Recent Devotions
“So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom.” (Psalm 90:12, ESV) Hester Ford, the oldest living person in the United States, died in 2021 at the age of 115 or possibly 116 (conflicting records). She lived a lot of days and saw things that are only history to most of us: two world wars, the Great Depression, and the Spanish flu to the coronavirus. Who is the oldest person you have personally known? For me, I think it was a sweet, committed child of God who reached an amazing 103 years. She has…
“Let brotherly love continue.” (Hebrews 13:1) Yesterday we talked about the love of God and the many ways He demonstrates that love to us. Today let’s take a few moments to talk about loving each other and how that looks in our daily life. Numerous passages in the Bible talk…
“Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? . . . For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor…
Readers Loved
My mind moves almost non-stop. My lists are never-ending. My tasks mount up faster than I can accomplish them. One appointment leads to another obligation, until I feel like the proverbial gerbil on the wheel in a cage going nowhere fast! It sometimes feels as though both sleep AND rest are elusive. So, what IS the answer to coping with all these (mostly) self-inflicted mountains in my life and in yours, too? It’s simple. Pause. Stop. Give it a break. Hope, not cope! “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding” (Proverbs 3:5…
The result of righteousness will be peace; the effect of righteousness will be quiet confidence forever. (Isaiah 32:17, Christian Standard Bible) As I was growing up, a dear lady in our small church sometimes said, “If there wasn’t a heaven to gain or a hell to shun, I’d still live for the Lord.” From the perspective of youth, I wondered at that statement. After all, if I didn’t have to worry about hell, there would be no restrictions! I could do what I liked without fear of consequences. It sounded good to my immature mind. Of course, there is a…
He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. (Psalm 91:1, NKJV) Psalm 91 is probably one of the more often quotes passages in the Bible. It offers promises of safety and protection in times of trouble, and we find its words assuring and comforting. They give us hope when life gets rough. What can a shadow do? We can’t pick it up and put it in a box. We can’t feel it with our fingers. We can’t weigh it. We can’t move it unless we move the object causing the…
1 Kings 3:9 MSG “Here’s what I want: Give me a God-listening heart so I can lead your people well, discerning the difference between good and evil. For who on their own is capable of leading your glorious people?” Right before Solomon made this request, God appeared to him in a dream and asked him (Solomon) what He (God) could give him. I can’t even imagine being asked that question, and I truly don’t know what I myself would ask for if God woke me up and asked me the same question. I like to think though that I would…
