Life Reference: I Peter 3:8-12 Focus Verse: “The just man walketh in his integrity: his children are blessed after him” (Proverbs 20:7). Home repairs are one of my least favorite tasks. If the repair is complex—which with my skills can be most anything—it then involves calling a repairman, setting an…
Recent Devotions
“They that seek the Lord shall not want any good thing” (Psalm 34:10). “I want. I want. I need. I need. There are so many things I want and need.” That little ditty is comical but true. We want it all. From the beginning, God promised good things to those who followed Him. He told Abram, “I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing” (Genesis 12:2). What does it mean to be blessed? Parents bless their children, friends bless each other, and God blesses us. When we are blessed, we have the favor…
“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…
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…
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Deep calls unto deep at the noise of Your waterfalls; All Your waves and billows have gone over me. Psalm 42:7 A few weeks ago at church prayer, there was a depth that our congregation experienced in the presence of God. I felt like Peter when he began to walk on the water. Peter didn’t step unto still waters, he stepped unto raging waters in the middle of a storm! Regardless of how we may judge Peter for getting distracted and looking at his surroundings, he is still the only man who has ever lived, other than Jesus, to have…
There’s an old song by Ella Jenkins that I’ve been singing: Wade in the water Wade in the water Wade in the water, children God’s gonna trouble the water This song references the story of the Israelites crossing over the river Jordan and has a rich meaning as a spiritual hymn. Even though this song isn’t talking about the New Testament account of the pool of Bethesda, I cannot help thinking about that story. John 5 tells of a story of a pool in Jerusalem where many people who were lame, paralyzed, and blind would lie and wait for an…
The righteous will flourish like a palm tree, they will grow like a cedar of Lebanon; planted in the house of the Lord, they will flourish in the courts of our God. Psalm 92:12-13, NIV. When I was a little girl growing up in Canada, I was part of an environmental club at my elementary school. For those who know me, this will come as no surprise. One year, our school launched an initiative to plant more trees. Each student was given a small evergreen and invited to replant it wherever they chose. Excited, I brought my little tree home and carefully…
Wherefore take unto you the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Ephesians 6:13. We live in a world where government, the workplace, and even your favorite coffee shop is constantly pushing against spiritual truths. People are not afraid to display what their beliefs are and demand it, but somehow we feel like we need to be silent with our faith. With new bills being passed in senate and the courts legalizing things that use to be against the law, it creates a quandary of what…
