Recent Devotions
“Do you think that I like to see wicked people die? says the Sovereign LORD. Of course not! I want them to turn from their wicked ways and live. (Ezekiel 18:23, NLT) Have you ever watched the pain and grief of a parent who has a wayward child? Or perhaps you are that parent. It’s so easy to agonize, “What did I do wrong? How did I fail?” I’ve known many godly people whose children turned away from God, and it’s heartbreaking. But it doesn’t mean they were bad parents. As I was reading the Bible this morning, I came…
“When Herod was about to bring him out for trial, that very night Peter, bound with two chains, was sleeping between two soldiers, while the sentries in front of the door guarded the prison.” (Acts 12:6, CSB) Insomnia. I dislike those nights when my brain refuses to go into sleep…
“I must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day; the night is coming when no one can work.” (John 9:4, NKJV) A friend of mine recently left to take the gospel to another nation. It was not a sudden decision at all. From the teen years on,…
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“Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil.” Psalm 37:8 Anger can sometimes be a good thing, if it helps you appropriately express your negative feelings and causes you to find solutions to the problems you may be facing. But excessive anger can be harmful to our physical bodies. It can trigger high blood pressure, headaches, and anxiety. If not controlled, it damages our relationships with family and friends. David is advising us that we should not be angry at the things around us over which we have no control. There are many…
“And seek the peace of the city where I have caused you to be carried away captive, and pray to the LORD for it; for in its peace you will have peace.” (Jeremiah 29:7, NKJV) What is your community like? Is it a pleasant place to live? Do you feel safe and secure? Why did you choose to live there? Most of us have a choice about where we will live. Sometimes a new job or other change of circumstance will bring about a move, and then we have decisions to make. Where can I find an affordable, well-kept, and friendly…
“Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty. This I declare about the Lord: He alone is my refuge, my place of safety; he is my God, and I trust Him.” Psalms 91:1-2 There have been countless times in moments of anxiety and worry that I have clung to these words “He alone is my refuge, my place of safety; he is my God, and I trust Him.” I have declared these statements over tragedy and loss, and I have whispered them through tears, struggling so badly to believe…
Psalms 56:8 “You keep track of all my sorrows. You have collected all my tears in your bottle. You have recorded each one in your book.” I remember when I was a young teen my grandparents brought me to church on a Sunday evening. I always weaseled my way out of evening services because I felt God and that frightened me, but this week was different. I remember sitting off to the side, by myself and crying. Crying for no specific reason, but the tears were flowing. A lady in our church came up to me and gently put her…
