Today’s Verse: In the same hour came forth fingers of a man's hand, and wrote over against the candlestick upon the plaister of the wall of the king's palace: and the king saw the part of the hand that wrote. ~Daniel 5:5 The incident we are studying this morning is a lesson about the ability to see our fate unfolding before us. It is a prediction of our failure or fall. In one way, it is a message that is foreboding. In another way, it is a message that is a warning with a la

Today’s Verse: This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles. ~Psalm 34:6 Here in the United States, I don’t think most people really have a concept of what it means to be poor. I will never forget places I’ve been to in the world where the privation is so bad. People have to get water from a pump in the street, they have no sewer systems, as many as ten people live in a room that is barely 10’x20’, and people can go many days without food

Today’s Verse: O LORD, how long shall I cry, and thou wilt not hear! even cry out unto thee of violence, and thou wilt not save! ~Habakkuk 1:2 I believe that every person has a breaking point. This is when a situation becomes so unbearable that you let off the steam that has been building up inside of you. You might let it out through shouting, punching a bag, or taking a long walk. Habakkuk records for us a prayer that he prayed. In this prayer, he speaks of crying out to Go

Today’s Verse: Wherefore neither thought I myself worthy to come unto thee: but say in a word, and my servant shall be healed. ~Luke 7:7 What do you consider to be your worth? We associate a value to worth. For instance, our world is possessed with knowing our net worth. We think of benefit, cost, meaningfulness, and usefulness with worth. The idea of a zero or a negative worth has the connotation of worthlessness. This morning, we are touched by the life of a man who said, “

Today’s Verse: It is good for me that I have been afflicted; that I might learn thy statutes. ~Psalm 119:71 I am an avid coffee drinker, especially good, aromatic coffees. There used to be reports citing that drinking coffee is bad for your health. In recent years, the medical reports are saying drinking coffee is good for you. I think all of us want what’s good for us. The psalmist said, “It is good for me that I have been afflicted.” Let us see the good that is affliction.

Today’s Verse: But Jesus answered and said, Ye know not what ye ask. Are ye able to drink of the cup that I shall drink of, and to be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with? They say unto him, We are able. ~Matthew 20:22 The Navy SEALs is one of several elite, specialized, tactical military groups that go through very intense and rigorous training for high-risk covert missions. In order to be selected to serve as a SEAL, a candidate must go through a serious and in

Today’s Verse: He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God? ~Micah 6:8 There are basic, foundational things that we have learned over the years. These things are so ingrained into us that it is presumed that we know better. As parents and teachers, we are perplexed when something we have ingrained into someone else is not followed or obeyed. We might say, “I taught you t

Today’s Verse: Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven. ~Matthew 18:4 Children are the heritage of the Lord to every married couple. This means they are God’s reward and legacy for the next generation. Being a father and, now, a grandfather, I love to teach and play with little children. They are very inquisitive and have a huge capacity to acquire knowledge. They are good at imitating adults and think that

Today’s Verse In the same hour came forth fingers of a man’s hand, and wrote over against the candlestick upon the plaister of the wall of the king’s palace: and the king saw the part of the hand that wrote. ~Daniel 5:5 One of the essential skills taught to every child is good penmanship, or handwriting. As we get older, I have found that a person’s handwriting either remains the same or gets worse. I jokingly tell people that I can fill their medical prescription with my han

Today’s Verse I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. ~Philippians 4:12 A few years ago, I had a leaky showerhead in my bathroom. I uncovered that the problem was a part behind the handle. At first, I was uncertain whether to call a plumber or to attempt to do it myself. I found how to deal with this problem on Youtube and was able to fix this pro

Today’s Verse: And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:) ~Luke 2:4 Has anyone ever told you “let’s just wait and see”? When things are out of our control, we have to let go of our anxiety and wait. The days leading to Jesus arrival was a time of waiting and seeing. Let us see how waiting and seeing is God’s way of teaching us faith, trus

Today’s Verse: When Jesus heard these things, he marvelled at him, and turned him about, and said unto the people that followed him, I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel. ~Luke 7:9 God expects us to exercise faith. Paul said that “the just shall live by faith.” He also said, “We walk by faith, not by sight.” Without faith, it is impossible to please God. Faith is the victory that overcomes the world. However, the question this morning is: how muc

Today’s Verse: And David went up by the ascent of mount Olivet, and wept as he went up, and had his head covered, and he went barefoot: and all the people that was with him covered every man his head, and they went up, weeping as they went up. ~2 Samuel 15:30 Are you comfortable walking barefoot? While being barefoot is great relief from being confined to shoes and socks, there are many risks. You are more prone to accidents and injuries to your feet. You are at risk of bacte

Today’s Verse: This shall they have for their pride, because they have reproached and magnified themselves against the people of the LORD of hosts. ~Zephaniah 2:10 In Zephaniah 2, we see God’s dealings and judgment against the nations that disparaged and oppressed Israel. We see God vindicating His people from the nations that made themselves the enemies of His people. God said that they have, in their pride, “reproached and magnified themselves against the people of the LORD

Today’s Verse: For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith. ~Romans 12:3 Our devotion this morning is what I call food for thought. It is about a necessary characteristic of spiritual living that needs to be active all the time in us. Paul admonishes believers to think soberly. Let us see this morning t

Today’s Verse: And when Jesus heard it, he marvelled, and said to them that followed, Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel. ~Matthew 8:10 How great is your faith in the Lord? Can you recall a situation in your life where you had to exercise great faith in God? This morning, we see a man of authority who did just that. What this man did was the exception and not the rule. This morning, let us see the exercise of great faith. We see the appe

Today’s Verse: But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also. ~Matthew 5:39 The Apostle Paul describes the age we live in as “perilous times.” This description has the idea of dangers and perils along the way. Most men I know try to be cautious and aware of their circumstances because of unexpected dangers. However, what do you do when you have been offended by another person? In most cases, most peo

Today’s Verse: Hear, O Israel: Thou art to pass over Jordan this day, to go in to possess nations greater and mightier than thyself, cities great and fenced up to heaven, ~Isaiah 45:3 The book of Deuteronomy consists of the last sermons and final words of Moses to Israel. Moses was in the final year of his life. God told him he would not enter into the Promised Land. So, Moses was preparing them for this great endeavor. As we read Deuteronomy 9:1, God was telling Israel to ex

Today’s Verse: Then said he, What have they seen in thine house? And Hezekiah answered, All that is in mine house have they seen: there is nothing among my treasures that I have not shewed them. ~Isaiah 39:4 When you were a child growing up, did anyone ever accuse you of being a “show-off?” As the term implies, a show-off is someone who purposely tries to impress other people with what they have or who they are. They are trying to send the message that they have “one up” on o

Today’s Verse: There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews: The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him. ~John 3:1-2 One of the most significant men of the New Testament is Nicodemus. He is a man who did not allow his education, monetary wealth, prestige, and influence inhibit him from coming to Jesus for the truth.