Recent Devotions
“But thou, O LORD, art a shield for me; my glory, and the lifter up of mine head.” Psalm 3:3 The Dictionary describes a shield as “a piece of metal or other material, carried to protect the front of the body when being attacked, or a person or thing that provides protection: to protect someone or something.” David was a soldier. He knew the importance of a shield when battling an enemy army. When he went out to face Goliath, he did not have a physical shield. He depended upon the Lord to protect him, and he was not disappointed.…
“From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I. For thou hast been a shelter for me, and a strong tower from the enemy.” Psalm 61:2-3 When I was fifteen, I was attending…
“The name of the LORD is a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it, and is safe.” Proverbs 18:10 Recently, my Facebook feed has shown many videos featuring someone being pursued. When it seems they are about to be captured, a cave opening, a shed door, or some place that…
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“For Ezra had set his heart to study the Law of the LORD, and to do it and to teach his statutes and rules in Israel.” (Ezra 7:10, ESV) How do you turn a nation back to God when it seems to have lost its way? That question seems relevant in our present times. Is revival and restoration even possible? The Book of Ezra offers hope. As we read through its chapters, we discover how one man’s dedication and determination became the catalyst for a nation’s revival. Ezra, one of my favorite Old Testament characters, was a scribe and a…
“Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me.” Matthew 19:21 When Jesus was here on earth, His teaching drew crowds of followers. Some followed Him because of the miracles he performed. Others saw Him as the One who would deliver them from the Roman oppressors. It is possible that some just saw Him as a diversion. They listened to His teachings but did nothing about them. The young man in this story, apparently, was hungry for…
“Give us day by day our daily bread.” (Luke 11:3) A little water and a morsel of bread. That is all the prophet Elijah asked from the widow woman. A simple request, but it was not an easy one to fulfill. Times were worse than difficult; they were desperate. Because of drought and famine, food was scarce. All the widow had left was a scant handful of flour and a little oil. It was only enough to bake a small cake for her son and herself. Their resources were gone, and soon they would die from starvation. Elijah did not stop at this home by accident.…
Psalms 34:18 ESV “The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.” I’m sure that many of us have experienced a situation in life that resulted in a broken heart. I recall one specific break-up in high school that left me with swollen eyes that could hardly open, a bad case of the sniffles, and a heart that felt like it had been shattered into a million pieces. Of course in high school, this quite literally felt like the end of the world to me. I am glad to report that I have since recovered. There are…
