Recent Devotions
“The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork.” Psalm 19:1 David wrote this verse many years ago, but for a lot of people here in our country, it was fulfilled recently (April 8) as they were able to view a total eclipse of the sun. Even though I had the special glasses, I did not go outside but did view it on TV, following the news across the country. It is amazing how God has given scientists and astronomers the ability to predict when and where these Eclipses will take place. Their predictions were perfect…
“The people of Israel shall camp each by his own standard, with the banners of their fathers’ houses. They shall camp facing the tent of meeting on every side.” (Numbers 2:2, ESV) To say that God gave Moses a challenging undertaking in leading the children of Israel from Egypt to…
“Therefore we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it.” (Hebrews 2:1, ESV). Parking garages confuse me. Row upon row of cars and every row looks the same. It’s so easy for me to forget where I parked, especially if I’m gone…
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“Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.” (James 4:8, NKJV) Recently four of us met for lunch. We do it fairly often, and it has become a great time to relax and catch up on what’s happening. We have our own special corner of a nearby fast-food restaurant where no one minds us just sitting and chatting for a while. Our conversations can go anywhere and everywhere—new recipes, gardening tips, church news, prayer needs, childhood memories, latest travels. What does not happen is constantly staring at our phone screens. We actually talk to each other. This…
“That’s plain enough, isn’t it? You’re no longer wandering exiles. This kingdom of faith is now your home country. You’re no longer strangers or outsiders. You belong here, with as much right to the name Christian as anyone. God is building a home. He’s using us all—irrespective of how we got here—in what he is building. He used the apostles and prophets for the foundation. Now he’s using you, fitting you in brick by brick, stone by stone, with Christ Jesus as the cornerstone that holds all the parts together. We see it taking shape day after day—a holy temple built by…
“You shall march around the city, all you men of war; you shall go all around the city once. This you shall do six days . . . But the seventh day you shall march around the city seven times, and the priests shall blow the trumpets.” (Joshua 6:3-4, NKJV) One of the most familiar Old Testament stories is that of the battle of Jericho. Although we refer to it a battle, Israel did not follow a typical battle plan or use regular weapons of war. The victory at Jericho is a story of people marching, trumpets blowing, and walls falling. It…
“And I will also take some of them for priests and Levites,” says the Lord” (Isaiah 66:21). To understand this verse, we need to look at the beginning of the previous verse. Verse 20 begins with, “Then they shall bring all your brethren for an offering to the Lord out of all nations.” The verse includes a list of everything that will be brought, and in verse 21, God says He will bring people from all nations and make them priests and Levites. In the Old Testament, you could only be a priest and serve the Lord in the Temple…
