Recent Devotions
“And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night . . . And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people . . . And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger.” (Luke 2:8, 10, and 16 ESV) If your church has ever had a children’s Christmas play, it no doubt had some cute little shepherd boys standing around the manger near baby Jesus. After…
But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. (Matthew 1:20, ESV) Mary and Joseph…
“And they were both righteous before God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and statutes of the Lord.” (Luke 1:6, ESV) Sometimes life disappoints us. We have hopes and dreams that remain unfulfilled, even after fervent prayers. That may have been the story of Zechariah, a priest from the tribe…
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“Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high.” (Luke 24:49, NKJV) Jesus spoke these words to His disciples during the forty days between His resurrection and the day He was caught up to heaven. During the time He spent with them, He spoke of “the things pertaining to the kingdom of God” (Acts 1:3). Although they had been with Him during His years of ministry, there was still so much for them to learn and understand. When those gathered in the Upper Room…
“Forty years later, in the desert near Mount Sinai, an angel appeared to Moses in the flame of a burning bush.” Acts 7:30 Life has a funny way of catching us off guard, and usually at the most inconvenient times. Have you ever noticed that God can work that way as well? Moses probably thought that chapter of his life was over, after all, forty years had passed. But that is usually when God is up to something… in the silent, quiet, ‘everything is going well’ seasons of life. When I read this portion of scripture, this thought instantly came…
“Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.” Psalm 90:12 I can barely believe how quickly time passes. It feels like one year ends and another begins before we have a chance to catch our breath. Looking back, many of us can probably identify goals we never reached, projects we never finished, and dreams that seem farther away than we expected. We put so many expectations on ourselves. We imagine that growth should happen quickly, healing should come easily, and success should arrive sooner than it does. When life doesn’t unfold according to our…
“But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly” (Matthew 6:6, NKJV) I enjoy eating out—a night free from cooking and a time to relax with friends! Often there will be several of us together, and conversations just swirl around the table. One person might be relating a happening at work to another. Across the table, someone else shares a funny story with the one beside her. I hear snatches of conversations around…
