Recent Devotions
In the second year of King Saul’s reign, 1 Samuel 13:5 states, “the Philistines gathered themselves together to fight with Israel.” The Philistines outnumbered Israel; they had 30000 chariots, 6000 horsemen, and a multitude gathered together on the shoreline. Israel had 3,000 men—in the beginning. However, the Israelites were so scared, they hid behind rocks, thickets, and some fled to Jordan. Their numbers almost vanished, in a moment, because of fear. The 600 men who remained with King Saul and Jonathan were trembling; definitely not the mighty men one would hope for to fight for your freedom. God’s posture for…
Throughout history, names have held significant meaning. Shakespeare said, “What’s in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.” Anne Shirley famously disagrees with Shakespeare, saying, “I read in a book once that a rose by any other name would smell as…
Genesis 29:31, “And when the LORD saw that Leah was hated (loved less or neglected), her opened her womb: but Rachel was barren.” Unrequited Love In Genesis 29, we read a gripping narrative of deception, silent suffering, and the most tormenting kind of love: unrequited. Every time I read the…
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Gratitude is the gateway to the miraculous. We can learn to give thanks before our miracle by applying the lessons in thanksgiving modeled by Jesus. Thank God for Providing “He took the seven loaves and the fish, and having given thanks he broke them and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds” (Matthew 15:36, ESV). Jesus and the disciples were confronted with an overwhelming need. Both Matthew and Mark describe two different feedings of the multitude who had followed them for an extended length of time with no access to food. Jesus was conscious of…
“Lord, increase our faith.” “And the Lord said, If ye had faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye might say unto this sycamine tree, Be thou plucked up by the root, and be thou planted in the sea; and it should obey you.” (Luke 17:6 KJV) Jesus did NOT say, “If ye have faith THE SIZE of a grain of mustard seed …” He said “AS …” Again, I don’t believe it was the seed’s SIZE that Jesus was referring to as a simile for faith, but what the seed has inside—its HEART. What is INSIDE a mustard seed?…
Psalm 112:7-8 “He shall not be afraid of evil tidings: his heart is fixed, trusting in the LORD. His heart is established, he shall not be afraid, until he see his desire upon his enemies.” Have you listened to or watched any news programs today? If so, you have probably been bombarded with shocking news. The headlines scream at us of wars, fires, children missing, mass shootings, and other scary events. Jesus warned us that this would happen: Luke 21:25-26 “And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth…
“The full soul loatheth an honeycomb; but to the hungry soul every bitter thing is sweet.” Proverbs 27:7. I don’t know about you, but I love snacks. In fact, I am eating snacks right now; Boom Chicka Pop, to be exact. I try my very best not to buy junk food at the grocery store—not because I don’t want it, but because I know myself. My discipline is strongest in the produce aisle, not in my kitchen at 9 p.m. Think ahead with me to Thanksgiving dinner. The smell of turkey, sweet potato casserole, and pumpkin pie hits you before you…
