Today’s Verse: Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing. And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God. ~John 20:27-28 Doubting is when we lack a complete assurance about something. It's a manifestation of unbelief. Doubting impedes our faith and disables us from putting our entire weight into a cause, movement, or matter. Thomas is sometimes ni

Today’s Verse: And a certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, which worshipped God, heard us: whose heart the Lord opened, that she attended unto the things which were spoken of Paul. ~Acts 16:14 Some people’s names are associated with their deeds. For instance, Abraham Lincoln will always be associated with liberty and emancipation. The first woman, Eve, will always be associated with having eaten the forbidden fruit and bringing sin into the w

Today’s Verse: It is good for a man that he bear the yoke in his youth. ~Lamentations 3:27 Our text this morning centers on a recommendation that Jeremiah made for every man. The Jews were going through a time of great trial. He came to realize that the men especially did not appreciate the labors of their forefathers. They had forgotten the price that was paid to give them the blessings that they enjoyed. So, he made this recommendation that it is good for a man to bear the

Today’s Verse: But rise, and stand upon thy feet: for I have appeared unto thee for this purpose, to make thee a minister and a witness both of these things which thou hast seen, and of those things in the which I will appear unto thee; ~Acts 26:16 The law enforcement personnel of our land maintain a database of criminals who are most wanted. This list is designed for the public to be aware of the need for the capture of these people. Our devotion this morning deals with a mo

Today’s Verse: When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee. ~Isaiah 43:2 Trials are an indispensable part of the Christian life. Without trials, we cannot grow in the grace of the Lord. Without trials, we cannot learn patience. Without trials, we cannot be trusted with a new level of opportunities of servic

Today’s Verse: For the LORD shall be thy confidence, and shall keep thy foot from being taken. ~Proverbs 3:26 On the back of the dollar bill are the words “In God We Trust.” These words describe the complete faith that our forefathers had in God as they fought against the evil tyranny of Britain. The days of the American Revolution were filled with numerous uncertainties and setbacks. Had it not been for the faith and confidence that our early forefathers had in God, they, no

Today’s Verse: Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. ~Proverbs 3:5-6 All banks that operate in the United States provide their depositors with federal insurance that protects their deposits up to a certain amount of money. It is a guarantee that if the bank becomes insolvent, your deposit is protected from loss. This federal insurance gives a depositor confidence in kn

Today’s Verse: That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ: ~1 Peter 1:7 We have been reflecting on things that are precious. We have reflected on Jesus Who is precious, seed which is precious, and the things of Heaven which are precious. This morning, we are reflecting on our faith which is more precious than gold. There is th

Today’s Verse: He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him. ~Psalm 126:6 The word precious means something that is very special and of inestimable worth to us. We have been considering things that are precious. We have considered how Jesus is precious. We have seen the precious things of Heaven. This morning, we are reflecting on another commodity that is precious. We are reflecting on the pr

Today’s Verse: And of Joseph he said, Blessed of the LORD be his land, for the precious things of heaven, for the dew, and for the deep that coucheth beneath, ~Deuteronomy 33:13 The word precious is used 72 times in the Bible. It speaks of things that are of inestimable worth. It speaks of things that have considerable value and importance to us. This morning, we want to reflect on another wonderful mention of things that are precious. We want to consider the precious things

Today’s Verse: Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded. Unto you therefore which believe he is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner, ~1 Peter 2:6-7 The word precious carries the idea of something that is very important and of inestimable worth to us. Many times, we a

Today’s Verse: The LORD make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee: ~Numbers 6:25 To be in someone’s face can have various meanings. In one sense, it can have a threatening meaning and be implied that one person has the intent of intimidating or hurting another. In another sense, it can have a good meaning and refer to having the favor of another. The Lord was speaking to Moses and wanted him to convey a message of encouragement to Aaron and his sons who served

Today’s Verse: Then shall the lame man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing: for in the wilderness shall waters break out, and streams in the desert. ~Isaiah 35:6 Deserts are natural wonders of God. They are an ecosystem to themselves. The thought of a desert probably is not exactly your choice of a vacation or paradise stay. However, we want to discover how God works in the desert places of our life and, at the most needed moments, gives us streams in the desert.

Today’s Verse: But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear: ~1 Peter 3:15 How do you respond to your critics or those who find fault in you? Are you aware if your testimony among men reflects a negative attitude against you? If so, how do you respond to this? This morning, we want to consider the God-proven way by which we can positively respond to our c

Today’s Verse: Now in the fourteenth year of king Hezekiah did Sennacherib king of Assyria come up against all the fenced cities of Judah, and took them. And Hezekiah king of Judah sent to the king of Assyria to Lachish, saying, I have offended; return from me: that which thou puttest on me will I bear. And the king of Assyria appointed unto Hezekiah king of Judah three hundred talents of silver and thirty talents of gold. And Hezekiah gave him all the silver that was found i

Today’s Verse: He trusted in the LORD God of Israel; so that after him was none like him among all the kings of Judah, nor any that were before him. For he clave to the LORD, and departed not from following him, but kept his commandments, which the LORD commanded Moses. And the LORD was with him; and he prospered whithersoever he went forth: and he rebelled against the king of Assyria, and served him not. ~2 Kings 18:5-7 King Hezekiah was one of the blessed kings of Judah. Hi

Today’s Verse: Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. ~Hebrews 12:2 With most things in life, we look for a best example to model. In the realm of sports, this is ever true. There are sports personalities who exemplify excellence, stamina, fortitude, and peak performance whom other athletes want to follow. Parents look to ot

Today’s Verse: Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. ~Philippians 2:9-11 Peter Forsyth said, "The first duty of every soul is to find not its freedom but its Master." Who is Jesus Christ to you? What does His na

Today’s Verse: Seek ye out of the book of the LORD, and read: no one of these shall fail, none shall want her mate: for my mouth it hath commanded, and his spirit it hath gathered them. ~Isaiah 34:16 A former park ranger at Yellowstone National Park tells the story of a ranger leading a group of hikers to a fire lookout. The ranger was so intent on telling the hikers about the flowers and animals that he considered the messages on his two-way radio distracting, so he switched

Today’s Verse: Thine eyes shall see the king in his beauty: they shall behold the land that is very far off. ~Isaiah 33:17 As a child growing up, I remember looking into a kaleidoscope. A kaleidoscope is an optical instrument in which bits of glass, held loosely at the end of a rotating tube, are shown in continually changing symmetrical forms by reflection in two or more mirrors set at angles to each other. A kaleidoscope operates on the principle of multiple reflections, wh