Recent Devotions
WISDOM FROM PROVERBS “A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.” (Proverbs 17:17, ESV) As I set up an online account recently, part of the process was to choose two security questions. One of the choices was to enter the name of my childhood best friend. My mind went blank. Most of those early friendships were neighborhood playmates or school buddies. As we grew older, friendships faded as interests changed or families moved away. Others left for college or job opportunities. Most of those early friendships only lasted for a season, but they were meaningful…
WISDOM FROM PROVERBS “Lazy people want much but get little, but those who work hard will prosper.” (Proverbs 13:4, NLT) Wherever we go, we quickly discover that people do not all approach life with the same attitude or level of commitment. In school, there is often a student who does…
Wisdom from Proverbs “A gentle tongue is a tree of life, but perverseness in it breaks the spirit.” (Proverbs 15:4, ESV) A familiar children’s rhyme declares, “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” It sounds good, but unfortunately this little rhyme is not true.…
Readers Loved
The Lord is nigh unto all them that call upon him. Psalm 145:18 How many times has someone asked, “How are you doing?” And you reply, “I’m doing okay.” That response is a red flag for me. It signals that there is something wrong and that there is an unbalance in a person’s life. How do I know this? Because this was me last week. Someone asked, “How are you doing today, Sis Overton?” Without hesitating, I said, “I’m okay.” I wasn’t lying. I was overwhelmed with tasks and overburdened with situations that are completely out of my control. However,…
“For you have been given not only the privilege of trusting in Christ but also the privilege of suffering for him.” (Philippians 1:29, NLT) Contrary to what we would like to believe, bad things really do happen to good people sometimes. This becomes evident as we read the Book of Acts and realize the persecution that the early church experienced. Despite the things they faced, even death, they did not waver in their faith or turn back from the Lord. When Paul wrote about the privilege of suffering to the church at Philippi, he did not choose those words lightly.…
The greatest obstacle preventing the Israelites from escaping Egypt and entering the Promised Land wasn’t Pharaoh and his vast army. It wasn’t the daunting Red Sea or the fortified Canaanite cities. The greatest obstacle to the fulfillment of God’s promise was the grumbling of God’s people. Grumbling gives voice to our distrust of God’s sovereignty in our lives. God said, “How long shall this wicked congregation grumble against me? I have heard the grumblings of the people of Israel, which they grumble against me” (Numbers 14:27, ESV). Like a parent who has reached the end of their patience, God had…
“Epaphras, a member of your own fellowship and a servant of Christ Jesus sends you his greetings. He always prays earnestly for you, asking God to make you strong and perfect, fully confident that you are following the whole will of God. I can assure you that he prays hard for you and also for the believers in Laodicea and Hierapolis.” (Ephesians 4:12-13). Let’s be honest: we may not measure success like the world, but we still tend to measure our success. If we are at a certain age or place in life, we subconsciously compare ourselves with others at…
