Recent Devotions
“Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares” (Hebrews 13:2). We really enjoyed chiding a friend as he grumbled about once again being asked for assistance by someone with a hard luck story that didn’t quite hold together. “Don’t you know that was probably an angel and you turned him away?” we teased. In disgust, he quickly retorted, “I don’t think angels smell like liquor.” Apparently, his “angel” had imbibed a bit before their encounter. I’ve wondered since then, just what does an “angel unawares” look like? Are they always neat, clean, and polite? Do…
“A generous person will be enriched, and the one who provides water for others will himself be satisfied.” (Proverbs 11:25, NET) I have a friend who loves to give gifts. She shops ahead so she always has something on hand to spontaneously give when the occasion arises. I decided long…
Then I will encamp at my house as a guard, so that none shall march to and fro; no oppressor shall again march over them, for now I see with my own eyes. (Zechariah 9:8, ESV) I recently read a magazine article on home security, and it gave some helpful…
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“But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen.” (II Peter 3:18, NKJV) Sometimes a little phrase in a single verse brings me to a halt in my Bible reading. One morning recently I stopped at the phrase “grow in grace.” I asked myself, am I doing that? And then I began to reflect on what it meant to grow in grace and knowledge. Growth is a process that leads to maturity. It is progressive. Think of the birth of a child. Cute and cuddly but…
“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you . . . Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.” (Matthew 5:43-44, 48, NKJV) When Jesus gave what we refer to as the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7), He packed a lot into that one discourse. We are familiar with the Beatitudes, but Jesus talked about so…
James 1:22 NLT “But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves.” I have two young children, so speaking to them and not truly being heard is a frequent occurrence in my home. They are busy, active children who have their minds set on their current task and anything beyond that is unimportant. Usually I have to really fight for their attention, just to be sure that they have indeed heard the words I spoke. To be quite honest, sometimes I’m guilty of doing the exact same thing. I can…
“By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down, yea, we wept, when we remembered Zion. We hanged our harps upon the willows in the midst thereof. For there they that carried us away captive required of us a song; and they that wasted us required of us mirth, saying, Sing us one of the songs of Zion. How shall we sing the LORD’S song in a strange land?” Psalm 137:1-4 Missing the life that they were used to in Israel, a group of exiles left the city of Babylon and found a shady spot by the river, to lament their lot…
