Recent Devotions
“To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven” (Ecclesiastes 3:1). I live in a region that experiences four distinct seasons each year. We are currently enjoying (and I use that word loosely) summer. It is currently hot and dry, which means I am constantly watering my outdoor plants to keep them alive. Still, I prefer summer’s heat to winter’s freezing blasts. I suppose the “best” season depends on one’s preferences. I prefer the warm, mellow days of late spring to early summer. A friend enjoys cold, snowy days. We each get our favorite,…
Then he sent them out to tell everyone about the Kingdom of God and to heal the sick. “Take nothing for your journey,” he instructed them. “Don’t take a walking stick, a traveler’s bag, food, money, or even a change of clothes.” (Luke 9:2-3, NLT) I love to travel, but…
“Remember this—a farmer who plants only a few seeds will get a small crop. But the one who plants generously will get a generous crop.” (II Corinthians 9:6, NLT) Two men. Two different philosophies of life. I was a teenager at the time, but I doubt I was perceptive…
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…
