Pastor Gary's OYB Devotion Archive for January 23

ARE YOU ROOTED IN CHRIST JESUS?

From: January 23, 2026

“He answered, ‘Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted will be rooted up.’” (Matthew 15:13 ESV).

Matthew recorded that Jesus spoke these words after the Pharisees were offended by His teaching that true defilement comes from the heart, not from ignoring man-made traditions. The disciples had warned Jesus about the Pharisees’ reaction, likely fearing the growing hostility of these powerful religious leaders. In response, Jesus used an agricultural metaphor, echoing His earlier Parable of the Wheat and Tares (Matt. 13). Just as weeds were not sown by the farmer but by the enemy, so religious systems built on human tradition were not planted by the heavenly Father. Though such systems might appear strong for a season, Jesus declared that their end was certain. They would be uprooted. His words pointed beyond the immediate conflict with the Pharisees to the reality of divine judgment. False religion may flourish for a time and even persecute those who hold to God’s truth, but its foundation is not divine and therefore cannot endure. At the same time, Jesus reassured His disciples that His teaching carried the authority of the Father and would stand, no matter the opposition.

We live in a world full of impressive-looking “plants.” We see belief systems, movements, and even churches that claim spiritual authority, but are rooted in human ideas rather than God’s Word. We can feel worried when false teaching grows popular or fearful when faithfulness to Scripture brings criticism or rejection. Yet Jesus reminds us not to be shaken. If the Father did not plant it, it will not last. Our calling is not to try and root out false teachings, but to stay rooted in what God has truly planted—His truth in Christ. Even when standing firm invites resistance, we can rest in the promise that error is temporary, but truth is eternal. So let us ask ourselves: are we rooted in Christ Jesus? For all doctrines, religions, churches, and human institutions that are not will ultimately be uprooted. They will not stand.

PRAYER: Dear Father, help us to love and cling to what You have truly planted. Give us discernment to recognize false teaching and courage to stand in Your truth, even when it costs us. Keep our hearts rooted in Christ and Your Word. Let our lives bear fruit that will last. In Jesus’ name, amen.

YOUR WORDS REVEAL YOUR HEART

From: January 23, 2025

“But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this defiles a person” (Matthew 15:18 ESV).

The Pharisees asked Jesus why His disciples didn’t follow the tradition of the elders by washing their hands before eating. He replied that it isn’t what goes into the mouth that defiles a man, but what comes out.

The word “defile,” means to make unclean or impure. Jesus pointed out that hand-washing was a man-made tradition and not a law of God. Not only that, it only cleans the outside, when it’s actually the inside, the heart, that needs to be made clean. Unclean words originate from an unclean heart. Jesus tried to help them understand that their hearts were unclean and that they needed new, clean hearts.

What comes out of your mouth? Or as is the fashion of the times, what comes out of your thumbs, as you type on your smart phones and social media sites? Your words reveal your heart.

PRAYER: Dear Father, we come to You as Isaiah did, confessing that we have unclean lips and come from a people with unclean lips. Purify us. We pray as David did, create in us a clean heart O God. We give our hearts and our words to Jesus. Give us new hearts and new words of blessing. In Jesus’ name, amen.

WE ARE SOJOURNERS HERE

From: January 23, 2024

‘And Jacob said to Pharaoh, “The days of the years of my sojourning are 130 years. Few and evil have been the days of the years of my life, and they have not attained to the days of the years of the life of my fathers in the days of their sojourning.”’ (Genesis 47:9 ESV).

When Pharaoh asked Jacob his age, he responded that the years of his “sojourning” was 130 years. A sojourner is a temporary resident, one who is passing through a land. They are like one on a pilgrimage, who steadfastly and intentionally travels towards a sacred destination.

That’s how Jacob saw his life. He considered his life a brief and difficult journey on the way to eternity with God. Surely Abraham and Isaac taught him to view life like this. He had seen a vision of a ladder descending down from heaven to earth. He had spent the night wrestling an angel who dislocated his hip and gave him a new name. And finally, his son Joseph, who he had thought dead, he had now seen alive again.

Jacob’s journey had taken him to Egypt to meet with Pharaoh. Yet, Egypt did not impress him. He had his eye set on his ultimate destination, where he would be reunited with his fathers in that land where none grow old and never die.

I grew up hearing and singing a hymn in a little church in the hills of Virginia. The title of the song in the hymnal was “Wayfaring Stranger,” but the way we knew it was as “Wayfaring Pilgrim.” The lyrics as we sang them went like this:

“I am a poor, wayfaring pilgrim
A traveling through this world below
There is no sickness, no toil, nor danger
In that bright land to which I go
I’m going there to see my Father
I’m going there no more to roam
I am just going over Jordan
I am just going over home.”

PRAYER: Dear Father, this life is but a pilgrimage. For Christ has prepared for us our true home. Teach us to travel light and not to get entangled in this world. We do not want to get bogged down with temporary things. Help us to set our hearts and minds on things eternal, so that we do not lose our way. Guide us with Your Spirit. In Jesus’ name, amen.

HAVE YOU HEARD THE STARS SING?

From: January 23, 2023

“The heavens proclaim the glory of God. The skies display his craftsmanship. Day after day they continue to speak; night after night they make him known” (Psalm 19:1-2 NLT).

When David looked at the sun and blue sky by day or the moon and stars at night, he did not worship them. No, he saw how they bore witness of God’s glory and the wonder of His creation. For David, the sun, moon and stars were not objects to be worshiped, but visible heralds of the invisible Creator. They were proof not only of God’s existence, but of His great glory. Listening with spiritual ears, David heard the stars singing praises to God.

We can’t hear it with our ears, but astrologists tell us that the stars radiate stellar sound waves that can be detected with seismic telescopes. The biggest stars make the lowest, deepest bass sounds and smaller stars have high-pitched soprano voices.

The Lord revealed something of this when He questioned Job saying, “Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Tell me, if you know so much. What supports its foundations, and who laid its cornerstone as the morning stars sang together and all the angels shouted for joy?” (Job 38:4-7).

In his letter to the Romans, the apostle Paul also wrote about the witness of creation. He wrote, “For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God” (Rom. 1:20).

Yet God not only gave us evidence of His existence and glory through the general revelation of creation. He gave us even greater specific revelation through His written Word and ultimately through the Living Word, the Lord Jesus Christ. For the Bible contains the very Word of God to us. And more than that, Jesus is the Living Word of God. For as John wrote in his gospel, “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14).

So God has given us many revelations of His glory and power. Creation is the first. Yet the greatest revelation of God is His Son, Jesus Christ. He is the brightest Star in the heavens. As He revealed to the apostle John, “I am the Root and the Offspring of David, and the bright Morning Star” (Rev. 22:16).

PRAYER: Dear Father, we bear witness that the heavens declare Your glory and the wonder of Your power. Yet even more wonderful to us is the witness of Your Son, Jesus. For He has revealed Your mercy and grace and love to us. He is the bright Morning Star! Strengthen us to be Your witnesses today. In Jesus’ name, amen.

“But the words you speak come from the heart—that’s what defiles you.” (Matthew 15:18 NLT).

From: January 23, 2022

YOUR WORDS REVEAL YOUR HEART

The Pharisees asked Jesus why His disciples didn’t follow the tradition of the elders by washing their hands before eating. He replied that it isn’t what goes into the mouth that defiles a man, but what comes out.

The word “defile,” means to make unclean or impure. Jesus pointed out that hand-washing was a man-made tradition and not a law of God. Not only that, it only cleans the outside, when it’s actually the inside, the heart, that needs to be made clean. Unclean words originate from an unclean heart. Jesus tried to help them understand that their hearts were unclean and that they needed new, clean hearts.

What comes out of your mouth? Or as is the fashion of the times, what comes out of your thumbs, as you type on your smart phones and social media sites? Your words reveal your heart.

PRAYER: Dear Father, we come to You as Isaiah did, confessing that we have unclean lips and come from a people with unclean lips. Purify us. We pray as David did, create in us a clean heart O God. We give our hearts and our words to Jesus. Give us new hearts and new words of blessing. In Jesus’ name, amen.

“But what comes out of the mouth comes from the heart, and this defiles a man” (Matthew 15:18 HCSB).

From: January 23, 2021

UNCLEAN HEART = UNCLEAN LIPS

The Pharisees asked Jesus why His disciples didn’t follow the tradition of the elders by washing their hands before eating. He replied that it isn’t what goes into the mouth that defiles a man, but what comes out.

The word “defile,” means to make unclean or impure. Jesus pointed out that hand-washing was a man-made tradition and not a law of God. Not only that, it only cleans the outside, when it’s actually the inside, the heart, that needs to be made clean. Unclean words originate from an unclean heart. Jesus tried to help them understand that their hearts were unclean and that they needed new, clean hearts.

What comes out of your mouth? Or as is the fashion of the times, what comes out of your thumbs, as you type on your smart phones and social media sites? Your words reveal your heart.

PRAYER: Dear Father, we come to You as Isaiah did, confessing that we have unclean lips and come from a people with unclean lips. Purify us. We pray as David did, create in us a clean heart O God. We give our hearts and our words to Jesus. Give us new hearts and new words of blessing. In Jesus’ name, amen.

‘And Jacob said to Pharaoh, “The days of the years of my pilgrimage are one hundred and thirty years; few and evil have been the days of the years of my life, and they have not attained to the days of the years of the life of my fathers in the days of their pilgrimage.”’ (Genesis 47:9 NKJV).

From: January 23, 2020

WE ARE PILGRIMS HERE

When Pharaoh asked Jacob his age, he responded that the years of his “pilgrimage” was 130 years. A pilgrimage is a journey taken by a pilgrim, who is steadfastly and intentionally traveling towards a sacred destination. That’s how Jacob saw his life. He considered his life a brief and difficult journey on the way to eternity with God. Surely Abraham and Isaac taught him to view life like this. He had seen a vision of a ladder descending down from heaven to earth. He had spent the night wrestling an angel who dislocated his hip and gave him a new name. And finally, his son Joseph, who he had thought dead, he had now seen alive again. Jacob’s journey had taken him to Egypt to meet with Pharaoh. Yet, Egypt did not impress him. He had his eye set on his ultimate destination, where he would be reunited with his forebears in that land where none grow old and never die.

I grew up hearing and singing a hymn in a little church in the hills of Virginia. The title of the song was “Wayfaring Stranger,” but the way we knew it was as “Wayfaring Pilgrim.” The lyrics as we sang them went like this:

“I am a poor, wayfaring pilgrim

A traveling through this world below

There is no sickness, no toil, nor danger

In that bright land to which I go

I’m going there to see my Father

I’m going there no more to roam

I am just going over Jordan

I am just going over home.”

PRAYER: Dear Father, this life is but a pilgrimage. For Christ has prepared for us our true home. Teach us to travel light and not to get entangled in this world. We do not want to get bogged down with temporary things. Help us to set our hearts and minds on things eternal, so that we do not lose our way. Guide us with Your Spirit. In Jesus’ name, amen.

“Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for there I will make your family into a great nation.” (Genesis 46:3 NLT).

From: January 23, 2019

DO NOT FEAR GOD’S PURPOSE FOR YOUR LIFE

The Lord spoke to Jacob in a vision the night after he offered sacrifices in Beersheba on his way to Egypt. Surely old Jacob was concerned about leaving the land promised to his family since his grandfather Abraham had obeyed the Lord and brought the family there. Yet on this night as he left for Egypt to be reunited with his long lost son, Joseph, the Lord encouraged Jacob. God comforted his fear and revealed His purpose for the house of Jacob. God would use Egypt to make a nation of Israel.

Four hundred years later, the seventy members of Jacob’s house would leave Egypt as a people numbering over 2 million. This is a conservative estimate considering that the Bible reported “600,000 men” (Ex. 12:37) along with their wives and children and flocks departed Egypt as one people under the leadership of a son of Levi named Moses.

Who knows how the Lord will use what we see as trials and difficult circumstances to accomplish His purpose? Yet we can be certain that His plans for us are good.

PRAYER: Lord, we surrender our plans to Your plans. We yield to Your purpose for our lives. We want to see what You see, feel what You feel and join You in Your work. Our “yes” is on the table. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

“So altogether, there were seventy members of Jacob’s family in the land of Egypt” (Genesis 46:27 NLT).

From: January 23, 2018

Although there is some apparent discrepancy in how Jacob’s family is numbered (Stephen said there were 75 in his speech in Acts 7:14.), the point is that the Lord took this small group and made of them a nation. As Moses said, “Your fathers went down to Egypt seventy persons, and now the Lord your God has made you as numerous as the stars of heaven” (Deut.10:22). The children of Jacob lived in Egypt 400 years. In the latter years, Joseph was forgotten and the Israelites lived as slaves. Yet, it was this time of travail that bonded them together, so that when the Lord delivered them, they came out a nation.

“I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” (Matthew 15:24 NKJV).

From: January 23, 2017

Christ was sent first as Shepherd to the lost sheep of Israel and then as Redeemer for the whole world. As the apostle Paul wrote, “Now I say that Jesus Christ was a minister of the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made unto the fathers” (Rom.15:8). Jesus died on the cross and was raised, so that both believing Jews and Gentiles might be saved. Yet, His earthly ministry was entirely focused in Israel. However, when a Roman centurion or even a Canaanite mother asked for help, Jesus answered them according to their faith. So, the demon-possessed daughter of a Canaanite woman was healed. After Christ’s resurrection, He commissioned His disciples to “go and make disciples of all nations” (Matt. 28:19). The good news was given first to the Jew, but then was to be carried to all the peoples of the world by Christ’s disciples. We are those who are still called to carry out the Great Commission of our Redeemer. As the Father sent the Son, so the Son sends us (John 20:21).

Where have you been sent?