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

Today's Verse: Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. ~1 John 3:2   There are two striking things about either a married couple or a family. In a family, it is the resemblance that children have to each other. With couples who have been married for a long time, it is how similar they look in resemblance as well. Our passage this morning speak

Today's Verse: But I will make them keepers of the charge of the house, for all the service thereof, and for all that shall be done therein.  ~Ezekiel 44:14 As children mature, parents will often put the oldest child in charge of the house. This means the oldest child takes responsibility for conduct and order in the household until mom and dad return home. This morning, we are considering the important responsibilities that God vested in the Levites for the house of God and

Today's Verse: And Sihon would not suffer Israel to pass through his border: but Sihon gathered all his people together, and went out against Israel into the wilderness: and he came to Jahaz, and fought against Israel. ~Numbers 21:23   What is the most gigantic problem you have ever faced? Whatever it may have been, it stood between you and success. This morning, let us see an incident that teaches us the importance of not letting the giants in our life intimidate us or cause

Today's Verse: And when neither sun nor stars in many days appeared, and no small tempest lay on us, all hope that we should be saved was then taken away. ~Acts 27:20   A few years ago, I watched a documentary on the Weather Channel about a cruise ship called the Oceanos and its ill-fated sinking during a storm off the eastern coast of South Africa. Amazingly, no one lost his life, and all 571 passengers were rescued. There were many tense moments before the ship sank when th

Today's Verse: What man is he that desireth life, and loveth many days, that he may see good?  ~Psalm 34:12 People, as they get older, will sometimes tell their family and friends, “I’ve lived a good life.” By what means are we qualifying a good life? Is it our comfort level? Is it our success? Is it our career achievements? Is it our travel? David gives us the biblical perspective on what constitutes a “good life.” Everyone wants a good life and Psalm 34 tells us how it is a

Today's Verse: And the night following the Lord stood by him, and said, Be of good cheer, Paul: for as thou hast testified of me in Jerusalem, so must thou bear witness also at Rome. ~Acts 23:11   What do you do when you’ve been rejected, scorned, and written off as a loser and enemy? This morning, let us see how Paul was encouraged and helped by our Lord when he was at one of the lowest points in his life. Let us see how the Lord is always there for us.    We see the scornfu

Today's Verse: Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. ~Hebrews 4:14   A few years ago, I took members of my family out of town for a family trip. On the first day of our arrival, I took my granddaughter to see the ocean waves. As I knelt down holding her to touch the water on the shoreline, we both were surprised by a rogue wave about two feet high that got both of us wet. She was v

Today's Verse: My times are in thy hand: deliver me from the hand of mine enemies, and from them that persecute me. ~Psalm 31:15   Have you ever been involved in a life-or-death situation where your ultimate fate was in someone else’s hands, and you said, “I’m putting my life into your hands”? This is absolute trust. It is when your input, ideas, and know-how are useless and only the person who is stronger and more knowledgeable can get you through your situation. David was a

Today's Verse: (For that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds;) ~2 Peter 2:8   Have you ever played tug of war? In this exercise, two groups of people hold opposite ends of a rope. The side that pulls the hardest is the one that wins. The side that loses is generally the side that yields. In our devotion this morning, we see a tug of war that involved a man named Lot.    We see Lot and his

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   Death Valley is said to be the largest national park outside of Alaska, covering 3.3 million acres of land. It is primarily a desert location with extreme conditions and weather. Death Valley is the hottest and driest place in America, with summer temperatures peaking above 120 °F and average rainfall

Today's Verse: To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified. ~Isaiah 61:3   Several years ago, an area three hours north of us was completely ravaged by a wildfire. This fire devastated over 151,000 acres, decimated an entire city, displaced thousands of survivors,

Today's Verse: But there the glorious LORD will be unto us a place of broad rivers and streams; wherein shall go no galley with oars, neither shall gallant ship pass thereby. ~Isaiah 33:21   The Bible is abundant with its many descriptions of our Lord. Each description gives us insight to His attributes, His actions, and His attention. No wonder the psalmist wrote "Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised; and his greatness is unsearchable" (Psalm 145:3). Judah had fall

Today's Verse: I made a covenant with mine eyes; why then should I think upon a maid? ~Job 31:1   A covenant is an unbreakable contract between two parties. It is meant to stay in place and be honored by both parties. The only action that could break a covenant was death. The parties of a covenant would “cut the covenant” as their way of pledging their honor and commitment to their respective responsibilities. We see an example of this in Genesis 15:9-18. Job made a consecrat

Today's Verse: The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in him, and I am helped: therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; and with my song will I praise him. ~Psalm 28:7   Psalm 28 was written either during David’s flight from Saul or Absalom. There were moments when the closeness of his adversaries made him think life was over. He was overcome with incredible fears. Yet, as this psalm progresses, there is a major shift in his tone and outlook. As we meditate on t

Today's Verse: And as they went to tell his disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying, All hail. And they came and held him by the feet, and worshipped him. ~Matthew 28:9   How would you have responded to seeing Jesus three days after He was declared physically dead and laid in a tomb? Would you have been afraid and run away? Would you have been excited and embraced Him? Would you have gone to tell everyone in town what you saw? This morning, let us pay particular attention t

Today's Verse: And Pilate wrote a title, and put it on the cross. And the writing was, JESUS OF NAZARETH THE KING OF THE JEWS. ~John 19:19   In our modern-day society, signage is a very important communication tool. In order to get a driver’s license, an applicant must be knowledgeable of traffic signs. We rely on signage to find our entrances and exits. Signage is also a means of advertising a product or service. People who are hearing impaired rely on “signing” as a way of

Today's Verse: For this is thankworthy, if a man for conscience toward God endure grief, suffering wrongfully. ~1 Peter 2:19   As we approach the Thanksgiving season, the Lord led me to reflect on the word “thankworthy” that is used by Peter in 1 Peter 2. This word is so important that it is also used in v. 20. It is a word that is used 8 other times in 1 Peter and at least 165 times in the New Testament. Let us consider thanksgiving according to Peter and reflect on some imp

Today's Verse: I will wash mine hands in innocency: so will I compass thine altar, O LORD: ~Psalm 26:6   There was a time many years ago when doctors were concerned about the high mortality rate of babies who died shortly after birth due to infections. They learned that these deaths could have been avoided by simply washing their hands before touching a patient. Today, it is a standard practice for doctors and medical professionals to wash their hands with bacterial soap unde

Today's Verse: God forbid that I should justify you: till I die I will not remove mine integrity from me. ~Job 27:5   Integrity refers to the honesty, uprightness, purity, and sincerity of a man. We have confidence in a man of integrity. We have faith in following the leadership of a man who has integrity.   Integrity must be honed and developed through conviction, good example, and decisions. Job said,  “Till I die I will not remove mine integrity from me.”  Job was saying,