Author: John Tillman

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Christmas and Kaiju — Readers’ Choice


Readers’ Choice is here: Over two-thirds of our devotionals get emailed responses from readers like you. Hearing that what we have written is meaningful to you is meaningful to us. That’s why we love sharing some of your comments and messages. Thank you, readers. We do what we do to serve you. There’s still time to tell us about your favorite, most meaningful posts of the year. If you shared it with someone, or it helped you, let us know via email, direct message, or by filling out the linked form.

Links for today’s readings:

Oct 27   Read: 2 Kings 8 Listen: (5:18)  Read: Psalms 55 Listen: (2:43)

Readers’ Choice posts are selected by our readers:

Barbara, TN — Amen! Thank you!

Jason, TX — I love the portrait of Christ you bring out here. The baby, the lamb, and the choir of harpists show just how much of a non battle the final one will be. Plus a title you can’t not click!

Like last year, we will repost all Christmas-themed Readers’ Choice posts together in one week. We pray our hearts are prepared to make room for Christ this coming Advent season. This post was originally published on December 24, 2024, based on readings from Revelation 15.2-4.

Scripture Focus: Revelation 15.2-4

2 And I saw what looked like a sea of glass glowing with fire and, standing beside the sea, those who had been victorious over the beast and its image and over the number of its name. They held harps given them by God 3 and sang the song of God’s servant Moses and of the Lamb: 

“Great and marvelous are your deeds, 
Lord God Almighty. 
Just and true are your ways, 
King of the nations. 
4 Who will not fear you, Lord, 
and bring glory to your name? 
For you alone are holy. 
All nations will come and worship before you, 
for your righteous acts have been revealed.”

Reflection: Christmas and Kaiju — Readers’ Choice

By John Tillman

The Internet was amused this year by a giant Godzilla-shaped Christmas tree displayed in Japan since 2000.

The Japanese term kaiju, popularized by the creator of Godzilla, means “strange monster.” Kaiju are sometimes interpreted as elemental forces of judgment. When evils such as radioactive waste, greed, or militarism spread, Kaiju rise, wreaking havoc as nature’s vengeance. Often, one kaiju saves humanity from another. In some films, Godzilla is the “good” monster that defeats other monsters.

In Revelation there are “strange monsters,” beasts, dragons, and brutal empires allied against God and God’s people. But instead of a benevolent monster, their opponents are a woman giving birth to a baby, a lamb, and a choir of harpists.

A baby versus a dragon?

A lamb versus a beast?

A choir of harpists versus all the armies of the kings of the earth?

Our world can seem dark as the looming shadows of monsters spread: violence, oppression, political chaos, economic collapse, war, and even nuclear war. In the shadow of such monsters, we may long for a vengeful Godzilla-like savior.

Yet, God sent a baby, not a beast. Instead of a benevolent monster rising out of the ocean to tower over us, a suffering servant descended from heaven to the lowliest place.

“But Jesus’ second advent will be different,” someone may say. True. But even then, Jesus is not our Godzilla. Godzilla battles foes as powerful or more powerful than he is. The battle itself lays waste to the earth. Jesus doesn’t struggle because the battle is already won. He will crush the serpent, no matter how large the lizard grows. The enemies of God and God’s people will face destruction. The power of sin, death, and hell, will be finally and completely vanquished. Jesus will speak a word and they will be powerless and destroyed. Christ’s victory at his second coming was won at his first.

Instead of battling for power and causing destruction, Jesus surrendered power and faced destruction on our behalf. He fought by dying on the cross. His victory is his resurrection and ours. His weapon is love, not rage.
Celebrating Jesus’ first advent prepares us for his second. He will not be a monster of rage, revenge, and havoc, but the same messiah of love, protection, and care revealed to us in the gospels. “This same Jesus,” (Acts 1.11) will return. Ready your hearts to worship him.

The Lord’s Prayer:

We will take a break from The Divine Hours prayers for the month of October and instead pray Dallas Willard’s paraphrase of The Lord’s Prayer:

Dear Father, always near us, may your name be treasured and loved, may your rule be completed in us—may your will be done here on earth in just the way it is done in heaven.

Give us today the things we need today, and forgive us our sins and impositions on you as we are forgiving all who in any way offend us.

Please don’t put us through trials, but deliver us from everything bad. Because you are the one in charge, and you have all the power, and the glory too is all yours-forever-which is just the way we want it!

Read more about Peace from Labor

“What Child is This?” speaks to the unexpected form of our Savior. Good Christians, fear, for sinners here / the silent Word is pleading. His labor of love never ceases.

Peace from Labor — Peace of Advent
Read more about Silent Night — Carols of Advent Joy

Silent Night was born out of a period of insecurity and instability. 

Silent Night — Carols of Advent Joy
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Pharaoh’s Epistemology — Readers’ Choice


Readers’ Choice is here: Over two-thirds of our devotionals get emailed responses from readers like you. Hearing that what we have written is meaningful to you is meaningful to us. That’s why we love sharing some of your comments and messages. Thank you, readers. We do what we do to serve you. There’s still time to tell us about your favorite, most meaningful posts of the year. If you shared it with someone, or it helped you, let us know via email, direct message, or by filling out the linked form.

Links for today’s readings:

Oct 24  Read: 2 Kings 5 Listen: (5:13) Read: Psalms 50 Listen: (2:26)

Links for this weekend’s readings:

Oct 25  Read: 2 Kings 6 Listen: (5:05) Read: Psalms 51 Listen: (2:19)
Oct 26  Read: 2 Kings 7 Listen: (3:55) Read: Psalms 52-54 Listen: (3:18)

Readers’ Choice posts are selected by our readers:

Michele, CO — Thanks for this reflection. I agree and shout AMEN!!!

This post was originally published on February 25, 2025, based on readings from Exodus 7.22b-23 and Exodus 5.2.

Scripture Focus: Exodus 7.22b-23

22 …Pharaoh’s heart became hard; he would not listen to Moses and Aaron, just as the Lord had said. 23 Instead, he turned and went into his palace, and did not take even this to heart.

Exodus 5.2

2 Pharaoh said, “Who is the Lord, that I should obey him and let Israel go? I do not know the Lord and I will not let Israel go.”

Reflection: Pharaoh’s Epistemology — Readers’ Choice

By John Tillman

The first person God called “prophet” was Abraham. Moses and Aaron were next. It is interesting to compare the results.

God warned Abimelek in a supernatural dream to let Sarah go. God’s prophet, Abraham, would pray for the king and bless him if he did. If Abimelek did not, all his people would die. Abimelek could have hardened his heart and doubted his dream but he didn’t.

God warned Pharaoh through Moses, Aaron, and supernatural signs, to let his people go. If Pharaoh did not let the people go, he and his kingdom would suffer. Pharaoh could have believed the signs but hardened his heart and the hard-hearted find excuses not to listen.

Pharaoh questioned the prophets’ motives, their political alignment, and their honesty, calling them lazy, troublemakers, deceptive, and divisive. Pharaoh had an identity-based epistemology. “Who is the Lord that I should obey him…?” (Exodus 5.4)

Pharaoh doubled down and reaped disaster. Abimelek relented and reaped blessings. How kings and citizens respond to prophetic warnings matters.

Before being too hard on Pharaoh, consider whether we share his identity-based epistemology. Today, we don’t distrust supernatural prophets. We distrust everything.

If our news source says it, it’s true. If your news source says it, it’s biased. If the facts make our side look bad, they are fake. If scientific results challenge us, it’s a conspiracy. If the courts rule against our side, they are corrupt.

This skepticism extends to biblical teaching. We too often judge the trustworthiness and orthodoxy of pastors by their politics rather than their theological claims. We are in an epistemological crisis. Hard hearts find excuses not to listen. We only trust ear-tickling prophets.

How do we escape this crisis of truth? How can Christians reclaim the mantle of being people devoted to the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help us God?

If I had 10,000 words instead of 400, I still couldn’t answer that. However, I know one step is not asking like Pharaoh, “Who said this that I should believe it?”

We need an Exodus from Pharaoh’s epistemology even if it means wandering in the desert. How we respond to prophets of any kind, matters. Let’s recover a commitment to the truth, no matter who says it or benefits from it.

Read more: Tortured Prophets Department

Conspiracy, disloyalty, and financial gain are common accusations used today to discredit whistleblowers and victims. Amaziah is alive and well.

Tortured Prophets Department — Readers’ Choice
Read more: Conspiracy Theology

“Trust no one” is the mantra for our day. We have seen the news turn from a daily source of information to headlines judged for signs of misinformation.

Conspiracy Theology

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What If I Don’t Have an Ox? — Readers’ Choice


Readers’ Choice is here: Over two-thirds of our devotionals get emailed responses from readers like you. Hearing that what we have written is meaningful to you is meaningful to us. That’s why we love sharing some of your comments and messages. Thank you, readers. We do what we do to serve you. There’s still time to tell us about your favorite, most meaningful posts of the year. If you shared it with someone, or it helped you, let us know via email, direct message, or by filling out the linked form.

Links for today’s readings:

Oct 23 Read: 2 Kings 4 Listen: (6:17) Read: Psalms 49 Listen: (2:10)

Readers’ Choice posts are selected by our readers:

Susan, TX — Wow. That was helpful…the “by” “to” and “for”.

This post was originally published on June 20, 2025, based on readings from Deuteronomy 25.4 and 1 Corinthians 9.9-11.

Scripture Focus: Deuteronomy 25.4

4 Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain.

1 Corinthians 9.9-11

9 For it is written in the Law of Moses: “Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain.”  Is it about oxen that God is concerned? 10 Surely he says this for us, doesn’t he? Yes, this was written for us, because whoever plows and threshes should be able to do so in the hope of sharing in the harvest. 11 If we have sown spiritual seed among you, is it too much if we reap a material harvest from you?

Reflection: What If I Don’t Have an Ox? — Readers’ Choice

By John Tillman

Instruction manuals often describe features your model lacks. If there’s no in-door ice dispenser in your refrigerator or no sunroof in your vehicle, you just skip those sections. They don’t apply.

If the Bible was an instruction manual, we’d all need oxen to follow it or we’d be skipping a lot of passages. Are these passages a waste of space? No. Because the Bible isn’t written to us, it is written for us.

The Bible has instructions, but isn’t a manual. It has laws, but isn’t a constitution or legislation. It has prophecies, but doesn’t tell your fortune. It has histories, but isn’t a record book. The Bible is written by and to people who lived in ancient cultures, economies, and political systems.

Commands about living in tribal or monarchical political systems don’t translate well to modern democratic republics. Regulations about debt management, property rights, and poverty don’t compute in our economic systems. Instructions about planting crops and managing animals don’t apply to city-dwellers or modern agriculture. If scripture is “to them” how is it “for us?”

Paul didn’t have an ox. He was a city-dwelling scholar and a world-traveling preacher of the gospel, but he told the church at Corinth, also urban city-dwellers, that this passage about oxen was “for us.” Paul made an amazing claim. He said that when Moses wrote this down, God was concerned about wisdom for his people, not grain for oxen. From this simple agricultural instruction, Paul taught on God’s authority that those who share in the work should share in the profits. 

Paul applied this passage specifically to those, like himself, who were teaching the gospel. They were not grinding grain but sharing the bread of life. But that is surely not all that God intended either. We should apply this wisdom today to the workers in our fields, factories, offices, coffee shops, and markets.

Paul says the Bible “is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness.” (2 Timothy 3.16) There is wisdom to apply to our political and economic systems and choices. There is wisdom to apply to our labor markets and business practices. There is wisdom to apply to our personal finances and use of power and resources. 

Tune your heart to the Holy Spirit and listen to scripture in this way. There is wisdom to be revealed in every corner of scripture, even in passages about oxen we don’t own.

The Lord’s Prayer:

We will take a break from The Divine Hours prayers for the month of October and instead pray Dallas Willard’s paraphrase of The Lord’s Prayer:

Dear Father, always near us, may your name be treasured and loved, may your rule be completed in us—may your will be done here on earth in just the way it is done in heaven.

Give us today the things we need today, and forgive us our sins and impositions on you as we are forgiving all who in any way offend us.

Please don’t put us through trials, but deliver us from everything bad. Because you are the one in charge, and you have all the power, and the glory too is all yours-forever-which is just the way we want it!

Read more: Kingly Qualifications

Americans rated important traits in a president. They don’t compare well with God’s priorities.

Kingly Qualifications
Consider Supporting Our Work

If our work has profited your spiritual life, please consider donating to help us serve others.

Supporting our Work
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Walk-on Roles — Readers’ Choice


Readers’ Choice is here: Over two-thirds of our devotionals get emailed responses from readers like you. Hearing that what we have written is meaningful to you is meaningful to us. That’s why we love sharing some of your comments and messages. Thank you, readers. We do what we do to serve you. There’s still time to tell us about your favorite, most meaningful posts of the year. If you shared it with someone, or it helped you, let us know via email, direct message, or by filling out the linked form.

Links for today’s readings:

Oct 20  Read: 2 Kings 1 Listen: (3:13)  Read: Psalms 45 Listen: (2:17)

Readers’ Choice posts are selected by our readers:

Barbara, TN — Love this.
Jason, TX — I love the perspective you give here. It puts my life and that of those I encounter into a “bigger frame” of experiencing life following Jesus.
Brian, DC — Thanks for this reflection. The timing is perfect as I have been remembering how arrogant I was with pastors and ministry leaders here in Washington, DC when I arrived in 2001…Over the past 24 years I have learned to be gracious and kind to the pastors and ministry leaders…I have been thanking God for grace and patience. 

This post was originally published on January 13, 2025, based on readings from Genesis 14.18-20, Psalm 110.4, and Hebrews 7.1-3.

Scripture Focus: Genesis 14.18-20

18 Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. He was priest of God Most High, 19 and he blessed Abram, saying, 
“Blessed be Abram by God Most High, 
Creator of heaven and earth. 
20 And praise be to God Most High, 
who delivered your enemies into your hand.” 
Then Abram gave him a tenth of everything.

Psalm 110.4

4 The Lord has sworn 
and will not change his mind: 
“You are a priest forever, 
in the order of Melchizedek.”

Hebrews 7.1-3

1 This Melchizedek was king of Salem and priest of God Most High. He met Abraham returning from the defeat of the kings and blessed him, 2 and Abraham gave him a tenth of everything. First, the name Melchizedek means “king of righteousness”; then also, “king of Salem” means “king of peace.” 3 Without father or mother, without genealogy, without beginning of days or end of life, resembling the Son of God, he remains a priest forever.

“I am telling you your story, not hers. No one is told any story but their own.” — Aslan in The Horse and His Boy, by C.S. Lewis

Reflection: Walk-on Roles — Readers’ Choice

By John Tillman

The camera of scripture “zooms in” on Abram, cropping out the rest of the world, but occasionally others who know of God or follow God walk into the frame. One of the most notable and intriguing “walk-on” God-followers in the Old Testament is Melchizedek.

What is the rest of Melchizedek’s story? How did he come to know “God Most High”? How did he become king and priest? There’s no definitive answer within scripture. 

In The Horse and His Boy, Aravis asks Aslan what will happen to her family’s servant, whom she drugged to make her escape. Aslan says that he will not tell her someone else’s story.

When Jesus tells Peter about his own death, Peter asks Jesus “What about him?” referring to John. “What is that to you?”, Jesus responded. (John 21.18-22) Jesus refused to tell Peter about the rest of John’s story.

No matter how much we ask God, scripture, or each other, “What about him?” regarding Melchizedek, we will come up empty. The Melchizedek mystery is intriguing and intractable. However, there is something we can learn from the story.

God is working even when you don’t see it. Much of what God does is outside of our limited knowledge. Therefore, when it seems like God is doing nothing, it just means he is doing something we can’t see.

God is working through people outside your group. Whether outside your church, city, denomination, or country, God is working among and using people you don’t know and probably using some you wouldn’t approve of. When we encounter God’s work, we can bless it even if the workers are “not part of our group.” (Luke 9.49-50)

God is working through you where you are. Melchizedek didn’t join Abram’s daring rescue but he was still part of God’s work. Meanwhile, Melchizedek was king of a city while Abram was a migrant, living in tents. Both stood for and established righteousness in God’s name. Your position or role doesn’t make your part of God’s work less valuable. God wants to work through you to stand for and establish righteousness where you are in the role you have.

Melchizedek means “King of Righteousness” and, as priests under Jesus, we are priests in Melchizedek’s line. We are all walk-ons in God’s work. Serve your role, whether as priest, ruler, servant, or “walk-on.”

When it seems like “the action” is somewhere else, you are still part of God’s story.

Read more: Last Priest Standing

Jesus’ high priestly ministry on our behalf is perpetual, never-ending. If we could grasp the full ramifications of this reality, it would radically impact our daily lives.

Last Priest Standing
Read The Bible With Us

It’s never too late to join our Bible reading plan. Immerse in the Bible with us at a sustainable, two-year pace.

https://mailchi.mp/theparkforum/m-f-daily-email-devotional

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Resist Weaponizing Spiritual Things — Readers’ Choice


Readers’ Choice is here: Over two-thirds of our devotionals get emailed responses from readers like you. Hearing that what we have written is meaningful to you is meaningful to us. That’s why we love sharing some of your comments and messages. Thank you, readers. We do what we do to serve you. There’s still time to tell us about your favorite, most meaningful posts of the year. If you shared it with someone, or it helped you, let us know via email, direct message, or by filling out the linked form.

Links for today’s readings:

Oct 17   Read: 1 Kings 20 Listen: (7:03)  Read: Psalms 40-41 Listen: (3:57)

Links for this weekend’s readings:

Oct 18   Read: 1 Kings 21 Listen: (4:19)  Read: Psalms 42-43 Listen: (2:32)
Oct 19   Read: 1 Kings 22 Listen: (7:51)  Read: Psalms 44 Listen: (2:44)

Readers’ Choice posts are selected by our readers:

Jason, TX — Great job on this one!
Brian, DC — Thanks for sharing this beautiful reflection. I am humbled and honored in reading it.
Barbara, TN — Thank you!

This post was originally published on August 4, 2025, based on readings from Judges 18.23-25.

Scripture Focus: Judges 18.23-25

23 As they shouted after them, the Danites turned and said to Micah, “What’s the matter with you that you called out your men to fight?” 24 He replied, “You took the gods I made, and my priest, and went away. What else do I have? How can you ask, ‘What’s the matter with you?’ ” 25 The Danites answered, “Don’t argue with us, or some of the men may get angry and attack you, and you and your family will lose your lives.”

Reflection: Resist Weaponizing Spiritual Things — Readers’ Choice

By John Tillman

In The Book of Eli, Denzel Washington (Eli) carries a Bible he has sworn to protect across a violent, post-apocalyptic United States.

A brutal, book-obsessed warlord named Carnegie (played by Gary Oldman and not-so-subtly named to reference Andrew Carnegie, famous for building libraries) demands Eli give it to him.

After many fighters die trying to take the Bible, Carnegie’s lieutenant questions whether “a book” is worth the spilled blood and spent resources. Carnegie responds, “It’s not a book. It’s a weapon. A weapon aimed right at the hearts and minds of the weak and the desperate.”

The final chapters of Judges share a similar apocalyptic brutality with the film. When everyone did “as they saw fit,” (Judges 21.25) wicked hearts were exposed and chaos and violence reigned.

Levites were intended to live in their own towns and serve all the tribes at the Tabernacle. However, Micah hired a Levite to serve at his private shrine of “household gods.” Seemingly ignorant of all the laws they were violating, Micah said, “Now I know that the Lord will be good to me…” (Judges 17.13)

When warriors from the tribe of Dan made the Levite a better offer, he left with them. Micah pursued, crying, “You took my gods and my priest! What else do I have?”

Micah’s cry, “What else do I have?” is partially correct. It is good to recognize, “Whom have I in heaven but you?” However, we mustn’t forget the second line: “And earth has nothing I desire besides you.” (Psalm 73.25)

Micah, the Danite warriors, and the fictional Carnegie had mercenary attitudes about God, worship, and his ministers. They valued the things of God as personal weapons and tools to enrich and comfort themselves.

Beware of developing mercenary attitudes toward God, ministers, or the Bible. The Bible isn’t a weapon for winning earthly arguments. Ministers should serve everyone, not one political tribe. God doesn’t owe us blessings in exchange for worship, especially when our worship is often polluted with false “household gods,” like political and cultural ideologies.

God won’t be anyone’s mercenary and he looks unkindly on weaponizing the Bible for earthly purposes. Don’t surrender spiritual things to those who want to weaponize them to obtain earthly things.

No spoilers, however, in the film Carnegie can’t use the Bible even after winning it in battle and Eli still guards it even after it is taken from him. So may it be with us.

The Lord’s Prayer:

We will take a break from The Divine Hours prayers for the month of October and instead pray Dallas Willard’s paraphrase of The Lord’s Prayer:

Dear Father, always near us, may your name be treasured and loved, may your rule be completed in us—may your will be done here on earth in just the way it is done in heaven.

Give us today the things we need today, and forgive us our sins and impositions on you as we are forgiving all who in any way offend us.

Please don’t put us through trials, but deliver us from everything bad. Because you are the one in charge, and you have all the power, and the glory too is all yours-forever-which is just the way we want it!

Read more: Keep Drinking the Milk of the Word

In Hebrews chapter 5, the author wishes to discuss complicated topics…But…the readers are not ready for such theological complexity…

Keep Drinking the Milk of the Word
Read The Bible With Us

It’s never too late to join our Bible reading plan. Immerse in the Bible with us at a sustainable, two-year pace.

https://mailchi.mp/theparkforum/m-f-daily-email-devotional