Recent Devotions
Isaiah 40:31 NIV “But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” I’ve always loved the idea of being a runner. I often wondered what it must be like to wake before the rest of the world and step out into a cool, foggy morning with the sole purpose of running. I’ve never experienced what that cool air must feel like as it floods into your lungs. How your muscles must grow weak, yet you push on.…
1 Samuel 17:34-35 NLT “But David persisted. “I have been taking care of my father’s sheep and goats,” he said. “When a lion or a bear comes to steal a lamb from the flock, I go after it with a club and rescue the lamb from its mouth. If the…
Jeremiah 33:25 “But this is what the Lord says: I would no more reject my people than I would change my laws that govern night and day, earth and sky.” I have always thought I understood what love was, but once I had my first daughter, I quickly realized that…
Readers Loved
So he answered, “Do not fear, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” (II Kings 6:16, NKJV) The odds were against Elisha. After all, he was only one man with an entire army looking for him. Now that’s being outnumbered! This is an interesting story, but wait for the surprising twist at the end. The king of Syria was at war with Israel, yet time after time Israel seemed to know their plans and avoided the attack. Finally, the king called his servants together and demanded to know who the traitor was in their midst. One of the men…
“And Isaac’s servants digged in the valley, and found there a well of springing water.” Genesis 26:19 Every time I read this scripture about a well of springing water, I remember weeding the strawberry patch with my brother on a hot summer day. On the edge of the field, there was a spring. How refreshing it was to lay down our hoes, relax by the spring, and enjoy a drink of cold water. The water was always flowing, clear and cool, no matter how hot the day was. All we had to do was partake of it. Because of a…
“Hear me as I pray, O Lord. Be merciful and answer me! My heart has heard you say, ‘Come and talk with me.’ And my heart responds, ‘Lord, I am coming.’” Psalm 27:7-8 NLT In 1845, William W. Walford composed a beautiful hymn that still contains a great message for us today. I wonder if the author had this verse in Psalms in mind when he wrote the hymn, especially verse 3: Sweet hour of prayer! sweet hour of prayer! Thy wings shall my petition bear To Him whose truth and faithfulness Engage the waiting soul to bless. And…
Age is a number. That is all. But it is not just years. It’s moments in time—strung together like beads on a string. The string is not endless. It’s just so many mornings and so many evenings—sunrises and sunsets. It’s so many cups of coffee, pieces of toast, slices of pie—just so many egg rolls, enchiladas, and schnitzels. So many miles driven, steps taken, lawns mowed, weeds pulled, pencils pushed, timecards punched, degrees earned, dishes washed, and loads of laundry. It’s a certain number of log ons and log ins—of books read, letters written, conversations held, questions asked … and…
