Recent Devotions
“The LORD told Gideon, “With these 300 men I will rescue you and give you victory over the Midianites. Send all the others home.” Judges 7:7 NLT In Judges chapter seven, Gideon prepared to go to war with his army against the Midianites. He starts with 32,000 warriors, but the number is quickly reduced to 300. I imagine they felt strong and confident on their way to battle with 32,00 men, but looking around at a measly 300 men was probably a little daunting. Verse 12 tells us that “the armies of Midian, Amalek, and the people of the east had…
“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…
“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…
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“Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labour of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls: Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation.” Habakkuk 3:17-18 If you have ever traveled with young children, you have probably heard the words from the back seat, “are we there yet?” Their anticipation of what awaits at the end of the journey has worn off,…
“I beheld the transgressors, and was grieved; because they kept not thy word.” (Psalm 119:158) Being a prophet of the Lord did not come with a glamorous job description. In fact, their popularity ratings would have been very low if such things existed in Bible times. Many times, the message they imparted was not one people wished to hear as it pointed out their sinfulness and disobedience to God. Ezra felt shame and “blushed” at the sin of the people. Jeremiah, the weeping prophet, spent forty years pleading with the people, but no one listened. Isaiah wept bitterly over the…
“Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor.” (I Peter 2:17, ESV) How is it possible to respect a hateful, rude person? It’s not easy to respond with grace and kindness when someone seems intent on treating us badly. That’s why the story of David goes against what seems to be society’s norm today. So many choose to plot revenge rather than offer forgiveness. We could all take a lesson from David, the anointed future king of Israel. David and King Saul had a difficult relationship. Saul knew God had anointed David to become the next king and…
Job 42:1-6 MSG Job answered God: “I’m convinced: You can do anything and everything. Nothing and no one can upset your plans. You asked, ‘Who is this muddying the water, ignorantly confusing the issue, second-guessing my purposes?’ I admit it. I was the one. I babbled on about things far beyond me, made small talk about wonders way over my head. You told me, ‘Listen, and let me do the talking. Let me ask the questions. You give the answers.’ I admit I once lived by rumors of you; now I have it all firsthand—from my own eyes and ears! I’m sorry—forgive me.…
