Devotions
Search
- Apr 20
- 3 min
I Will Not Eat
Today’s Verse: And there was set meat before him to eat: but he said, I will not eat, until I have told mine errand. And he said, Speak on. ~Genesis 24:33 Sometimes, when little children throw a fit, they might tell their parents, “I’m not hungry,” or, “I’m not eating.” That, more or less, is a child’s stubborn reaction of disapproval of a parent’s decision. While we might smile at a child’s reaction, we might consider an adult’s response as being more serious. Let us see les
58 views0 comments
- Apr 15
- 3 min
Lessons from a Water Bottle
Today’s Verse: And the water was spent in the bottle, and she cast the child under one of the shrubs. ~Genesis 21:15 The bottled water business is very big business all over the world. Having the availability of water that has been filtered and is clean is a concern for many of us. These days, in order to save on costs and avoid recycling, many people have bought water bottle containers that can be repeatedly refilled, keep the water at a constant temperature, and prevent the
75 views0 comments
- Apr 1
- 3 min
Hast Thou Here Any Besides?
Today’s Verse: And the men said unto Lot, Hast thou here any besides? son in law, and thy sons, and thy daughters, and whatsoever thou hast in the city, bring them out of this place: ~Genesis 19:12 It is said, “Statements accuse, but questions convict.” In Genesis 19:12, we see one of these convicting questions. It was asked of a man who got his roots settled in too deep in the city in which he lived, and he now faced the prospect of losing everything, including his family. T
86 views0 comments
- Mar 28
- 3 min
What is Your Anything?
Today’s Verse: Is any thing too hard for the LORD? At the time appointed I will return unto thee, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son. ~Genesis 18:14 While growing up, children can sometimes get exasperated with new responsibilities or projects. If something poses challenges in making them think and keep working away, they might react by saying, “This is too hard.” Something “too hard’ might be a perception on our part. On the other hand, something too h
61 views0 comments
- Mar 24
- 3 min
As Clear As Day
Today’s Verse: And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the LORD appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect. ~Genesis 17:1 There are times in our life when things seem murky and unclear. However, we are greatly encouraged, strengthened, and renewed when we come to the place of keen understanding and that which was obscure becomes as clear as the day for us. Abram was 86 years old when Ishmael was born. Through his sel
73 views0 comments
- Mar 20
- 3 min
The Lord Found Her
Today’s Verse: And the angel of the LORD found her by a fountain of water in the wilderness, by the fountain in the way to Shur. ~Genesis 16:7 Our common reaction to hostility, harsh treatment, and rejection is to leave the place where we are and reside where we can be away from all of this. Someone who lives in a neighborhood where there is a continued increase in break ins, burglaries, crime, home invasion, and robberies will resort to moving away in the hope of finding saf
65 views0 comments
- Mar 13
- 3 min
The God of Abraham
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 The Bible has many wonderful lessons for us about the faith of Abraham. He was strong in faith, not doubting the promises. The greatness of Abraham’s faith was because it was in the most high God. What made Abraham a great believer, great in faith, great in prayer, and great in his testimony was the simple
62 views0 comments
- Mar 7
- 3 min
It's Time to Go!
Today’s Verse: Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee: ~Genesis 12:1 When my children were young, I had to remind them when it was time to go. This was especially true when we were going to church, going home, packing up for a trip, or leaving from an engagement that we completed. After 75 years of living in an idol-worshipping family in a pagan society, God told Abram
65 views0 comments
- Feb 4
- 3 min
Abel Speaks
Today’s Verse: And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the LORD had respect unto Abel and to his offering: ~Genesis 4:4 Abel was the second son of Adam and Eve. In Hebrews 11, he is the first of the heroes of faith who are mentioned. His name means “breath.” David referred to his days as an “hand breadth.” The shortness of Abel’s life is embodied in the concept of a hand breadth. I think of the brevity of life and how important it
66 views0 comments
- Jan 25
- 3 min
God-Breathed
Today’s Verse: And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul. ~Genesis 2:7 The COVID pandemic has caused all of us to focus on its impact on an affected person’s breathing. More serious cases of COVID have caused some patients to require breathing assistance including oxygen and, in very severe circumstances, intubation. Breathing assistance is meant to help a person until he is able to b
58 views0 comments
- Jan 20
- 3 min
The Only Wise God
Today’s Verse: And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day. ~Genesis 1:31 The Bible begins with an undisputed fact: "In the beginning God...." Everything that is points to Creator God: God Who is, God Who always will be. The Hebrew name for God is Elohim, which powerfully embodies the triune Godhead. It implies absoluteness, perfection, and completeness. He is God powerful, God personal, and God p
68 views0 comments
- Jan 15
- 2 min
Serve!
Today’s Verse: And said, My Lord, if now I have found favour in thy sight, pass not away, I pray thee, from thy servant: ~Genesis 18:3 In tennis, players yell out, “Serve” to indicate that the one who has the tennis ball is about to hit it toward his opponent. I have always thought that was an awkward word to announce that the ball is being "served” to the opponent, but on the other hand, it represents a powerful image of the fervor in which we should serve our Lord. Our serv
56 views0 comments
- Jul 1, 2020
- 3 min
Thou Shalt Be Near Unto Me
Today’s Verse: And thou shalt dwell in the land of Goshen, and thou shalt be near unto me, thou, and thy children, and thy children’s children, and thy flocks, and thy herds, and all that thou hast: ~Genesis 45:10 One of the most touching stories in the Bible is when Joseph is reunited with his brothers and father. It is a beautiful and powerful picture of the unfolding of God’s plan for us after we get saved. Getting saved is when we are reconciled to God. Being saved is abo
0 views0 comments
- Jun 21, 2020
- 3 min
The Lord, Our Reward
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 A reward is an acknowledgement that is given to someone for a performance. The Hebrew word used in our devotion is translated “compensation” or “payment for services performed.” At a time when Abraham was second guessing himself and under stress for being the only believer in a world filled with pagans, God
0 views0 comments
- Sep 28, 2019
- 3 min
What a Stink!
Today’s Verse: And Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, Ye have troubled me to make me to stink among the inhabitants of the land, among the Canaanites and the Perizzites: and I being few in number, they shall gather themselves together against me, and slay me; and I shall be destroyed, I and my house. ~Genesis 34:30 A few days ago, I purchased a clip-on air freshener for my car with the idea that it would add a pleasant fragrance to my car interior. However, the extreme hot temper
1 view0 comments
- Sep 3, 2019
- 3 min
Wrong Exit
Today’s Verse: Wherefore didst thou flee away secretly, and steal away from me; and didst not tell me, that I might have sent thee away with mirth, and with songs, with tabret, and with harp? ~Genesis 31:27 Have you ever driven on a freeway and accidentally taken the wrong exit? If you have, you might have felt anxious and frustrated. Fortunately, in this day of advanced GPS technology, we can quickly get our bearings corrected and be back at our desired destination. A wrong
0 views0 comments
- Aug 20, 2019
- 3 min
Or Else I Die!
Today’s Verse: And when Rachel saw that she bare Jacob no children, Rachel envied her sister; and said unto Jacob, Give me children, or else I die. ~Genesis 30:1 Have you ever been threatened by someone who said to you, “Do this, or else”? If so, you may have felt like an unreasonable demand was placed upon you. You may have felt pushed against a wall and that you were facing incredible pressure to do something that requires more than just you to get it done. Rachel made a s
1 view0 comments
- Jul 3, 2019
- 3 min
A Bad Trade
Today’s Verse: And Esau said, Behold, I am at the point to die: and what profit shall this birthright do to me? ~Genesis 25:32 As I write this devotion, the NBA is in the midst of players declaring their free agency status and teams making trades in order to clear up room in their salary cap. Teams will be making trades in order to strengthen their position and make them championship contenders. Every team strives to make a trade that is profitable and not one that they will
2 views0 comments
- Jun 30, 2019
- 3 min
Here Comes the Bride
Today’s Verse: And they called Rebekah, and said unto her, Wilt thou go with this man? And she said, I will go. ~Genesis 24:58 On a wedding day, the most precious moment is when it is time for the bride to walk the aisle and join her husband-to-be. The congregation is asked to rise and stand out of respect for her entrance. The bride gracefully walks the aisle with great anticipation that she will join the groom to recite their vows to one another and be joined as husband and
0 views0 comments
{"items":["607f046fa96cc100577b794f","607e75f27ebeb400150ab3c7","60776282751b9100154b8ef4","6064ca36d36e760015420959","605e67d50fa0660057d767b6","605a2663f73e2a0041857ba3","6054f3e909fcbe0015bce3a3","604bc3289649410015417e47","6043bf4d0b6a220015ec4187","6019e7c012510800179da09f","600b6e2571276b0017e1422d","6007364cc0141000172c756e","5fff525ab16de10017e699a4","5f25adf99850f30017e33fd2","5f25ae08235ab00017b3a45f","5f25af6ad77eda0017cec630","5f25af89fd1faf00174027d0","5f25af9777b9a30017085355","5f25afd25e3c7c00174d371e","5f25afd3c319e900188fd66a"],"styles":{"galleryType":"Columns","groupSize":1,"showArrows":true,"cubeImages":true,"cubeType":"fill","cubeRatio":1.3333333333333333,"isVertical":true,"gallerySize":30,"collageAmount":0,"collageDensity":0,"groupTypes":"1","oneRow":false,"imageMargin":32,"galleryMargin":0,"scatter":0,"rotatingScatter":"","chooseBestGroup":true,"smartCrop":false,"hasThumbnails":false,"enableScroll":true,"isGrid":true,"isSlider":false,"isColumns":false,"isSlideshow":false,"cropOnlyFill":false,"fixedColumns":1,"enableInfiniteScroll":true,"isRTL":false,"minItemSize":50,"rotatingGroupTypes":"","rotatingCropRatios":"","columnWidths":"","gallerySliderImageRatio":1.7777777777777777,"numberOfImagesPerRow":1,"numberOfImagesPerCol":1,"groupsPerStrip":0,"borderRadius":0,"boxShadow":0,"gridStyle":1,"mobilePanorama":false,"placeGroupsLtr":true,"viewMode":"preview","thumbnailSpacings":4,"galleryThumbnailsAlignment":"bottom","isMasonry":false,"isAutoSlideshow":false,"slideshowLoop":false,"autoSlideshowInterval":4,"bottomInfoHeight":0,"titlePlacement":"SHOW_ON_THE_RIGHT","galleryTextAlign":"center","scrollSnap":false,"itemClick":"nothing","fullscreen":true,"videoPlay":"hover","scrollAnimation":"NO_EFFECT","slideAnimation":"SCROLL","scrollDirection":0,"scrollDuration":400,"overlayAnimation":"FADE_IN","arrowsPosition":0,"arrowsSize":23,"watermarkOpacity":40,"watermarkSize":40,"useWatermark":true,"watermarkDock":{"top":"auto","left":"auto","right":0,"bottom":0,"transform":"translate3d(0,0,0)"},"loadMoreAmount":"all","defaultShowInfoExpand":1,"allowLinkExpand":true,"expandInfoPosition":0,"allowFullscreenExpand":true,"fullscreenLoop":false,"galleryAlignExpand":"left","addToCartBorderWidth":1,"addToCartButtonText":"","slideshowInfoSize":200,"playButtonForAutoSlideShow":false,"allowSlideshowCounter":false,"hoveringBehaviour":"NEVER_SHOW","thumbnailSize":120,"magicLayoutSeed":1,"imageHoverAnimation":"NO_EFFECT","imagePlacementAnimation":"NO_EFFECT","calculateTextBoxWidthMode":"PERCENT","textBoxHeight":0,"textBoxWidth":200,"textBoxWidthPercent":50,"textImageSpace":10,"textBoxBorderRadius":0,"textBoxBorderWidth":0,"loadMoreButtonText":"","loadMoreButtonBorderWidth":1,"loadMoreButtonBorderRadius":0,"imageInfoType":"ATTACHED_BACKGROUND","itemBorderWidth":0,"itemBorderRadius":0,"itemEnableShadow":false,"itemShadowBlur":20,"itemShadowDirection":135,"itemShadowSize":10,"imageLoadingMode":"BLUR","expandAnimation":"NO_EFFECT","imageQuality":90,"usmToggle":false,"usm_a":0,"usm_r":0,"usm_t":0,"videoSound":false,"videoSpeed":"1","videoLoop":true,"jsonStyleParams":"","gallerySizeType":"px","gallerySizePx":940,"allowTitle":true,"allowContextMenu":true,"textsHorizontalPadding":-30,"itemBorderColor":{"themeName":"color_12","value":"rgba(190,188,194,1)"},"showVideoPlayButton":true,"galleryLayout":2,"targetItemSize":940,"selectedLayout":"2|bottom|1|fill|true|0|true","layoutsVersion":2,"selectedLayoutV2":2,"isSlideshowFont":false,"externalInfoHeight":0,"externalInfoWidth":0.5},"container":{"width":940,"galleryWidth":972,"galleryHeight":0,"scrollBase":0,"height":null}}