Recent Devotions
“For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.” 2 Timothy 1:7 KJV Fear is something I believe most, if not all of us, have dealt with in the last few years. In moments when I would personally feel fear, this scripture often came to mind. God has not given us a spirit of fear (fearfulness, timidity, cowardice) but rather a spirit of power, love, and a sound mind. Let’s break each one of those down. Power in this scripture can also be translated as “dynamis.” According to…
“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…
“Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty. This I declare about the Lord: He alone is my refuge, my place of safety; he is my God, and I trust Him.” Psalms 91:1-2 There have been countless times in…
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“But the word of the Lord remains forever. And this word is the good news that was preached to you.” (I Peter 1:25, ESV) As I was growing up, my parents made a sizeable investment, at least compared to their modest income, to buy my brother and me a set of World Book Encyclopedia. A print version of the encyclopedia may seem old-fashioned in this digital age, but at that time it was an impressive set of books to have on one’s bookshelf. I could pull out a volume, randomly open it, and learn so many fascinating facts. Science, history,…
“Commit your actions to the Lord, and your plans will succeed.” Proverbs 16:3 I grew up believing in my teen years that to be doing something for the kingdom of God, required me to do something (and I’m being completely honest here) huge and something that got people’s attention. I needed to be impacting the thousands and no less. I needed to have a huge platform and to be ministering publicity consistently. Boy, was I wrong. I look at my life now and realize that I’m still making an impact on this world, and just because it doesn’t look the…
“This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.” (Psalm 118:24, ESV) The longer I live, the more I’m convinced that gratitude is a key element in living a happy life. It’s difficult to be grumpy and grateful at the same time. It’s also difficult to be selfish and grateful. Or angry, rude, or thoughtless and grateful. You get the idea. A thankful spirit is the perfect antidote for a lot of our everyday irritations and attitudes. Someone once compared gratitude to a muscle that grows stronger the more we exercise it. If we…
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 to all those who looked for redemption in Jerusalem. (Luke 2:25 and 38, NKJV) Christmas is a season of longing, hope, and expectation. For some, it is only a time of parties and gift-giving. The true miracle of the season, however, goes back to a distant time and place when…
