one step: Matthew 24.5

But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only.

It amazes me how God knows how to give us just enough insight and information to allow us to know that He is present and aware while still requiring us to trust Him completely. What He tell us allows us to feel safe; we can know that He is in control and is with us. What He doesn’t tell us requires that we trust Him completely for our yesterday, today, and tomorrow. Preceding and proceeding this verse, Jesus gives the disciples indicators of His return. He is very clear, however, that no one will be able to tell the exact time.

The tension between what we know and do not know demands that we live in the present. To dwell on what little we know causes us to extrapolate meanings and predict outcomes without enough information to draw a proper conclusion. To dwell on all that we do not know spirals us into a place of fear, defeat, or overwhelming insecurity.

The present can feel like an impossible place to live, but we must. It is in the present where we humans meet with the eternal, limitless God.

How do we live in the tension between what is known and unknown? How do we rest in what He has said and trust who He is? We ask for help.

Today, take a step.

Maybe today the one step God wants you to take is to ask Him to give you strength to wait or to rest in Him. Perhaps God wants you to remember what He has said. Maybe God wants you to be okay with what He hasn’t said. Perhaps God wants you to be present so that you can breathe in His presence.

Whatever the step, ask God to direct it. Take a moment to take that step. Invite Him to speak. He will.

Life is a long road. Walk it with Jesus. Take a step today… just one is fine.

Feel free to comment at the bottom of this page! We would love to hear from you!

*Leon, Morris, The Gospel According to Matthew. Pillar New Testament Commentary (Wm. B. Eerdmans, 1992), 611–613, and Keener, C. S., Matthew (Vol. 1, Mt 24:32–44).) (InterVarsity Press, 1997).

one step: Matthew 24.4

For as the lightning comes from the east and shines as far as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man… Then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.

When things aren’t going our way, or life is especially difficult, or when we feel as though our journey through the wilderness is a permanent station, we often ask the question, “Jesus, where are you?”

Sometimes these journeys last so long we can wonder if our faith is strong enough or if our God is real, caring, or concerned. These are real emotions and real thoughts that God cares about.

Jesus speaks to the disciples in Matthew 24 about how hard things will be near the end of all things. He describes a reality to them so difficult that they needed hope. The trials ahead would push believers to ask if their faith is strong enough or if God is real, caring or concerned. Jesus knows that these times will be hard and that life is difficult, so He makes this promise: My return will be no secret.*

There may be a situation in your life today that you feel that you need Jesus to “show up.” You need breakthrough; you need relief. Jesus knows that times are hard, and here is His promise: I’m coming back and you will know it.

There were times in my life that I was very concerned about missing God. I was concerned that He might want me to do something and I would miss it. Make no mistake, when it really matters, in the end, you won’t miss Him. Even the world that gave up on or turned their back on Jesus will know He returned. Don’t give in to difficulty. Hold onto hope. The world will mourn for the time that they wasted not believing; they will mourn because it’s too late.

Today, take a step.

Maybe today the one step God wants you to take is to surrender to Him within the difficulty while holding onto the hope that He is and the hope that He has promised. Perhaps today God wants you to return to Him. Maybe God wants you to step out knowing that you won’t miss Him when it matters.

Whatever the step, ask God to direct it. Take a moment to take that step. Invite Him to speak. He will.

Life is a long road. Walk it with Jesus. Take a step today… just one is fine.

Feel free to comment at the bottom of this page! We would love to hear from you!

*Leon, Morris, The Gospel According to Matthew. Pillar New Testament Commentary (Wm. B. Eerdmans, 1992), 602–610, and Keener, C. S., Matthew (Vol. 1, Mt 24:15–29).) (InterVarsity Press, 1997).

one step: water break

For who has shown contempt for the day of small things?

- Zechariah 4:10a

The One Step Daily Devotional is intended to provide just one step each day for your journey with God. Every journey requires water breaks. Here is a water break for you.

In the days of Zechariah, rebuilding the temple was not a small task. The mission would have been overwhelming especially considering the circumstances: a very small workforce assigned to a very large pile of rubble.*

Sometimes in life, whether you are rebuilding the temple, a relationship, a dream, or a life, the pile of rubble just seems too big. The task is large, and you look around you and see that the team is small. Maybe you feel like you are the only one doing the work.

In times like this, we must remember that God shines best and does His best work through a small, believing, right-standing group.* In the day of Zechariah, God attached a promise to the rebuilding of the temple: it would get done.*

There are things that God is asking you to do that seem too big. I want to encourage you with this: do not despise the day of small things. Small things produce big results when God is behind it. Small beginnings that get the job done create a story that can only be explained by His involvement. This is a gift.

Take a deep breath. It’s going to be okay. Have a water break.

Maybe today the one step God wants you to take is to breathe in and rest in Him, knowing that He is the one with the power to get the task done. Perhaps God wants you to embrace the small beginning, or to remember the small beginning. Maybe God wants to shift your perspective to see the gift that it is.

Whatever the step, ask God to direct it. Take a moment to take that step. Invite Him to speak. He will.

Life is a long road. Walk it with Jesus. Take a water break… we all get thirsty.

Feel free to comment at the bottom of this page! We would love to hear from you!

*Boda, M. J. (2004). Haggai, Zechariah (pp. 276–279). Zondervan Publishing House and Barker, K. L. (2008). Zechariah. In T. Longman III & D. E. Garland (Eds.), The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Daniel–Malachi (Revised Edition) (Vol. 8, p. 762). Zondervan.

one step: Matthew 24.3

Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name's sake. And then many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another. And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.

Holy smokes does it look like Jesus could have used a public relations advisor, marketing guru, or spokesperson! Are these the words of someone looking to spur a revelation that sweeps the world and alters history?!

In our marketing-saturated, comfort-driven, ease-seeking culture, telling people that things will be hard (and deadly) does not attract the masses. In this passage, Jesus sets the reality of the mission before His disciples, acknowledging that it will be so hard that it will cost some of them their lives. Despite this, He also acknowledges the hope set before them that makes it all worth it: the Gospel fully realized.*

Jesus wasn’t looking for the masses; He was looking for those willing to respond to the call of God on their lives no matter the cost. Truly, not all who said yes to Jesus that day died because of their faith, but all were asked to be willing.

Signing up to follow Jesus too often looks like the comfort of knowing that our place in heaven is secured and that Sunday mornings in a building with others who want to know about God are on the calendar. Jesus describes a costly discipleship that involves total commitment to Him in a way that mirrors His commitment to the Father.

Growing up, I often wondered if I could answer “yes” in the same way that those martyred in history did when asked if they believed in Jesus. A simple “no” would have saved their lives. In praying about it, I realized that the “yes” that cost them their life for Jesus that day was the same “yes” that they said the day before that and the day before that. Every day of their lives were lived for Christ.

God may not ask us to lose our lives, our belongings, and our family. He will ask us to be willing, though. There are two responses available to His invitation: endurance, or falling away. The choice is ours today.

Remember, if you are enduring hardship today, it is temporary. There is hope set before us, and the Hope is here and now.

I pray that you see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living (Psalm 27:13).

Today, take a step.

Maybe today the one step God wants you to take is to surrender all to Him. Perhaps God has been asking you to give up something hard, or step into a risky space and today He is asking for your “yes.” Maybe God wants you to take a step by being willing to give Him all that He asks for. Perhaps today He wants to remind you of the hope set before you because the struggle is temporary.

Whatever the step, ask God to direct it. Take a moment to take that step. Invite Him to speak. He will.

Life is a long road. Walk it with Jesus. Take a step today… just one is fine.

Feel free to comment at the bottom of this page! We would love to hear from you!

*Leon, Morris, The Gospel According to Matthew. Pillar New Testament Commentary (Wm. B. Eerdmans, 1992), 599–602, and Keener, C. S., Matthew (Vol. 1, Mt 24:9–13).) (InterVarsity Press, 1997).

one step: Matthew 24.2

See that no one leads you astray. For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and they will lead many astray.

When you think of those who present themselves as the messiah, you probably think of the same characters that I do. Perhaps you think about the cult leaders whose stories ended in tragic endings of death and heartache. Maybe you think about someone who has lost their mind.

Jesus warns the disciples (and us) to watch for those who would come pretending to be the messiah.

To follow someone other than Jesus who claims to be the messiah holds severe dangers. It’s easy to think, “oh, I would never follow someone like that!” It could be that these false saviors are a little more subtle than we think.

How often do we follow leaders who promise the things that only Jesus can offer? How often do we follow celebrities, leaders, or sports teams in such a way that we adopt our identity to theirs, hoping for a sense of importance, acceptance, or success? How often do believers follow pastors or speakers, desiring acceptance and wisdom? The leaders, celebrities, sports teams, pastors, and speakers that I refer to are regular people. They aren’t the messiah. They may not promise to be the messiah, but if we are not careful, we may attempt to ask them to be.

Before we get too condemning, I would like to say that I have been guilty. As the body of Christ, we are to be the hands and feet of Jesus for each other. But, there are times that, motivated by compassion, I have attempted to save those in my life from things that only Christ can save them from. I, without realizing it, have come to them attempting to be their messiah. This is dangerous; I am not the messiah.

Our part is to take our compassion and turn others toward the Messiah, helping them in ways that point them toward Him. Our part is to enjoy others and the gifts that God has given them with out asking them to save us from what only He can. Our part is to be on the lookout, just as Jesus said to be.

Today, take a step.

Maybe today the one step God wants you to take is to repent for holding others in your heart in a place that only Jesus should be. Perhaps God wants you to repent for attempting to take the place of Jesus in someone else’s life. Maybe today God wants to show you how to serve others in a way that points them toward Him.

Whatever the step, ask God to direct it. Take a moment to take that step. Invite Him to speak. He will.

Life is a long road. Walk it with Jesus. Take a step today… just one is fine.

Feel free to comment at the bottom of this page! We would love to hear from you!

*Leon, Morris, The Gospel According to Matthew. Pillar New Testament Commentary (Wm. B. Eerdmans, 1992), 595–597, and Keener, C. S., Matthew (Vol. 1, Mt 24:3–5).) (InterVarsity Press, 1997).