Recent Devotions
“To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified.” Isaiah 61:3 Weary and worn, heartbroken and discouraged, Naomi drew close to Bethlehem. Memories of leaving here years before because of a famine filled her mind. Had it been the right thing to do? She thought of the graves of her husband and sons left now in Moab. She was thankful that…
“And he must needs go through Samaria.” John 4:4 Shunned by the other women in the town, a lone woman made her way to Jacob’s well at noon time to draw water for her household. Broken and bruised by all that she had endured in her life, her only desire…
“I am forgotten as a dead man out of mind: I am like a broken vessel.” Psalm31:12. “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.” Psalm 51:17 There is a story about a Japanese emperor who had broken…
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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…
“And those twelve stones, which they took out of Jordan, did Joshua pitch in Gilgal. And he spake unto the children of Israel, saying, When your children shall ask their fathers in time to come, saying, What mean these stones? Then ye shall let your children know, saying, Israel came over this Jordan on dry land.” (Joshua 4:20–22, KJV.) Joshua’s act of setting up twelve stones was more than a historical marker—it was a spiritual declaration. These stones told the story of God’s power and provision. They were a lasting reminder that Israel crossed the Jordan on dry ground only…
“How terrible for you, teachers of the law and Pharisees! You pretenders! You are like tombs that are painted white. They look beautiful on the outside. But on the inside they are full of the bones of the dead. They are also full of other things that are not pure and ‘clean.’ (Matthew 23:27 NIRV) When I was a little girl, I loved tea parties. My mother put them together just for me and my sister. It was always a special time, away from our two brothers and childhood responsibilities. She would pull out her fine china, set the table…
