Today’s Verse: For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers: but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil. ~1 Peter 3:12 Being a teacher is a demanding occupation. He must be commanding, creative, and coaxing in trying to gain and keep the attention of the students. I’m certain every teacher knows that as the day wears on, he will find himself being extra diligent in trying to get the students' attention. As God’s children

Today’s Verse: For from the rising of the sun even unto the going down of the same my name shall be great among the Gentiles; and in every place incense shall be offered unto my name, and a pure offering: for my name shall be great among the heathen, saith the LORD of hosts. ~Malachi 1:11 Paul said that "in the last days perilous times shall come." Associated with the evil of our day is the irreverence, profanity, and blasphemy against the name of the Lord. The third commandm

Today’s Verse: For thou hast been a strength to the poor, a strength to the needy in his distress, a refuge from the storm, a shadow from the heat, when the blast of the terrible ones is as a storm against the wall. ~Isaiah 25:4 I took up running and brisk walking as a daily exercise regimen a year and a half ago as a means to incorporate 30-60 minutes of continuous cardio exercise. I have learned to schedule my running/walking when it is shady. There is a noticeable differen

Today’s Verse: By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down, yea, we wept, when we remembered Zion. ~Psalm 137:1 Rivers have been important waterways for people. Major cities have been built along great rivers for drinking, food, irrigation, agriculture, and trade. In Egypt, there is the Nile River. Running through South America is the Amazon River. In the United States is the Mississippi River. In ancient Babylon, it was the Euphrates River. When the writer of Psalm 137 spoke

Today’s Verse: Therefore will I give thanks unto thee, O LORD, among the heathen, and sing praises unto thy name. ~Psalm 18:49 Today, as we celebrate Thanksgiving, we have everything to be thankful for. We have mistakenly said, “We have many things to be thankful for,” but in reality, we have everything to be thankful for. The superscription to Psalm 18 is: “The words of this song in the day that the Lord delivered him from the hand of all his enemies, and from the hand of Sa

Today’s Verse: Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving; ~Colossians 4:2 The Apostle Paul made an emphasis five times on thankfulness in the epistle to the Colossians. In Colossians 1:3, he gave thanks to God for the church, praying always for them. In Colossians 1:12, he encouraged the church to give thanks to God for being partakers of the inheritance with the saints in the light. In Colossians 2:7, he encouraged the church to abound with thanksgiving. In

Today’s Verse: …We shall see him as he is. ~1 John 3:2c When we are saved, we are forgiven of all our sins. God gives us a clean slate and looks at us just as if we never sinned: this is called justification. After we are saved, God calls us to live a victorious and separated life from sin. This is called sanctification. However, God’s work in us will be complete at the Rapture when He appears for us. “We shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.” This is known as glo

Today’s Verse: Not now as a servant, but above a servant, a brother beloved, specially to me, but how much more unto thee, both in the flesh, and in the Lord? ~Philemon 1:16 The epistle to Philemon is one of the most touching letters that Paul wrote. It teaches us how God works in marvelous ways through a willing servant in touching lives. It teaches us about the doctrine of imputation and how our sins were placed on the account of our Lord Jesus Christ. It teaches us about t

Today’s Verse: And behold at eveningtide trouble; and before the morning he is not. ~Isaiah 17:14a Are you a morning person? Are you a “before morning” person? People who work the “graveyard shift” or who have to report to work between 2am and 5am are people who function before morning. Many a preacher (including myself) has labored in the Word before the morning. Before the morning is private time. Before the morning is prayer time. Before the morning is also providential ti

Today’s Verse: My heart shall cry out for Moab; his fugitives shall flee unto Zoar, an heifer of three years old: for by the mounting up of Luhith with weeping shall they go it up; for in the way of Horonaim they shall raise up a cry of destruction. ~Isaiah 15:5 Isaiah 15 describes the judgment of God upon Moab. His judgment was accomplished through the Assyrian army during Isaiah’s day. Isaiah had a vivid vision of the destruction and demise of Moab. So overwhelming was this

Today’s Verse: For the bed is shorter than that a man can stretch himself on it: and the covering narrower than that he can wrap himself in it. ~Isaiah 28:20 Have you ever had to sleep in a bed much shorter than the length of your body or to try to cover yourself laying down with small blankets? If you have, you know how challenging that can be. In Deuteronomy 3:11, we are told about a giant man named Og and the dimensions of his bed. His bed was about 13.5 feet in length, an

Today’s Verse: Except the LORD build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the LORD keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain. ~Psalm 127:1 The word except is used in a powerful way in the Bible to describe something exclusive to God. Except means “only,” “with the exception of,” “without,” or “unless.” Jesus said, “Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” Apart from the new birth, no sinner can be saved. The psalmist tells us that wi

Today’s Verse: Then Samuel took a stone, and set it between Mizpeh and Shen, and called the name of it Ebenezer, saying, Hitherto hath the LORD helped us. ~1 Samuel 7:12 Samuel was one of the greatest and most beloved of the Old Testament men of God. In Psalm 99:6, he is mentioned alongside of Moses and Aaron, specifically, as one of them that called on the Lord’s name and the Lord answered them. Jeremiah 15:1 mentions Samuel as having influence like Moses in being able to st

Today’s Verse: Doth not wisdom cry? and understanding put forth her voice? ~Proverbs 8:1 One of the key themes of the Book of Proverbs is the possession and practice of wisdom. By wisdom, I am referring to spiritual wisdom. The possession of spiritual wisdom gives us insight, knowledge, prudence, foresight, and discernment. Without wisdom. we are ignorant, naïve, and foolish. In our devotion this morning. we see wisdom making a cry for men, especially, to surrender to its cal

Today’s Verse: Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God. ~1 Peter 1:21 First Peter 1 is a very encouraging chapter about our salvation in Jesus Christ. We sometimes take for granted all that is involved in our salvation. In vv. 18-25, we see the work FOR salvation, the work IN salvation, and the work THROUGH salvation. We see the blood. “Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corr

Today’s Verse: Or those eighteen, upon whom the tower in Siloam fell, and slew them, think ye that they were sinners above all men that dwelt in Jerusalem? ~Luke 13:4 Luke 13:1-5 addresses the question, “Are all tragedies the judgment of God?” Perhaps you, like I, have considered a tragic calamity such as an accident, natural disaster, disease breakout, or other unexpected, unfortunate event as the judgment of God upon people. We may have thought, “This most likely is God’s j

Today’s Verse: Turn again our captivity, O LORD, as the streams in the south. ~Psalm 126:4 The psalmist described the return of the Jews to Jerusalem as the streams in the south. The riverbeds are dependent upon the melting of snow in late spring. After a summer and an early fall of the hot sun, the streams that move southward have diminished in size and strength, even to the point that streams and riverbeds become completely dried up. However, once the rain season returns, t

Today’s Verse: They that trust in the LORD shall be as mount Zion, which cannot be removed, but abideth for ever. ~Psalm 125:1 Jerusalem is a city on a hill or mountain. It is synonymously called Mount Zion. Hezekiah describes faith in God as Mount Zion. He most likely wrote this psalm after the defeat of Sennacherib. This morning, we are challenged to have a faith that is immovable. We see the company. “They that trust in the LORD....” This is referring to the people of God

Today’s Verse: But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided? ~Luke 12:20 As Bible-believing Christians, we believe that the Bible is the first and final authority in all matters of our faith, life, and practice. The Bible is God-breathed and is "profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furni

Today’s Verse: Which now of these three, thinkest thou, was neighbour unto him that fell among the thieves? ~Luke 10:36 "Mister Rogers' Neighborhood" was a nationally-syndicated television program greatly loved and popular among children and adults alike. Fred Rogers gave a very gentle, grandfatherly image and taught practical lessons about being kind and helpful to others. His theme song was entitled “Won't You be My Neighbor?” Today, neighbors are content knowing who you ar