Recent Devotions
Psalm 19:1, “The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handiwork.” I live 30 minutes from D.C. and one of our family traditions is to go to the Cherry Blossom Festival every year. When the Cherry Blossoms hit their peak bloom, it is an official sign that Spring is here. The National Cherry Blossom Festival attracts more than 1.5 million people to the District of Columbia every year. At the heart of the festival is 3,000 cherry blossom trees blooming along the Tidal Basin. It’s amazing that blossoming trees can attract so many people from around…
“…I make all things new.” Revelation 21:5. This week in Maryland has been wonderful; there is a gentle zephyr that invites warm weather, buds are forming on the ends of barren branches, and green shoots are rising from the ground—all promising a change in seasons. We have shining yellow daffodils…
“They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the LORD for the display of his splendor.” Isaiah 61:3, NIV. Small Beginnings Spring is only a few days away; a time of rejuvenation and new growth. Even the smallest seeds will take root and become a beautiful plant or tree.…
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“These are the things that you shall do: Speak the truth to one another; render in your gates judgments that are true and make for peace; do not devise evil in your hearts against one another, and love no false oath, for all these things I hate, declares the Lord.” (Zechariah 8:16-17, ESV) Yesterday we talked about the trustworthiness of God. Today let’s take that a step farther and talk about our need to be trustworthy in our relationships with others. People sometimes disappoint us. They break our trust, and it hurts. If that person is really close to us, it…
“Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.” I Peter 5:7 Merriam-Webster Dictionary describes “careless” as being untroubled, indifferent, unconcerned, negligent, or slovenly. In most cases, we use the word careless to describe someone who makes decisions without thinking about the consequences, someone who takes unnecessary risks, or someone who does not take care of what they have. But let us consider that first word in the definition – “untroubled.” Then we can re-write the verse above as “Live careless (untroubled) in the care of God.” The New Living Translation reads: “Give all your worries and cares…
“For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.” Ephesians 2:10 According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, the word “masterpiece” means “a work done with extraordinary skill” We were all created by a very skilled master. He took his time forming us, making sure everything was perfect. He decided our hair color, the exact shade of our skin, and our height. He is the master artist and we are his masterpiece. He knew who you would be, your talents, and what you would struggle…
“For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.” I Corinthians 6:20 Precious: of great value; not to be wasted or treated carelessly. Oxford Dictionary Most of us have something in our possession that we consider precious. It may be something that belonged to our parents or someone else in our family. It may be something that we worked for long hours to be able to purchase. It might not seem to be of any value to others, but we treasure it and protect and preserve it. We also…
