Scripture Focus: Acts 28.23-28
23 They arranged to meet Paul on a certain day, and came in even larger numbers to the place where he was staying. He witnessed to them from morning till evening, explaining about the kingdom of God, and from the Law of Moses and from the Prophets he tried to persuade them about Jesus. 24 Some were convinced by what he said, but others would not believe. 25 They disagreed among themselves and began to leave after Paul had made this final statement: “The Holy Spirit spoke the truth to your ancestors when he said through Isaiah the prophet: 
26 “ ‘Go to this people and say, 
“You will be ever hearing but never understanding; 
you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.” 
27 For this people’s heart has become calloused; 
they hardly hear with their ears, 
and they have closed their eyes. 
Otherwise they might see with their eyes, 
hear with their ears, 
understand with their hearts 
and turn, and I would heal them.’  
28 “Therefore I want you to know that God’s salvation has been sent to the Gentiles, and they will listen!”

Reflection: Calluses Aren’t Forever
By John Tillman

Calluses develop. We aren’t born with them.

Frequent friction forms calluses that are intended to protect us and, in some cases, help us. I have not played guitar in a long time, but my left hand used to have callus-tipped fingers. Even without a guitar in my hand, calluses marked me as an instrumentalist. If I nervously drummed my fingers on a table or desk, the tell-tale percussive taps of my calloused left hand were louder and sharper than the muted taps from my right.

Before the calluses formed, my tender fingertips could not stand to practice long without severe pain from the pressure and friction of the tiny metal strings. Once formed, the calluses, helped me play longer. (But not much better, unfortunately.)

The calloused hands of manual laborers testify to the hard work they regularly do. You don’t get calloused hands doing yard work once a week. You get them changing tires, or replacing roofs, or landscaping for long hours daily.

Physical calluses are badges of honor for hard work, frequently done. They indicate, in most cases, dedication and strength. The Bible speaks of calluses that are non-physical. We can have calloused ears that don’t hear, calloused hearts that don’t feel, calloused minds that refuse gospel arguments, and calloused souls that reject God.

Calluses of ears, hearts, minds, and souls don’t develop, as physical ones do, from hard work and frequent use. They develop from avoiding hard things and refusing to listen. When Paul addressed the Jewish community in Rome, “some were convinced…but others would not believe.” Paul quoted a warning from Isaiah to these individuals that they would become calloused. (Isaiah 6.9-10) Jesus also referred to this warning. (Matthew 13.13-16) 

After his warning, Isaiah asked, “How long, Lord?” (Isaiah 6.11) The Lord’s answer included suffering and destruction, but also hope. God told Isaiah that the calloused hearts, ears, and eyes were temporary. Jesus and Paul knew this too. Calluses aren’t forever.

Do you know people with gospel-resistant calluses? Do they stop their ears? Do they refuse to listen? (Acts 7.51-52) Don’t give up on them. Pray that they will stop resisting.

I no longer play guitar and today my left hand is as soft and sensitive as my right. Stay sensitive to those with calloused hearts. Reducing friction allows calluses to soften. Paul spoke “all day long” and some believed. Have patience and don’t be ashamed to share the gospel with the calloused.

Divine Hours Prayer: A Reading
Jesus taught us, saying: “Enter by the narrow gate, since the road that leads to destruction is wide and spacious, and many take it; but it is a narrow gate and a hard road that leads to life, and only a few find it.” — Matthew 7.13-14

– From The Divine Hours: Prayers for Summertime by Phyllis Tickle.

​Today’s Readings
Isaiah 41 (Listen 5:00)
Acts 28 (Listen 4:56)

​This Weekend’s Readings
Isaiah 42 (Listen 4:11), Psalm 107 (Listen 4:12)
Isaiah 43 (Listen 4:06), Psalms 108-109 (Listen 4:28)

Read more about Types of Blindness
Even those who already believe can be blinded…There are many types of blindness. Jesus heals them all.

Read more about Student Writers Month
Support our 2024 student writers. Donations from July 15 through August 9th will go to scholarship stipends. Read student bios and donate through our website.

Scripture Focus: Acts 28.25-28
25 They disagreed among themselves and began to leave after Paul had made this final statement: “The Holy Spirit spoke the truth to your ancestors when he said through Isaiah the prophet:
26 “ ‘Go to this people and say,
“You will be ever hearing but never understanding;
you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.”
27 For this people’s heart has become calloused;
they hardly hear with their ears,
and they have closed their eyes.
Otherwise they might see with their eyes,
hear with their ears,
understand with their hearts
and turn, and I would heal them.’
28 “Therefore I want you to know that God’s salvation has been sent to the Gentiles, and they will listen!”

Reflection: Seeing And Believing
By Rev. John Paul Davis

In a Special Edition of Scientific American Magazine, Sharon Guynup asks, “Is Seeing Believing?” Her article addresses how sensory illusions shape our reality. 

Acts 28 documents the latter stages of Paul’s ministry. After approximately 28 years of rejection from Jewish leaders and followers, 28 years of debates among false apostles, 28 years of preaching and teaching to Gentile believers, and 28 years of hardships, trials, persecutions, and slanderous accusations, Paul now finds himself under house arrest, in Rome. Yet, he remains committed to the gospel of Jesus Christ.

If seeing is believing, why was it so difficult for many Jews to accept Jesus as the manifestation of the Law and the Prophets after seeing and hearing of Jesus’s resurrection? If seeing is believing, why did many Gentile converts revert back to their previous ways of idolatry after seeing and hearing of Paul’s miraculous healing abilities (Acts 20.7-12)? If seeing is believing, why was it not evident to many that Paul experienced a life-transforming event so dramatic that he changed his name and ceased being a Christian-despising Pharisee to become a humble servant of the Lord Jesus Christ? 

Saul claimed to have had a unique and personal experience with Jesus, which transformed him and thus his life. One could venture to say the truth lies in the fact that it is our personal experiences (what we encounter) and not our senses (what we see or hear) that shape our realities! So then, the question for us to answer is what personal experience have we had with Jesus that points to a transformative experience in our lives today? If there is none, try praying for someone, meditating on a bible verse, or even taking a moment to reflect on the good in your life. It just may be that reading or hearing the Word of God may not be enough to believe in Jesus as the Son of God. We need to show people Jesus.

Father God, I pray that every reader of this devotional will have the opportunity to confess to others your life-changing abilities in having Jesus Christ as Lord over their lives so that others may continue to see and believe through their actions and behaviors that you are the God of all creation and there is no other like you! Amen!

Divine Hours Prayer: A Reading
Jesus taught us, saying: “Sell your possessions and give to those in need. Get yourselves purses that do not wear out, treasure that will not fail you, in heaven where no thief can reach it and no moth destroy it. For where your treasure is, there is where your heart will be too.” — Luke 12.33-34


Today’s Readings
Jeremiah 4 (Listen -5:23)
Acts 28 (Listen – 4:56)

Read more about The Shema and The Lord’s Prayer
Shema implies not just hearing words but carrying them out. In The Lord’s Prayer, action is also implied.