Today Daily Devotional
Today is a daily devotional that helps God's people refresh, refocus and renew their faith through Bible reading, reflection, and prayer.
Episodes
July 18, 2025
“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.”
— John 10:11
Jesus makes clear that his work is much more than a job to do. He has real skin in the game. He is not playing at caring for the Lord’s sheep until something better comes along. Jesus is the gate that any poacher or corrupting force would have to pass through to get to the Lord’s sheep—and because of his deep love for us, he is willing to d...
Mark as Played
July 17, 2025
“I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me. . . .”
— John 10:14
When Jesus, the Son of God, came to live and teach among us, he picked up on the imagery of Psalm 23 and told all who would hear, “I am the good shepherd.” Jesus came to us as the Lord God in the flesh, declaring that he was there to shepherd God’s people and lead them home to the Father. He moved into our world, our neighborhood, and reminded ever...
Mark as Played
July 16, 2025
You are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession. . . .
— 1 Peter 2:9
Remembering that priests and prophets and kings were anointed as confirmation of their special callings, we need to take our calling as God’s sheep seriously. The apostle Peter points out the high calling that is on our lives as “the people of God.” We are “a chosen people, a royal priesthood, . . . God’s special possession.”...
Mark as Played
July 15, 2025
You have made them a little lower than the angels and crowned them with glory and honor.
— Psalm 8:5
Earlier this month (July 2) I mentioned that I wasn’t so sure I liked being compared to a sheep, as in Psalm 23. But even though it’s not very flattering for us to be called sheep, we can be assured that the Lord our shepherd dearly loves and treasures us.
Psalm 8, which is also attributed to David, reminds us that God values us h...
Mark as Played
July 14, 2025
You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.
— Psalm 23:5
This line in Psalm 23 picks up on an interesting tidbit about the shepherd’s care for his sheep. Shepherds will use oil on a sheep’s head to keep pesky bugs away and to help protect the animal’s skin from the sun.
The psalmist David’s phrasing here also points symbolically to anointing as a calling or commissioning that comes from God. Anointing a person’s head with oil ...
Mark as Played
July 13, 2025
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.
— Psalm 23:5
One of my favorite sights is to see pets and other animals playing in the spring when plants and trees are blossoming and green again. I imagine this is also the case for sheep after a long hike from a well-grazed pasture to a fresh one with lots of lush, green grass.
I have read that before the sheep can frolic in a new space, their shepherds must check th...
Mark as Played
July 12, 2025
Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
— Psalm 23:4
The psalm writer, King David of Israel, provides here a lasting testimony of being comforted by the Lord.
Many years after the reign of David, however, destruction came to Israel and Jerusalem. The people faced terrible losses because their kings and other leaders had wandered after the g...
Mark as Played
July 11, 2025
Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me. . . .
— Psalm 23:4
As we noted earlier (July 4), Psalm 23 is attributed to King David. In this part of the psalm, David may be recalling not only his own shepherding days but also times when he was pursued by the armies of King Saul, who wanted to kill him. In both situations David would have traveled through wadis (small canyon-like places) ...
Mark as Played
July 10, 2025
He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake.
— Psalm 23:3
While sheep are not marked in the same way as cattle, they do bear the mark of their owner along with other helpful information that identifies them.
The Lord’s sheep also carry the name of their shepherd. We are God’s beloved sheep, and he gives us the best care “for his name’s sake.” His reputation is reflected in all the ways he cares for us.
What is the Lord...
Mark as Played
July 9, 2025
He guides me along the right paths. . . .
— Psalm 23:3
The shepherd’s main goal for his sheep is soul care. Our souls suffer when we are running quickly and taking life at a pace that is unsustainable. When we try to chart our own course, we often misjudge the best way forward because we are either impatient for good things to happen or scared that they won’t. The psalm writer trusts that the shepherd is guiding him along the rig...
Mark as Played
July 8, 2025
He refreshes my soul.
— Psalm 23:3
There is good profit for the shepherd who takes good care of his sheep. Good care means it is less likely for the sheep to suffer disease or exhaustion. Good care means the sheep will more likely fetch a good price at the market.
But that is not the motivation of the Lord our shepherd. The care of our shepherd is driven by love and mercy and the desire for abundant flourishing.
The psalm writer ...
Mark as Played
July 7, 2025
He leads me beside quiet waters.
— Psalm 23:2
Water bottles are everywhere these days. Most of us know that our bodies need water and that dehydration can have devastating consequences.
A good shepherd knows that the dry air and relentless sun in a desert climate can dry out and weaken sheep quickly. And where might the shepherd find a good source of water for his sheep? Well, it’s important to know that sheep cannot drink from a...
Mark as Played
July 6, 2025
He makes me lie down in green pastures. . . .
— Psalm 23:2
It is a busy season as I write this short devotional message. My list of responsibilities has increased lately, and I have less open time than I would like.
Sheep have a difficult time pacing themselves as well. They need a guide who can provide them with a life-giving cadence. The psalm writer found that with the Lord as his shepherd, he was not driven but made to stop a...
Mark as Played
July 5, 2025
I have learned the secret of being content in . . . every situation . . . whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength.
— Philippians 4:12-13
The apostle Paul was someone who followed the Lord as his shepherd through dark valleys of persecution and danger as well as to heights of church growth as new followers of Jesus became part of the Lord’s flock. Paul wrote this declaration of trus...
Mark as Played
July 4, 2025
. . . I lack nothing.
— Psalm 23:1
This is a bold statement for the psalm writer to make: “I lack nothing.” Is this a statement that you can make too?
This psalm is attributed to King David, so we might think, “It’s easy for a king to say that he lacks nothing!” (David’s story is found in 1 Samuel 16 – 1 Kings 2.) David wasn’t born into royalty, and he sometimes experienced a great deal of want and danger. He was also well acquai...
Mark as Played
July 3, 2025
We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way. . . .
— Isaiah 53:6
Sheep need particular care. They need to be led to still waters because they can’t drink safely from fast-moving streams. They can’t predict when the grass will run out and when they need to move to new pastures. Often there are holes in the ground that dangerous snakes can shelter in, and sheep do not suspect that they could be bitten...
Mark as Played
July 2, 2025
The Lord is my shepherd. . . .
— Psalm 23:1
If the Lord is our shepherd, then the psalm writer is thinking of us as sheep.
I’m not so sure that I like being compared to a sheep. Sheep are not very bright. Humans are far more intelligent. For better or worse, we have more capacity for directing our own lives. So how are we like sheep?
I wonder if the psalm writer might be highlighting how vulnerable sheep are. They have few defens...
Mark as Played
July 1, 2025
The Lord is my shepherd. . . .
— Psalm 23:1
There are many times when I have needed the help of a guide: an IT expert to help me with my computer; a nurse to help me understand a diagnosis; a biking guide to help me set the pace on unfamiliar roads. Some of these guides have been more helpful than others. A lot depended on how much they knew me and cared for me as a person.
When I reflect on how the Lord shepherds or guides us, I...
Mark as Played
June 30, 2025
Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons . . . nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
— Romans 8:38-39
Dana, 20, from Wisconsin, ended up on Chicago’s South Side after she stopped taking her prescribed medications. She began self-medicating with street drugs and eventually found shelter with us for a while. Tragically, Dana died alone in an ab...
Mark as Played
June 29, 2025
Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace. . . .
— 1 Peter 4:8-10
D’Near Scott, known as “Twin,” is actually a triplet—but that’s another story. Today he stands with us in a large circle before lunchtime. Twin has spent much of his ad...
Mark as Played
Popular Podcasts
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.
The latest news in 4 minutes updated every hour, every day.
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Listen to 'The Bobby Bones Show' by downloading the daily full replay.
Latino USA is the longest-running news and culture radio program in the U.S. centering Latino stories, hosted by Pulitzer Prize winning journalist Maria Hinojosa Every week, the Peabody winning team brings you revealing, in-depth stories about what’s in the hearts and minds of Latinos and their impact on the world. Want to support our independent journalism? Join Futuro+ for exclusive episodes, sneak peaks and behind-the-scenes chisme on Latino USA and all our podcasts. www.futuromediagroup.org/joinplus