Recent Devotions
Reading through the Old Testament each year makes me grateful I was born in the dispensation of grace. I often feel sorry for the prophets whose lives were directed by God as analogies of His impending judgment upon Israel. Lately, I have wondered if God may also be directing my life as an analogy. Recently, at a ladies’ retreat, I was doing water aerobics, trying to be healthy and take care of my body. I didn’t realize how close to the pool’s edge I had drifted until the cement steps and my right foot connected. I knew by the excruciating…
Leadership can be draining at times. There is the constant task of keeping people on track with the vision and dealing with challenges and obstacles on a regular basis. One of the greatest challenges of leading people is keeping yourself refreshed with inspiration, motivation, vision, and passion for what God…
“Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart” (Psalm 37:4). Oh, how we love this verse! It is probably one of the most quoted verses in the Bible. We all love the idea of God giving us our heart’s desire, but as…
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There are certain countries you can visit that have a regular “Call to Prayer.” For many of them, it is five times a day. More than once while visiting these countries, I have been awakened in the night as the call to prayer is made. Every time I hear this call to prayer, I am challenged in my spirit. Am I this committed to my faith? Am I willing to get up in the night to pray? Do I make my daily schedule according to the times when there is a call to prayer? I must say that the…
“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Matthew 6:19-21, ESV) I have friends who are thrift store and garage sale junkies. They love the quest to find hidden treasure among . . . well . . . the junk. I’ve seldom been successful with such shopping. I look around and only see…
“Therefore if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him a drink; for in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head. Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good” (Romans 12:20-21, New King James Version). It is so easy to read the Bible and zip right past a golden nugget without realizing it. Or, if something is puzzling, we just keep reading rather than taking time to investigate its meaning. Perhaps we should pause and reflect rather than speed on by. Steps to Handling Relationships When reading the above…
“Many daughters have done virtuously, but thou excellest them all.” Proverbs 31:29 We have been looking at the virtuous woman in Proverbs 31. I hope that we no longer see her as a paragon on a pedestal far above us and unreachable, but as someone you can be. Let’s look at the final verses in this passage in the NLT: “Her children stand and bless her. Her husband praises her. There are many virtuous and capable women in the world, but you surpass them all!” “Charm is deceptive, and beauty does not last; but a woman who fears the Lord…
