Max Lucado Daily Devotional
Max Lucado
UpWords Daily Devotionals by Max Lucado
- The Choice is Ours
In so many areas of life we have no choice. “It’s not fair,” we say. But the scales of life were forever tipped on the side of fairness when God planted a tree in the Garden of Eden. All complaints were silenced when Adam and his descendants were given free will, the freedom to make whatever eternal choice we desire. Any injustice in this life is offset by the honor of choosing our destiny in the next. Wouldn’t you agree?
It would have been nice if God had let us order life like we order a meal. Would’ve been nice. But it didn’t happen. When it came to many details of your life on earth, you weren’t given a choice, a voice or a vote. But when it comes to life after death, you were! In my book that seems like a good deal. Wouldn’t you agree?
Read more He Chose the Nails: What God Did to Win Your Heart
For more inspirational messages please visit Max Lucado.
9 March 2026, 5:15 am - The Penitent Thief
Much has been said about the prayer of the penitent thief on the cross next to Jesus. But dare we forget the one who didn’t pray? He offered no request. He, too, could have requested mercy. He, too, could have asked Jesus to remember him in the new kingdom. But he didn’t. He offered no prayer of repentance. And Jesus didn’t demand one.
Jesus gave both criminals the same choice. One said, “Remember me.” The other said nothing. There are times when God sends thunder to stir us. There are times when God sends blessings to lure us. But then there are times when God sends nothing but silence as he honors us with the freedom to choose where we spend eternity.
Read more He Chose the Nails: What God Did to Win Your Heart
For more inspirational messages please visit Max Lucado.
6 March 2026, 6:15 am - Jesus Himself Chose the Cross
God has penned a list of our faults. The list God has made, however, cannot be deciphered. The mistakes are covered. The sins hidden. “He has forgiven you all your sins: he has utterly wiped out the written evidence…and has completely annulled it by nailing it to the cross” (Colossians 2:14 Phillips).
He knew the price of those sins was death. He knew the source of those sins was you, and since he couldn’t bear the thought of eternity without you, he chose the nails.
The verdict behind the death was not decided by jealous Jews. With a flex of the biceps, Jesus could have resisted. No. Jesus himself chose the nails. He knew that the purpose of the nail was to place your sins where they could be hidden by his sacrifice—nailed to the cross, covered by his blood.
Read more He Chose the Nails: What God Did to Win Your Heart
For more inspirational messages please visit Max Lucado.
5 March 2026, 6:15 am - The Hand of God
Come with me to the hill of Calvary. Watch as the soldiers press a knee against a forearm and a spike against a hand, as the soldier lifts the hammer to strike it. Think about the hand that received the nail. The fist doesn’t clench, the moment isn’t aborted.
A mallet drove a nail into the hand, not just of a carpenter, but into the hand of God. Fingers that formed Adam out of clay and furrowed truth into tablets felt the pain of crucifixion. The same hand that stilled the seas stilled your guilt. And as the hands of Jesus opened for the nail, the doors of heaven opened for you.
Read more He Chose the Nails: What God Did to Win Your Heart
For more inspirational messages please visit Max Lucado.
4 March 2026, 6:15 am - The Briar Patch of Humanity
What is the fruit of sin? Step into the briar patch of humanity and feel a few thistles. Shame. Fear. Disgrace. Discouragement. Anxiety. Haven’t our hearts been caught in these brambles?
The heart of Jesus, however, had not. Jesus never knew the fruits of sin—until he became sin for us. And when he did, all the emotions of sin tumbled in on him. Can’t you hear the emotion in his prayer at the Cross? “My God, my God, why have you rejected me?” (Matthew 27:46). These are not the words of a saint. This is the cry of a sinner. He stood silent as a million guilty verdicts echoed in the tribunal of heaven.
Do you want to know the most amazing thing about the One who gave up the crown of heaven for a crown of thorns? He did it for you. Just for you.
Read more He Chose the Nails: What God Did to Win Your Heart
For more inspirational messages please visit Max Lucado.
3 March 2026, 6:15 am - The Gifts of the Cross
Have you ever wondered why God gives us so much? We could exist on far less. God could have left the world flat and gray—we wouldn’t have known the difference—but he didn’t. Why give the flower a fragrance? Why give food its taste? Jesus asked, “If you hardhearted, sinful men know how to give good gifts to your children, won’t your Father in heaven even more certainly give good gifts to those who ask him for them?” (Matthew 7:11).
Every gift reveals God’s love, but no gift reveals his love more than the gifts of the cross. They came, not wrapped in paper, but in passion. Not covered with ribbons, but sprinkled with blood. The gifts of the cross! Have you taken time to open these gifts? If you do, perhaps you will hear him whisper, “I did it just for you.”
Read more He Chose the Nails: What God Did to Win Your Heart
For more inspirational messages please visit Max Lucado.
2 March 2026, 6:15 am - Afraid of What’s Next?
Life comes with surprises. On our list of fears, the fear of what’s next demands a prominent position.
In John 14:27, on the eve of his death, Jesus promised his followers, “I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.”
Heaven’s message is clear. When everything else changes, God’s presence never does. As Jesus sends you into new seasons, you journey in the company of the Holy Spirit. So make friends with whatever’s next. Embrace it. Change is not only a part of life; change is a necessary part of God’s strategy. To use us to change the world, God makes reassignments.
Read more Fearless: Imagine Your Life Without Fear
For more inspirational messages please visit Max Lucado.
27 February 2026, 6:15 am - Fear of Life’s Final Moment
Maybe you share this deep desire: a desire to face death unafraid. To die without fright or a fight, perhaps even with a smile.
Some say that’s impossible. But Christ promises in John 14:1-3, “Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me. When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am” (TLB).
Jesus experienced a physical and factual resurrection. And—here it is— because he did, we will too! If Jesus’ tomb is empty, then his promise is not. So let’s die with faith. Jesus grants courage for the final passage, death. No need to dread it or ignore it. Because of Jesus Christ, you can face it.
Read more Fearless: Imagine Your Life Without Fear
For more inspirational messages please visit Max Lucado.
26 February 2026, 6:15 am - How to Survive Prosperity
Are you “rich in this present age?” Almost half the world lives on less than $2.50 a day. So, if your income is higher, then you are rich, and your affluence demands double vigilance.
How can a person survive prosperity? Well first, do not be haughty. Do not think for a moment that you had anything to do with your accumulation. Money is an untrustworthy foundation. The United States economy endured ten recessions between 1948 and 2001.
Don’t trust money. Trust God. He owns everything and gives us all things to enjoy. Move from the fear of scarcity to the comfort of provision. “Do good … be rich in good works, ready to give, and willing to share” (1 Timothy 6:18 NKJV).
Read more Fearless: Imagine Your Life Without Fear
For more inspirational messages please visit Max Lucado.
25 February 2026, 6:15 am - Trust God, the Provider
In Luke 12:19-20, the rich man said to himself, “You have plenty of good things laid up for many years.” But God said to him, “You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you” (NCV).
The rich fool went to the wrong person— himself. And he asked the wrong question— What shall I do? His error was that his plans did not include God. Jesus did not criticize the man’s affluence. He criticized his arrogance.
Accumulation of wealth is a popular defense against fear. We think the more we have, the safer we are. God does not want his children to trust money. God is the great provider. The great giver. Absolutely generous and utterly dependable. Trust him, not stuff!
Read more Fearless: Imagine Your Life Without Fear
For more inspirational messages please visit Max Lucado.
24 February 2026, 6:15 am - More Episodes? Get the App