Today's Verse: They have corrupted themselves, their spot is not the spot of his children: they are a perverse and crooked generation. ~Deuteronomy 32:5   Do you have a birthmark? This is typically a blemish you are born with that stays with you for your entire life. It is an identifier for an individual. For parents who have identical twins or triplets, a birthmark helps them tell the children apart. In our passage this morning, God speaks of people who were spotted or had b

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: And the LORD God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou? And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself. ~Genesis 3:9-10   The USA has been the home to many “rags to riches” stories. Sam Walton was one of them. During the years of the Great Depression, Sam milked cows and sold newspapers to help support his family. After graduating from college with a B.A. in Economics, he used $5,000 from the

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: Shake thyself from the dust; arise, and sit down, O Jerusalem: loose thyself from the bands of thy neck, O captive daughter of Zion. ~Isaiah 52:2   It is amazing how dusty things around the house can get if we do not regularly vacuum, sweep, and dust. Books that we have placed on the bookshelf can collect dust. I have had more than one occasion of carrying books I’ve taken from off of the bookshelf that have made my clothes very dusty. Well, when you get dust o

Today's Verse: The LORD thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing . ~Zephaniah 3:17  Zephaniah 3:14-20 is prophetic. It speaks of the glory that Israel would have when she returned to the land after years of captivity. It is also prophetic concerning God’s blessing on Israel during the millennium. Prophecies were given to foretell the future and to be a message of hope

Today's Verse: He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not. ~Isaiah 53:3   When we think of our Lord Jesus, we think of so many wonderful ascriptions given to Him. He is the Light of the World, the Bread of Life, the Water of Life, the Good Shepherd, the Prince of Peace, the Savior, and of course, God. In our devotion this morning, we pause to examine a desc

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 set the porters at the gates of the house of the LORD, that none which was unclean in any thing should enter in. ~2 Chronicles 23:19   Back in the 1990s, healthcare costs were spiraling out of control. It was not unusual for employers to see their costs for health insurance increase by 30% or more for several years. The insurance industry developed health maintenance organization products that would curb the increase in costs by requiring primary care ph

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

Today's Verse: But thou shalt remember that thou wast a bondman in Egypt, and the LORD thy God redeemed thee thence: therefore I command thee to do this thing. ~Deuteronomy 24:18   Several years ago, after a Wednesday evening service, I had the privilege of helping a young, career-age man and woman receive assurance of their salvation. They were both so happy about how wonderful it is to know they are saved and eternally secure. I told them it is important that they start the

Today's Verse: Who is among you that feareth the LORD, that obeyeth the voice of his servant, that walketh in darkness, and hath no light? let him trust in the name of the LORD, and stay upon his God. Behold, all ye that kindle a fire, that compass yourselves about with sparks: walk in the light of your fire, and in the sparks that ye have kindled. This shall ye have of mine hand; ye shall lie down in sorrow. ~Isaiah 50:10-11   Have you ever awakened from a sound sleep in the

Today's Verse: Why boastest thou thyself in mischief, O mighty man? the goodness of God endureth continually. ~Psalm 52:1   We are in a spiritual battle every day of our lives. Paul said, “When I would do good, evil is present with me.” He describes our spiritual battle as the flesh lusting against the Spirit and the Spirit against the flesh. In Psalm 52, David was referring to a prime enemy that was a thorn in his side. His name is Doeg.    We see the diabolical of Doeg.  “

Today's Verse: The Lord GOD hath given me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary: he wakeneth morning by morning, he wakeneth mine ear to hear as the learned. ~Isaiah 50:4   Do the people in your life consider you an encourager? Solomon said that “death and life are in the power of the tongue.” So much speech today is put-downs of another person. What we say, when we say it, and how we say it can either build up or cau

Today's Verse: And Caleb stilled the people before Moses, and said, Let us go up at once, and possess it; for we are well able to overcome it. ~Numbers 13:30   Today is the last day of the calendar year. If you feel like me, the last year went by really fast. This is indicative of busyness and many planned activities. However, the gauge of our effectiveness is not based on how much we did but on how much progress we made. As we approach a New Year, we must do so with a fresh

Today's Verse: And her mother in law said unto her, Where hast thou gleaned to day? and where wroughtest thou? blessed be he that did take knowledge of thee. And she shewed her mother in law with whom she had wrought, and said, The man's name with whom I wrought to day is Boaz. ~Ruth 2:19   One of the favorite questions that family members and close friends ask each other at the end of a day is, “What did you do today?” In the agricultural business, harvest time is a busy tim

Today's Verse: Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised in the city of our God, in the mountain of his holiness. ~Psalm 48:1   Is there a bucket list of cities you hope to visit one day? Is there a city that stands out as your favored city? When we think of a favored city, we think of iconic sites, eateries, people, and things to do. We prefer places that are safe. We prefer places where others share the same good opinion about those places. This morning, we are taking a

Today's Verse: Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness. ~Isaiah 41:10   All of us will have to deal with personal insecurities because of an unexpected challenge or a failure on our part. These insecurities can make us unsure of ourselves, second-guess decisions, and feel like there is nothing we can do to make things right. However, I a