Today's Verse: Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. ~Philippians 2:12 One of the favorite phrases of our generation is said when someone has finished an exercise regimen. He will say after he completes this regimen, “I just had a good workout.” It implies that he did a number of exercises that worked various muscles in his body and put his heart to wo

Today's Verse: But thou, son of man, hear what I say unto thee; Be not thou rebellious like that rebellious house: open thy mouth, and eat that I give thee. ~Ezekiel 2:8 When I see the dentist, he or the hygienist will always say, “Please open wide your mouth.” When we feed little children, we frequently must tell them, “Open your mouth. God in His wisdom knows we are like little children and must give us a similar instruction. Let us see three times when God instructs us t

Today's Verse: Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. ~Philippians 4:11 On November 4, 2010, Eunice Sandborn became the world’s oldest living person. She celebrated her 114th birthday on July, 20, 2010, at her church, First Baptist, in Jacksonville, Texas. Eunice says that she not only loves everything about her life, but she also has “no complaints” (Source: Houston Chronicle, November 5, 2010). At the age

Today's Verse: And Elijah said unto him, Tarry, I pray thee, here; for the LORD hath sent me to Jordan. And he said, As the LORD liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. And they two went on. ~2 Kings 2:6 We live in a very transient society. It seems like people are in a state of flux with most things in their lives. People relocate to different cities and states for more affordable housing. People change jobs for what they perceive to be higher pay, better opp

Today's Verse: For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith. ~Romans 12:3 Our devotion this morning is what I call "food for thought." It is about a necessary characteristic of spiritual living that needs to be active in us all the time. Paul admonishes believers to think soberly. Let us see this mornin

Today's Verse: Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle's. ~Psalm 103:5 Eagles are considered the most majestic of bird species. They are a wonderful spectacle to behold in the sky. They are considered masters of both sky and land. Eagles are mentioned 34 times in Scripture. Psalm 103 is a psalm of praise. David was praising the Lord with all his soul for God’s mercies, forgiveness, and care. In Psalm 103:5, he says that God’s ca

Today's Verse: After these things the word of the LORD came unto Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward. ~Genesis 15:1 When I think of a reward, what comes to mind is compensation for finding something or someone that was missing. Law enforcement agencies will offer a substantial reward that leads to the finding and arrest of a wanted criminal. People who lose a valuable item offer a reward for its finding. This morning, l

Today's Verse: But now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage? ~Galatians 4:9 One of our favorite traditional hymns is “I Have Decided to Follow Jesus.” The chorus of this hymn declares, “No turning back, no turning back.” Turning back implies going back on a good decision. It means you have second thoughts and buyer’s remorse, and you changed your mind. The be

Today's Verse: And he said unto them, What manner of man was he which came up to meet you, and told you these words? ~2 Kings 1:7 Our church has been blessed by God with weekly visitors for many years. It is a blessing to look out among the congregation and see many new faces. Oftentimes, I will ask one of our core leaders, “Do you know who that man or woman is?” They will reply, “Which man or woman are you referring to?” I then try to distinguish the visitor by whom they mi

Today's Verse: A wise man scaleth the city of the mighty, and casteth down the strength of the confidence thereof. ~Proverbs 21:22 Strategic planning occurs when a person or a committee of people write out a plan of action for the accomplishment of a stated goal or assignment. This plan assigns responsibilities, establishes processes and timelines, and identifies the people who will get it done. It thinks through the what, the how, and the when. It takes something that start

Today's Verse: But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness. Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses. ~1 Timothy 6:11-12 Lifeguards are individuals who have been trained to rescue people who are at risk of drowning. Their duty is to monitor and be alert for anyone showing signs of distress in the

Today's Verse: And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. ~Matthew 3:17 When someone is pleasing, it means that he has met the approval and satisfied the desire of the person he is serving. I think of a caterer being hired to do a special dinner in honor or appreciation of someone. When the festivity is over the host will tell the caterer, “I am very pleased how this event turned out.” When Jesus began His public ministry, the Godhe

Today's Verse: I am like a pelican of the wilderness: I am like an owl of the desert. I watch, and am as a sparrow alone upon the house top. ~Psalm 102:6-7 Loneliness is the feeling of someone being left all by himself. It is an utterly desolate and discouraging feeling of abandonment. You feel like everyone in your life has left you. You feel friendless, solitary, and hollow on the inside. The psalmist describes his loneliness as a pelican in the wilderness, an owl of the d

Today's Verse: For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God. ~1 Corinthians 1:18 God has ordained that the ministry of preaching is how His Word is to be communicated to the masses. The Corinthian believers fell into the error of “hero worship” and became divisive over whom they followed and listened to. They made the mistake of being attracted to “preaching styles” instead of being “preaching submissiv

Today's Verse: And, behold, there came a prophet unto Ahab king of Israel, saying, Thus saith the LORD, Hast thou seen all this great multitude? behold, I will deliver it into thine hand this day; and thou shalt know that I am the LORD. And Ahab said, By whom? And he said, Thus saith the LORD, Even by the young men of the princes of the provinces. Then he said, Who shall order the battle? And he answered, Thou. ~1 Kings 20:13-14 Most of us can think of a time in our lives wh

Today's Verse: But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory: ~1 Corinthians 2:7 Years ago, I spoke with a man about a unique service that he had to offer. He stated that his service was proprietary in nature. What he meant was that he owned it and had exclusive access to it. In a sense, he was saying that he had privileged information. This morning, we are considering “privileged information.” Paul re

Today's Verse: The glory of young men is their strength: and the beauty of old men is the grey head. ~Proverbs 20:29 Solomon made many wise summations when the Holy Spirit moved him to write the book of Proverbs. Proverbs helps us to understand the right pursuits in life, how to be the right person, how to make right decisions, and how to develop the right people skills. God allowed Solomon to listen to and gain counsel from every facet of human experience. Our devotion this

Today's Verse: And the king of Israel answered and said, My lord, O king, according to thy saying, I am thine, and all that I have. ~1 Kings 20:4 The king of Syria, Benhadad, led his forces to besiege Samaria and war against it. Ahab, the king of Israel was intimidated and filled with fear. Benhadad told Ahab, “Thy silver and thy gold is mine; thy wives also and thy children, even the goodliest, are mine.” Benhadad boldly told Ahab “I’m taking what is yours and making it min

Today's Verse: Awake, awake; put on thy strength, O Zion; put on thy beautiful garments, O Jerusalem, the holy city.... ~Isaiah 52:1a When I am at home, I like to change into clothing that is comfortable for work, exercise, or relaxing around the house. However, when Sunday comes, I like to wear my “Sunday best.” This includes a pressed white shirt, a pressed dark suit, a necktie, and black-shined shoes. I think this would qualify as what is referred to as “beautiful garment

Today's Verse: Ye are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read of all men: ~2 Corinthians 3:2 How good are you at reading someone’s body language? In sports, players are required to have a trained eye at being able to read plays and anticipate what the opponent might do. In business or interviews, the ability to read someone’s body language reveals what they really are conveying as their message. Are they truthful or telling a lie? Do they want advice or affirmatio