Recent Devotions
“And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.” (Luke 2:7, NKJV) Christmas. Just the word brings wonderful images to our minds—decorations, lights, shopping, family, celebrations, gifts, carols. Cookie-baking marathons fill the air with mouth-watering aromas. Wrapping paper and bows, the “Ho, Ho, Ho’s” of a mall Santa, special foods, airline tickets, and the sentimental sounds of “White Christmas” all add to the excitement of the season. Oh, yes, and a baby in a manger—we can’t forget that. Christmas has…
“Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem.” (Matthew 2:1, NKJV) Of all those mentioned in the nativity story, we know the least about the wise men who came from the East. Matthew…
And behold, there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon, and this man was just and devout, waiting for the Consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him . . . And coming in that instant she [Anna] gave thanks to the Lord, and spoke of Him…
Readers Loved
The floods have lifted up, O Lord, the floods have lifted up their voice; the floods lift up their waves. The Lord on high is mightier than the noise of many waters, yea, than the mighty waves of the sea. Psalm 93:3–4 When I am going through a really difficult time in my life, I quote the above scripture. I declare, “The Lord on high is MIGHTIER than the noise of many waters.” “The Lord is mightier than my problem.” “The Lord is mightier than my enemy.” There may be a situation in your life that is trying to drown…
A photograph can stir memory and emotion. Most of us have had the experience of opening a photo album or rummaging through a box of miscellaneous keepsakes, and within moments we feel the emotion of a moment forgotten. Or, we sense the smell of our childhood home, a favorite spice or scent in the air. We are a composite of tens of thousands of memories, each of which, though seemingly forgotten, come to life again in unexpected ways. Parents daily create an atmosphere for their children. There are memories that shape their personalities, their spirituality, and their choices in life.…
“I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine.” (John 10:14) Our first trip to the Middle East was a culture shock. Most of the passengers on Royal Jordanian Flight 264 were Middle Easterners. My husband and I were a minority on the airplane. Service announcements were bilingual, Arabic, and English. As we navigated through Queen Alia International Airport customs, we were greeted by chaos and less-than-clean bathrooms. Once outside the airport, our missionary hosts picked us up, and we headed to their home in Marj al Hamam. It was on the south side of…
I remember the conversation like it was yesterday. It was the first week of November 2005, and Mark had called out to our girls, asking them to join us in the living room. He began to somberly share that if God did not provide a financial miracle, we would need to end our AIM term in Estonia at least nine months earlier than expected. Costs had proven to be a bit more than the expected budget, and we had run out of funds. Candace, eleven years old at the time, asked her dad, “How much money do we need to…
