Today's Verse: I will run the way of thy commandments, when thou shalt enlarge my heart. ~Psalm 119:32 A few years ago, a missionary that we support indicated that she was diagnosed with an enlarged heart. This condition led to several other life-threatening health developments. Mayo Clinic says the following about an enlarged heart: “An enlarged heart (cardiomegaly) isn't a disease, but rather a sign of another condition. The term 'cardiomegaly' refers to an enlarged heart s

Today's Verse: And he removed from thence unto a mountain on the east of Bethel, and pitched his tent, having Bethel on the west, and Hai on the east: and there he builded an altar unto the LORD, and called upon the name of the LORD. ~Genesis 12:8 The altar was a place established for the worship of God. The altar was identified by sacrifices that the offeror burned at this location. The altar identified the offeror as a worshiper of God. It was meant to stir the devotion o

Today's Verse: There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love. ~1 John 4:18 When I was a toddler, my favorite book to have read to me was “Fraidy Cat.” I could identify with his character because I was so afraid of almost everything. Fear is the apprehension we have about a situation and the lack of courage to face it. Fear can be tortuous mentally and emotionally. We want to run and hide.

Today's Verse: Get thee hence, and turn thee eastward, and hide thyself by the brook Cherith, that is before Jordan. ~1 Kings 17:3 There is something tranquil and peaceful about resting at a brook, lake, or calm river. It captures our attention and helps us to get our minds and thoughts off the things that make us anxious and discouraged. This morning, we are at the Brook Cherith. It was there during a terrible drought that God sent Elijah. Let us see the education that com

Today's Verse: On the morrow, as they went on their journey, and drew nigh unto the city, Peter went up upon the housetop to pray about the sixth hour: ~Acts 10:9 Every Christian believes in the importance of prayer. We know that prayer is a vital part of our fellowship with God. Jesus taught, “that men ought always to pray and not to faint.” Paul taught that “men should pray everywhere lifting up holy hands.” Prayer is the means by which the hand of God is moved to work

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: And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do. ~Acts 9:6 Have you ever been in a dark cavern or room where all you saw was pitch blackness? If you have, you know how eerie a feeling that is. You feel lost, blinded, unsure, and at a standstill. However, once you are able to see light again, you must act decisively. Saul (later Paul)

Today's Verse: First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world. ~Romans 1:8 Major corporations are driven by the quest to become a household name. There are established consumer brands, such as Coca-Cola and McDonald’s, which can be found in most countries of the world. Then, there are the tech giants such as Apple, Google, and Facebook, whose products and services have affected most areas of life. All of these

Today's Verse: Jesus saith unto them, Come and dine. And none of the disciples durst ask him, Who art thou? knowing that it was the Lord. ~John 21:12 It is a blessing and privilege when someone invites you to their home for a meal or a banquet celebration. The hosts go to great lengths in effort and expense to make this event something special and enjoyable. In our Western tradition of making invitations, the invited guest is asked to respond with an RSVP. This helps the ho

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: 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: By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name. ~Hebrews 13:15 The idea of a sacrifice refers to something or someone being offered up without reservation. It conveys the idea of something being given up for a good purpose. When we study sacrifices in the Bible, we see that they are costly, consuming, and continuous. This morning, we are encouraged to make the sacrifice of pra

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: 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: Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God. ~Matthew 5:8 A few years ago, I started to notice more floater activity in my right eye. I made an appointment with an ophthalmologist for a thorough eye exam and to make sure I did not have a detached retina or any other vision impairments. Thankfully, everything checked out well. Our vision and ability to see are important to us in everything we do. We want good visual acuity. We want to know that we ca

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 As a pastor, I have the privilege of visiting many people during a week’s time. I encourage members to introduce me to other family members. Sometimes after a visit, my wife comments on how family members either look alike or do not look alike. Those who look alike are easier

Today's Verse: And Stephen, full of faith and power, did great wonders and miracles among the people. ~Acts 6:8 One of the great Christians in the New Testament is Stephen. Acts 6-7 places a holy spotlight on Stephen and the impact he had on many lives. Stephen’s name in the Greek is “stephanos,” which refers to a crown. It was a wreath woven together in the shape of a crown and was awarded to the winner of an Olympic race. This morning, let us be inspired by Stephen’s life

Today's Verse: And he saith unto them, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? Then he arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm. ~Matthew 8:26 A hurricane is a major storm that is categorized into levels 1 to 5. A storm is classified as a hurricane when the winds reach 74 miles per hour or more. The highest category of a hurricane is level 5, where winds are more than 157 miles per hour. We are told that Jesus and the disciples experienced a gr

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 Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints, ~Jude 14 This morning, we are examining the life of Enoch. He is the seventh descendant from Adam. He was an exception among the men of his day. His name means “dedicated.” He is a man who inspires us to live above the world. We see Enoch and his walk. “And Enoch walked with God after he begat Methuselah three hundred years, and be