A biography of the sixth President of the... - All The Good Seed Daily Devotionals for 2026

Having a form of godliness, but denying its power.
2 Timothy 3:5.

A biography of the sixth President of the United States, John Quincy Adams, written by his grandson, tells how, of all the influences that helped to form the grown man during his youth, the lack of true godliness was the thing that had harmed him most. He had gone to church twice every Sunday, read his Bible, prayed and observed religious rites superficially, but for him and his brothers and sisters religion had never been anything genuine. The children had grown up without godly fear in their hearts or the awareness that Christian teaching was to be taken seriously.

This book was written over a century ago, yet it reflects accurately the situation in many Christian households today all over the world. The veneer of religion is there: church-going, reading the Bible, instruction, even praying - all under the direction of the parents. The reason why the result of all this was so meagre is seen most clearly in the statement: "He had observed religious rites superficially." What should have been a living experience for the children turned out to be a dead form without any content.

What was missing? In that biography the Person of Jesus Christ isn't mentioned once, although much good is reported of the President.

What a difference there was in young Timothy's case! His mother instructed her son in the Holy Scriptures, so that he became "wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus" (2 Timothy 3:15).

Today's reading: Judges 3:1-11 · 2 Corinthians 3:1-6