Today's Verse: Hear, O Israel: Thou art to pass over Jordan this day, to go in to possess nations greater and mightier than thyself, cities great and fenced up to heaven, ~Deuteronomy 9:1   The book of Deuteronomy consists of the last sermons and words of Moses to Israel. Moses is in the final year of his life. God told him that he would not enter into the Promised Land. So, Moses was preparing them for this great endeavor. As we read Deuteronomy 9:1, God was telling Israel t

Today's Verse: And I will give thee the treasures of darkness, and hidden riches of secret places, that thou mayest know that I, the LORD, which call thee by thy name, am the God of Israel. ~Isaiah 45:3   Do you enjoy treasure hunts? This is when the organizer of such an event chooses a location where he hides treats, treasures, and trinkets for people to look diligently for. The reward is that whatever is found becomes the sole possession of the one who finds it. God told Is

Today's Verse: …Yet now there is hope in Israel concerning this thing. ~Ezra 10:2b   Hope! This one word is the thread by which people hang from day to day. It is the anticipation that there is light at the end of the tunnel. It is the assurance that the sun will come up in the morning. It is the belief that a loved one will be seen again. As one person has said, “Hope springs eternal.” The people of Judah had grievously sinned against God and were weeping and confessing thei

Today's Verse: Then said he, What have they seen in thine house? And Hezekiah answered, All that is in mine house have they seen: there is nothing among my treasures that I have not shewed them. ~Isaiah 39:4   When you were a child growing up, did anyone ever accuse you of being a “show-off”? As the term implies, a show-off is someone who purposely tries to impress other people with what they have or who they are. They are trying to send the message that they have a “one-up”

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: 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 thou shalt make an altar to burn incense upon: of shittim wood shalt thou make it. ~Exodus 30:1     And another angel came and stood at the altar, having a golden censer; and there was given unto him much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne. ~Revelation 8:3   The burning of incense was an integral part of worship after the building of the altar of incense. Incense was composed of

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: 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: 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: 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: Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee. ~Isaiah 26:3   There is one thing many adults are seeking in their lives, and that is peace. We live in a world of unrest, strife, conflicts, and cumbersome burdens. I meet many people each week whose lives are in conflict and anxiety. Isaiah experienced what it was like to have unrest and anxiety, but the day came when he discovered that God wants us to have peace,