Recent Devotions
Matthew 10:28 MSG “Don’t be bluffed into silence by the threats of bullies. There’s nothing they can do to your soul, your core being. Save your fear for God, who holds your entire life—body and soul—in his hands.” We live in a time of great fear. It seems like every few minutes, there’s a new person or source peddling fear to the desperate and confused. Here is what I have learned about fear, it consumes and ravages its dwelling place. If we allow fear to settle and have space in our hearts and minds, it will eventually devour any semblance…
Psalms 34:18 ESV “The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.” I’m sure that many of us have experienced a situation in life that resulted in a broken heart. I recall one specific break-up in high school that left me with swollen eyes that could hardly…
Romans 9:21 ESV “Has the potter no right over the clay, to make out of the same lump one vessel for honorable use and another for dishonorable use?” Summer break started for my daughter just a few short weeks ago, and I immediately began planning a summer filled with beach…
Readers Loved
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…
Leviticus 22:31 MSG “Do what I tell you; live what I tell you. I am God.” I’ve always considered myself to be a great listener, but I now realize that I was merely hearing what was being said, and not sincerely listening. There is a profound difference between the two, one is habit, the other is intentional. Hearing requires very little effort on our part, but listening forces us to get over ourselves and to focus on others. I believe that God speaks to us through His word, it is inspired and is our road map for life. But in my daily bible…
1 Samuel 18:28-29 NLT “When Saul realized that the Lord was with David and how much his daughter Michal loved him, Saul became even more afraid of him, and he remained David’s enemy for the rest of his life.” As I read through the life of David, I can’t help but grow increasingly interested in Saul. Saul was the first chosen earthly king for the Israelite people, hand-picked by God, yet something went seriously wrong during the course of his reign. Saul always appeared to have the best intentions, but many of his decisions went awry, which eventually led to David being appointed…
“In that day he will be your sure foundation, providing a rich store of salvation, wisdom, and knowledge. The fear of the LORD will be your treasure.” (Isaiah 33:6, NLT) I live within a short drive of the majestic Gateway Arch. Standing by the banks of the Mississippi River in downtown St. Louis, Missouri, it rises 630 feet (192 meters) or approximately sixty-three stories high. How does this imposing 43,000-ton structure stand so firm? Because of what it is built upon. The reinforced concrete foundations go sixty feet into the ground, thirty feet of which is drilled into bedrock. To prepare…
