“Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house; and his windows being open in his chamber toward Jerusalem, he kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime.” Daniel 6:10 Daniel had been taken from his home in Jerusalem and carried captive to Babylon. Right from the start, he held fast to the teachings that he had received as a young man. He, along with his friends, refused to eat the rich food that was given but asked for a simple diet. As…
“Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me.” Psalm 51:10-11 Chapter 12 of II Samuel records the story of Nathan’s visit to David, revealing the grievous sins he had committed. He reminded David that there would be severe consequences because of what he had done. David was convicted. Psalm 51 is his prayer of repentance. The child that was born to Bathsheba became sick. Even though Nathan had warned him that the child would die, David still asked God to intervene. For seven days, he fasted and prayed day and night, asking God to change His mind. When the child died, his servants did not know how to approach him, but hearing them whispering, he questioned them. When they told him the child was dead, he arose, bathed, changed his clothing, and went to the house of the Lord and worshiped. His servants did not understand this change. Verses 22 and 23 give us David’s response: “And he said, While the child was yet alive, I fasted and wept: for I said, Who can tell whether GOD will…
“And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil? Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, Doth Job fear God for nought?” Job 1:8-9 God had blessed Job abundantly. He had accumulated great flocks and herds. He had a large family that he loved. The Lord described him to Satan as being perfect and upright. But Satan questioned Job’s motives. He accused him of serving the Lord only because of the way he had been blessed. And so, God allowed Satan to test Job, with one stipulation: “Behold, all that he hath is in thy power; only upon himself put not forth thine hand. Can you imagine what it must have been like for Job? First, he received news of the death of all his children. Then one by one, servants came to inform him that his flocks and herds were all gone. His reaction was not what Satan had envisioned. Job 1:20-22 “Then Job arose, and rent his mantle, and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground, and worshipped, And said, Naked came I out…
“God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for the LORD JEHOVAH is my strength and my song; he also is become my salvation. Therefore, with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation.” Isaiah 12:2-3 I have been asking myself the question, “Do I love the Lord for all the blessings He bestows upon me, or do I love Him for Who He is?” I am thankful for the blessings and for the way that Jesus provides my every need. This morning, as I was making my bed, I thanked the Lord for it…
She conceived again, and when she gave birth to a son she said, “This time I will praise the Lord.” So she named him Judah.” Genesis 29:35. In the above scripture we read that Leah gives birth to Judah, her last child, whose name means praise. Leah’s story is wrought with pain. She was never part of Jacob’s plan. On the long awaited day of his betrothal to Rachel, his future father-in-law schemed a plan to have his eldest daughter marry Jacob. Tables turned and the deceiver became the deceived. The morning after the wedding, Jacob unveiled his wife and realized that Laban did him and his daughters a disservice. The Bible doesn’t go into depth about Leah’s pain or her families dynamic. How embarrassing would it be to be forced into marrying your younger sister’s fiancée, just because you were not married? How painful would it be to be married to someone who did not love you at all? Can you imagine how lonely it would be to share your home with someone whose heart is somewhere else? However, we learn that when Leah gives birth for the final time, she said, “this time I will praise the Lord.”…
“So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.” John 13:34–35 (NLT) The Power of a Heartbeat The human heart begins to beat within the first month of life in the womb. From that moment until the day it stops, it works tirelessly to keep us alive. 72 beats per minute on average Over 100,000 beats per day About 38 million beats per year Roughly 2.5 billion beats in a lifetime It never waits for a reminder. It beats because it was designed for a purpose—just as God designed our spiritual hearts to express love and give evidence of life in Him. Pause for a moment. Place your hand over your chest. That steady rhythm is a testimony of God’s purpose for you. You are alive for a reason. The Heartbeat of Our Savior On the cross, the heartbeat of Jesus resounded with forgiveness, mercy, and unending love. As His blood flowed, so did grace—available to every person, every generation. God’s love has never stopped. His heart beats for you, for…