Today’s Verse: And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up, and saw him, and said unto him, Zacchaeus, make haste, and come down; for to day I must abide at thy house. ~Luke 19:5 Anyone who has made the arduous attempt of climbing a tall mountain landscape or a steep mountain side knows the elation of standing at the top and seeing the splendor of the valley area below. There is a sense of accomplishment and a feeling of having conquered something that seemed impossible.

Today’s Verse: Behold, the hour cometh, yea, is now come, that ye shall be scattered, every man to his own, and shall leave me alone: and yet I am not alone, because the Father is with me. ~John 16:32 In the context of the Christian life, we are faced with the reality that trials and hardships are part of our pathway. It is never a question of whether a trial will come, but rather when trials will come. In the days leading to His death on the cross, Jesus frequently used the

Today’s Verse: And all the elders and all the people said unto him, Hearken not unto him, nor consent. Wherefore he said unto the messengers of Benhadad, Tell my lord the king, All that thou didst send for to thy servant at the first I will do: but this thing I may not do. And the messengers departed, and brought him word again. ~1 Kings 20:8-9 Have you ever been pushed and tempted in an area of your life where you finally came to the point where you said, “I can’t do this”?

Today’s Verse: And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, ~Ephesians 1:19 Since the creation of man, we are well aware of the need of power in all facets of life. There is solar power, wind power, fire power, and electrical power. Our automobiles need to be fueled by battery power, gasoline or diesel fuel, or electrical power. Without power, our appliances at home will not work. Power is a vital neces

Today’s Verse: Dead flies cause the ointment of the apothecary to send forth a stinking savour: so doth a little folly him that is in reputation for wisdom and honour. ~Ecclesiastes 10:1 Flies! I do not like flies. They have to be among the most annoying pests. Living flies are bad. Dead flies are just as bad. Back in Solomon’s day a container of special ointment was very precious. Sometimes people would leave the containers open to allow the sweet smelling aroma to fill the

Today’s Verse: And, behold, a woman in the city, which was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at meat in the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster box of ointment, And stood at his feet behind him weeping, and began to wash his feet with tears, and did wipe them with the hairs of her head, and kissed his feet, and anointed them with the ointment. ~Luke 7:37-38 How much do you love Jesus? Sometimes that question seems relative to the person or situation at hand. It is a p

Today’s Verse: Therefore, brethren, we were comforted over you in all our affliction and distress by your faith: ~1 Thessalonians 3:7 Did you know that your faith matters to other people? Did you know that your faith is either an encouragement or discouragement to someone else? The believers at Thessalonica were very precious to Paul. They received the gospel with great joy in spite of much opposition. Paul wrote this letter to them to express how much they meant to him. He w

Today’s Verse: When my spirit was overwhelmed within me, then thou knewest my path. In the way wherein I walked have they privily laid a snare for me. ~Psalm 142:3 The inscription for Psalm 142 tells us that it is a Maschil of David; a Prayer when he was in the cave. This psalm was written either when he was in the cave of Adullam or in one of the caves of Engedi. This is a teaching psalm. It is a lesson of the fact that every Christian will have a cave experience in their li

Today’s Verse: Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful. ~Luke 6:36 Perhaps of the many graces and virtues of the Christian life, mercy is one of the more challenging to apply and put in action. Mercy is showing pity, compassion, and longsuffering to another person. Specifically, it is applying it to someone who might be deserving of our judgment, or to someone who is adversarial to us. It is being forgiving and seeking restoration in spite of injustice that

Today’s Verse: Then she fell on her face, and bowed herself to the ground, and said unto him, Why have I found grace in thine eyes, that thou shouldest take knowledge of me, seeing I am a stranger? ~Ruth 2:10 One of the most touching stories in Scripture is the record concerning Ruth the Moabite. The primary characters in this story are Ruth, Naomi, and Boaz. Of course, in the background of this story we see the providence of God at work. Symbolically, Boaz is a picture of th

Today’s Verse: The Lord is good, a strong hold in the day of trouble; and he knoweth them that trust in him. ~Nahum 1:7 Years ago I was acquainted with a company that did product development for Betty Crocker™ food company. This local company was the research and development arm for Betty Crocker™ for new foods to introduce into the marketplace. One of the positions was the “tasting position”. The people in that capacity had the delightful job of tasting food samples all day!

Today’s Verse: And Simon answering said unto him, Master, we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing: nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net. ~Luke 5:5 Poor Peter! He and his colleagues had fished all night and caught nothing. It was one of those rare fruitless nights. Fishermen made their living on the catch of the night. Seaside villages and surrounding communities depended upon the catch of the night for food and sustenance. So, when Jesus approached hi

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 Of the many excellent Bible characters we have to look up to for a good example, Enoch will most certainly rank as one of the best ones to consider. Enoch is one of two men who never died a natural death but was taken up to Heaven by the Lord. Enoch was a man who live

Today’s Verse: I will never forget thy precepts: for with them thou hast quickened me. ~Psalm 119:93 How’s your memory? Are you at a place in life where you have forgotten more than you care to forget? A woman in her 50s was driving with a friend. She went through a red light. The friend didn't say anything. But then she went through another one. The friend said, "Do you realize you just went through two red lights?" "Oh," she said, "was I driving?" The psalmist boldly procla

Today’s Verse: And even to your old age I am he; and even to hoar hairs will I carry you: I have made, and I will bear; even I will carry, and will deliver you. ~Isaiah 46:4 Can you feel the effects of getting older? Hair color changing; muscles aching more; eating less and gaining more weight; hearing and vision not as good as when you were younger. Does the prospect of getting older frighten you? I’ve met a lot of people who once they passed 45, 50 and 60 became noticeably

Today’s Verse: Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby. ~Hebrews 12:11 Parents who desire to see their children turn out right, understand the necessity of proper instruction and training. Part of this involves the chastening of a child. Chastening is the discipline of a child for the purpose of correcting bad behavior. The goal is to tea

Today’s Verse: And his brethren said to him, Shalt thou indeed reign over us? or shalt thou indeed have dominion over us? And they hated him yet the more for his dreams, and for his words. ~Genesis 37:8a Joseph had an incredible dream that depicted his brothers bowing down to him. He did not know when and how this would happen. However, the dream was very clear, and Joseph was a faithful messenger in conveying this dream to his brothers. Their reaction to this dream was hosti

Today’s Verse: In the multitude of my thoughts within me thy comforts delight my soul. ~Psalm 94:19 Our devotion this morning takes us into the study of a believer going through a very difficult time in his life. How we perceive our problems is a reflection of how we perceive God. How we face our problems is a reflection of how we come to God. If we are not careful, how we think about our tough situations can wind up becoming oppressive and defeating. This morning we want to

Today’s Verse: Moab hath been at ease from his youth, and he hath settled on his lees, and hath not been emptied from vessel to vessel, neither hath he gone into captivity: therefore his taste remained in him, and his scent is not changed. ~Jeremiah 48:11 Have you ever had freshly squeezed fruit juice that was unfiltered? If you have, you know that sediment from the fruit fibers will settle on the bottom of the juice bottle or container. This sediment is referred to as “lees”

Today’s Verse: I opened to my beloved; but my beloved had withdrawn himself, and was gone: my soul failed when he spake: I sought him, but I could not find him; I called him, but he gave me no answer. ~Song of Solomon 5:6 Have you ever had an event where there was a gathering of people and when it is ready to start someone says “who’s not here? Or someone’s missing?” Has there been a time in your life or service for God when you knew the Lord was missing? The Shunammite said,