Daily Devotions with Pastor Jim Cymbala

New Creation, New Belonging | Psalm 87 | Daily Devotional | Pastor Jim Cymbala

We are all born once, physically, on this earth. But when we believe in salvation through Jesus Christ, we have a spiritual rebirth. How wonderful it is to be born again! We don’t have to be linked to the city where we were born or the denomination in which we were raised. We belong to God Almighty, and we are citizens of heaven!

Different but United | Psalm 86 | Daily Devotions | Pastor Jim Cymbala

Should we support every denomination of Christianity? Denominations and labels can actually create division and strife among believers. We are called to rejoice with those who are rejoicing (Rom. 12:15)! When someone gets truly saved, through sound doctrine, Christians should unite in the spirit of peace, celebration, and rejoicing!

Rejoicing and Revival | Psalm 85 | Daily Devotions | Pastor Jim Cymbala

When our spirits are revived, we have reason to rejoice. And when our hearts are full of rejoicing, we feel a sense of revival! The two go hand in hand. As we seek spiritual revival, we can be walking billboards of the joy of the Lord in a world of lost, hurting people!

Understanding God’s Presence | Psalm 84 | Daily Devotions | Pastor Jim Cymbala

True fellowship with God can’t be learned or studied—it comes from intentionally seeking Him and having an open heart. Nothing can match the presence of God! We don’t need to do a deep dive into theology to feel the Lord. Jesus simply says, “Come unto Me.”

God Will Make It Right | Psalm 83 | Daily Devotions | Pastor Jim Cymbala

When someone is against us—bullying, slandering, judging—we, as Christians, can pray that God will make it right. But we have to be alright with however the Lord decides to do that! We can’t get in a huff when things don’t go the way we pray. God goes before us into paths unknown and walks beside us through the challenges. Let’s trust Him!

Let the Lord Preside | Psalm 82 | Daily Devotions | Pastor Jim Cymbala

God has a plan for our lives. How does that life-long plan play out? One day at a time. That means that, every single day, we have to trust the Lord and let Him lead us. There’s no sense in planning out our lives minute by minute when the God of the universe already knows how every moment will go! Let’s step back and let Jesus guide our steps—it’ll be better than anything else we could do.

Open Wide Your Mouth | Psalm 81 | Daily Devotions | Pastor Jim Cymbala

Many of us have "flown" a spoon through the air for a toddler and said something like, “Open up! Here comes the airplane!” What if we were to receive from God the same way a little child does? No, God doesn't pretend that a spoon is an airplane to sneak us some spiritual food. But He does tell us that if we open our mouths and ask God for His blessing, He’ll give it to us! Let’s do that today!

Revive Us! | Psalm 80 | Daily Devotions | Pastor Jim Cymbala

We can’t live in a fantasy world and call it faith. All God’s people go through hard times. It is unbiblical to teach that children of God already have everything they need! When we face oppression and hardships, we can and should ask God to revive us! He restores our strength, peace, and joy so that we may keep walking in His light.

Praises for the Shepherd | Psalm 79 | Daily Devotions | Pastor Jim Cymbala

Let’s cheer for our Good Shepherd! Or does that idea sound crazy? We get loud and excited for sports and politics—why not for the Lord? We have very good reasons for worshiping Him: He loves us and guides us! Jesus has good plans for us—that’s worthy of a loud amen!

Pass It On! | Psalm 78 | Daily Devotions | Pastor Jim Cymbala

Just because something is old doesn’t mean it’s wrong. As the saying goes, “Nothing new is true, and nothing true is new.” It’s important that we hold onto the truth of God’s Word and not be swayed by “new” church ideas. And when we learn something "old" from the Bible, we have to pass it on so the next generation can keep growing in the truth!