Recent Devotions
Remember “the Uncola?” In the late ‘60s and early ‘70s marketers for 7-Up came up with a scheme to distance their drink from the more popular dark carbonated beverages. They sold it as the “Uncola.” Meaning to cash in on the spirit of rebellion that characterized much of the hip culture of the day, they tried to make 7-up look like a rebel, too. By adding an “un”, they sought to describe what 7-up WAS by what it wasn’t—it was definitely NOT a cola. Jesus often used different kinds of figurative speech to make a point or teach a lesson.…
“The LORD knoweth the thoughts of man …” (Psalm 94:11 KJV) “The LORD searcheth all hearts, and understandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts: if thou seek him, he will be found of thee …” (1 Chronicles 28:9 KJV) Now and forever, God is a SPIRIT—Omnipresent, Omnipotent, and Omniscient. Even…
God KNOWS our thoughts. In our last study, we discussed how that God needs no interpreter. He KNOWS the contents of the heart of every person—every idea, notion, intention, and belief. He knows the precise moment a heart is ready to receive the gift of His Spirit. That’s because the…
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So he departed from there and found Elisha the son of Shaphat, who was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen in front of him, and he was with the twelfth. Elijah passed by him and cast his cloak upon him. And he returned from following him and took the yoke of oxen and sacrificed them and boiled their flesh with the yokes of the oxen and gave it to the people, and they ate. Then he arose and went after Elijah and assisted him. (I Kings 19:19, 21, ESV) A plow, twelve pairs of oxen, and a cloak. These very…
“But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.” John 14:26 For three and a half years the disciples had listened to Jesus as He taught about His kingdom. Now as the time was coming when He would leave them, He promised that when the Comforter came, He would stir up their memories. For some of them, it would mean He would direct them to record their experiences in what we know now as…
“Making the best use of the time, because the days are evil.” (Ephesians 5:16, ESV) Are you a procrastinator? I confess; I put off certain tasks as long as I can. (Think doing my tax return, cleaning my storage area, or making a business call that will mean a long wait for a real person.) I know I shouldn’t procrastinate. I know doing so will increase my stress. But I do it anyway. I suspect it’s a common habit for many people. Procrastination often has consequences—late fees, missed deadlines, sloppy last-minute work, missed flights, a disappointed spouse or friend. It…
Did you know that bees sleep in flowers? They do. This sweet fact was shared with me recently by my friend, who discovered little bees taking naps in her sunflowers. Our great Creator was meticulous in creating this amazing world we live in. The attention to detail, the order in which Creation operates, and the fact that we get to witness His incredible design cannot help but lift our spirits and bring a smile to our faces. Psalms 104:12 tells us that God designed trees so that birds could live among the branches and sing. Our Creator is wonderful. When next…
