June 17, 2026 Devo

A couple of weeks ago, my wife showed me a clip from the Today Show. It was a really interesting look at a phenomenon happening in our country today. Young adults are returning to church. Especially young MEN! It’s no secret that over the last couple of decades, the church has been in decline. Most denominations have experienced a loss of attendance, particularly in younger age groups. But now, there seems to be a migration back toward faith. Young people are longing for something to satisfy their thirst for the spiritual in their lives. They are also longing for COMMUNITY. Christ and His Church are a great remedy for both of those.
Amazingly, though, the greatest growth in the Christian faith isn’t in the United States at all. Some of the most rapid growth is happening in places like China, India, Indonesia, and Africa. What’s startling about this is that Christianity isn’t even allowed to be publicly expressed in some of these places! Sure, in some places you’ll see large gatherings of believers, larger than we’ve even imagined in America. But in most of these places, the Christians are gathering in homes, basements, huts, and hideouts. People are desperate for the gospel of Christ and are even willing to risk their lives to experience and spread His Word. Much like in Acts 8, when the church comes under persecution, it doesn’t get squashed. It gets SCATTERED!
This is what God foretold in Isaiah hundreds of years before Christ was even born. His salvation wouldn’t be limited to just one city, one country, or one nation. God desires that the WORLD come to Him. And that’s what we see. “Plants springing up everywhere.” Jesus talked about this, too, as He presented Himself as the Good Shepherd. He wanted His disciples to know that the gospel wasn’t just for the Jews. In John 10 He says, “I have other sheep, too, that are not in this sheepfold. I must bring them also. They will listen to my voice, and there will be one flock with one shepherd.”
Let these words spur you to pray today. Pray for these countries and these leaders who are being persecuted, threatened, and killed. Pray that God would protect them, strengthen them, and cause His Word to spread. Pray also for our young adults whom God is calling back to Himself. The church of the future will be upon their shoulders. Let’s support them. Let’s make room for them. Let’s pour into them, mentor them, and release them to lead. God wants His Garden to GROW. Let’s make sure we do our part to make that happen. That’s God’s Word for you today.