Today's Verse: Why boastest thou thyself in mischief, O mighty man? the goodness of God endureth continually. ~Psalm 52:1   We are in a spiritual battle every day of our lives. Paul said, “When I would do good, evil is present with me.” He describes our spiritual battle as the flesh lusting against the Spirit and the Spirit against the flesh. In Psalm 52, David was referring to a prime enemy that was a thorn in his side. His name is Doeg.    We see the diabolical of Doeg.  “

Today's Verse: The Lord GOD hath given me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary: he wakeneth morning by morning, he wakeneth mine ear to hear as the learned. ~Isaiah 50:4   Do the people in your life consider you an encourager? Solomon said that “death and life are in the power of the tongue.” So much speech today is put-downs of another person. What we say, when we say it, and how we say it can either build up or cau

Today's Verse: Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. ~Psalm 51:10   Someone who is in trouble with the law understands the seriousness of their offense. The record of their offense can be used against them over and over again. However, there is a wonderful feeling when the offender finds mercy in the eyes of the law, has his record cleared, and is able to get a clean start. As we start a New Year, we must not overlook the importance of a clean

Today's Verse: But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them; ~2 Timothy 3:14   What’s the secret to finishing the Christian life victoriously? The Apostle Paul was in the Mamertine prison and counting down the days before he would be executed for being a preacher of the gospel. He was concerned for the spiritual welfare of a young pastor named Timothy. As Paul closed out his final letter to Timothy, H

Today's Verse: I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. ~Galatians 2:20   As we begin a New Year, I am thankful to be alive. I am thankful for my salvation, the prospect of Heaven, good health, a good appetite, the blessing of being married, my children, my granddaughters, my church, and the privilege to serve the

Today's Verse: Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God, ~Hebrews 6:1   Happy New Year! Believe it or not, today marks the beginning of a new year. It is at the start of a new year when all of us think about and make plans for an improved and more successful year than the one we just completed. Let us see some key principles that are essentia

Today's Verse: And Caleb stilled the people before Moses, and said, Let us go up at once, and possess it; for we are well able to overcome it. ~Numbers 13:30   Today is the last day of the calendar year. If you feel like me, the last year went by really fast. This is indicative of busyness and many planned activities. However, the gauge of our effectiveness is not based on how much we did but on how much progress we made. As we approach a New Year, we must do so with a fresh

Today's Verse: For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day. ~2 Corinthians 4:16   I recently received my DMV registration renewal notice for my automobile. Each year, I must renew the registration of my automobile to show that I am the current owner and that the automobile is in compliance and operational. If I fail to complete the renewal, it could result in a financial penalty and the inability to operate my auto

Today's Verse: And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God. ~Luke 9:62   A little boy heard a Sunday school lesson about Lot’s wife and how she looked back as she was following Lot out of Sodom and, as a result, was turned into a pillar of salt. The teacher asked if anyone had any questions, and the little boy raised his hand. He said, “My mother once looked back when she was driving and turned into a lig

Today's Verse: And her mother in law said unto her, Where hast thou gleaned to day? and where wroughtest thou? blessed be he that did take knowledge of thee. And she shewed her mother in law with whom she had wrought, and said, The man's name with whom I wrought to day is Boaz. ~Ruth 2:19   One of the favorite questions that family members and close friends ask each other at the end of a day is, “What did you do today?” In the agricultural business, harvest time is a busy tim

Today's Verse: Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness. ~Isaiah 41:10   All of us will have to deal with personal insecurities because of an unexpected challenge or a failure on our part. These insecurities can make us unsure of ourselves, second-guess decisions, and feel like there is nothing we can do to make things right. However, I a

Today's Verse: For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. ~Isaiah 9:6   In Isaiah 9:6, the prophetic announcement of Christ coming into this world by way of a miraculous birth is given to us. In this announcement, we are given six wonderful names that describe His deity and ministry to every sinner who places

Today's Verse: And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn. ~Luke 2:7   Have you ever arrived at a special event only to find out that there was no space for you to sit at the table? I can remember many times being invited as a guest to a dinner event or speaking at a conference, but somehow the host did not have a spot for me to sit! Once they figured this out, the host

Today's Verse: And it came to pass afterward, that David's heart smote him, because he had cut off Saul's skirt. ~1 Samuel 24:5   The heart is the symbol of our inner man and conscience. It is the seat of our emotions. We make decisions in life within our heart. When we are not careful to guard our heart, it can become calloused and hard. On the other hand, it is vitally important that we maintain a heart that is soft and tender to the Lord. This morning, we are considering a

Today's Verse: Hear, O Israel: Thou art to pass over Jordan this day, to go in to possess nations greater and mightier than thyself, cities great and fenced up to heaven, ~Deuteronomy 9:1   The book of Deuteronomy consists of the last sermons and words of Moses to Israel. Moses is in the final year of his life. God told him that he would not enter into the Promised Land. So, Moses was preparing them for this great endeavor. As we read Deuteronomy 9:1, God was telling Israel t

Today's Verse: And I will give thee the treasures of darkness, and hidden riches of secret places, that thou mayest know that I, the LORD, which call thee by thy name, am the God of Israel. ~Isaiah 45:3   Do you enjoy treasure hunts? This is when the organizer of such an event chooses a location where he hides treats, treasures, and trinkets for people to look diligently for. The reward is that whatever is found becomes the sole possession of the one who finds it. God told Is

Today's Verse: …Yet now there is hope in Israel concerning this thing. ~Ezra 10:2b   Hope! This one word is the thread by which people hang from day to day. It is the anticipation that there is light at the end of the tunnel. It is the assurance that the sun will come up in the morning. It is the belief that a loved one will be seen again. As one person has said, “Hope springs eternal.” The people of Judah had grievously sinned against God and were weeping and confessing thei

Today's Verse: Then said he, What have they seen in thine house? And Hezekiah answered, All that is in mine house have they seen: there is nothing among my treasures that I have not shewed them. ~Isaiah 39:4   When you were a child growing up, did anyone ever accuse you of being a “show-off”? As the term implies, a show-off is someone who purposely tries to impress other people with what they have or who they are. They are trying to send the message that they have a “one-up”

Today's Verse: For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat. ~Hebrews 5:12   Meat is a good source of protein for proper nutrition. There are some people who strongly feel that they need to have meat at every meal and do not limit the portion of meat they consume. Even though some would prefer to eat a different source o

Today's Verse: For mine iniquities are gone over mine head: as an heavy burden they are too heavy for me. ~Psalm 38:4    Have you ever felt like you were in over your head in something? Being in over your head is an idiom that describes how you feel about a situation that is occurring in your life. David was in over his head in a situation that he could not undo. Everyone who knew something about David’s situation doubted his credibility. He was bewildered and at an extreme m