Today's Verse: And when he had made a scourge of small cords, he drove them all out of the temple, and the sheep, and the oxen; and poured out the changers' money, and overthrew the tables;  ~John 2:15 “Turning the tables” is an idiom that means a correction, reversal, or change in plans has occurred. It refers to a situation where the opposite of what was expected to happen occurs. This morning, we see an incident where Jesus literally turned the tables on those who were usi

Today's Verse: Notwithstanding the Lord stood with me, and strengthened me; that by me the preaching might be fully known, and that all the Gentiles might hear: and I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion. ~2 Timothy 4:17   Would you put your head in the mouth of a lion? Lion experts say that a lion’s mouth is 28 centimeters or almost one foot in size when fully extended: that is big! Paul uses the term “the mouth of the lion” to describe the trial or affliction he had w

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, 

Today's Verse: And he cometh unto the disciples, and findeth them asleep, and saith unto Peter, What, could ye not watch with me one hour? Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak. ~Matthew 26:40-41   What time of the day do you consider your energy and strength levels to be your best? For me, it is the early morning hours after I have had a good night’s rest. I try to do my most vigorous physical exercises during

Today's Verse: Behold my servant, whom I uphold; mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth; I have put my spirit upon him: he shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles. ~Isaiah 42:1   In tennis, a serve is when a player hits the tennis ball towards his opponent. It is a term that indicates that it is your opportunity to show your opponent what you are capable of doing. The player serving the tennis ball wants to put as much power and spin on it as possible to force his opponent

Today's Verse: Salt is good: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be seasoned? ~Luke 14:34   If you are like me, you like to eat food that is well seasoned. One of my preacher friends tends to pour a considerable amount of salt on his food. The food could be very balanced, in my opinion, in salt and flavor content, but he will still add more salt to enhance the flavor. His motto at every meal is, “More salt, please.” This morning, there is a cry for “more

Today's Verse: Verily I say unto you, Wheresoever this gospel shall be preached in the whole world, there shall also this, that this woman hath done, be told for a memorial of her. ~Matthew 26:13   Have you thought about what kind of legacy you will leave behind? What do you suppose will be the greatest achievement of your life that will continue to be an inspiration and a blessing to people long after you leave this life? This morning, we are considering the legacy of a love

Today's Verse: Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. ~Philippians 2:2 We live in a world of differences. When two parties are discussing business points before they sign off, they must come to a meeting of the minds. No two people can go forward on an important matter unless there is a meeting of the minds. In Philippians 2, we see Paul placing a strong emphasis on the virtue of being likeminded.    We see the command

Today's Verse: And the watchman saw another man running: and the watchman called unto the porter, and said, Behold another man running alone. And the king said, He also bringeth tidings. And the watchman said, Me thinketh the running of the foremost is like the running of Ahimaaz the son of Zadok. And the king said, He is a good man, and cometh with good tidings. ~2 Samuel 18:26-27   Running is a popular activity and exercise for many people. One man said that “running is the

Today's Verse: Now when Jacob saw that there was corn in Egypt, Jacob said unto his sons, Why do ye look one upon another? And he said, Behold, I have heard that there is corn in Egypt: get you down thither, and buy for us from thence; that we may live, and not die. ~Genesis 42:1-2   Our devotion this morning takes us to a famine in Egypt and the surrounding areas. A famine is when there is a scarcity of food. Famines result in food shortages, hunger, loss of jobs, large-scal

Today's Verse: And now, behold, I go bound in the spirit unto Jerusalem, not knowing the things that shall befall me there: ~Acts 20:22   In the area of executive compensation, profitable corporations look for ways to keep their best executives from leaving. One tactic that is used is called “golden handcuffs.” This is a compensation package that promises to pay out an exorbitant amount of money to the executive as long as he contractually agrees to stay with the company and

Today's Verses:  And of Asher he said, Let Asher be blessed with children; let him be acceptable to his brethren, and let him dip his foot in oil. Thy shoes shall be iron and brass; and as thy days, so shall thy strength be. ~Deuteronomy 33:24-25   One of our current health trends is the benefit of essential oils. From soothing sore muscles and relieving chronic pain to promoting restful sleep and overall health improvement, essence oils are recognized as a natural means of s

Today's Verse: Then said he unto me, Prophesy unto the wind, prophesy, son of man, and say to the wind, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live. ~Ezekiel 37:9    Several years ago, I was returning from preaching at a revival conference, and I needed to make a connecting flight in Dallas, TX. I got into the terminal at 5:40pm, and I needed to make it to another terminal that was at least 15-20 minutes away.

Today's Verse: One man of you shall chase a thousand: for the LORD your God, he it is that fighteth for you, as he hath promised you. ~Joshua 23:10   If you own a dog and take it for a run, you need to make sure you have a good leash and grip on the leash. A hyperactive dog has a tendency to chase after other dogs it sees. Instead of the dog following you, you could find yourself chasing the dog. Sometimes in a competitive basketball game, the underdog team might get an upper

Today's Verse: He must increase, but I must decrease. ~John 3:30   In the daily grind of life, we face many priority challenges. Foremost in this is the question, “Who is most important and what is most important?” To a student, the most important challenge is to study well and graduate with honors. To a parent, it is to raise the children in the right way and to place them on a path to success. For an employee, it is excelling in his job role and being an asset to the compan

Today's Verse: And saith unto them, Go your way into the village over against you: and as soon as ye be entered into it, ye shall find a colt tied, whereon never man sat; loose him, and bring him. ~Mark 11:2   Jesus is our Creator God.  “For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:”  (Colossians 1:16).   The

Today's Verse: Also, that the soul be without knowledge, it is not good; and he that hasteth with his feet sinneth. ~Proverbs 19:2   Your soul is the real you. The soul is the most important thing about you. Your soul is eternal. Jesus said, “For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?” (Mark 8:36). This morning, let us consider some valuable things that Solomon had to say about the soul.    Let us see the building of the soul.  “A

Today's Verse: But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy. ~James 3:17   Of the many virtues one should have in his possession, wisdom would most likely rank near the top. Wisdom is more than just education and knowledge. Wisdom is the ability to discern, understand, prepare, and decide. Wisdom is to be loved (Proverbs 8:17). Wisdom is a gift from G

Today's Verse: But if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are convinced of the law as transgressors. ~James 2:9   As a child growing up, my favorite part of the school day was right after we finished eating lunch. The boys would play basketball. Two of the boys would be opposing “captains” and take turns choosing from the rest of us players for their respective teams. The selection process was always based on who was the “favored” player. Being chosen early meant y