Recent Devotions
I was sitting in a prayer meeting with two of my kids on either side of me, knowing that if I stood up to worship, they would too. And, in knowing that, I also knew that if I didn’t, neither would they. I’m reminded of this same notion when I hear my kids yelling at one another, being impatient and too hard on each other. In a brief moment of oblivion, I think to myself, what would provoke them to behave this way? Then I open my eyes. I’ve been this way lately. I’ve let my behavior become something that…
Paul teaches us that we should value knowing God over a life we consider comfortable in Philippians 3:8. This includes things and relationships. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all…
“Therefore I will look unto the Lord; I will wait for the God of my salvation: my God will hear me. Rejoice not against me, O mine enemy: when I fall, I shall arise; when I sit in darkness, the Lord shall be a light unto me.” (Micah 7:7-8 KJV)…
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So it came to pass, when they had brought them outside, that he said, “Escape for your life! Do not look behind you nor stay anywhere in the plain. Escape to the mountains, lest you be destroyed” . . . But his wife looked back behind him, and she became a pillar of salt. (Genesis 19:17, 26, NKJV) The story of Lot and his family fleeing Sodom before its destruction is familiar, but in many ways I find it puzzling. I have a lot of questions I’d like to ask Lot. Why did you choose to move to Sodom? Was it…
“Cast thy burden upon the LORD, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved.” Psalm 55:2 I came across a poem recently that I had carried in my Bible for many years. I have often quoted it to myself when going through a trial or facing a problem. Because it is probably still under copyright (even though it was written in 1955), I do not want to quote the whole poem here. It was written by Mildred Allen Jeffrey, and is titled “Behind the Burden.” It speaks of how we sometimes hide our burdens…
“For still the vision awaits its appointed time; it hastens to the end—it will not lie. If it seems slow, wait for it; it will surely come; it will not delay. “Behold, his soul is puffed up; it is not upright within him, but the righteous shall live by his faith.” (Habakkuk 2:3-4, ESV) Waiting. Waiting is such a hard thing to do. Waiting for the clock to strike 5:30 and your work day be finished. Waiting for the red light to turn green. Waiting for your paycheck to be deposited. Waiting for your food to come once you have ordered.…
“Have mercy upon me, O LORD; for I am weak” Psalm 6:2 “The LORD hath heard my supplication; the LORD will receive my prayer.” Psalm 6:9 When we think about David, we usually don’t think of him as weak but as being a very strong person. Even though just a young man he faced the giant Goliath when none of the soldiers in the army were willing to go against him. We know that he depended not on his own strength but on the strength of the Lord. He had some experiences while tending his father’s sheep that gave him…
