Today’s Verse: Wherefore (as the Holy Ghost saith, To day if ye will hear his voice, Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness: ~Hebrews 3:7-8 There is an English idiom that says, “Familiarity breeds contempt.” This means that getting used to the same thing can result in it becoming something that we lose interest in or enjoyment of. When I was in 3rd grade until 5th grade of elementary school, I made my own bag lunch every day.

Today’s Verse: A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones. ~Proverbs 17:22 Almost everyone I know enjoys being happy. The mood of happiness releases a chemical that gives us peace, contentment, and freedom. When we are happy, we enjoy people and people enjoy us. Our devotion this morning teaches us how happiness, or a merry heart, is like a medicine for our lives. This morning, we are reminded of how a merry heart might help us live longer.

Today’s Verse: But other fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some an hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold. ~Matthew 13:8 Many years ago when I was in college, my first employer had purchased a newly constructed home in a nice, upscale area of Contra Costa County. He discovered that his house was sinking in the front. A soil test was conducted to determine if the soil was buildable soil. Needless to say, it was not, and he was involved in a lengthy lawsuit

Today’s Verse: Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God. ~Hebrews 3:12 Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States, resulting in 1 in 4 deaths. Cardiomyopathy is the hardening and weakening of the heart muscles. If we have heart trouble, we might describe our condition as a bad heart. Paul wrote to the Hebrew believers about the importance of having a spiritually healthy heart. In this pa

Today’s Verse: Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. ~Psalm 51:10 Psalm 51 is one of the more well-known psalms. It is David’s psalm of confession after he was confronted about heinous sins in his life. In this psalm, we are given humbling insight as to how sin affects us in our fellowship with God, and how we must respond. Foremost of the things David needed was a clean heart. We see the remorse. “Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy l

Today’s Verse: Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. ~Psalm 51:10 “The spirit of man is the candle of the LORD, searching all the inward parts of the belly” (Proverbs 20:27). The Lord speaks to us through our spirit, and our spirit, in turn, influences our conscience. The spirit within us is the indicator of what is happening in our spiritual life. As he sought God’s forgiveness and cleansing in his life, David also prayed for a right spirit.

Today’s Verse: Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God. ~Hebrews 3:12 Atherosclerosis, sometimes called "hardening of the arteries," occurs when fat, cholesterol, and other substances build up on the walls of arteries (MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia). When the plaque build-up in the neck or heart arteries is not dealt with, an individual is at a high risk for a heart attack or stroke. A cardiologist who sp

Today’s Verse: So being affectionately desirous of you, we were willing to have imparted unto you, not the gospel of God only, but also our own souls, because ye were dear unto us. ~1 Thessalonians 2:8 A little girl asked her father if he would buy her a large cotton candy to eat at the county fair. The cotton candy was almost half the size of his daughter. He said to her: “I don’t know. It looks too big for you to eat.” She replied: “Don’t worry, Daddy. I’m bigger on the ins

Today’s Verse: They have spread a net by the wayside…. ~Psalm 140:5b The word “wayside” describes the side of a road. It is not the beaten path that is commonly traveled. In driving, this could be considered the shoulder of the road, where cars pull off after a mechanical failure or accident, or for a road violation. To everyday travelers, the wayside had the idea of a location that was not preferred or prominent. It was farmland to the side that was not broken up and ready f

Today’s Verse: For I give you good doctrine, forsake ye not my law. ~Proverbs 4:2 Proverbs 4 is the instruction of a father to his son. I believe that it is a good pattern for parents to follow for the training and instruction of their children. As parents, we must have the conviction that we will never cease from being teachers of good things to our children, grandchildren, and future descendants. A father’s instruction is classified as good doctrine. Doctrine is what we bel

Today’s Verse: And a certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, which worshipped God, heard us: whose heart the Lord opened, that she attended unto the things which were spoken of Paul. ~Acts 16:14 Lydia is one of many special women whom God used in a great way. Her name means “travail,” which implies hardship and difficulty. She was a successful business woman who was from Thyatira. She thrived in the mercantile business, selling purple garments.

Today’s Verse: Therefore watch, and remember, that by the space of three years I ceased not to warn every one night and day with tears. ~Acts 20:31 Whenever we enter into a contract, purchase real estate, purchase insurance, incur a debt, or agree to a medical procedure, we want the terms and conditions of what we are getting into in writing. We want full disclosure of what we are agreeing to, risks, exclusions, and limitations. We do not want any surprises after the fact, or

Today’s Verse: I will run the way of thy commandments, when thou shalt enlarge my heart. ~Psalm 119:32 Recently, 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 seen on

Today’s Verse: Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God. ~Matthew 5:8 A few months ago, I started to notice more floater activity in my right eye. I made an appointment with an ophthalmologist to do a thorough eye exam and to make sure I did not have a detached retina or any other vision-impairing issues. Thankfully, everything checked out well. It reminded me how our vision and ability to see is critically important for us in everything we do. We want good visua

Today’s Verse: And it came to pass afterward, that David’s heart smote him, because he had cut off Saul’s skirt. ~1 Samuel 24:5 The heart is the symbol of our inner man and conscience. It is the seat of our emotions. We make the decisions of life within our heart. When we are not careful to guard our heart, it can become calloused and hard. On the other hand, it is vitally important that we maintain a heart that is soft and tender to the Lord. This morning, we are considering

Today’s Verse: But other fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some an hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold. ~Matthew 13:8 Many years ago when I was in college, my first employer had a newly-constructed home that he purchased in a nice, upscale area of Contra Costa County. He discovered that his house was sinking in the front. A soil test was conducted to determine if the soil was buildable soil. Needless to say, it was not and he was involved in a lengthy l

Today’s Verse: But the Lord said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart. ~1 Samuel 16:7 Have you ever eaten jackfruit, rambutan, cherimoya, or mangosteen? On the outside, these fruits do not look especially appetizing. However, once you open them up and take the actual fruit out, each is very tasty. T

Today’s Verse: For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he: Eat and drink, saith he to thee; but his heart is not with thee. ~Proverbs 23:7 Cardiology is the medical specialty that deals with the diseases and abnormalities of the heart. Cardiovascular disease is when there is a narrowing of the heart’s blood vessels due to blockage or vessel disorder. This results in restricted blood flow, increased risk for heart attack, and even death. Modern medicine strongly encourages us t

Today’s Verse: When Sanballat the Horonite, and Tobiah the servant, the Ammonite, heard of it, it grieved them exceedingly that there was come a man to seek the welfare of the children of Israel. ~Nehemiah 2:10 One of my favorite Bible characters is Nehemiah. He is one of the great Biblical and historical inspirations of faith. In the face of very difficult odds, he volunteered to take on the task in leading the people of Jerusalem to rebuild the city walls that had laid brok

Today’s Verse: Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life. ~Proverbs 4:23 Do you exercise? If you do, you most likely include some type of a cardio workout in your regimen. Cardio workouts are necessary for keeping your heart fit and healthy. It increases your stamina and energy, and enables you to have more endurance in physical activities. This morning, we are looking at the importance of a spiritual cardio workout. Solomon said, “Keep thy heart