That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither—whatever they do prospers. (Psalm 1:3, NIV) Psalm 1 says that those who walk with the Lord and meditate on His word day and night will prosper. The Psalm describes what the life of…
“Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results.” (James 5:16, NLT) Where would we be without the godly mentors in our lives? Between now and tomorrow it…
Whoever conceals their sins does not prosper, inbut the one who confesses and renounces them finds mercy. (Proverbs 28:13, NIV) Forgiving others becomes second nature to most of us. We know that people make mistakes and sometimes it’s easier to forgive and move on. Forgiving ourselves can be a different…
Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. (Matthew 22:37, KJV) We sing songs about surrendering all to Him but do we truly know what that means? To commit ourselves to Him to…
“And Jesus answering said, Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine?” (Luke 17:17, Holy Bible, King James Version).
Lepers in Bible times faced expulsion from the city, their families, their homes. Jesus cleansed a group of ten and spared them the physical disability and the cultural agony. Excited to be disease free, they went happily on their way. Only one returned to express his thanks to Jesus.
We scoff at the ungratefulness of the nine lepers who were so preoccupied with the rituals of being declared clean, they forgot to acknowledge the giver of the precious gift. But, what about us? Are we among the ungrateful, or the single one who took the time to be thankful for His cleansing mercy?
Prayer: Lord, I give you thanks for Your miraculous touch in my life. In You, I am made whole. Amen.
Devotion by Violet Carr Moore
And God said, “Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night. And let them be for signs and for seasons, and for days and years,” (Genesis 1:14, English Standard Version of the Holy Bible).
Triple-digit summer temperatures peaked electrical performance. Warnings to keep babies and inactive elderly hydrated and away from the hot sun were given, but emergency rooms were overrun with those experiencing heat exposure and dehydration. Cool fall temperatures have replaced the scorching heat. Soon winter will bring heavy rains, snow, and ice. Then, spring will blossom again with gentle warmth and the beauty of fresh new foliage.
Only when we experience all the seasons do we realize God is in control. As He manages the seasons with symmetry, you can trust Him to be in control of your life.
Pray: Heavenly Father, You established times and seasons and days and nights in the beginning. As each arrives, you give me new seasons of purpose. Once I was young, like spring, now I am in the fall of my life. I trust that You will bring me through the winter to my eternal destiny. Amen.
Devotion by Violet Carr Moore
“So Jesus answered and said to them, ‘Have faith in God’” (Mark 11:22, Holy Bible, New Kings James).>
There are days when nothing goes right and you question why. No milk for cereal. Traffic is intolerable. When you reach your destination, you’re confronted with more problems. Later, you come home to chaos, not peace. Your faith shrinks. When the day ends and tomorrow’s sunrise appears, those temporary events have faded in the shadows of important things. Your faith is renewed.
When the next serious situation arises, you pray but your faith is shaken again when things don’t go as anticipated. You ask, “Why didn’t God answer?”
He did. He said, “Have faith in God.”
Prayer: Lord, help me to trust in You with faith for the answers. Amen.
Devotion by Violet Carr Moore
“The LORD has appeared of old to me, saying: Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love; Therefore with lovingkindness I have drawn you” (Jeremiah 31:3, Holy Bible, New King James).
Time is measured in specific increments but may seem different depending upon the event in progress. When an event is enjoyable, time passes quickly. The same amount of time seems like an eternity when a tragedy occurs. Jeremiah reminds us that God’s loving kindness has no limits. No matter what the circumstances, He is there for us with His gift of timeless love.
Prayer: Lord, Jeremiah’s reminder of Your everlasting love blesses me with invisible hugs. Amen.
Devotion by Violet Carr Moore
“When Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, ‘Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?’ So they said, “Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.’ He said to them, ‘But who do you say that I am?’ Simon Peter answered and said, ‘You are the Christ, the Son of the living God,’ ” (Matthew 16:12-16, Holy Bible, New King James).
Jesus canvassed his disciples with a public opinion poll. His question, “Who do people think I am?” They named prominent prophets. Then Jesus asked, “Who do you say I am?”
Peter spoke with boldness. “You are the Christ,” echoes through history as a great affirmative, a personal declaration of the deity of Jesus.
Prayer: Lord Jesus, while people everywhere argue about whether you were just a good man, a teacher, a prophet, or just a legend, I stand with Apostle Peter to declare that You are the Christ. Amen.
Devotion by Violet Carr Moore