Recent Devotions
“And when the feast was ended, as they were returning, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. His parents did not know it . . . After three days they found him in the temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions.” (Luke 2:43 and 46, ESV) The Bible tells us very little about the childhood of Jesus. The Gospels skip from the events surrounding His birth to the beginning of His ministry. Nothing is recorded about His childhood. But one passage at the end of Luke 2 relates an incident that happened when Jesus was…
“Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth; keep watch over the door of my lips!” (Psalm 141:3, ESV) As I passed a lady in the grocery store aisle, I overheard a snippet of her phone conversation. “Now I’m going to tell you this, but please don’t share it . .…
The LORD himself will fight for you. Just stay calm.” Exodus 14:14 NLT We live in an era where we don’t usually have to step onto the battlefield and fight for what is rightfully ours. We aren’t bloodied and bruised from the fight, and we certainly (hopefully) don’t carry swords…
Readers Loved
“Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.” (I John 4:8, ESV) First impressions are not always correct. I was reminded of this while eating a late lunch in a fast-food restaurant. Just from a quick glance at the clothes and general appearance of a man entering, I made some assumptions about him. I must admit I did not expect the extreme politeness and friendliness I then saw him display toward others. First, I watched as he chatted with the lady behind the counter. He showed respect and interest as they briefly conversed about things…
Daniel 9:17 KJV “Now therefore, O our God, hear the prayer of thy servant, and his supplications, and cause thy face to shine upon thy sanctuary that is desolate, for the Lord’s sake.” Daniel 9:17 MSG “So listen, God, to this determined prayer of your servant. Have mercy on your ruined Sanctuary. Act out of who you are, not out of what we are.” Humanity can be quite a mess at times. We struggle to learn from history and our mistakes. We interject ourselves into situations thinking that we have all the answers. Selfishness and ego fuel many of our…
Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity. II Timothy 2:19 Floors are an important part of our homes. We try to keep them clean and uncluttered. When we have a spill, we clean it up immediately because we know if we don’t it will be much harder later on. We could say the floor is the foundation of our home. We stand firm upon it. Looking at our spiritual life, there are beliefs and standards that are…
“Behold, the days come saith the Lord God, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord” (Amos 8:11). Each year millions die from hunger and malnutrition. While most of us are not personally affected by it, we have seen photos and heard stories of extreme conditions in many parts of the world. There are numerous causes including poverty, war, natural disasters, and political instability. It’s difficult for those of us who have ample food to comprehend these extreme conditions. The statistics…
