Today’s Verse: Blessed is that man that maketh the LORD his trust, and respecteth not the proud, nor such as turn aside to lies. ~Psalm 40:4 Psalm 40 was written during the time David was in the wilderness of Judaea trying to avoid being caught by King Saul. David had seasons when his faith was strong and other times when his faith would waiver. He embodied what we go through: sometimes we are strong, and other times, we feel weak. It could be that David wrote this psalm afte

Today’s Verse: By faith Joseph, when he died, made mention of the departing of the children of Israel; and gave commandment concerning his bones. ~Hebrews 11:22 When a person says, “I make no bones about it,” what he means is, “I make no mistake.” It is a statement of absolute confidence. It is a statement that is fearless and having no doubt. It is a statement of assurance about a fact. The writer of Hebrews highlights one area of the faith of Joseph. He speaks about the fai

Today’s Verse: And he said, Of a truth I say unto you, that this poor widow hath cast in more than they all: ~Luke 21:3 Back in the day, it was very difficult to be a widow. A widow was considered a plight of poverty. With her husband gone, she basically lived in survival mode. She got by with what she could. However, her clothing, frugal lifestyle, and branding by society indicated that her life was hard. Jesus uses a poor widow woman as an example of sacrifice and devotion.

Today’s Verse: Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. ~John 14:1 Several years ago, I received a phone call from someone I know that a loved one of theirs passed away unexpectedly. I was in shock and speechless as this dear person wept and grieved on the phone. There is a sadness, grief, hollowness, and inadequacy that I feel at this moment. Words are insufficient to replace the loss this person just experienced. My acquaintance is grasping for

Today’s Verse: Who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions. ~Hebrews 11:33 How would God score your faith on a report card? Hebrews 11 is call God’s Hall of Faith, or God’s Westminster Abbey of Faith. It is the incredible account of the faith of men and women of the Bible. It inspires people like you and me what real faith can do. Without faith it is impossible to please God. In the absence of faith, God will never

Today’s Verse: By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king: for he endured, as seeing him who is invisible. ~Hebrews 11:27 When I was a kid growing up, comic books advertised the power of x-ray glasses. These so called glasses would enable the user to see through curtains and coverings. This was a sham promotion used to generate sales. However, there was intrigue at the thought of being able to see what someone else could not see. Moses was a man who could se

Today’s Verse: Therefore, brethren, we were comforted over you in all our affliction and distress by your faith: ~1 Thessalonians 3:7 Did you know that your faith matters to other people? Did you know that your faith is either an encouragement or discouragement to someone else? The believers at Thessalonica were very precious to Paul. They received the gospel with great joy in spite of much opposition. Paul wrote this letter to them to express how much they meant to him. He w

Today’s Verse: The Lord is good, a strong hold in the day of trouble; and he knoweth them that trust in him. ~Nahum 1:7 Years ago I was acquainted with a company that did product development for Betty Crocker™ food company. This local company was the research and development arm for Betty Crocker™ for new foods to introduce into the marketplace. One of the positions was the “tasting position”. The people in that capacity had the delightful job of tasting food samples all day!

Today’s Verse: And Simon answering said unto him, Master, we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing: nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net. ~Luke 5:5 Poor Peter! He and his colleagues had fished all night and caught nothing. It was one of those rare fruitless nights. Fishermen made their living on the catch of the night. Seaside villages and surrounding communities depended upon the catch of the night for food and sustenance. So, when Jesus approached hi

Today’s Verse: Then Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman, great is thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou wilt. And her daughter was made whole from that very hour. ~Matthew 15:28 Our devotion this morning is a touching story about prayer, faith, and humility. Jesus purposely makes a stop in the area of Tyre and Sidon for one woman and her daughter. They did not realize it at the time, but Jesus went there just for this woman’s daughter. It is a reminder to us that we h

Today’s Verse: …But the people that do know their God shall be strong, and do exploits. And they that understand among the people shall instruct many: ~Daniel 11:32b-33a People in the business world have an axiom that says, “Knowledge is power.” By this, it is implying that knowledge gives the advantage to the one who has it. Obviously, knowing everything about your product and your competition makes you more competitive. This morning, we see a statement that was prophetic in

Today’s Verse: Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing. And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God. ~John 20:27-28 Doubting is when we lack a complete assurance about something. It's a manifestation of unbelief. Doubting impedes our faith and disables us from putting our entire weight into a cause, movement, or matter. Thomas is sometimes ni

Today’s Verse: Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. ~Proverbs 3:5-6 All banks that operate in the United States provide their depositors with federal insurance that protects their deposits up to a certain amount of money. It is a guarantee that if the bank becomes insolvent, your deposit is protected from loss. This federal insurance gives a depositor confidence in kn

Today’s Verse: That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ: ~1 Peter 1:7 We have been reflecting on things that are precious. We have reflected on Jesus Who is precious, seed which is precious, and the things of Heaven which are precious. This morning, we are reflecting on our faith which is more precious than gold. There is th

Today’s Verse: But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear: ~1 Peter 3:15 How do you respond to your critics or those who find fault in you? Are you aware if your testimony among men reflects a negative attitude against you? If so, how do you respond to this? This morning, we want to consider the God-proven way by which we can positively respond to our c

Today’s Verse: He trusted in the LORD God of Israel; so that after him was none like him among all the kings of Judah, nor any that were before him. For he clave to the LORD, and departed not from following him, but kept his commandments, which the LORD commanded Moses. And the LORD was with him; and he prospered whithersoever he went forth: and he rebelled against the king of Assyria, and served him not. ~2 Kings 18:5-7 King Hezekiah was one of the blessed kings of Judah. Hi

Today’s Verse: Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. ~Hebrews 12:2 With most things in life, we look for a best example to model. In the realm of sports, this is ever true. There are sports personalities who exemplify excellence, stamina, fortitude, and peak performance whom other athletes want to follow. Parents look to ot

Today’s Verse: Yea, they turned back and tempted God, and limited the Holy One of Israel. ~Psalm 78:41 What we believe and how we behave have a direct effect on how much God is able to work in our life. A man named Henry Varley made a statement that changed the life and ministry of Evangelist Dwight Moody. He said, “The world has yet to see what God can do through one man wholly committed to Him.” By this, Varley was telling Moody that the only thing holding God back from doi

Today’s Verse: Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompence of reward. ~Hebrews 10:35 Have you ever gone through some items that you felt did not have any value or need, and as you were about to throw it out, someone said to you, “Don’t throw it away”? The believers Paul was writing to were having a tough time spiritually. Due to their spiritual immaturity and lack of discernment, these believers were being told false doctrine and encouraged to walk aw

Today’s Verse: But it is good for me to draw near to God: I have put my trust in the Lord GOD, that I may declare all thy works. ~Psalm 73:28 There are some things in life that are truly appreciated and well-learned only through experience. The school of hard knocks can, many times, be a difficult but profitable means for us in becoming wiser. Psalm 73 is the personal testimony of a believer who learned through trying circumstances that you can trust in God. We see the psalmi