Recent Devotions
“He replied, ‘The Father alone has the authority to set those dates and times, and they are not for you to know.’ ” Acts 7:8 NLT I struggle with having patience. I open the microwave before it dings, I coax along the red traffic light, and I hate being late. I feel like I am always in a state of busyness, rushing from one task to the next and never setting aside the time needed to listen and rest. The Message translation puts the above scripture like this “He told them, ‘You don’t get to know the time. Timing is…
“But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me:” John 15:26 This week we have been considering the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives. I trust that…
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.” Galatians 5:22-25 It…
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“Like the legs which are useless to the lame, so is a proverb in the mouth of fools.” (Proverbs 26:7 NASB) I wish it didn’t, but this verse hit close to home. My dad spent years living with useless legs. In a purely emotionless sense, paralysis is fascinating. His nerves were intact, but his Multiple Sclerosis destroyed their insulation. The motor signals from his brain went out in weak fits and jumbled spurts, causing painful cramps in his muscles, but didn’t lend enough strength to coordinate movement or to walk. His legs were far worse than useless. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ He wouldn’t mind me…
“She hath done what she could: she is come aforehand to anoint my body to the burying. Verily I say unto you, Wheresoever this gospel shall be preached throughout the whole world, this also that she hath done shall be spoken of for a memorial of her.” Mark 14:8-9 There are accounts in all four Gospels of a woman anointing Jesus with a precious ointment. In preparation for writing this, I read different commentaries, and none could agree exactly how many times Jesus was anointed. Since the Gospel writers were all writing from different perspectives, their stories were not always…
“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 a friend. Despite his miraculous conversion, not everyone readily accepted Saul (later Paul), who had severely persecuted the early church. Barnabas, however, spoke in his defense to the disciples and persuaded them to accept this new convert as a fellow brother in the Lord (Acts 9:26-27). How encouraging it must…
“You are good and do only good; teach me your decrees.” Psalms 119:68 NLT In the midst of all the chaos in our world right now, this scripture spoke so loudly to me. We are bombarded everyday with another tragedy, another issue that we can’t seem to fix, brokenness and devastation. But God. He is good and does only good. Even though we are living in unprecedented and scary times, He is still good. Even though the world seems to be crumbling beneath our feet, He is still good and does only good. Even though your health may be failing…
