Today’s Verse: But he sent ambassadors to him, saying, What have I to do with thee, thou king of Judah? I come not against thee this day, but against the house wherewith I have war: for God commanded me to make haste: forbear thee from meddling with God, who is with me, that he destroy thee not. ~2 Chronicles 35:21 Has anyone ever told you to not stick your nose in someone else’s business? By this, they are saying that you are being intrusive and interfering with matters that do not concern you. This is also described as meddling in something that can lead to contention, strife, ill will, and hurt. Necho, the king of Egypt, told Josiah, king of Judah, “Forbear thee from meddling.” We see the

Today’s Verse: Run now, I pray thee, to meet her, and say unto her, Is it well with thee? is it well with thy husband? is it well with the child? And she answered, It is well. ~2 Kings 4:26 Most people run. Some run out of necessity. An example is someone running to catch a bus before it departs. Some run for the exercise. They run to get their heart healthy, lose weight, and reduce fatty buildup in their blood. Some run competitively and for a living. Basketball players spend most of their time on the court running. Football players run the ball to score a touchdown. In our devotion this morning, the prophet Elisha told his servant trainee, “Run now.” Let us see the spiritual reasons we mus

Today’s Verse: By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith. ~Hebrews 11:7 One of the more famous Bible characters is Noah. There is a children’s Bible hymn that starts with: “Who built the ark? Noah, Noah. Who built the ark? Mr. Noah built the ark.” Noah was a real person who is a powerful example of faith. He was a preacher of righteousness and took a stand during his generation against wickedness and sin. Let us see the reason behind the building of the ark and the spotlight on Noah’s faith. We see Noah’s culture. “By fai

Today’s Verse: But our God is in the heavens: he hath done whatsoever he hath pleased. ~Psalm 115:3 God is the Hebrew name Elohim. Elohim incorporates the entire Godhead which is the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. When we refer to God, we speak of the only one, true, living, eternal, almighty, unchanging, and holy God. There are not enough books that can be written about God. There are not enough words and adjectives that can describe Him. God is not just God of the past or God of the future. He is God of the present. We can say, “God is.” God is real! God is relational! God is relevant! God is Redeemer! This morning, let us see the God Who is. God is commendable. “Not unto us, O LORD

Today’s Verse: But the angel said unto him, Fear not, Zacharias: for thy prayer is heard; and thy wife Elisabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John. ~Luke 1:13 Do you sometimes feel like people in your life tune you out? We might be talking to a loved one but sense that he or she might be distracted or not listening. Our auto-response is to ask, “Are you listening?” Then, we are surprised when they respond back with, “I hear you, and here is my answer.” This morning, we see that God told Zacharias after many long years, “I hear you!” We see the priest. “There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judaea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the course of Abia: and his w

Today’s Verse: But the queen Vashti refused to come at the king's commandment by his chamberlains: therefore was the king very wroth, and his anger burned in him. ~Esther 1:12 Queen Elizabeth is the recognized, reigning queen of England. Even though England’s government is overseen by the Parliament and prime minister, the king and queen are symbols of the country’s historic monarchy. A queen presents the image of class, dignity, grace, poise, and beauty. Vashti was the reigning queen of Persia. Her name means “beauty.” Certainly, she must have been a very beautiful woman, as our passage indicates. However, unlike her predecessors, she was a beautiful queen who would not allow her looks to b

Today’s Verse: All nations before him are as nothing; and they are counted to him less than nothing, and vanity. ~Isaiah 40:17 A nation is a country of people identified by their constitution, sovereignty, ethnicity, economics, and purpose. There are currently 195 countries, or nations, in the world. A nation ranks itself based on its monetary, military, technological, and trade power. Nations that band together see themselves as a united confederacy for power. A powerful nation tends to believe and trust in its strength and sees God as an interference to its quest. In our devotion this morning, we see the power of the nations compared to the power of God. God said of all nations that they a

Today’s Verse: Praise ye the LORD. Blessed is the man that feareth the LORD, that delighteth greatly in his commandments. ~Psalm 112:1 Psalm 112 is one of several psalms describing the blessed man. The word blessed means happy. Happy, in this sense, means totally blissful, peaceful, contented, and prosperous. I know many men who want to be blessed, but their idea is of someone who is wealthy and rich. Let us see the man God blesses and who fits the description of blessed. This man is honorable. In v. 1, he fears the Lord and greatly loves the commandments of the Lord. The outstanding mark of this man is that he loves the Lord, worships Him, pleases Him, and walks with Him. He is not honorabl

Today’s Verse: By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God. ~Hebrews 11:5 There are two men in the Bible who did not die: Enoch and Elisha. It’s an amazing thought that Enoch was taken out of this world without dying. What is important for us, however, is Enoch’s faith while he was on earth. He had a faith that pleased God. We see Enoch’s emphasis. "And Enoch walked with God after he begat Methuselah three hundred years, and begat sons and daughters." Enoch was 65 years old when his first son, Methuselah, was born. He was charged at the birth of this son. T

Today’s Verse: And he said unto Moses, Come up unto the LORD, thou, and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel; and worship ye afar off. ~Exodus 24:1 If you are diagnosed with a serous illness, you know the importance of doing what your doctor tells you to do. You come to the designated appointment, you see whatever specialist he refers you to, and you take whatever medicines he prescribes. To get well, you make sure you are on the doctor’s calendar. It is important that we are on God’s calendar, agenda, and timelines. God told Moses, “Come up unto the LORD.” We must come because we are commanded. God gave a command to Moses. A command is an order that is to be obeyed.

Today’s Verse: By little and little I will drive them out from before thee, until thou be increased, and inherit the land. ~Exodus 23:30 God was preparing Israel to possess the land of their inheritance. Israel had lived in Goshen under Egyptian bondage for over 400 years, and all they knew was captivity, hardship, and a limited idea of the world outside of Egypt. After walking in the wilderness for several weeks, everyone was anxious to settle down. God told them about the battles they would have to fight to acquire and conquer the promised land. The people were anxious to get everything done with quickly, but God said, “By little and little I will drive them out from before thee.” Let us s

Today’s Verse: This is my comfort in my affliction: for thy word hath quickened me. ~Psalm 119:50 Discomfort is when we are not at ease with something in our life. We are anxious, bothered, distracted, restless, and consumed by whatever it is that is causing the discomfort. In our devotion this morning, let us see how the psalmist was able to set his mind at ease, or find comfort, when he needed it most. We see the affliction. He speaks of his affliction. Affliction means calamity, misery, and trouble. His affliction was painful. He felt like an earthquake of 10.0 magnitude rocked his soul. The pain made him feel like he was dying. His affliction was personal. When it is someone else’s affli

Today’s Verse: Through God we shall do valiantly: for he it is that shall tread down our enemies. ~Psalm 108:13 Psalm 108 was written by David as a psalm of praise and acknowledgement. Charles Spurgeon, in his Treasury of David, called this psalm “The Warrior’s Morning Song.” This psalm is divided into three sections. In vv. 1-5, we see David rejoicing. David is praising the Lord in spirit, in song, and in his society. In vv. 6-10, we see David’s request. David is praying for God to help him in battle. In vv. 11-13, we see David’s resolve. David said, “Through God we shall do valiantly.” Through God is the only way we can be victorious. We see David’s foes. “Who will bring me into the strong

Today’s Verse: Because they met not the children of Israel with bread and with water, but hired Balaam against them, that he should curse them: howbeit our God turned the curse into a blessing. ~Nehemiah 13:2 The historical account of Balak hiring Balaam to curse Israel was a repeated reminder to the Jews. It was a reminder of the grace and goodness of God in turning the curse into a blessing. A curse is a misfortune, evil, or doom against another person or group. A curse has a very devastating, long-term effect on the ones the curse is upon. However, this morning, let us see three incidents where God turned the curse into a blessing. We see the curse of a captive. “Then there passed by Midi

Today’s Verse: And Judah said, The strength of the bearers of burdens is decayed, and there is much rubbish; so that we are not able to build the wall. ~Nehemiah 4:10 Tooth decay is when the enamel of our teeth wears away due to poor dental hygiene. A lack of flossing, brushing, rinsing, and routine dental visits greatly contribute to tooth decay, cavities, and loss of teeth. The men of Judah said that the strength of the men who carried the burden of helping rebuild the wall of Jerusalem was decayed. This meant that they had become feeble, were cast down, were overthrown, and were stumbling. It sounded hopeless. However, there is decay prevention that we can exercise when we are discouraged

Today’s Verse: To understand a proverb, and the interpretation; the words of the wise, and their dark sayings. ~Proverbs 1:6 The Book of Proverbs is very practical and helpful in making the right choices in life. It is a book centered on wisdom. Wisdom is making sound decisions, learning from the mistakes of others, assessing a situation as to the right decision, and being able to look ahead. Solomon starts the first chapter by describing it as the words of the wise. We see the reverence. There are two spiritual authorities in our daily life that we must revere. The first is the fear of God. This is the beginning of wisdom. We must give honor in our life. This is our praise and worship. We m

Today’s Verse: By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaketh. ~Hebrews 11:4 There are several brothers in the Bible that are noteworthy characters. There is Esau and Jacob, Moses and Aaron, Hophni and Phinehas, James and John, and Cain and Abel. Cain and Abel are the first two brothers in the Bible. In Hebrews 11, Abel is the first hero of faith who is mentioned. We are told that he offered a more excellent sacrifice than Cain. Let us see how Abel speaks to us. We see Abel and his belief. “By faith Abel....” Able is noted for his faith. Faith is necessa

Today’s Verse: …From this day will I bless you. ~Haggai 2:19b The word bless implies grace, approval, favor, increase, profit, success, and wellness. I don’t know anyone who does not want God’s blessings. However, we miss God’s blessings because we do not meet His conditions for blessings. The Jews had become apathetic and indifferent to finishing the construction needed on the temple. As a result, their crops and produce were meager and little. They found themselves spinning their wheels when it came to their personal desires. Despite all this, God wanted them to have His blessing. Let us see the conditions for God’s blessing. God blesses deference. “Then Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, an

Today’s Verse: I think myself happy…. ~Acts 26:2a Economist Jeffrey D. Sachs is quoted as saying, “We are in an era of rising tensions and negative emotions.” Worry, sadness, and anger among adolescents and adults has been gradually increasing. The average American ranks his happiness at 6.9 out of a scale of ten. People realize that possessions, position, and popularity are not guarantees for happiness. Spurgeon said, “It is not how much we have, but how much we enjoy, that makes happiness.” Paul enjoyed life. Paul was a happy man. He told King Agrippa, “I think myself happy.” Paul was happy he was saved. It’s wonderful to be saved. Being saved is knowing that my sins are forgiven, Jesus is

Today’s Verse: For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God. ~Hebrews 11:10 A little girl was taking an evening walk with her father. Wonderingly, she looked up at the stars and exclaimed, "Oh, Daddy, if the wrong side of Heaven is so beautiful, what must the right side be!" (From “Home Fires” by Charles Allen). How much do you know about Heaven? Can you describe the grandeur, glory, and greatness of Heaven? More importantly, are you looking for Heaven? Are you looking forward to spending eternity in Heaven with our Lord? Heaven has a Producer. “Whose builder and maker is God.” God is the Chief Architect and General Contractor of Heaven. It is the throne an