Today's Verse: Bow down thine ear, O LORD, hear me: for I am poor and needy. Preserve my soul; for I am holy: O thou my God, save thy servant that trusteth in thee. ~Psalm 86:1-2 A man prayed this prayer one morning: “Dear Heavenly Father, So far, today, I've done all right. I haven't gossiped or lost my temper. I haven't been greedy, grumpy, nasty, or self-centered. I'm really happy about that so far. But in a few minutes I'm going to be getting out of bed and then I'm goi

Today's Verse: Israel is an empty vine, he bringeth forth fruit unto himself: according to the multitude of his fruit he hath increased the altars; according to the goodness of his land they have made goodly images. ~Hosea 10:1 I enjoy eating grapes, especially the seedless black and red ones. Grapes are good for your health as they have rich anti-oxidants and fiber. The grape industry in the U.S. is very big. According to the National Agricultural Statistic Services in 202

Today's Verse: And it came to pass, as they fled from before Israel, and were in the going down to Bethhoron, that the LORD cast down great stones from heaven upon them unto Azekah, and they died: they were more which died with hailstones than they whom the children of Israel slew with the sword. ~Joshua 10:11 Hail is formed when the temperature of the upper air reaches a point that transforms rain or water particles into ice. Basically, water is turned into ice, and ice pe

Today's Verse: But who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth? for he is like a refiner's fire, and like fullers' soap: ~ Malachi 3:2 Have you ever done a load of white laundry only to be disappointed that the white clothes did not come out as clean as you had anticipated? Perhaps you tried applying a stronger detergent or more bleach to get the effect you wanted. At His Second Coming, our Lord Jesus is described as a refiner’s fire and a ful

Today's Verse: He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it. ~Matthew 10:39 Have you ever left an important personal article like clothing, sunglasses, or an electronic device at a store while shopping, on public transportation, or even at church and could not find it where you thought you left it? If you have, you have most likely gone to the “lost and found” hoping that someone honest had found it and turned it in. “Lost an

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 Noah began to be an husbandman, and he planted a vineyard: ~Genesis 9:20 In self-defense, a student is taught the importance of keeping his guard up. This means keeping one hand and arm at a certain level to quickly deflect or block a jab or punch that is aimed at the head. Keeping your guard up is also used to describe being careful and watchful when you are negotiating or dealing with someone who is not trustworthy. We also see how this applies to us wh

Today's Verse: But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall. ~Malachi 4:2 Malachi 4 is prophetic in its message. In this chapter, we see the judgment of sinners. "For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the LORD of hosts, that it shall

Today's Verse: And they put him in ward, that the mind of the LORD might be shewed them. ~Leviticus 24:12 It is always wise to know exactly what you are supposed to do and to do it right. It can be discouraging and devastating to execute a project and find out that you did it wrong. This means you might have to redo the entire project. It also means you might have jeopardized other people by doing something you did not completely think through. In our devotion this morning,

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: For thou art my hope, O Lord GOD: thou art my trust from my youth. ~Psalm 71:5 Most of us deposit money into a bank without much fear of loss. Banks insure our money up to a certain amount through the FDIC. There is an implied trust we have in the banking institution that the money we have deposited is safe and secure. Many people keep their money with a mainline bank for most of their lifetime because they feel a sense of reliability in the size, strength, a

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: But I am a worm, and no man; a reproach of men, and despised of the people. ~Psalm 22:6 Dictionary.com gives the following definition of worms: "any of numerous small creeping animals with more or less slender, elongated bodies, and without limbs or with very short ones, including individuals of widely differing kinds, as earthworms, tapeworms, insect larvae, and adult forms of some insects." Worms are often regarded as a low and insignificant form of life.

Today's Verse: For thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will extend peace to her like a river, and the glory of the Gentiles like a flowing stream: then shall ye suck, ye shall be borne upon her sides, and be dandled upon her knees. ~Isaiah 66:12 There is something special about observing bodies of water. For instance, standing at the shoreline of an ocean and watching its waves inspires me to think about the power of God. Ocean waves can be very powerful and instill a sense of a

Today's Verse: Thou sawest till that a stone was cut out without hands, which smote the image upon his feet that were of iron and clay, and brake them to pieces. ~Daniel 2:34 Our church area is surrounded by many companies specializing in the sale of granite and stonework for kitchen countertops, flooring, and decoration. Before stonework comes to the marketplace for sale, it has to be cut out of larger masses of rock. In many cases, it is cut from an actual mountain, recut

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: Thou shalt no more be termed Forsaken; neither shall thy land any more be termed Desolate: but thou shalt be called Hephzibah, and thy land Beulah: for the LORD delighteth in thee, and thy land shall be married. ~Isaiah 62:4 The word "forsaken" is very ominous and carries with it feelings of darkness and despair. It means being abandoned, deserted, and rejected. To be forsaken is to be at a very dark and lonely place in life. The Jews had become so idolatrous

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: 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: 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