Recent Devotions
Hebrew text is written from right to left. Why is that? The way language is written and read, or its “directionality,” was apparently established when those languages began to be inscribed and the first alphabets were created. Languages originating in the Middle East, such as Hebrew and Arabic, were first written where people used stone and clay tablets. Presumably, a right-to-left directionality made more sense for this method, assuming most people are right-handed (an estimated 90% of the world’s population). For stone, those early writers would have held the mallet with their left hand while chiseling letters with their right…
“Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God.” – Corrie ten Boom In our last study, we explored the peculiar Hebraic concept of “past” and “future.” The perspective in Hebrew is that the “past” is “in front”—we walk, in essence, backward with our eyes facing the…
God’s appointments cannot be cancelled—only postponed. The book of Nehemiah provides a beautiful chronicle of the reconstruction of the nation of Israel after the exile—the rebuilding of the walls and the people. We read in Chapter 9 that the Levites led the reformed citizens of Israel, cloaked in sackcloth and…
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“This sentence doesn’t make no sense.” A double negative is a sentence or clause using two negative words. The rules say that double negatives are not grammatically correct and should be avoided … when using standard English. In some languages, however, like Spanish, double or triple negatives are allowed and seen as emphasizing (rather than contradicting) each other. But, in (standard) English they’re a big no-no because they’re confusing; double negatives cancel each other out and make a positive. So, using a double negative ends up conveying the exact opposite of what you mean. When you say, “I can’t do nothing right!”…
“I myself am satisfied about you, my brothers, that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge and able to instruct one another.” (Romans 15:14, ESV) When we talk about investments, we often mean money. But one of the best investments we can ever make is the time we spend investing in the lives of others. Schools and corporations have both discovered that personal involvement and teaching help students or employees develop their full potential. A mentor is an ordinary person who is willing to share her time and experience to help another grow. Although the word is…
“By faith the walls of Jericho fell down, after they were compassed about seven days.” Hebrews 11:30 The children of Israel had crossed the Jordan River and set up their camp according to the instructions that the Lord had shown to Moses. Joshua was now their leader and it was time for them to begin to possess the land. Jericho was the first city that they would attempt to take. The two spies had spent time there so they knew how fortified the city was and what they would be facing. Joshua gathered them together and explained how they were…
“But thanks be to God which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord” (I Corinthians 15:57-58). As followers of Jesus, we should all know something about prayer—that wonderful communication between us and the lover of our souls. We have experienced repentance (a few times), and we appreciate the privilege of talking to our best friend on a daily basis as we pray and tell Him our concerns, and…
