Recent Devotions
“Never before had there been a king like Josiah, who turned to the Lord with all his heart and soul and strength, obeying all the laws of Moses. And there has never been a king like him since.” 2 Kings 23:25 Josiah was eight years old when he became king and reigned in Jerusalem for thirty-one years. One day, he sends his court secretary on an errand, and his life gets radically flipped upside down. What should have been a simple task on an ordinary day, quickly ended in despair for Josiah. The high priest discovers the Book of Law in…
“Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.” (I Thessalonians 5:11, ESV) Joses, whom his fellow believers called Barnabas, was an encourager. That’s how he obtained his nickname. Barnabas means “son of encouragement.” He was the kind of person we would all appreciate having as…
“This is the day which the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.” Psalm 118:24 Tonight, we say goodbye to 2023 and begin another year. As we look back over the last twelve months, we have a choice. We can remember all the terrible things that…
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“Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.” Ephesians 5:1-2 ESV I have a young daughter who used to love to mimic people. If you laughed, she would laugh. If you made a silly face, she would make a silly face. If you clapped, she clapped. Watching her as she learned new things just by watching others was comical. We like to follow. Yes, there are people with leadership qualities, but everyone follows the example of someone else. It’s…
Come and hear, all you who fear God, and I will declare what He has done for my soul. (Psalm 66:16, NKJV) Everyone has a story to tell. I have mine; you have yours. And each of our life stories is different because God found us in different places at different points in our lives. I grew up on a church pew, brought from birth by faithful parents with a strong commitment to God. Others met the Lord and were filled with His Spirit as an adult or even late life. Our stories are all different, some more dramatic than others,…
“But now thus saith the LORD that created thee, O Jacob, and he that formed thee, O Israel, Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine. When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.” Isaiah 43:1-2 For the past few days, we have been looking at scriptures that deal with God blessing us with the river of life. But just because…
Grief has a way of halting day-to-day activities, bringing us to a stand still. Sorrow is clothed with a heavy garment; losing a job, breaking up with someone, not getting an offer accepted on your dream home, or the passing of a loved one can overwhelm us with deep emotional strain. Jesus gives us a great exchange. We give Him our sin and He makes us white as snow. We give Him our sorrow, and He gives us joy. We give Him our burdens, and He will help carry them. God desires to give beauty for ashes, the oil of…
