Recent Devotions
“Then the Lord answered him, “You hypocrites! Does not each of you on the Sabbath untie his ox or his donkey from the manger and lead it away to water it? And ought not this woman, a daughter of Abraham whom Satan bound for eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath day?” Luke 13:15-16 ESV In this story, a woman who had suffered for eighteen years finds herself in a crowd near to Jesus. We are told very little about her, except that she couldn’t fully stand up straight because she was bent over from a disabling condition. Jesus sees…
“My soul waiteth for the Lord more than they that watch for the morning: I say, more than they that watch for the morning” Psalms 130:6 KJV We often associate night with trials, and darkness with struggle and rough seasons of life. I don’t know about you, but I certainly…
“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” Romans 12:2 ESV The word “world” in the above scripture means “period of time, age.”…
Readers Loved
“. . . Take for yourselves twelve stones from here, out of the midst of the Jordan, from the place where the priests’ feet stood firm. You shall carry them over with you and leave them in the lodging place where you lodge tonight.” (Joshua 4:3, NKJV) After their forty-year wilderness experience, the children of Israel were finally entering the Promised Land (Joshua 4). As they prepared to cross the Jordan River into their new homeland, Joshua instructed a man from each tribe to pick up a stone from the riverbed and carry it to the other side. This may…
“Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God:” I John 3:1 When Jesus taught His disciples to pray, he started out with the words, “Our Father, who art in Heaven.” As I was praying earlier this week, I began to think of what it means to have Jesus as our Father, not just someone far off in heaven, but dwelling with us, listening to our prayers, and guiding us each day. I found this definition of a true father: “protector, teacher, and encourager; a person who picks you…
“For I will satisfy the weary soul, and every languishing soul I will replenish.” (Jeremiah 31:25, ESV) Worn out. Exhausted. Dead tired. Spent. Beat. Drained. Burnt-out. There are so many ways to express that feeling of utter weariness that just overwhelms us. We’ve all been there. Exhausted and sleep-deprived with a new baby. Pressing deadlines at work. The mental exhaustion of trying to juggle too many things. Doctors note two main types of fatigue: physical and mental. Causes can range from medical conditions to boredom, eating disorders, major life changes, and more. If we are physically or mentally exhausted (or…
“By humility and the fear of the Lord are riches, and honor, and life.” (Proverbs 22:4) During your school years, you could probably name the student in your class considered most likely to succeed in life. They may have attained a high grade-point average, shown leadership ability, or been popular. It would be interesting to meet that person today to see how they measure up to those early expectations. Success. Do an online search, and you will find numerous pointers on how to find the path to achievement in life. Identify your passions. Set goals. Stay focused. Develop knowledge and…
