reflect on these passages, let us examine our own lives. Are we persistent in prayer? Do we meditate on God’s Word daily? Are we faithful in proclaiming the gospel? May this devotional inspire us to deepen our relationship with God and to trust in His promises.

🙏 Prayer

Gracious God,

We come before You with hearts open to Your Word.

As You promised a new covenant,

Write Your law upon our hearts.

Guide us in persistent prayer,

Trusting in Your justice and mercy.

Through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

Daily Devotions

Growing Faith and Love: A Lesson from the Thessalonians

“We ought always to give thanks to God for you, brothers, as is right, because your faith is growing abundantly, and the love of every one of you for one another is increasing.” — 2 Thessalonians 1:3

In this verse, Paul expresses gratitude and encouragement to the believers in Thessalonica. He commends their growing faith and increasing love, showing that spiritual maturity in a Christian community naturally bears fruit. His words are affirming and pastoral, reminding us that growth often happens steadily, even in the midst of trials.

The Bamboo Analogy

Consider a farmer in Asia planting bamboo. He waters the seed daily. For the first four years—nothing seems to happen. Many would give up. But in the fifth year, something incredible occurs: the bamboo shoots up—up to 90 feet in just six weeks!

The secret? The bamboo had been growing deep roots for years, unseen.

That’s exactly what Paul saw in the Thessalonian church. Their faith and love were growing quietly, even if it wasn’t immediately visible. Over time, their trust in God and their care for one another became undeniable.

Spiritual Growth Happens Beneath the Surface

Like the bamboo, our spiritual growth may not always be visible. But when we are rooted in Christ—through daily prayer, Scripture, and loving one another—God works in us, shaping our faith and deepening our love, often long before anyone else sees it.

Don’t be discouraged if you don’t see immediate results. Keep watering your spiritual life. Keep trusting. Growth is happening.

Prayer for Growing Faith and Love

Lord, help our faith to grow—day by day, trial by trial, step by step. Strengthen our trust in You, especially when life is uncertain. Deepen our roots so we can stand firm in every season.

May our love for one another overflow. Teach us to care, forgive, serve, and uplift each other as the body of Christ. Let our growth in faith and love be a testimony to the world—that You are alive and at work in Your people.

In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Daily Devotional

Discerning Love: Growing in Wisdom and Grace

“And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ…”

— Philippians 1:9-11

The letter to the Philippians is full of guidance for growing as disciples. Here, Paul prays for something called discerning love—a love that is both heartfelt and wise.

What is Discerning Love?

Discerning love is not blind or sentimental. It’s a love guided by knowledge, insight, and God’s truth. It helps us make sound decisions in relationships and daily life. It’s about seeing reality clearly and acting with integrity, not just following feelings.

Why Do We Need It?

Paul gives two reasons:

1. To approve what is excellent – Without discernment, love might endorse what is wrong or harmful.
2. To be pure and blameless – Approving what is not good can compromise our spiritual growth and integrity.

Love without discernment can become soft and sentimental, avoiding hard truths. True Christian love, however, can see clearly, act wisely, and still be compassionate.

Prayer for Discerning Love

Heavenly Father, help me to set aside selfish desires and live in true fellowship with my brothers and sisters in Christ. Teach me to hold all believers in loving thoughts and lift them up in prayer. May my love overflow in action and intercession. Guide us to approve what is good and excellent so that we may grow in grace and live blamelessly, awaiting the day we see Christ face to face. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Daily Devotions

“Oh, grow up!” — the familiar rebuke often aimed at someone displaying immature behavior. Peter seems to voice a similar urgency to the early church in his words:

“So put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander. Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation—if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good.” (1 Peter 2:1-3)

Peter is emphasizing the importance of spiritual growth through the Word of God. He urges believers to discard sinful habits and develop a deep longing for the pure, unadulterated Word of God, which nourishes and strengthens them spiritually. Growth, he implies, comes from actively seeking and engaging with God’s truth.

A preacher once had his cholesterol checked and was told it was too high. Following his doctor’s advice, he made significant changes—more exercise, less fatty and fast food. Over two years, his cholesterol dropped by 27 points. He reflected on the change:

“Changing my diet has really changed the way I ‘taste’ food. I used to love really greasy foods. Now, if I have a pepperoni pizza, I find myself thinking, ‘Wow! This tastes really greasy!’ It’s not that pizzas are any greasier than before; my appetite has simply changed because of the foods I put into my system.”

The same principle applies spiritually. Just as our physical appetites can shift toward healthier food, our spiritual appetites can grow toward God’s Word. Like newborns longing for their mother’s milk, we are meant to crave the nourishing Word of God.

Malice. Deceit. Hypocrisy. Envy. Slander. Indulging these “unhealthy spiritual foods” dulls our appetite for God’s Word and stunts our spiritual growth. Peter’s words are clear: “Put these things aside!” Only by removing such harmful influences can we mature in faith and grow into the fullness of spiritual health.

Prayer:

Lord, help us to be mindful of what we allow to fill our minds and hearts. Increase our hunger for wholesome spiritual teaching. Draw us to Your Word and open our hearts to receive its riches. Nourish us, O Living Word, that we may grow into maturity in You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Daily Devotions

1 Thessalonians 3:12–13

“May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other and for everyone else, just as ours does for you. May he strengthen your hearts so that you will be blameless and holy in the presence of our God and Father when our Lord Jesus comes with all his holy ones.”

Paul continues the theme of abounding with another beautiful image—this time of love that overflows.

To overflow with love is to experience an affection so deep and generous that it spills over into every area of life. It is a love that cannot be contained—a love that touches everyone we encounter and shapes everything we do.

This is what we might call uncontainable love. It isn’t measured or restrained. It is abundant, overflowing, and unstoppable—like water that refuses to stay within its boundaries.

As writer Kate O’Neill expresses it:

“Love is like liquid; when it pours out, it seeps into others’ lives. Love changes form and shape. Love gets into everything. Death doesn’t conquer all; love does. Love wins every single time. Love wins by lasting through death. Love wins by loving more, loving again, loving without fear.”

That is the kind of love Paul prays for—the love of God that flows through us, transforming the world around us.

Such love reveals itself in kindness, generosity, compassion, and selfless service. In the life of a disciple, it reflects both God’s abundant love for humanity and the love He calls us to share freely with others.

When our hearts are strengthened in this overflowing love, we grow toward holiness—not as perfection achieved, but as love perfected. It is love that prepares us for Christ’s coming, making us ready to stand blameless and joyful in His presence.

Prayer

Heavenly Father,

Thank You for the truth of Your Word and the lessons it brings

Teach me to abound in love for my brothers and sisters in Christ,
and to overflow with grace toward all people.
Strengthen my heart in faith and hope,
that I may live blamelessly before You
and faithfully intercede for Your Church.
Keep my eyes fixed on the day when Christ returns
and gathers us into His everlasting love.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen.