Today's Verse: And when he saw that, he arose, and went for his life, and came to Beersheba, which belongeth to Judah, and left his servant there. ~1 Kings 19:3   Fear is when we are afraid of someone or something that we think will cause serious harm to us. Fear will quickly take over every aspect of our life. Fear is the opposite of faith. Everyone has a fear that can overcome them. I believe that fear is one of the devil’s biggest lies that he uses to sideline us from the

Today's Verse: As yet I am as strong this day as I was in the day that Moses sent me: as my strength was then, even so is my strength now, for war, both to go out, and to come in. ~Joshua 14:11   Caleb was an amazing man. At 85 years of age, he told Joshua, “I am as strong this day as I was in the day that Moses sent me: as my strength was then, even so is my strength now....” The typical conversations of men who live to be octogenarians go something like this: “When I was y

Today's Verse: Rebuke not an elder, but intreat him as a father; and the younger men as brethren; The elder women as mothers; the younger as sisters, with all purity. ~1 Timothy 5:1-2 When I was growing up, my father, elders, and teachers in school placed a strong emphasis on respecting other people. The age we now live in has morphed into barbarism, crudeness, and disrespect. Sadly, we find disrespect in our Christian homes and even in our churches. Disrespect is an indicato

Today's Verse: And the LORD said unto Gideon, The people are yet too many; bring them down unto the water, and I will try them for thee there: and it shall be, that of whom I say unto thee, This shall go with thee, the same shall go with thee; and of whomsoever I say unto thee, This shall not go with thee, the same shall not go. ~Judges 7:4 Has anyone ever told you that you have “too much” or “too many”? “Too many” implies more than necessary or more than is required. The Isr

Today's Verse: Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honour unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered. ~1 Peter 3:7 I recently read how UPS (United Parcel Service) handles an average of 20.1 million packages per day. This is substantially more than FedEx, which averages more than 16 million packages per day. A percentage of these shipped goods falls into a categ

Today's Verse: Therefore watch, and remember, that by the space of three years I ceased not to warn every one night and day with tears. ~Acts 20:31 Whenever we enter into a contract, purchase real estate, purchase insurance, incur a debt, or agree to a medical procedure, we want in writing the terms and conditions of what we are getting into. We want full disclosure of what are agreeing to, the risks, exclusions and limitations. We do not want any surprises after the fact, or

Today's Verse: Nebuchadnezzar spake and said unto them, Is it true, O Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, do not ye serve my gods, nor worship the golden image which I have set up? ~Daniel 3:14   How important is truth to you? Truth consists of absolute facts that are essential for our belief and behavior. What we believe determines how we behave. Truth is pure honesty. Truth is authenticity in the representation of facts. The opposite of truth is falsity and lies. This morning,

Today's Verse: And the LORD said unto Joshua, Stretch out the spear that is in thy hand toward Ai; for I will give it into thine hand. And Joshua stretched out the spear that he had in his hand toward the city. ~Joshua 8:18   Spears were ancient weapons that were used in battle for many years. In the hands of a skilled warrior, a spear was a deadly weapon that could take out many foes. On one end of the spear was the sharp tip that could pierce. The other end could be used as

Today's Verse: And all the king's servants, that were in the king's gate, bowed, and reverenced Haman: for the king had so commanded concerning him. But Mordecai bowed not, nor did him reverence. ~Esther 3:2   We have certain gestures that we exercise in public to acknowledge another person. For instance, when someone is introduced to us, we extend our hand for a friendly handshake. When we enter the presence of someone of great stature and importance, we slightly bow to show

Today's Verse: Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest. ~Matthew 9:38   One of the necessary traits of leadership is the willingness and ability to solve problems. Problem solving can be tedious and can require much attention. This morning, we see a problem that we are to pray about. It is a problem of such magnitude that every Christian is a vital part of the solution.    We see the concept of missions.  Missions is simpl

Today's Verse: And he saith unto them, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? Then he arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm. ~Matthew 8:26   A hurricane is a major storm that is categorized into levels 1 to 5. A storm is classified as a hurricane when the winds reach 74 miles per hour or more. The highest category of a hurricane is level 5, where winds are more than 157 miles per hour. We are told that Jesus and the disciples experienced a gr

Today's Verse: And the manna ceased on the morrow after they had eaten of the old corn of the land; neither had the children of Israel manna any more; but they did eat of the fruit of the land of Canaan that year. ~Joshua 5:12   A few years ago, I had the privilege of completing a missions preaching and survey trip to Taiwan and the Philippines. I booked my stay in the Philippines where I lodged the very first time I visited in 2008. Since I was there last, the hotel had done

Today's Verse: These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brethren. ~Acts 1:14 We live in a time where there is great division and a lack of unity. There are divided opinions about how the government should run, how money should be spent, and how to protect our country. Among Christians, there is division about how to worship God, the priority of the church, whether God has predetermined who goes

Today's Verse: And Elijah said unto him, Tarry, I pray thee, here; for the LORD hath sent me to Jordan. And he said, As the LORD liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. And they two went on. ~2 Kings 2:6   The success of a relay race lies in the passing of the baton. The four racers for a team are strategically placed in their respective order to maximize speed and have the competitive edge. The one component of the race that is the difference between winning a

Today's Verse: There be three things which go well, yea, four are comely in going: A lion which is strongest among beasts, and turneth not away for any; A greyhound; an he goat also; and a king, against whom there is no rising up. ~Proverbs 30:29-31 What do your traits say about you? A trait is an attribute or characteristic. It is something about you that defines and identifies you. Solomon uses some familiar animal analogies to describe people who are champions. These trait

Today's Verse: Then Moses stood in the gate of the camp, and said, Who is on the LORD'S side? let him come unto me. And all the sons of Levi gathered themselves together unto him. ~Exodus 32:26   Sometimes, we find ourselves facing tough questions and issues regarding belief, morality, philosophy of ministry, and methodology. We face pressures from sources that clearly conflict with the precept of God’s Word. We realize we must decide whose side we on on.    We see the disgru

Today's Verse: Then I told them of the hand of my God which was good upon me; as also the king's words that he had spoken unto me. And they said, Let us rise up and build. So they strengthened their hands for this good work. ~Nehemiah 2:18   “All hands on deck” is a way of saying everyone needs to be involved and work together with the aim of getting an important task completed. It originated in the British Navy and has been a standard term used by our naval forces as well. I

Today's Verse: But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also. ~Matthew 5:39  The Apostle Paul describes the age we live in as “perilous times.” This description conveys the idea of dangers and perils along the way. Most men I know try to be cautious and aware of their circumstances because of unexpected dangers. However, what do you do when you have been offended by another person? Most people I know

Today's Verse: And in the seventh year Jehoiada strengthened himself, and took the captains of hundreds, Azariah the son of Jeroham, and Ishmael the son of Jehohanan, and Azariah the son of Obed, and Maaseiah the son of Adaiah, and Elishaphat the son of Zichri, into covenant with him. ~2 Chronicles 23:1   When it comes to sharing information, it’s important to be “in the know.” This means you are privy to insider information about something that is beneficial to you. Jehoiada

Today's Verse: And he found a new jawbone of an ass, and put forth his hand, and took it, and slew a thousand men therewith. ~Judges 15:15   When I was a kid, I remember a new candy that came out called a “jawbreaker.” It was a super hard candy that was meant to be sucked on and not chewed or broken with your teeth. The idea was that if you tried to break it down with your teeth, you would wind up breaking your teeth or jaw instead. It was a candy that was meant to last the u