A stronghold is an area in which we are held in bondage to a certain way of thinking. A stronghold means a fort or fortress; a fortified place and place of security. Strongholds are formed from our thought patterns of imaginations, logic, emotions and perceptions. When sin or emotional wounding…
Recent Devotions
Today, as my daughter Hayden and I worked together in our flower garden, God gently reminded me of a beautiful truth: our gardens often reflect our spiritual lives. As I worked among the flowers, I noticed that many of the plants that looked identical when first planted had grown quite differently. Some stood tall and strong, while others seemed weaker and slower to flourish. It reminded me that God is constantly at work in each of us, growing and shaping us according to His unique purpose and timing. While it can be tempting to compare our progress with others, God’s…
The lines are fallen unto me in pleasant places; yea, I have a goodly heritage. (Psalm 16:6, KJV) One weekend, I was helping my daughter-in-law decorate the new home she and my son had recently purchased. She had sewn several beautiful table runners, but she wasn’t satisfied with them because…
While helping an elderly uncle sort through a lifetime of accumulated belongings, I came across a small cloth box tucked away among the many possessions. A simple label on the outside caught my attention: “Jewels.” I paused. Truthfully, I felt a little uncomfortable opening it. The box had belonged to…
Readers Loved
Deep in the heart of China, a small bent-shouldered elderly man slowly walked between ribbons of train tracks. As I watched from a distance, a train approached at great speed behind him. It drew ever closer to the lone traveler, and its piercing whistle began to sound a warning. Yet the elderly gentleman continued walking between the set of tracks, seemingly unaware of the terrible danger he was in and the death that would befall him if he didn’t move away from the tracks. I looked on in consternation and bewilderment, thinking, Why doesn’t he move off the tracks? Doesn’t…
“While Ezra prayed and made this confession, weeping and lying face down on the ground in front of the Temple of God, a very large crowd of people from Israel—men, women, and children—gathered and wept bitterly with him.” (Ezra 10:1, NLT) After years of exile in Babylon, Artaxerxes, king of Persia, decreed that any of the people of Israel who desired were free to return their homeland. Ezra, a priest and scribe, led a group of fellow Jews back to Jerusalem. Their journey took four months, but they were finally in the land God had given them long ago. What…
When you hear someone talk about the book of Exodus, what story do you think of immediately? Perhaps the story of the burning bush, or the deliverance out of Egypt, or the crossing over the Red Sea. Those are all wonderful accounts of God’s power and authority, but I would like to focus on a person who is not always on the highlight-reel; Moses’ mother, Jochebed. When we read Exodus chapters 1 and 2, we learn that Jochebed had jurisdiction over the evil decree was given by Pharaoh. Exodus 2:2 says, “And the woman conceived, and bare a son: and…
“Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.” Matthew 16:24-25 Because of who you are, I give you glory. Because of who you are, I give you praise. Because of who you are, I will lift my voice and say, Lord, I worship you because of who you are. We began this week by asking ourselves if we loved the Lord…
