Recent Devotions
“So Daniel prospered during the reign of Darius and the reign of Cyrus the Persian.” Daniel 6:28 NLT As we have journeyed through the story of Daniel, it is easy to see that God was working all things out for his good. He flourished in a foreign land, always maintaining his integrity and gaining the respect of those in high positions of power, and he survived every verbal attack and accusation spread about him. Throughout all of this, God always received the glory. If Daniel could sit with us today, I think he would agree that he became powerful in…
“My God sent his angel to shut the lions’ mouths so that they would not hurt me, for I have been found innocent in his sight. And I have not wronged you, Your Majesty.” Daniel 6:22 NLT Daniel did not bend to man-made laws and thus began his journey to…
“But when Daniel learned that the law had been signed, he went home and knelt down as usual in his upstairs room, with its windows open toward Jerusalem. He prayed three times a day, just as he had always done, giving thanks to his God.” Daniel 6:10 NLT To some,…
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For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. (Romans 3:23-24, ESV) Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, Bathsheba, and Mary, the mother of Jesus. Five diverse women, but one thread holds them together. Each is named in Matthew’s listing of the genealogy of Jesus. That within itself is amazing as women were not usually included in a genealogy. Who were these women and what was their background? Tamar’s Story Tamar was the widow of Er, son of Judah. Genesis 38 tells her…
“And when the inhabitants of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done unto Jericho and to Ai, They did work wilily, and went and made as if they had been ambassadors,…….. And they went to Joshua unto the camp at Gilgal, and said unto him, and to the men of Israel, We be come from a far country: now therefore make ye a league with us.” Joshua 9:3-6 Joshua and the Israelite army had won great victories at Jericho and Ai. This caused fear in the other cities in the area. Gibeon was only a few miles away, but their leaders…
“But don’t be upset, and don’t be angry with yourselves for selling me to this place. It was God who sent me here ahead of you to preserve your lives. This famine that has ravaged the land for two years will last five more years, and there will be neither plowing nor harvesting. God has sent me ahead of you to keep you and your families alive and to preserve many survivors.” Genesis 45:5-7 I have always been fascinated by the story of Joseph. Things started great for him in life, but quickly took a turn for the worst. How…
“Show hospitality to one another without grumbling.” (I Peter 4:9, ESV) When I think of hospitality, I think of my mother. She was happiest when cooking a meal for someone or finding some small gift to give them as they left our home. I can’t remember Mom ever displaying “grumbling hospitality.” She just loved people and enjoyed offering hospitality. I can’t say the same about myself. As a child, my mom’s hospitality meant I slept on the couch when overnight guests were given my bedroom. According to dictionary.com, hospitality is “the friendly reception and treatment of guests or strangers.” The…
