Welcome to The Up Devotional!
This is a devotional that comes out five mornings a week (Monday to Friday) at 5am. It is written by Pastor Ruttan.
Think of it as your 1-minute shot of daily soul espresso—biblical and down-to-earth.
You read back issues here and also find it on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.
It is also available as a podcast through Apple Podcasts (iTunes), Google Podcasts, Spotify, and Stitcher.
Enjoy!
The Up Devotional
- Is something “off”? May 8, 2024“My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen…” (James 1:19) Something still seems “off.” I’ve sensed it. Have you? Maybe not for everyone, but for more people than you realize. I’m talking about life after the pandemic. Have you said (or felt) these things? Or has someone you […]MatthewRuttan
- Praying as a unit May 7, 2024Colossians 4:2: “Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.” Different families have different temptations. Matthew Henry wrote: “Busy families are in temptation to wordliness, and neglect of religious duties; mixed families are in temptation to discord, and mutual jealousies; decaying families are in temptation to distrust, discontent, and indirect courses to help themselves.”* If […]MatthewRuttan
- You never see a U-Haul behind a hearse May 6, 2024There’s a saying from an old pastor: “You never see a U-Haul behind a hearse.” I don’t know his name. But I’m sure it came from years of experience. We pastors see a lot of things. We follow hearses to cemeteries and lead prayers. We spend time at hospital beds. We see tears and family […]MatthewRuttan
- Identity and purpose May 3, 2024In yesterday’s devotional, I told you about a formula which is used by pastor Jay Strother: Jesus + ___________ = a false gospel.* If we add anything to what Jesus has accomplished for us, we are diminishing his achievement. That’s what Strother’s formula is meant to show. We are made right with God based on […]MatthewRuttan
- Jesus + ____________ May 2, 2024Jay Strother is a pastor in Tennessee. He says that Jesus plus anything equals a false gospel. The word “gospel” means good news. It is the good news of what God has done for us in Christ. He has come to us personally and victoriously to renovate and renew all things; he has come to […]MatthewRuttan
- Time with God, in tune with God May 1, 2024Mixed-up thinking results in mixed-up living. Really? Yes. Here’s why. Pretend Scenario #1: Let’s say you think that God is apathetic toward his world and his people. You think there’s a Bible verse somewhere which says: “God is apathetic.” As a result, you adopt a posture of apathy toward the world and other people. Since […]MatthewRuttan
- Covering our bases April 30, 2024In a video, J. John described an experience he had when getting his hair cut. His hairdresser had a rabbit’s foot on her keychain. He asked her why she had it. “It brings me luck.” In response, he stated: “The rabbit wasn’t lucky. How can an unlucky rabbit bring you any luck?” He later asked […]MatthewRuttan
- Glory, then joy April 29, 2024There’s a famous (and historic) teaching tool which presents deep biblical truths in question and answer format. It’s called the Westminster Shorter Catechism. The first entry is the most famous. Question: “What is the chief end of man?” These days, we might say it like this: What is the ultimate goal of a person’s life? […]MatthewRuttan
- Maturity is meant to be shared April 26, 2024In yesterday’s devotional I spoke about spiritual maturity. There are times when someone who is new to the faith and has limited knowledge and experience needs to seek out some help from someone who is more spiritually mature than they are. There are also times when the person who is more spiritually mature needs to […]MatthewRuttan
- Discipleship isn’t a competition April 25, 2024The Bible is teaching us more than we think. Sometimes we learn things because they are told to us directly. “Love your neighbour” is just one of many examples. We also learn things that are less obvious. We have to look a bit more closely to find them. Paul’s letters are an example. Let’s take […]MatthewRuttan
- People on the narrow path need this April 24, 2024I’m captivated by Jesus’ words in Matthew 7:13-14. In fact, I’ve started to recite them as a part of my devotional time every morning: “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow […]MatthewRuttan
- Narrow, not broad and wide April 23, 2024“Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it” (Matthew 7:13-14). These words of Jesus are quite famous. At first, they […]MatthewRuttan
- They fear concentration April 22, 2024John Climacus wrote a book in the early 7th century that became very influential among Christians. It was called The Ladder of Divine Ascent. Among other things it was a book about becoming more like Jesus. In it he wrote: “Demons fear concentration as thieves fear dogs.”* He put a high value on concentration. He was […]MatthewRuttan
- Rarely does he let me see the script April 19, 2024In her book No Greater Love, Rebecca McLaughlin writes: “I thoroughly believe that God directs my life, but rarely does He let me see the script.”* Can I get an Amen?! Like McLaughlin, I thoroughly believe that God directs my life. Perhaps you also agree that God directs your life. When she says that God […]MatthewRuttan
- Feet firmly planted April 18, 2024When did you last wrestle someone? Perhaps it’s been a while. Perhaps you never have! I’m not a professional. I’m a father (which, for the record, includes a good deal of wrestling). You need to have your feet firmly planted on the ground. If you don’t, you get taken down pretty quickly. Today’s devotional is […]MatthewRuttan
- Personal, but never private April 17, 2024In yesterday’s devotional I highlighted the exceptional courage of the first apostles. As far as we can tell, all but one of them died for their faith. One writer has stated that God is personal, but never private.* How very true. Our faith is internal AND external. It impacts who we are on the inside […]MatthewRuttan
- Courage is fighting alongside the King April 16, 2024Whatever happened to those first apostles? Shortly after the resurrection, this new movement of Christ-followers took off. Initially they were called the people of “The Way.” The word “Christians” also came into use fairly early. Jesus’ people were first referred to by that title in Antioch (see Acts 11:26). Some of the things we know […]MatthewRuttan
- Doubt your doubts April 15, 2024Perhaps you sometimes have doubts about various aspects of your faith. Perhaps you’ve also thought to yourself, ‘If only I could have seen Jesus when he was resurrected; then I’d have total confidence.’ You may be surprised to hear this, but seeing the risen Jesus in the first century was not a slam-dunk guarantee that […]MatthewRuttan
- Casual and casualty sound so much the same April 12, 2024“Therefore, dear friends, since you have been forewarned, be on your guard so that you may not be carried away by the error of the lawless and fall from your secure position” (2 Peter 3:17) It’s no coincidence that casual and casualty sound so much the same. Let me explain what I’m getting at. Casual […]MatthewRuttan
- Too honest not to tell the truth April 11, 2024This week we’re talking about having confidence in the resurrection. More specifically, we’re talking about how to defend against conspiracy theories that say it never really happened. When we understand these—and know how to defend against them—we grow in confidence. A modern popular theory is that the early church must have made up resurrection stories […]MatthewRuttan