Recent Devotions
God has made everything fit beautifully in its appropriate time, but he has also placed ignorance in the human heart so that people cannot discover what God has ordained, from the beginning to the end of their lives. (Ecclesiastes 3:11, NET) I think I’ve confessed this before, but I am “one of those people.” I am not content to read a book straight through. I peek. Well, more than peek. I go to the end of the book and read the last several pages to be sure it comes out okay at the end. I am not content to let…
Then the LORD said to Moses, “Write this for a memorial in the book and recount it in the hearing of Joshua . . . .” (Exodus 17:14, NKJV) I am currently working on a seventy-fifth anniversary history project for my church, and I’m finding it both fascinating and frustrating. It’s fascinating…
“Don’t let your beauty consist of outward things like elaborate hairstyles and wearing gold jewelry or fine clothes, but rather what is inside the heart — the imperishable quality of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight.” (I Peter 3:3-4, CSB) Are you beautiful? If you…
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“Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.” (James 1:12, ESV) Quiz: Who were Shiphrah and Puah? If you don’t know the answer, don’t feel bad. I didn’t remember their names either. I suppose some would consider them “minor” Bible characters, but these two women exhibited some major integrity. They were the Hebrew midwives who bravely ignored Pharaoh’s instructions to murder any male child born to an Israelite (Exodus 1). The two women would not go…
Romans 12:4 “Just as our bodies have many parts and each part has a special function, so it is with Christ’s body. We are many parts of one body, and we all belong to each other.” How boring would life be if we all fit into one mold? We need people that are musically talented but we also need those who are not intimated to talk with first time visitors. My husband can talk to a complete stranger for hours, whereas I struggle with small talk – we need balance. We need people who are vibrant, expressive worshipers, but we…
“For every beast of the forest is mine, and the cattle upon a thousand hills.” Psalm 50:10 How does God teach us to trust? By allowing us to go through circumstances where we must rely on Him. When I look back on my childhood, I think we were probably one of the poorer families in our community. Because we lived on a farm, I cannot remember ever going without food. When I was a young teenager, my father sold the farm and went into the ministry. I can remember him saying “My father owns the cattle on the…
“The LORD your God will soon bring you into the land he swore to give you when he made a vow to your ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. It is a land with large, prosperous cities that you did not build, houses filled with choice things you did not accumulate, hewn out cisterns you did not dig, and vineyards and olive groves you did not plant – and you eat your fill, be careful not to forget the LORD, who rescued you from slavery in the land of Egypt.” (Deuteronomy 6:10-12, New English Translation) The slavery of Egypt now lay behind…
