Today's Verse: And I, behold, I have given with him Aholiab, the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan: and in the hearts of all that are wise hearted I have put wisdom, that they may make all that I have commanded thee; ~Exodus 31:6 There is a tremendous feeling of accomplishment in our hearts when we can start and finish a major project. It is even more gratifying to have reliable and faithful people who share the same vision and come alongside of you to help get it done.

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: 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 Stephen, full of faith and power, did great wonders and miracles among the people. ~Acts 6:8 One of the great Christians in the New Testament is Stephen. Acts 6-7 places a holy spotlight on Stephen and the impact he had on many lives. Stephen’s name in the Greek is “stephanos,” which refers to a crown. It was a wreath woven together in the shape of a crown and was awarded to the winner of an Olympic race. This morning, let us be inspired by Stephen’s life

Today's Verse: And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins. ~1 Peter 4:8 Today is Valentine’s Day. Traditionally, it is associated with love and romance. The highest word for "love" is the Greek word "agape." Agape refers to the love of God. When we use it in the context of loving people, it implies loving people as God loves them. The word “charity” that the King James translators used for agape love had a much

Today's Verse: She openeth her mouth with wisdom; and in her tongue is the law of kindness. ~Proverbs 31:26 Are you someone whom others would say is kind? I believe most of us respond well to those who exercise kindness to us. I believe most of us try to practice kindness in our interactions with others. Alexander Maclaren said, “Kindness makes a person attractive. If you would win the world, melt it, do not hammer it.” This morning, let us consider what Solomon calls “the

Today's Verse: But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD. ~Genesis 6:8 Noah’s name is found 44 times in the Bible. We find him as the focal point in Genesis 6-8 and listed in the Hall of Faith in Hebrews 11. Noah is most prominently associated with the construction of the ark. What stands out to us this morning about Noah is that he found grace in the eyes of the Lord. We see Noah and his conversion. “These are the generations of Noah: Noah was a just man and perfect

Today's Verse: For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard. ~Acts 4:20 When a person is subpoenaed to the witness stand, he is expected to give an account to the best of his memory of what he heard and saw. The information he gives is critical to the arguments for or against a case being tried. He is not to make up his story but to testify accurately. Our devotion this morning centers on this statement made by Peter and John: “For we cannot but speak th

Today's Verse: Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus. ~Acts 4:13 Several years ago, I had the privilege of preaching the gospel to 10,000 unsaved people over two days. My heart was overwhelmed in awe at such an opportunity. As Christians, we read through the book of Acts, and we wonder if the days of great evangelism are still po

Today's Verse: And as the lame man which was healed held Peter and John, all the people ran together unto them in the porch that is called Solomon's, greatly wondering. ~Acts 3:11 A fun team sport that we play in groups is “tug of war.” Two sides of people hold opposite ends of a rope and pull. The side that wins is the one that pulls the hardest. Before the contest begins, team members on both sides are reminded by their team captain to hold tight, dig their heels in, and

Today's Verse: Confirming the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God. ~Acts 14:22 It goes without saying that life can be tough. Over the course of time, we will face tough situations, tough people, tough decisions, and tough setbacks. There is an old cliché that says, “When the going gets tough, the tough get going.” However, I have found that many people, including Christ

Today's Verse: And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the LORD had respect unto Abel and to his offering: ~Genesis 4:4 A martyr is someone who dies for what he believes in. He is willing to suffer pain and punishment instead of renouncing what he believes and holds dear. Abel is the first martyr in Scripture. He is someone who gave his life for what he held dear. The amazing thing is that his death came at the hands of his own b

Today's Verse: Awake to righteousness, and sin not; for some have not the knowledge of God: I speak this to your shame. ~1 Corinthians 15:34 Have you ever fallen asleep on public transportation and then awakened to the fact that you missed the stop where you were supposed to get off? Falling asleep at the wrong place and time can be embarrassing. Paul gives a stern admonition to us about falling asleep spiritually when we need to be awake. We see the alarm. “Awake to rig

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: Mine enemies would daily swallow me up: for they be many that fight against me, O thou most High . ~Psalm 56:2 David was way over his head in problems. Psalm 56 was written during the Absalom Rebellion. Absalom stole the hearts of the men of Israel and took over the nation. David and his most loyal men escaped to avoid a conflict. David was in fear and was hurt that Ahithophel, his counselor, joined ranks with Absalom. He was hurt when Shimei came forth to cu

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