Today's Verse: For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. ~Romans 8:15 One of the blessed privileges of salvation is our spiritual adoption into God’s family. Spiritual adoption brings us into immediate and close fellowship with God as our heavenly Father. It gives us all of the same privileges as being a direct descendant. It is enjoying God as our Father Who is in Heaven. Ther

Today's Verse: For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. ~Romans 8:6 Every believer has two natures. There is the old man, which represents our carnal, sinful nature. This nature lives to please its appetite and fleshly desires. The other nature is the new man in Christ, which is the Spirit life. The first is known as the carnal man. The second is known as the spiritual man. Paul describes the carnal mind, which only thinks about th

Today's Verse: And David said unto him, Fear not: for I will surely shew thee kindness for Jonathan thy father's sake, and will restore thee all the land of Saul thy father; and thou shalt eat bread at my table continually. ~2 Samuel 9:7 It is very special to sit at the table with dignity. It is very humbling when someone of great prominence and importance invites me to sit at his table with him. His table is preeminent of all the tables in the room. Everyone watches the he

Today's Verse: For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps: ~1 Peter 2:21 Has anyone ever said to you, “That’s a step in the right direction”? It’s a way of saying that you are headed on the right path, that you are making progress, and that you are going forward and not backwards. Our sinful nature tends to reject and go against what is right. When we decide to follow the Lord Jesus in every

Today's Verse: For he is our God; and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand. To day if ye will hear his voice, ~Psalm 95:7 One of the blessed metaphors that the Bible uses to describe our relationship to God is that of a shepherd and his sheep. Shepherding is one of the most arduous occupations. It is a very demanding work that is 24/7 in nature. A shepherd must be vigilant at all times. A shepherd must be concerned for the entire flock, and especially

Today's Verse: But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. ~Romans 5:8 Debt is a financial or moral obligation that we owe someone else. Debt is a liability. Debt offsets what we own. As a debtor, I am required to make sure my obligation is paid in full. When that obligation is paid off, I receive a notification from our creditor that the debt is paid in full. This morning, let us rejoice in the sin debt that has been paid in

Today's Verse: Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, ~Ephesians 3:20 Paul referred to himself as the prisoner of Jesus Christ in Ephesians 3:1. He was a prisoner of Rome and used his time in prison to write to the church at Ephesus. The idea of being a prisoner presents someone who is held captive. It speaks of little to no liberty. It indicates that the prisoner is held by a power great

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