Recent Devotions
“Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.” Matthew 5:6 When Adam sinned in the garden of Eden he brought condemnation on the entire world, and because of that each of us is born with a sinful nature. We have no righteousness of our own, only the righteousness of Jesus Christ can satisfy our souls. In this verse in Matthew, Jesus is telling His disciples and all who are listening to Him, that if they will seek after Him, their souls will be satisfied. Often in the scriptures, being thirsty and drinking are…
“Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.” Matthew 5:5 The crowd that gathered around Jesus that day knew what it was like to be submissive. They had nothing. They lived under the power and dominion of the Romans. At times they felt anything but blessed. Those who…
“Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.” Matthew 5:4 This week we are looking at the Beatitudes and considering how we can apply them to our lives in a way that brings us to the place where the Lord calls us blessed. Over the last months, a…
Readers Loved
For Demas, in love with this present world, has deserted me and gone to Thessalonica . . . Get Mark and bring him with you, for he is very useful to me for ministry. (II Timothy 4:10-11, English Standard Version) Have you ever wished the Bible told you more of a story? Why did he do that? What happened next? Who else was there? How did it end? I like details, but Paul only gives the most basic of facts in II Timothy 4:10. Demas, his friend, fellow believer, and coworker in the gospel, left. More than just “leaving town,”…
Acts 7:8 NLT “He replied, ‘The Father alone has the authority to set those dates and times, and they are not for you to know.’ ” I struggle with having patience. I always open the microwave before it dings, I coax along the red traffic light, and I seriously hate being late. I feel like I am always in a state of busyness, rushing from one task to the next and never setting aside the time needed to listen and rest. The Message translation puts the above scripture like this “He told them, ‘You don’t get to know the time.…
“Oh No, Don’t Open That Door!” “Who can understand his errors? cleanse thou me from secret faults. Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me: then shall I be upright, and I shall be innocent from the great transgression. Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer.” Psalm 19:12-14 When we were children, we used to listen to a radio show, called “Fibber McGee and Molly.” I do not remember all the episodes, but I do remember…
“The simple believes every word, but the prudent considers well his steps” (Proverbs 14:15, NKJV). Have you ever been confused about what’s true and what isn’t? I have. I read articles on the internet that make me wonder. Some sound plausible but others seem questionable at best, even ridiculous. Misinformation, or fake news, is more readily available and spreads faster because of our modern technology. It doesn’t matter the subject—politics, health, financial investments, God’s Word—false information comes wrapped in smooth words and impressive presentations. How can we determine what to believe? Proverbs 14:15 warns us to be cautious about what…
