Pray First, Then Build Date: Wednesday, July 15, 2026 Today in Church History: On July 15, 1149, Crusader leaders consecrated the newly renovated Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, uniting all the traditional sites of Christ's passion and resurrection under a single monumental roof. Readings: Nehemiah 1-2 | Psalm 14 Nehemiah Jesse Lund • Daily Devotionals
Grief That Leads to Grace Date: Tuesday, July 14, 2026 Readings: Ezra 9-10 | Psalm 13 Ezra 9 opens hard: the returned exiles, freshly rescued from judgment, have already started drifting back into the compromises that got their ancestors exiled in the first place. Ezra’s response is to tear his clothes, pull out his Jesse Lund • Daily Devotionals
Invisibly Remarkable Date: Monday, July 13, 2026 Readings: Ezra 6-7 | Psalm 12 There’s something wonderfully anticlimactic about Ezra 6. After chapters of political drama, delay, and opposition, the temple simply gets finished, and the exiles celebrate Passover “with joy” (Ezra 6:22). No fireworks, no dramatic speech, just faithful people Jesse Lund • Daily Devotionals
Tears and Trumpets Date: Sunday, July 12, 2026 Readings: Ezra 3 | Psalm 11 Ezra 3 is emotionally complex. The returned exiles gather together and begin to rebuild the altar and lay the foundation of the temple. When the foundation is finally set, the priests blow their trumpets and the people shout for joy. Jesse Lund • Daily Devotionals
New Beginnings Date: Saturday, July 11, 2026 Readings: Ezra 1 | Psalm 10 We’re almost to the New Testament... Hang in there! We just need to cover a few more chapters in the historical books and latter prophets, establishing the anticipation of the birth of our Messiah-King, Jesus. You might want Jesse Lund • Daily Devotionals
Resurrection Date: Friday, July 10, 2026 Readings: Daniel 12 | Psalm 9 Daniel 12 ends this extraordinary book with a prophecy that parallels Ezekiel 37 in describing the doctrine of bodily resurrection: “Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake: some to everlasting life, others to shame and everlasting Jesse Lund • Daily Devotionals
