Recent Devotions
“And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.” (Hebrews 10:24-25, ESV) In a recent Sunday morning service, I looked at the familiar faces surrounding me in the pews. I knew many of their trials and their victories. This wasn’t a gathering of strangers. It was the family of God. We love each other and stand by each other in the good times and the not-so-good times. To…
“Whoever brings blessing will be enriched, and one who waters will himself be watered.” (Proverbs 11:25, ESV) How many of us set out each day intentionally looking for someone we can bless? Possibly not many of us. We are so rushed and stressed as we navigate our own busy lives…
“Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!” (Philippians 4:4, NKJV) Do you live life joyfully? Is that even possible in our fast-paced, stressed-out, far-from-perfect world? Will joy survive when life gets tough? While many would answer yes, others might shake their heads no. They feel life has…
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“Better is the end of a thing than its beginning, and the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit.” Ecclesiastes 7:8 ESV Growing up, I understood pride to fall into one category, vanity. To me, pride was to look in the mirror and admire your beauty, intelligence, and strength. I’ve learned, though, that pride is a tricky thing and usually shows up in ways less subtle than staring into a mirror. One example of the subtly of pride is the belief that we know more about our lives than God does, and because of this, we disregard His…
Prayer, the act of talking to our Creator, is something I did not understand for years. I thought prayer was something done in certain places — prayer rooms, church buildings, our living room. I thought it was something done at certain times — prayer time at church, prayer meetings at church, altar services after a church service. I thought it was only done in one way — with a loud voice and the use of repetitive words, much like chanting. But I was wrong. Prayer, the communication of my soul with the almighty God of the universe, cannot be confined to just a few…
“Now then, please swear to me by the LORD that, as I have dealt kindly with you, you also will deal kindly with my father’s house, and give me a sure sign . . . “Behold, when we come into the land, you shall tie this scarlet cord in the window through which you let us down, and you shall gather into your house your father and mother, your brothers, and all your father’s household.” (Joshua 2:12 and 18, ESV) After years of wandering, the time had come for the children of Israel to move into the land God had promised.…
Now Elijah said to Ahab, “As the Lord, the God of Israel, lives, whom I serve, there will be neither dew nor rain in the next few years except at my word.” 1 Kings 17:1. 1 Kings 16-18 narrates a story about Ahab, a king who was more evil than any other king before him (1 Kings 16:30-33). Ahab married the infamous woman, who we know as Jezebel. She was a Phoenician princess who did not give up her lifestyle. Her dedication to Baal not only influenced her husband but also the nation of Israel. As a result, God sends…
