Recent Devotions
“To put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.” (Ephesians 4:22-24, ESV) When my now college-age grand was still pre-school age, she was a very determined child. She wasn’t pushy or mean, just very firm in her likes and dislikes. When she liked something, she really, really liked it—to the point of holding onto her favorites forever. I discovered this when I…
“Yet who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” (Esther 4:14, NKJV) Esther, the young Jewish exile who married Persian King Ahasuerus (Xerxes I), was in the right place at the right time to bring deliverance to her people. However, in the time leading…
“Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving.” (Colossians 4:2, ESV) When life gets busy and things on our schedule begin to slide, is prayer one of those things? Surely the Lord understands. Doesn’t He? I could quote statistics on how many pray daily, weekly, or whenever. I…
Readers Loved
“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore, will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof.” Psalm 46:1-3 This Psalm is one I find myself reading often. It emphasizes the security of God’s people. When the world all around us is in turmoil, there is One who never fails. Nations may crumble, and great leaders may fall, but we can stand secure and firm on the foundation…
When was the last time you heard someone exclaim, “I enjoy obeying your commands; I love them!”? Yet, this is exactly what David says multiple times in the Psalms. David’s unwavering delight in God’s Word was key to his relationship with God. From Psalm 119 (ESV), here are seven reasons to delight in God’s Word: The Word guards against sin. “I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you” (verse 11). The Bible is infinitely valuable because it exposes sin, which separates us from God, so we can repent and return to Him.…
“Jesus knew that the Father had given him authority over everything and that he had come from God and would return to God. So he got up from the table, took off his robe, wrapped a towel around his waist, and poured water into a basin. Then he began to wash the disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel he had around him.” John 13:3-5 NLT Jesus was and still is the ultimate example of a true servant. As I have read through the gospels, I feel that God has been reminding me of this foundational truth – that to be an…
“What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it?” (Luke 15:4, KJV) We would complain if we worked all of the required hours and our employer only gave us half the agreed-upon salary. Yet, many Christians give God 99 percent when He asks for total commitment. How does God feel when His children only give part of themselves instead of all? Do we tend to give God the leftovers rather than the main course?…
