Today's Verse: My son, despise not the chastening of the LORD; neither be weary of his correction: For whom the LORD loveth he correcteth; even as a father the son in whom he delighteth. ~Proverbs 3:11-12 An important aspect of raising children is the necessity of chastening or discipline. Chastening is exercised to correct bad and improper behavior in children. In Ephesians 6:4, parents are commanded to raise their children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. The wor

Today's Verse: Wherefore didst thou flee away secretly, and steal away from me; and didst not tell me, that I might have sent thee away with mirth, and with songs, with tabret, and with harp? ~Genesis 31:27 Have you ever driven on a freeway and accidentally taken the wrong exit? If you have, you might have felt anxious and frustrated. Fortunately, in this day of advanced GPS technology, we can quickly get our bearings corrected and be back on our way to our desired destinati

Today's Verse: And I arose in the night, I and some few men with me; neither told I any man what my God had put in my heart to do at Jerusalem: neither was there any beast with me, save the beast that I rode upon. ~Nehemiah 2:12 Nehemiah took on the risky project to rebuild the broken walls and burned down gates of Jerusalem. These walls and gates had been unattended for more than seventy years. The people who returned after the captivity got used to seeing the rubbish, deca

Today's Verse: Then the magicians said unto Pharaoh, This is the finger of God: and Pharaoh's heart was hardened, and he hearkened not unto them; as the LORD had said. ~Exodus 8:19 The human hand consists of five fingers: the thumb, index finger, middle finger, ring finger, and pinky. All five fingers are essential for grabbing and holding onto things. The more prominent finger we use every day is the index, or pointer, finger. When the magicians of Egypt said, “This is the

Today's Verse: And Moses said unto Pharaoh, Glory over me: when shall I intreat for thee, and for thy servants, and for thy people, to destroy the frogs from thee and thy houses, that they may remain in the river only? And he said, To morrow. And he said, Be it according to thy word: that thou mayest know that there is none like unto the LORD our God. ~Exodus 8:9-10 Are you someone who tends to put things off? Do you have a difficult time making decisions? Are you a procrast

Today's Verse: And Moses and Aaron did so, as the LORD commanded; and he lifted up the rod, and smote the waters that were in the river, in the sight of Pharaoh, and in the sight of his servants; and all the waters that were in the river were turned to blood. ~Exodus 7:20 In our devotion this morning, we see two sources of life. We see water, which is a vital necessity for our hydration. We cannot live very long without water. Much of the world is made up of water, which co

Today's Verse: Examine me, O LORD, and prove me; try my reins and my heart. ~Psalm 26:2 Do you get annual physical exams? If you do, you know that this is preventive care for your health and longevity. The doctor will examine your heart, lungs, digestion, kidneys, musculoskeletal system, eyes, ears, mouth, and feet, and then order a number of diagnostic tests. These exams are critical for preventing and detecting serious problems that can occur in our health. The goal of a

Today's Verse: And I will very gladly spend and be spent for you; though the more abundantly I love you, the less I be loved. ~2 Corinthians 12:15 Living in California is very expensive. Many adults become value shoppers in order to maximize the purchasing power of their money. They will focus on weekly sales on groceries, appliances, furniture, and other consumer items. They will discipline themselves to purchase only in bulk and when items are on sale. Value shoppers are w

Today's Verse: Therefore, as ye abound in every thing, in faith, and utterance, and knowledge, and in all diligence, and in your love to us, see that ye abound in this grace also. ~2 Corinthians 8:7 There are three levels of performance. There is what is known as normal performance. This is when we do exactly as we are told and we have achieved what is expected of us. There is sub-par performance when what we do is below expectations and our result is not acceptable. Then, th

Today's Verse: But the Lord said unto him, Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel: ~Acts 9:15 What comes to your mind when you hear the word "vessel"? In the Bible, the word "vessel" refers to something similar to a vase or utensil. In most cases, it refers to a common household utensil that is capable of holding something poured into it. Paul speaks of our bodies as “earthen vessels” or clay

Today's Verse: And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. ~Matthew 16:18 Hudson Taylor aptly said, “God’s work, done in God’s way, will never lack God’s supply.” As a man of faith, he lived and practiced this the entire time he planted churches, started schools, trained laborers, and advanced the cause of missions across China. The Lord Jesus Christ is the founder and owner of

Today's Verse: And he took his staff in his hand, and chose him five smooth stones out of the brook, and put them in a shepherd's bag which he had, even in a scrip; and his sling was in his hand: and he drew near to the Philistine. ~1 Samuel 17:40 A brook is a small natural stream of fresh water. It might be a runoff from a river. Travelers welcome the sight of a brook as a resource to drink from. Jacob sent his family ahead of him at the brook Jabbok prior to his meeting wi

Today's Verse: To preach the gospel in the regions beyond you, and not to boast in another man's line of things made ready to our hand. ~2 Corinthians 10:16 When the Apostle Paul was saved, God also called him to be His missionary to the Jews and Gentiles. Paul would eventually be God’s servant to help spread the gospel and plant churches in regions beyond Jerusalem. I don’t think Paul fathomed the many places to which he would travel, where the gospel would be preached and

Today's Verse: And when Rachel saw that she bare Jacob no children, Rachel envied her sister; and said unto Jacob, Give me children, or else I die. ~Genesis 30:1 Have you ever been threatened by someone who said to you, “Do this, or else”? If so, you may have felt like an unreasonable demand was placed upon you. You may have felt pushed against a wall and faced incredible pressure to do something that requires more than just you to get it done. Rachel made a strong demand of

Today's Verse: For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad. ~2 Corinthians 5:10 Many years ago, I was requested to appear as a witness in an administrative case against someone accused of embezzlement. The room I waited in had a judge’s chair that was elevated, and behind it were the flags of the United States and California. As I looked at the jud

Today's Verse: For I would that ye knew what great conflict I have for you, and for them at Laodicea, and for as many as have not seen my face in the flesh; ~Colossians 2:1 The word "conflict" means to fight or contend with. Dictionary.com defines it as a fight, battle, or struggle, especially a prolonged struggle or strife. Paul had a “shepherd’s heart” for the spiritual lives of believers. The devil seeks to discredit or destroy the faith of every believer. Paul wanted his

Today's Verse: By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king: for he endured, as seeing him who is invisible. ~Hebrews 11:27 In life, we are sometimes faced with the decision of having to part ways with people or things. Someone seeking asylum from a country that represses freedom must part ways with that country and whatever good memories he may have had in the past. When a professional ball player is traded by his team, that player is parting ways with forme

Today's Verse: He poureth contempt upon princes, and causeth them to wander in the wilderness, where there is no way. ~Psalm 107:40 What comes to your mind when you hear the word "wilderness"? For me, I have foreboding thoughts of barrenness, uncharted territory, wild animals, and a place where you can die for lack of supplies and resources. The psalmist described it as a place where there is no way. The wilderness is not a place that you would choose for an adventurous vaca

Today's Verse: For dogs have compassed me: the assembly of the wicked have inclosed me: they pierced my hands and my feet. ~Psalm 22:16 The story is told of a boy who was trapped by a fire on the second floor of his house. The rest of his family had perished in the fire. A man, seeing the boy’s desperate situation, climbed his way into the boy’s bedroom by way of a metal pipe attached all the way to the roof of the house. The man was successful in reaching and rescuing the b

Today's Verse: But after long abstinence Paul stood forth in the midst of them, and said, Sirs, ye should have hearkened unto me, and not have loosed from Crete, and to have gained this harm and loss. And now I exhort you to be of good cheer: for there shall be no loss of any man's life among you, but of the ship. ~Acts 27:21-22 The eye of the storm is the centermost part of it. It is at this location where there is calm and peace. It can also be the most dangerous part of t