Words of Hope Daily Devotional
START EVERY DAY WITH HOPE
THE DEVOTIONAL IS AVAILABLE IN YOUR EMAIL AND IN PRINT.
The Words of Hope Devotional is a non-profit, donor-supported publication whose goal is to encourage readers to grow in faith through the practice of daily Bible reading and prayer.
THE DEVOTIONAL IS AVAILABLE IN YOUR EMAIL AND IN PRINT.
The Words of Hope Devotional is a non-profit, donor-supported publication whose goal is to encourage readers to grow in faith through the practice of daily Bible reading and prayer.
DINNER WITH JESUS
Breakfast on the Beach
Read: Revelation 21:1-6, 22-26
Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth. (v. 1)
My wedding day was chaotic. It was marked by torrential rain. When the flowers arrived, they were inexplicably the wrong color. My future grandfather-in-law booked into the wrong hotel and was unaccounted for until minutes before the ceremony. And yet the moment the music started, and my bride made her way down the aisle, the chaos and anxiety of everything that came before were forgotten.
We live in a chaotic world. The political upheaval, extreme weather, economic inequality, and global conflicts that define our time are nothing new. There have been worse times in human history. And yet for many, life feels unbearable, and it is hard to imagine it getting better. As Paul writes in Romans 8, “the whole creation has been groaning together” (v. 22). Heaven and earth groan to be together.
A reunion awaits. At the beginning of the Bible, heaven and earth are forced apart by the mismanagement of its stewards. Instead of abandoning his handiwork and firing his helpers, God chose to redeem it all. God has spent the history of the world painstakingly picking up the pieces. He is, even now, making something new. The Bible ends with a promise: A wedding day is coming. Heaven and earth will be reunited. When that day comes, today’s chaos and anxiety will be forgotten. Our faithful Savior and first love will receive us with open arms. Heaven and earth will embrace, together at last!
As you pray, wait, watch, and hope for the renewal and reunion of all things.
About the Author
Ben Van Arragon
Ben Van Arragon is a preacher and writer based in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He preaches and teaches the Bible in church, online, and anywhere else he has the opportunity.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Rev. First Last
David Bast is a writer and pastor who served for 23 years as the President and Broadcast Minister for Words of Hope. In his more than 40 years of devotional writing and preaching, he has been encouraging believers around the world to be shaped by God and his Word.
Prior to his ministry and work at Words of Hope, Dave served as a pastor for 18 years in congregations in the Reformed Church in America. A graduate of Hope College and Western Theological Seminary, he is the author of nine devotional books and Bible studies, including Why Doesn’t God Act More Like God, Christ in the Psalms, and A Gospel for the World.
Dave and his wife, Betty Jo, have four children and eight grandchildren. Dave enjoys reading, growing tomatoes, and avidly follows the Detroit Tigers.
Woe is Me
Read: Isaiah 6:1-10 Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips. (v. 5) When I was growing up, my family attended an annual Christmas St. Nicholas party with a group of friends. It
At the Lord’s Table
Read: Exodus 24:9-18 They beheld God, and ate and drank. (v. 11) I tend to be restless in worship. My mind wanders. I check my watch. After an hour, I look for the exit. But I once attended a revival
Separated from Heaven
Read: Genesis 3:8-24 The LORD God sent him out from the garden of Eden. (v. 23) A common disciplinary technique used by parents and teachers is the “time-out,” in which a disobedient child is temporarily separated from the rest of
In the Beginning
Read: Genesis 2:1-9 Thus the heavens and the earth were finished. (v. 1) One of the Bible’s best-known sentences is, “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth” (Gen. 1:1). Biblical language scholars point out that the Hebrew
Dinner with Jesus
Read: Revelation 3:14-22 If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me. (v. 20) Recently we had out-of-state relatives make the long trip to come and
Breakfast on the Beach
Read: John 21:1-14 Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” . . . They knew it was the Lord. (v. 12) Can you picture the scene? Sunrise on the beach—the beginning of a beautiful day. There’s breakfast on the