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: But Jesus turned him about, and when he saw her, he said, Daughter, be of good comfort; thy faith hath made thee whole. And the woman was made whole from that hour. ~Matthew 9:22   It is a joy and privilege to make hospital visits and pray with my members who are hospitalized. However, I feel at a loss and so inadequate for members who struggle with ailments for which medicine can’t seem to give immediate healing or relief. Our devotion this morning centers on

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: 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

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: If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. ~1 John 1:9   Many times after someone receives Christ as Savior, they are concerned about what happens when they sin. They are concerned if they will lose their salvation. They are concerned about how to deal with sin after they are saved. So, this morning, let us consider the sin question after we’re saved.    We see the impact of our covering. 

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: For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. ~Luke 2:11    Today is Christmas! Most people will spend this day with family over a sumptuous meal, open presents, and just having a well-deserved day off. However, above all of these traditions is the fact that Christmas Day is about Jesus and His entry into this world. This morning, let us reflect on the announcement the angels gave to the shepherds the night Jesus was bo

Today's Verse: And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn. ~Luke 2:7   One of the things I like about presents is how beautifully they are wrapped. Some people really put a lot of effort into getting beautiful gift wrapping, bows, and ribbons. Then, they are craftsmen on how well they wrap the present. I sometimes feel bad tearing apart a beautifully wrapped gift! When

Today's Verse: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. ~Philippians 2:8   This morning, we are considering a passage of Scripture that touches on the purpose and plan of the Incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ. In this passage, we see how the Son of God became the Son of Man so that sons of men could become sons of God. He was somebody who became nobody for everybody.    We see Jesus in His deity. 

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: Awake to righteousness, and sin not; for some have not the knowledge of God: I speak this to your shame. ~1 Corinthians 15:34   Do you ever find yourself lacking in a commodity that you would like to have, but you don’t have it? If you do, you might feel like you are what is called “a have not”. The Apostle Paul referred to a group of people as “have nots”. There is an important essential they need to have but they don’t. This morning, we should be concerned ab

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: And as they went to tell his disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying, All hail. And they came and held him by the feet, and worshipped him. ~Matthew 28:9   How would you have responded to seeing Jesus three days after He was declared physically dead and laid in a tomb? Would you have been afraid and run away? Would you have been excited and embraced Him? Would you have gone to tell everyone in town what you saw? This morning, let us pay particular attention t

Today's Verse: And Pilate wrote a title, and put it on the cross. And the writing was, JESUS OF NAZARETH THE KING OF THE JEWS. ~John 19:19   In our modern-day society, signage is a very important communication tool. In order to get a driver’s license, an applicant must be knowledgeable of traffic signs. We rely on signage to find our entrances and exits. Signage is also a means of advertising a product or service. People who are hearing impaired rely on “signing” as a way of

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,

Today's Verse: My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? why art thou so far from helping me, and from the words of my roaring? ~Psalm 22:1   Psalm 22 is one of the great Messianic psalms. It is a psalm that records for us the sufferings of our Lord Jesus on the cross. Psalm 22-24 are referred to as the "shepherd psalms." Psalm 22 is referred to as the psalm of the Good Shepherd where the Good Shepherd lays down His life for His sheep. In this psalm, we have a vivid descript

Today's Verse: But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying, Do thyself no harm: for we are all here. ~Acts 16:28   From the moment a little child is able to crawl, all of our lives revolve around being safe and careful. When a novice and unskilled person first learns how to use sharp instruments or a firearm, the one teaching him will usually tell the student, “Don’t hurt yourself.” This morning, we see Paul shouting out a command to a man who thought that the only way out of a

Today's Verse: The king shall joy in thy strength, O LORD; and in thy salvation how greatly shall he rejoice! ~Psalm 21:1   Psalm 21 is a psalm of rejoicing. It is a psalm of worship and praise for the blessings of his salvation. David wrote this psalm as a sovereign and as a son. It is a psalm that looks back, looks at the present, and looks ahead. The essence of this psalm is “the joy of my salvation.” Let us see this morning why being saved should result in rejoicing in ou