Today’s Verse: And Caleb stilled the people before Moses, and said, Let us go up at once, and possess it; for we are well able to overcome it. ~Numbers 13:30 I like to be around people who are filled with faith and a positive attitude. There is an incredible stimulation of energy and desire that is produced by people who can see what others cannot see and accomplish what others are not willing to accomplish. This morning, we are challenged by the faith of Caleb at a very crit

Today’s Verse: And Samuel grew, and the LORD was with him, and did let none of his words fall to the ground. ~1 Samuel 3:19 Samuel is one of the great men of the Bible. He was both a prophet and a priest. His life spanned the end of the judges to the times of the kings. He was privileged to have anointed the first two kings of Israel. Samuel is noted as a great intercessor in Jeremiah 15:1. His very name means “asked of God.” He was an answer to his mother’s prayers. However,

Today’s Verse: Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. ~Ecclesiastes 12:13 In mathematics, the complete addition of a set of numbers is known as the sum total. For instance, when we go shopping, the cashier will check in all the items we are purchasing, and after inputting the cost of each item, she will give us the sum total of our purchases. The sum total is also known as “the bottom line.” This

Today’s Verse: For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous. ~1 John 5:3 Little children can sometimes be scared to go to a dentist's or doctor’s office, especially the first time. If their finger needs to be pricked for a blood draw or an inoculation needs to be done, the doctor or nurse will always say, “It’s okay, this won’t hurt.” He is trying to assure a scared and anxious child that what is being done to him is not ba

Today’s Verse: Therefore Absalom sent for Joab, to have sent him to the king; but he would not come to him: and when he sent again the second time, he would not come. Therefore he said unto his servants, See, Joab's field is near mine, and he hath barley there; go and set it on fire. And Absalom's servants set the field on fire. ~2 Samuel 14:29-30 In baseball, a batter is considered “out” when he has three strikes. A strike is when he has had an opportunity to try to hit the

Today’s Verse: Jehoshaphat made ships of Tharshish to go to Ophir for gold: but they went not; for the ships were broken at Eziongeber. ~1 Kings 22:48 Every economy is strongly dependent upon shipping and maritime trade for success and survival. The importing and exporting of goods is vital for every nation. Owners of ships were very cognizant of the importance of having sturdy, reliable ships that could make every voyage. They also planned their travels to be during good wea

Today’s Verse: Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, and the man that getteth understanding. ~Proverbs 3:13 Proverbs 3 is one of the most important chapters in the Bible for successful Christian living. It is a chapter that is punctuated three times with the personal admonition of “my son.” Solomon greatly desired his son to have a God-centered life. He was concerned that his son did not share the same passion and love for God and God’s Word as he did. He was very concerned t

Today’s Verse: If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him. ~Genesis 4:7 Have you ever found yourself in a situation where you did not know what to choose, and someone told you to flip a coin? The idea behind flipping a coin is that when someone is at a crossroads in making a difficult decision, the flipping of a coin makes the decision for him. Using a nicke

Today’s Verse: And the Spirit bade me go with them, nothing doubting…. ~Acts 11:12a Whenever I travel with other people, I am a strict adherent to staying on schedule so as not to miss our transportation or be late to our event. As we approach fifteen minutes before our departure, I remind everyone traveling with me that it’s time to go! In Acts 11, Peter was rehearsing to the church leaders at Jerusalem how the Lord opened the door for Gentiles to hear the gospel and be save

Today’s Verse: But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. ~James 1:22 Sometimes, we can get to the place in our Christian life where we can sit under preaching and teaching but find ourselves not applying what we learn. We agree with what we hear, but we do not put it into practice. The Greek word for doers is also translated “poets” in Acts 17:28. It is a word that the Greeks used to describe a maker, producer, or author. In its basic meani

Today’s Verse: Bread corn is bruised; because he will not ever be threshing it, nor break it with the wheel of his cart, nor bruise it with his horsemen. ~Isaiah 28:28 The Bible is very rich in its use of analogies, metaphors, and parables to help make a Bible concept become very real to the reader. Through symbols that we can identify with, God enlightens our hearts and minds to the timeless truths of His Word. Isaiah 28:23-29 uses the symbol of a plowing to help us understa

Today’s Verse: Then said he unto him, Because thou hast not obeyed the voice of the LORD, behold, as soon as thou art departed from me, a lion shall slay thee. And as soon as he was departed from him, a lion found him, and slew him. ~1 Kings 20:36 One of the most sought-out areas of the zoo that people will visit is the “big cats” section. This is the area that houses the lions, tigers, leopards, and other big, predator cats. I have always been thankful for the barrier that k

Today’s Verse: And the word of the LORD came unto Jonah the second time, saying, ~Jonah 3:1 “The second time” is an opportunity for us to prove that we are capable of doing what we did not or could not do the first time. It is the opportunity for us to show that we can do what is expected of us. Jonah tried to escape God’s calling to preach at Nineveh. God caught up with him, and through an excruciating process, Jonah realized that it does not pay to disobey God’s calling on

Today’s Verse: And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. ~2 Timothy 3:15 The word Bible refers to the collection of the sacred writings pertaining to the Old and New Testament. Within the Bible, the terms “the Word of God” and “the Holy Scriptures” are used to describe the entirety of the Bible. As Paul was giving a word of final exhortation to Timothy, he strongly referen

Today’s Verse: But Jeremiah said, They shall not deliver thee. Obey, I beseech thee, the voice of the LORD, which I speak unto thee: so it shall be well unto thee, and thy soul shall live. ~Jeremiah 38:20 The name Zedekiah means “Jehovah is righteous.” However, unlike his name, this king did not have a reign that pleased God or depicted His righteousness. He had heard the prophecies of Jeremiah about coming judgment on Jerusalem. However, he was torn between pleasing people a

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

Today’s Verse: And Samuel grew, and the LORD was with him, and did let none of his words fall to the ground. ~1 Samuel 3:19 Great things happen early in childhood. Paul told Timothy, “From a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.” A child prodigy is a child who is recognized as being exceptionally talented because of talent or IQ. Samuel was exceptional because, as a child, he had a gr

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: Now when he had left speaking, he said unto Simon, Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught. ~Luke 5:4 The first time I went deep-sea fishing was many years ago out on Monterey Bay with some professional colleagues. We spent the morning challenging one another to grow our businesses and lives, and then we went out about 30 minutes outside of the harbor. I dropped my fishing line as instructed, and within 45 minutes, I caught 8-10 varieties

Today’s Verse: And Hezekiah rejoiced, and all the people, that God had prepared the people: for the thing was done suddenly. ~2 Chronicles 29:36 Being spontaneous is when we do something by natural impulse or tendency. It is something we do on the spot that was not necessarily planned for. There are many things we do that are planned and premeditated. This is part of being organized and orderly. There are other times when we must be spontaneous in our response and action. Thi