Recent Devotions
“But you, God, break out laughing; you treat the godless nations like jokes. Strong God, I’m watching you do it, I can always count on you. God in dependable love shows up on time, shows me my enemies in ruin.” Psalms 59:8-10 MSG In moments of suffering and struggle, it can be so challenging to declare that we see God working it out – but that is exactly what faith requires of us. Trusting in God won’t always feel like we are on the mountaintop, admiring the view of victory. Rather, it is more often than not us trudging through the…
“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 The king…
“The Lord is my light and my salvation — so why should I be afraid? The Lord is my fortress, protecting me from danger, so why should I tremble?” Psalms 27:1 It seems as though the world is getting darker and darker each day. Horrors that hid in the shadows for…
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“O my son, give me your heart. May your eyes take delight in following my ways.” Proverbs 23:26 Sometimes I over-complicate things. Okay, most of the time I over-complicate things. I have always struggled with trying to figure out “what does God want from me and for me?” To be honest, I was always searching for this deep, profound, lightning bolt moment type of answer. Boy, was I off base. I always thought that God wanted me at my very best, slaying giants and conquering mountains. In reality, I was setting myself up for failure because I had experienced the…
“Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’ I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.” Luke 15:4-7, KJV.…
“Then Abram removed his tent, and came and dwelt in the plain of Mamre, which is in Hebron, and built there an altar unto the LORD.” Genesis 13:18 As usual, at the beginning of this month, I started reading the Bible through again. I can’t remember how many years I have been doing this, but it has been a long time. I have certificates to show for the last fifteen or so years but had been doing it long before that. It always amazes me as I read through the familiar stories, that new thoughts and ideas jump out at…
For Such a Time as This At the start of Esther’s story, Mordecai refused to bow to Haman, which set off a chain of events that threatened the entire Jewish people. But Mordecai stood firm. He didn’t regret his stand, and he didn’t back down—he acted in faith, not fear. When the decree to destroy the Jews went out, Mordecai sent word to Esther, calling her to go before the king. Esther hesitated. She was safe in the palace and knew the risk—approaching the king uninvited could mean death. But Mordecai’s words pierced her comfort: “Who knows whether you have…
