Westminster Loving God & Neighbour

The Up Devotional

• Christs to one another March 21, 2025
  Can you imagine meeting Jesus face-to-face? What would you say? What would you ask him? What do you think he would ask you? It’s amazing to think that one day we will actually get the opportunity to see and speak with our Lord.  Until then we learn about him and hear his voice in Scripture. […]
  Matthew Ruttan
• Does having faith mean I’ll get rich?—no and yes March 20, 2025
  In Mark 10:29-31 Jesus said: “Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands, for my sake and for the gospel, who will not receive a hundredfold now in this time, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and […]
  Matthew Ruttan
• Holding on to unkeepable things March 19, 2025
  In Mark 10:17-22 a wealthy young man asked Jesus this question: “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus replied: “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone. You know the commandments: ‘Do not murder, Do not commit adultery, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, […]
  Matthew Ruttan
• The new alternative lifestyle March 18, 2025
  Alternative lifestyles. When I use that phrase, what comes to mind? Perhaps someone who creates a belief system out of a mishmash of ideas? What about someone who embraces sexual promiscuity or rejects family life and the idea that marriage and children are a good thing? Or maybe you think about someone who organizes their […]
  Matthew Ruttan
• We can’t really complain if… March 17, 2025
  There are things in the world we would like to be different. We look around at the state of things and can become discouraged. However, this can be an opportunity.  First, we can remember that God is sovereign. The pages of Scripture bellow the wonderful almightiness of God. He is the same yesterday, today and […]
  Matthew Ruttan
• A starving man trying to eat air March 10, 2025
  Pause Alert:  After today, The Up Daily Devotional will go on pause for a week, returning on March 17th. I’m taking some vacation time. Can you believe the devotional has been going for almost 10 years? You can access previous devotionals at TheUpDevo.com. You can also listen to back episodes on your favourite podcasting app. […]
  Matthew Ruttan
• Arguing in polarizing times March 7, 2025
  In some ways, these are polarizing times. People are becoming very good at arguing.  It can happen face-to-face. It can also happen online. Sometimes it’s with someone you know, and sometimes it’s with a complete stranger. As people of faith we know we have to stand up for certain things. I totally agree with that. […]
  Matthew Ruttan
• A word that Christians need to reclaim March 6, 2025
  “Surely the righteous will never be shaken…” (Psalm 112:6) There is a word that Christians need to reclaim. It’s been neglected and avoided. That’s a problem. Why? Because it’s God’s word. The word is righteousness. Did you wish I had said something else? Perhaps love or courage or community? These are all a part of […]
  Matthew Ruttan
• Ashes, mortality and the beginning of Lent March 5, 2025
  Today is Ash Wednesday. It marks the beginning of Lent—a forty day period (excluding Sundays) leading up to the ground zero of the Christian faith: the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ.  Some churches and traditions have a custom of putting ashes on people’s foreheads on this day. Why? One of the reasons is that ashes […]
  Matthew Ruttan
• Fatty foods in the cupboard and sin in the heart March 4, 2025
  Today is known as Shrove Tuesday. It’s the day before Lent begins on Ash Wednesday. The name comes from a practice in England to “shrive” on this day—meaning confessing our sins and seeking God’s forgiveness. Since many people fast during Lent, there was (and is) a custom of using up fatty foods on this day […]
  Matthew Ruttan
• Who’s taking care of this kid? March 3, 2025
  In one of his books Martin Thielen tells the story of a man named Gus. He got cancer and was angry about it. It was inoperable. ‘Why me?’ When he was in hospice he noticed a girl who was five years old. She too was a patient. It just seemed wrong that a five-year old […]
  Matthew Ruttan
• Loving loving your neighbour, or loving your neighbour? February 28, 2025
  John Piper is a theologian. His colleague had a saying: “Beware loving loving God rather than loving God.”* Let me state that again: “Beware loving loving God rather than loving God.” Are there times when we love the idea of loving God instead of actually showing him our devotion and commitment?  Let’s apply that logic […]
  Matthew Ruttan
• Serving those who cannot repay us February 27, 2025
  Mark 9:36-37 describes a moving scene: “He [Jesus] took a little child whom he placed among them. Taking the child in his arms, he said to them, ‘Whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me does not welcome me but the one who sent me.’” Today, people […]
  Matthew Ruttan
• Your example matters February 26, 2025
  In Mark 9:42 Jesus said: “If anyone causes one of these little ones—those who believe in me—to stumble, it would be better for them if a large millstone were hung around their neck and they were thrown into the sea.” Wow!  He went on to say that if their hand, foot or eye caused them […]
  Matthew Ruttan
• How did Jesus define greatness? February 25, 2025
  I saw a hat: “Make Canada Great Again.” It is, of course, based on the slogan to “Make America Great Again.” I even saw something on the internet to do with making Europe great again. It’s a word we use not only to describe nations but people. “So-and-so is great.” When we use it like […]
  Matthew Ruttan
• The ripple effect of words February 24, 2025
  In James 3:8 we read: “…no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.” At first that sounds a bit harsh—but not if you’ve been on the receiving end of some verbal poison!  Today’s devotional is quite simple. Be careful with your words. They can do serious good, […]
  Matthew Ruttan
• Call out to God. Don’t wait. February 21, 2025
  “Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you” (James 4:7). A man named Abba Elias told an old story about a man who was living in a temple. Demons came to pester him, trying to get him to leave.  To some of you that might seem shocking. Perhaps you’ve […]
  Matthew Ruttan
• God’s will: your sanctification February 20, 2025
  It’s critical to know the difference between salvation and sanctification. When we get them confused, it can be a source of misunderstanding—and even anguish. Salvation is about your standing with God. (This is sometimes called “justification.”) By ourselves we are sinful and separated from him. But when we trust in Jesus and in what he […]
  Matthew Ruttan
• Put in the time February 19, 2025
  “Come near to God and he will come near to you” (James 4:8). More time with God puts you more in tune with God. When you spend time with a friend you learn more about them. The same happens with a spouse. You start to anticipate how they will respond to certain situations. You might […]
  Matthew Ruttan
• Spiritual muscle matters February 18, 2025
  Motivation matters.  For example, people who do better in surgery are people who have a reason to live afterwards. It’s a matter of motivation. Or consider the 17-year old girl who didn’t want to go to soccer practice. But then her mom told her that the scout for the university soccer team would be there. […]
  Matthew Ruttan