Recent Devotions
“And seek the peace of the city where I have caused you to be carried away captive, and pray to the LORD for it; for in its peace you will have peace.” (Jeremiah 29:7, NKJV) What is your community like? Is it a pleasant place to live? Do you feel safe and secure? Why did you choose to live there? Most of us have a choice about where we will live. Sometimes a new job or other change of circumstance will bring about a move, and then we have decisions to make. Where can I find an affordable, well-kept, and friendly…
“He shrouded himself in darkness, veiling his approach with dark rain clouds.” Psalms 18:11 NLT How often do we believe the lie that God has left us to suffer in our circumstances? That quiet and loneliness must be a sign that God is absent and unaware of our troubles. We…
“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 thou, O Lord, art a God full of compassion, and gracious, longsuffering, and plenteous in mercy and truth.” Psalm 86:15 The third attribute of God that David mentioned in this Psalm is “longsuffering.” As we read the Old Testament, we know that this word certainly describes God’s patience in His dealings with the Nation of Israel. Repeatedly, they went against His commandments and walked in their own way. He sent prophets to warn them of the consequences, but they refused to listen and turn from their sin. When Jesus began His ministry on earth, the Jewish leaders did not…
A photograph can stir memory and emotion. Most of us have had the experience of opening a photo album or rummaging through a box of miscellaneous keepsakes, and within moments we feel the emotion of a moment forgotten. Or, we sense the smell of our childhood home, a favorite spice or scent in the air. We are a composite of tens of thousands of memories, each of which, though seemingly forgotten, come to life again in unexpected ways. Parents daily create an atmosphere for their children. There are memories that shape their personalities, their spirituality, and their choices in life.…
“I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine.” (John 10:14) Our first trip to the Middle East was a culture shock. Most of the passengers on Royal Jordanian Flight 264 were Middle Easterners. My husband and I were a minority on the airplane. Service announcements were bilingual, Arabic, and English. As we navigated through Queen Alia International Airport customs, we were greeted by chaos and less-than-clean bathrooms. Once outside the airport, our missionary hosts picked us up, and we headed to their home in Marj al Hamam. It was on the south side of…
I remember the conversation like it was yesterday. It was the first week of November 2005, and Mark had called out to our girls, asking them to join us in the living room. He began to somberly share that if God did not provide a financial miracle, we would need to end our AIM term in Estonia at least nine months earlier than expected. Costs had proven to be a bit more than the expected budget, and we had run out of funds. Candace, eleven years old at the time, asked her dad, “How much money do we need to…
