Today's Verse: What man is he that desireth life, and loveth many days, that he may see good?  ~Psalm 34:12 People, as they get older, will sometimes tell their family and friends, “I’ve lived a good life.” By what means are we qualifying a good life? Is it our comfort level? Is it our success? Is it our career achievements? Is it our travel? David gives us the biblical perspective on what constitutes a “good life.” Everyone wants a good life and Psalm 34 tells us how it is a

Today's Verse: And the night following the Lord stood by him, and said, Be of good cheer, Paul: for as thou hast testified of me in Jerusalem, so must thou bear witness also at Rome. ~Acts 23:11   What do you do when you’ve been rejected, scorned, and written off as a loser and enemy? This morning, let us see how Paul was encouraged and helped by our Lord when he was at one of the lowest points in his life. Let us see how the Lord is always there for us.    We see the scornfu

Today's Verse: Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. ~Hebrews 4:14   A few years ago, I took members of my family out of town for a family trip. On the first day of our arrival, I took my granddaughter to see the ocean waves. As I knelt down holding her to touch the water on the shoreline, we both were surprised by a rogue wave about two feet high that got both of us wet. She was v

Today's Verse: And thou shalt make an altar to burn incense upon: of shittim wood shalt thou make it. ~Exodus 30:1     And another angel came and stood at the altar, having a golden censer; and there was given unto him much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne. ~Revelation 8:3   The burning of incense was an integral part of worship after the building of the altar of incense. Incense was composed of

Today's Verse: Then shall the lame man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing: for in the wilderness shall waters break out, and streams in the desert. ~Isaiah 35:6   Death Valley is said to be the largest national park outside of Alaska, covering 3.3 million acres of land. It is primarily a desert location with extreme conditions and weather. Death Valley is the hottest and driest place in America, with summer temperatures peaking above 120 °F and average rainfall

Today's Verse: To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified. ~Isaiah 61:3   Several years ago, an area three hours north of us was completely ravaged by a wildfire. This fire devastated over 151,000 acres, decimated an entire city, displaced thousands of survivors,

Today's Verse: I made a covenant with mine eyes; why then should I think upon a maid? ~Job 31:1   A covenant is an unbreakable contract between two parties. It is meant to stay in place and be honored by both parties. The only action that could break a covenant was death. The parties of a covenant would “cut the covenant” as their way of pledging their honor and commitment to their respective responsibilities. We see an example of this in Genesis 15:9-18. Job made a consecrat

Today's Verse: Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. ~Philippians 2:2 We live in a world of differences. When two parties are discussing business points before they sign off, they must come to a meeting of the minds. No two people can go forward on an important matter unless there is a meeting of the minds. In Philippians 2, we see Paul placing a strong emphasis on the virtue of being likeminded.    We see the command

Today's Verse: And the watchman saw another man running: and the watchman called unto the porter, and said, Behold another man running alone. And the king said, He also bringeth tidings. And the watchman said, Me thinketh the running of the foremost is like the running of Ahimaaz the son of Zadok. And the king said, He is a good man, and cometh with good tidings. ~2 Samuel 18:26-27   Running is a popular activity and exercise for many people. One man said that “running is the

Today's Verse: Now when Jacob saw that there was corn in Egypt, Jacob said unto his sons, Why do ye look one upon another? And he said, Behold, I have heard that there is corn in Egypt: get you down thither, and buy for us from thence; that we may live, and not die. ~Genesis 42:1-2   Our devotion this morning takes us to a famine in Egypt and the surrounding areas. A famine is when there is a scarcity of food. Famines result in food shortages, hunger, loss of jobs, large-scal

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: For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth: ~Job 19:25   In life, we will face difficulties and suffering that will push us to the extreme when it comes to patience and resilience. When these difficult times come, how will you respond? Will you succumb and give in, or will you be unbroken and strong? This morning, let us see how Job encourages us to be unbroken in faith and spirit when we have a very trying affl

Today's Verse: And now, behold, I go bound in the spirit unto Jerusalem, not knowing the things that shall befall me there: ~Acts 20:22   In the area of executive compensation, profitable corporations look for ways to keep their best executives from leaving. One tactic that is used is called “golden handcuffs.” This is a compensation package that promises to pay out an exorbitant amount of money to the executive as long as he contractually agrees to stay with the company and

Today's Verse: Unto the upright there ariseth light in the darkness: he is gracious, and full of compassion, and righteous. ~Psalm 112:4   Have you ever been at a place where you feel like you have been in the dark? By this, I mean you are uninformed or left clueless about something that others know about. Well, this morning God gives us the secret to how not to be in the dark when it comes to a life that He desires to bless.    We see his adoration.  “Praise ye the LORD. Ble

Today's Verse: Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps. ~Matthew 25:7   Trimming the lamp is a necessity for a candle or oil-based lamp to give off maximum light. The wick draws from the oil at the base of the lantern. To maximize the needed light, the wick must be cut and trimmed in such a way that it is wound or wedge-shaped. This morning, we are looking at the parable of the ten virgins and the trimming of their lamps.    We see a continuous attention.  Trimm

Today's Verses:  And of Asher he said, Let Asher be blessed with children; let him be acceptable to his brethren, and let him dip his foot in oil. Thy shoes shall be iron and brass; and as thy days, so shall thy strength be. ~Deuteronomy 33:24-25   One of our current health trends is the benefit of essential oils. From soothing sore muscles and relieving chronic pain to promoting restful sleep and overall health improvement, essence oils are recognized as a natural means of s

Today's Verse: Then said he unto me, Prophesy unto the wind, prophesy, son of man, and say to the wind, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live. ~Ezekiel 37:9    Several years ago, I was returning from preaching at a revival conference, and I needed to make a connecting flight in Dallas, TX. I got into the terminal at 5:40pm, and I needed to make it to another terminal that was at least 15-20 minutes away.

Today's Verse: Also, that the soul be without knowledge, it is not good; and he that hasteth with his feet sinneth. ~Proverbs 19:2   Your soul is the real you. The soul is the most important thing about you. Your soul is eternal. Jesus said, “For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?” (Mark 8:36). This morning, let us consider some valuable things that Solomon had to say about the soul.    Let us see the building of the soul.  “A

Today's Verse: But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy. ~James 3:17   Of the many virtues one should have in his possession, wisdom would most likely rank near the top. Wisdom is more than just education and knowledge. Wisdom is the ability to discern, understand, prepare, and decide. Wisdom is to be loved (Proverbs 8:17). Wisdom is a gift from G

Today's Verse: Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven...