Focus Verse: “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28, ESV) Have you ever heard someone describe their weariness or fatigue as “worn to the bone”? Maybe you’ve been there yourself. You are weary, running on empty, worn out, and…
Recent Devotions
“And when it was evening, his disciples came to him, saying, This is a desert place, and the time is now past; send the multitude away, that they may go into the villages, and buy themselves victuals. But Jesus said unto them, They need not depart; give ye them to eat.” Matthew 14:15-16 Just prior to this story, Herod had beheaded John the Baptist. His disciples had brought Jesus the news of his burial. John played a significant role in God’s plan for salvation. Sent first to preach a message of repentance, He prepared the way for Jesus’ ministry. Although the…
“When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee? She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.” John 8:10-11 There…
“And it came to pass, when he was in a certain city, behold a man full of leprosy: who seeing Jesus fell on his face, and besought him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean. And he put forth his hand, and touched him, saying, I will: be…
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“But he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a juniper tree: and he requested for himself that he might die; and said, It is enough; now, O LORD, take away my life; for I am not better than my fathers.” 1 Kings 19:4 Elijah prayed this desperate prayer after one of the greatest victories of his life. He had called fire down from heaven to consume a water-soaked sacrifice. He had witnessed God publicly prove His power before an entire nation. He had defeated hundreds of false prophets and prophesied the end…
“Then fearing lest we should have fallen upon rocks, they cast four anchors out of the stern and wished for the day.” Acts 27:29 For fourteen days, the wind and crashing waves had bombarded the ship. They cast everything they could spare overboard. Fear filled their hearts. It looked like all hope was gone. But one man among the two hundred and seventy-six aboard had a promise that he would reach Rome. In the night, God appeared to Paul with a message: Verse 23-26 “For there stood by me this night the angel of God, whose I am, and whom…
Genesis 29:31, “And when the LORD saw that Leah was hated (loved less or neglected), her opened her womb: but Rachel was barren.” Unrequited Love In Genesis 29, we read a gripping narrative of deception, silent suffering, and the most tormenting kind of love: unrequited. Every time I read the story about Leah and Rachel’s competing beauty, their father’s disregard for propriety, and Jacob’s overt declaration of love for Rachel and his dismissal of Leah altogether, I cannot help but feel compassion for the two sisters. It would be awful to be Leah, living in someone else’s shadow, never being…
“Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth; keep watch over the door of my lips!” (Psalm 141:3, ESV) As I passed a lady in the grocery store aisle, I overheard a snippet of her phone conversation. “Now I’m going to tell you this, but please don’t share it . . .” I turned the corner about that time, so I never learned whatever juicy bit of gossip she knew. I also wondered how quickly her friend would pass it on. (Now to be clear, most of us do not gossip. We share “interesting information” from time to time. Or perhaps…
