Daily Audio Devotion

What's This Day For?

April 24, 2026 • Donald Hinchey • Matthew 5:16, Ephesians 2:10, Jeremiah 29:11

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD. Jeremiah 29:11a Our pastor friend, Al, 93 years old, admits to having occasional episodes of sadness. That happens to us older folks at times as we experience the changing seasons of life. Al says, “So, when I wake up in the morning, I ask the question, ‘What’s this day for?’” It’s partially a prayer, partially an honest inquiry. In spite of the temptation to believe that there is nothing new under the sun, Jeremiah’s declaration is filled with excitement and purpose. God has plans for you! The God who gave His life for you in Jesus Christ invites you to join Him on a daily journey of discipleship. Ask sometime: “What is your purpose for me this day, Lord? What’s this day for?” God may give you a surprising answer! Prayer: Lord of all time, fill my days with Your purpose. Amen. Reflect: As you get ready for tomorrow, ask, “What’s this day for?” Wait for God’s answer.

From Helpless to Hopeful

April 23, 2026 • Jan Kilby • Hebrews 11:1, Romans 5:4, 1 Thessalonians 5:11

Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. Hebrews 11:1 When I was in college, I was once sitting in a hallway between classes. An elderly, retired member of the clergy came down the hall. “Hello, how are you?” he asked. “I’m studying for a test today that I don’t think I’ll pass, so I’m discouraged,” I said. “Oh, you can’t despair,” he said. “Satan wants you to give up on God for help.” I realized that he was right. Since then, I have always tried to be hopeful. I have also prayed more frequently and sincerely. Jesus faced many challenges in His life. He was betrayed, humiliated, persecuted, and even crucified. God understands that we feel like giving up when we face trials. We can rejoice in knowing that He always cares for us. Prayer: Dear Lord, thank You for teaching us how to enjoy this life and prepare for our eternal one with You. Amen. Reflect: What has helped you overcome disappointment? Share your idea with someone.

Comfort Through Fragrance

April 22, 2026 • Marilyn Nutter • Colossians 3:12, 2 Corinthians 2:14, 2 Corinthians 1:3–5

But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere. 2 Corinthians 2:14 The chatter among the grief support group was music to our ears. Eight weeks earlier, some couldn’t introduce themselves or share about their spouse without crying. Our sessions together built a community. One widow said, “I know I’m not alone.” Facilitators didn’t want them to cover up grief but use tools to acknowledge their grief and to walk with Jesus in it. God met each one through prayer, Scripture, meaningful conversations, and encouragement. He kept His promise to be the “God of all comfort” (2 Corinthians 1:3-5). Can the fragrance of Christ in you surround a griever through prayer, Scripture, sharing a memory, or a visit? Grief is personal and you may not relate to their loss, but you can give them the ministry of presence and caring. Prayer: Dear Jesus, thanks for Your comfort through Your Word and people. Amen. Reflect: How can God use you to spread the fragrance of Christ?

Help Over Problems Expected

April 21, 2026 • Jerrold Lloyd Nichols • Psalm 103:3, John 9—11

Last year was medically challenging. I had five heart surgeries, four pacemakers installed, pneumonia, bronchitis, bacterial infection, muscle atrophy, and COVID-19. Treating the bacterial infection required 4,000 milliliters of antibiotics daily for two weeks. As a result, I received physical, occupational, and speech therapy. I had to learn a new way to breathe to rebuild the muscles in my voice box that had gone into atrophy. Yes, there were times I wondered if I would come home ever again. But I never lost hope that I was in the hands of the great Physician who was partnering with all of the medical specialists to make me well again. My times were in the hands of my Savior. I developed an acrostic that reminds me of the hope I have in the power, mercy, and grace of God, who is able to heal all our diseases. It goes like this: Help Over Problems Expected.

One Little Word

April 20, 2026 • Linda Winterhoff • Psalm 23:4, John 5:24, 1 Corinthians 15:55, 1 Corinthians 15:57

After decades of reading and appreciating Psalm 23, a word recently jumped out at me that made me appreciate it even more. That word is the simple preposition “through.” It indicates that we don’t STAY in the valley of the shadow of death, but we pass through it and come out on the other side. And we have God walking through that valley as our guide — the God who became a human, suffered, died, and Himself experienced the valley of the shadow of death. Because we know He didn’t stay in that valley, we know we won’t either! My paraphrase of this verse is: YAY! Though I walk THROUGH the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil!

Thrown for a Loss

April 19, 2026 • Barry Bobb • John 16:22, Psalm 34:18, 1 Peter 5:7

These weeks after Easter are a joyous time. Such a great time of worship celebrating Christ’s triumph! The season can also bring quiet moments of contemplation as we consider the loss the disciples felt after Jesus’ burial and even later following His ascension. We know something of loss. It can be personal, as with a spouse, friend, or family member. Or it can be other things like a loss of mobility, memory, financial stability, normalcy, and control. Sometimes, this sense of loss leads to fear and loneliness. The shadows daily hang over us. Take heart! That same Jesus who appeared to His disciples — comforting, promising hope and His Spirit — comes to us continuously in His Word, the Sacraments, and in conversation with Christian friends. God is faithful; through Baptism He lives within us, His Easter light shining brightly. Alleluia!

Spring Sunshine

April 18, 2026 • Rebecca Coleman • Isaiah 60:1, Psalm 84:11, John 8:12

After a long, dark winter in northern Indiana, the first day of spring is welcomed. Daylight comes earlier and lasts longer. The sunshine warms the days. Crocuses and daffodils begin to break through the frosted ground with an invitation to watch as their blooms burst forth with the colors of spring. Nature is working in harmony to share the coming of spring and new life. I cherish the coming of spring. The spring sunshine is a dependable and daily reminder of how God warms my heart with His love. His sunlight also shines during my dark times, announcing that He is present. His light becomes my strength, knowing He guides my life with His constant, loving care.

Embarrassing

April 17, 2026 • Stan Tordsen • Mark 14:37, Matthew 24:42, Matthew 26:36–46

And he came and found them sleeping, and he said to Peter, “Simon, are you asleep? Could you not watch one hour?” Mark 14:37 When I was young, I fell asleep during a Lenten service. What added to my embarrassment was that when I woke up, I noticed that my Sunday school teacher was sitting right behind me. It is recorded in all the Gospels that, at Gethsemane, Jesus asked Peter to stay awake, watch, and pray. Yet this bold disciple fell asleep, not once, but three times. Each time he woke up to see not his Sunday school teacher, but Jesus, his Lord. How embarrassed Peter must have felt! As seniors, we may also experience embarrassment as we unintentionally doze off during evening Lenten services or during the sunrise Easter service. At these times, we remember that Jesus is an understanding, loving God who took all our embarrassing sins to the cross. Stan Tordsen Prayer: Lord, help me stay awake to focus on You. Amen. Reflect: Share your memories of a Lenten, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, or Easter service.

A Cheerful Giver

April 16, 2026 • MaryAnn Sundby • Deuteronomy 15:10, John 13:14–15, 2 Corinthians 9:7

Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 2 Corinthians 9:7 Am I a cheerful giver to others of what God has graciously given to me? Is He beaming forth when I cook, clean, volunteer, donate, listen, babysit, forgive, or give hugs? After washing His disciples’ feet, Jesus reminds us, “that you also should do just as I have done to you” (John 13:15b), showing humility and a servant heart. A cheerful giver generously reflects the grace and goodness given to them by God. “Make haste to help me!” (Psalm 70:1b) is a perfect prayer to start your day. Request God’s assistance to extend His love to others. Every action requires energy, time, thought, and initiative, so we pray that the Holy Spirit empowers us to display God’s generosity. Prayer: Dear heavenly Father, mold my heart and mind to Your will. Make haste to help me reflect Your love by being a cheerful giver. Amen. Reflect: Recall a time when you gladly gave of yourself, even when it was unfavorable for you.

The Curve Ball

April 15, 2026 • Connie Streich • Luke 8:48, Matthew 20:30, Luke 8:46–48

And he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace.” Luke 8:48 My friend is on a health journey that she and her husband didn’t expect to take. But then, life rarely happens without a curve ball or two thrown in. She’s meeting the challenges head-on. Her husband is very supportive, but I can see a “what if” scenario forming from the way he talks. Their journey together is inspiring. When he doubts, she’s right there with a positive belief in Jesus to set him straight. Her faith gets her through her own issues. When she feels despair, prayer gets them both going again. In Luke 8, the woman reached out her hand to touch Jesus’ cloak. Her persistent faith kept her going through difficult times, with perseverance to keep on keeping on. She was healed through her faith in Jesus. My friend is comforted with the knowledge that her faith will also heal her, either with earthly health or heavenly life with Jesus. Prayer: Holy Spirit, thank You for the gift of faith to help us throughout life. Amen. Reflect: Read Hebrews 11:1 slowly and thoughtfully ponder each word.

Costly Junk

April 14, 2026 • Gil Duchow • 1 Peter 3:18–22, Hebrews 12:1–3, 1 Corinthians 6:19–20

You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. 1 Corinthians 6:19b-20a It was time to get rid of our old sofa bed, but we couldn’t sell it. We couldn’t even give it away. No thrift store wanted it. We finally paid a (costly) junk dealer to haul it away. It’s even harder to get rid of the junk of our sin and guilt. The price to get rid of it is beyond our human comprehension. And no one wants it — except for Jesus. Out of His limitless love for us, He absorbed the entire cost of our wrongs and failures — and offers in exchange the gift of His full and free forgiveness for us. But it was costly for Jesus. We were bought with a price far beyond anything we could hope to pay. It cost Him suffering beyond what we can imagine. Jesus literally went through hell for us, so we might live with Him forever. Prayer: Precious Savior, we praise You for exchanging the junk of our sin for Your priceless gifts of forgiveness and eternal life. Amen. Reflect: Give thanks each day with a grateful heart for a divine love beyond our human comprehension. Read: 1 Peter 3:18-22 and Hebrews 12:1-3

Treasures from Heaven

April 13, 2026 • Carol Monaco • Matthew 13:44–53, 1 Timothy 6:17–19, Colossians 2:2–3, 1 John 4:9

Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth … your life is hidden with Christ in God. Colossians 3:2-3b I play with words and find little treasures. For example, there’s unity in community, and we hear with our ears and listen with our hearts. The treasure: When we listen to the Word of God in our hearts, we come together as a community in unity with our Savior Jesus Christ. There’s more treasure. God’s love has been revealed to us in His Word made flesh — Jesus in His mission, His passion and crucifixion, and His resurrection. “God sent his only Son into the world so that we might have life through him” (1 John 4:9b). In Christ, we are transformed! Internalizing the Lord’s love, our love for Him and for one another deepens. We become instruments of His peace, mercy, and compassion. By loving and serving others, we respond to Christ’s love for us. What a treasure! Prayer: Lord Jesus, strengthen my heart so that I may abound in love for You and others. Amen. Reflect: Discover the Lord’s treasures in your life and share them with those around you. Read: Matthew 13:44-53 and 1 Timothy 6:17-19

Fact Check

April 12, 2026 • Carol Geisler • Luke 24:39, Luke 24:36–43, John 20:24–29

Touch me, and see. For a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have. Luke 24:39b Social media can spark quarrels and questions. Is the onscreen information true or false? News reporters do fact checks before they repeat information gathered online. Artificial intelligence adds to the controversy. Is it a real person on the screen or an AI-generated image? Can we believe what we see? Jesus’ disciples needed a fact check. When the risen Savior came to them, they did not believe what they were seeing. Maybe He was a ghost! Jesus gave them the proof they needed. He showed them His nail-scarred hands and feet. He invited their touch. Jesus was and is alive, in the flesh. The disciples’ eyewitness accounts provide us with the fact check. By faith we know the truth, and it is good news to share with the world. Jesus Christ has risen from the dead! We believe it! Prayer:Jesus, lead me to opportunities to share the good news of Your death and resurrection. Amen. Reflect: Share the eyewitness report of the resurrection with someone today!

Spring Confetti

April 11, 2026 • Lori Hatcher • James 5:7, Isaiah 35:1–2, Hosea 6:3

Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. James 5:7a A grainy photograph from 1972 shows my sisters and me standing stiffly in front of our little New England house. The lace from our Easter dresses peeks from beneath our winter coats, and a single purple crocus blooms in the slushy snow at our feet. In South Carolina, where I live now, yellow forsythia, pink tulip trees, and Lady Banks roses adorn our Easter landscape. Regardless of the variety, or whether they bloom in the frosty snow or the gentle sunshine, spring flowers embody hope. “Spring is coming!” they seem to say. The earth resounds with the promise of Easter: “Jesus is coming! He came long ago, and He’s coming again!” Like confetti in a heavenly parade, the pastels of spring remind us that we are inching ever closer to Jesus’s glorious return. Prayer: Thank You, Jesus, for sprinkling our world with reminders of You. Amen. Reflect: Which parts of spring make you think most of Jesus’ resurrection and second coming?

It is Finished

April 10, 2026 • Ken Holdorf • John 19:30, John 3:16, John 20:31

When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, “It is finished,” and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit. John 19:30 Think of a time when you said, “It is finished.” Maybe it was finishing a 100-thousand-piece puzzle. Maybe you finally found something that you lost. Maybe you finished a long vacation. What did Jesus mean when He said, “It is finished”? Did it mean He was finished and died? Well, Jesus was not really finished. He died on the cross, but He was alive on the third day. His life was not finished. With those words, Jesus indicated that His sacrifice for the sins of all people was finished. No more need to sacrifice animals. Jesus came alive on the third day and continues to live forever. His life is never finished, and neither is the life of a person who believes that Jesus is the sacrifice for sin and that His resurrection means life eternal. Faith in Jesus will never mean a finish. Thank You, Jesus, for Your sacrifice on the cross and Your rising to life and giving me a life that has no finish. Amen. Reflect: Life in Christ has no finish. Do you believe it? Do you share it with others? Read: John 3:16 and John 20:31

Daily devotions for living life to the fullest!