Recent Devotions
Laundry in Cyprus When my husband and I ministered in Cyprus for three months, our apartment had a brand-new, front-loading European washing machine. After some challenging laundry experiences in other parts of the Middle East, I was grateful to have such a nice appliance. There was just one problem: all settings were in Greek! I consulted the manual and matched the machine’s symbols to those in the book, with English explanations, and before long—voila! —I was confidently washing our clothes. Rejected Instruction Manuals Have you ever tossed aside an instruction manual when you got a new appliance? Maybe you thought,…
“He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. He came unto his own, and his own received him not. But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that…
“And there was one Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Aser: she was of a great age, and had lived with an husband seven years from her virginity; And she was a widow of about fourscore and four years, which departed not from the temple,…
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“But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.” John 4:14 “Oh, the joy of sins forgiv’n, Oh, the bliss the blood-washed know, Oh, the peace akin to Heav’n, Where the healing waters flow. Where the healing waters flow, Where the joys celestial glow, Oh, there’s peace and rest and love, Where the healing waters flow!” When I started writing this month’s devotionals, I did not have a theme. However, it seems that for…
WISDOM FROM PROVERBS “A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.” (Proverbs 17:17, ESV) As I set up an online account recently, part of the process was to choose two security questions. One of the choices was to enter the name of my childhood best friend. My mind went blank. Most of those early friendships were neighborhood playmates or school buddies. As we grew older, friendships faded as interests changed or families moved away. Others left for college or job opportunities. Most of those early friendships only lasted for a season, but they were meaningful…
“For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you. And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.” Jeremiah 29:11-13 God told Jeremiah to send a letter to the people who had been taken to Babylon, instructing them as to how they should conduct their lives while they were there. He told them to build houses…
Weariness is a universal truth—it reminds us that we are human, and even the strongest among us have limits. No matter how steadfast our faith, there are moments when life, ministry, and responsibility press heavily upon our shoulders. Weariness can manifest physically, emotionally, and spiritually. It is a deep fatigue that cannot always be solved by rest or sleep alone, because sometimes the source of our tiredness goes beyond the body—it resides in the spirit. The Word of God acknowledges this reality. Isaiah 40:29-31 says: “He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth…
