Recent Devotions
Matthew 14:15-20 ESV “Now when it was evening, the disciples came to him and said, “This is a desolate place, and the day is now over; send the crowds away to go into the villages and buy food for themselves.” But Jesus said, “They need not go away; you give them something to eat.” They said to him, “We have only five loaves here and two fish.” And he said, “Bring them here to me.” Then he ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass, and taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven and said a blessing. Then he broke the loaves and gave them to the…
Psalms 34:18 ESV “The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.” I’m sure many of us have experienced a situation that left us with a broken heart. I recall one specific break-up in high school that left me with swollen eyes, a bad case of the…
“Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is well-pleasing in his sight, through Jesus…
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“So David went, he and the six hundred men that were with him, and came to the brook Besor, where those that were left behind stayed.” I Samuel 30:9 David had gone with the Philistine army to fight against Israel, but the Lord had intervened, and King Achish sent him back home. What a tragic scene met their eyes. The city of Ziklag had been burned with fire, and their families had been taken captive. The people blamed David and were threatening to stone him. David was distressed, but his faith in God prevailed. “David encouraged himself in the LORD…
Working in my flower garden, I wanted to make room for a beautiful birdbath I purchased. A large, well-established Hosta was smack dab in the perfect place for the birdbath. Well, I made up my mind right then and there that the “in my way” Hosta would be relocated a little farther along the pathway; that’s all there was to it. Over the previous few days, I wore gloves to do my various gardening tasks. On this day, with great energy and determination, I began the challenge of relocating the deeply rooted plant without donning my hand gear. I grabbed…
“I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you.” (Psalm 32:8, ESV) Have you ever struggled in making a decision? At one time or another, everyone faces a “do I or don’t I” situation. Just this week I needed to decide about a certain matter. It was nothing major, or at least I don’t believe so, but I still wanted to be sure I was making the right choice. I learned long ago that seemingly insignificant things may have a much greater impact than we expect. Let…
“Whatsoever things are true… whatsoever things are lovely.” (Philippians 4:8) Some of the most formative and imaginative moments of my childhood took place in the prayer room at our church. Before every service, my parents made it a habit to spend time in prayer before entering the sanctuary. As a small child, accompanying my mother into those dimly lit ladies’ prayer rooms was sometimes unsettling. I would peer through the darkness, wondering who else was there and why God seemed to prefer conversations in the dark! My own simple prayers were usually brief, and before long, my mind would drift…
