Recent Devotions
“Even my close friend in whom I trusted, who ate my bread, has lifted his heel against me” (Psalm 41:9, ESV). When considering difficult people, we must be careful to distinguish between truly dangerous people (who wish to destroy us) and those who are merely “different.” Culturally speaking, I have been called a godsend in some places and a nuisance in others. If we are honest, cultural differences can sometimes be deemed “difficulties.” But what does the Bible teach us? Sometimes the only thing that makes a person difficult to us is the way we perceive them. If someone does…
A beautiful old church building in Québec was put up for sale by its founding denomination many years ago. For some time, it has been rented out to people who used this old cathedral, with its cavernous ceilings, crumbling paint, and fabulous acoustics, as a used book and rummage sale.…
In her book The Story of My Life, Helen Keller stated, “Have you ever been at sea in a dense fog, when it seemed as if a tangible white darkness shut you in, and the great ship, tense and anxious, groped her way toward the shore with plummet and sounding-line,…
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“Better is a little with the fear of the LORD than great treasure and trouble with it.” (Proverbs 15:16) I recently experienced an “aha” moment while reading the Bible and meditating on contentment. Just to clarify, contentment is not the same as happiness, even though the thesaurus lists them as synonyms. Think of it this way. Happiness is short-term, so we crave “more” to sustain that feeling. Contentment, however, is long term. It doesn’t require a constant push to have more to be satisfied. That “aha” moment I had? I realized that discontent dates back as far as the Garden…
“Blessed is the man whose strength is in thee; in whose heart are the ways of them. Who passing through the valley of Baca make it a well; the rain also filleth the pools. They go from strength to strength, every one of them in Zion appeareth before God.” Psalm 84:5-7 It is believed that David wrote this Psalm when he had fled Jerusalem because of Absalom’s rebellion. He is longing to be back in Jerusalem to spend time in the house of the Lord. It seems like he envies the birds who have made their nests in its shelter, and the…
Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of out faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. Hebrews 12:2. The question must be asked, What kind of joy would there be hanging on a cross? The scripture says that the joy was set before Him—the joy was you and me. The love of God is undeniable. He chose to leave the glory of the heavens to be misunderstood, judged, and betrayed. He chose to robe Himself in flesh, pay a…
While he was with them, he declared, “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait there for what my Father promised, which you heard about from me. For John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.” (Acts 1:4-5, NET) One of the last instructions from Jesus to His disciples before He ascended was to remain in Jerusalem and wait for the promised outpouring of the Holy Spirit. As instructed by the Lord, the disciples and other believers, about 120 people in total, returned from the Mount of Olives to the city in anticipation…
