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

Today’s Verse: Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind; ~1 Peter 5:2 Can be said that you are on top of your game? In other words, you perform at your maximum best. In secular terms, it implies being unbeatable at what you do. You are the absolute best at what you do and are the benchmark for others. In 1 Peter 5:1-4, Peter put in writing how all of us, and pastors spec

Today’s Verse: Go your ways: behold, I send you forth as lambs among wolves. ~Luke 10:3 Lambs and wolves are natural enemies. Lambs are young sheep that are less than a year old. Lambs are cute, cuddly, and compact (small). They are extremely vulnerable and must rely on the safety of the flock and the shepherd. Wolves, on the other hand, are carnivorous predators. Wolves see lambs as easy pickings for food. Jesus told seventy men whom He sent out to proclaim the gospel that H

Today’s Verse: Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord; ~Romans 12:11 The word maximum means best, highest, or utmost. It is the upper limit or greatest amount of something. When applied to service, it implies the very best and second to none. Companies that are committed to customer service want their customers to experience superior service from start to finish. They want to be ahead of the competition and remembered for their excellence. When it comes

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: And when he had called unto him his twelve disciples, he gave them power against unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all manner of sickness and all manner of disease. ~Matthew 10:1 The greatest business in the world is the propagation of the gospel and the starting of churches. When we think of business, we think of an enterprise that is established to provide needed goods and services to the marketplace for a profit. Everyone who starts a business d

Today’s Verse: And they said, The Lord hath need of him. And they brought him to Jesus: and they cast their garments upon the colt, and they set Jesus thereon. ~Luke 19:34-35 One of my favorite hymns is “I am Happy in the Service of the King.” It’s a privilege and joy to serve our Lord Jesus Christ. Our devotion this morning centers itself on a young colt (a juvenile donkey) that Jesus took into His service. Let us see the meaning behind “the Lord hath need of him.” We see th

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: Therefore, as ye abound in every thing, in faith, and utterance, and knowledge, and in all diligence, and in your love to us, see that ye abound in this grace also. ~2 Corinthians 8:7 There are three levels of performance. There is what is known as a normal performance. This is when we do exactly as we are told and we have achieved what is expected of us. Next, there is a sub-par performance, when what we do is below the expectations and our result is not accep

Today’s Verse: I thank my God always on your behalf, for the grace of God which is given you by Jesus Christ; That in every thing ye are enriched by him, in all utterance, and in all knowledge; ~1 Corinthians 1:4-5 Corinth was one of the largest and thriving cities during the first century. It was a city where idolatrous practices and sin abounded. God placed this city on Paul’s heart to plant a church. God worked mightily through Paul’s ministry, and many were saved and bapt

Today’s Verse: Then I told them of the hand of my God which was good upon me; as also the king’s words that he had spoken unto me. And they said, Let us rise up and build. So they strengthened their hands for this good work. ~Nehemiah 2:18 “All hands on deck” is a way of saying everyone needs to be involved and working together for the aim of getting an important task done and completed. It originated with the British Navy and has been a standard term used by our naval forces

Today’s Verse: But I will make them keepers of the charge of the house, for all the service thereof, and for all that shall be done therein. ~Ezekiel 44:14 As children mature, the parents will often put the oldest child in charge of the house. This means the oldest child takes responsibility for conduct and order in the household until mom and dad return home. This morning, we are considering the important responsibilities that God vested in the Levites for the house of God,

Today’s Verse: And saith unto them, Go your way into the village over against you: and as soon as ye be entered into it, ye shall find a colt tied, whereon never man sat; loose him, and bring him. ~Mark 11:2 Jesus is Creator God! “For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him,” Col. 1:16. The key thought is al

Today’s Verse: Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord; ~Romans 12:11 The term “high-touch” describes someone who is proactive and enthusiastic, and delivers a high level of service to others. High-touch people make the people they serve feel wanted, served, satisfied, and happy that they are being given exceptional treatment. High-touch people are solution-oriented. Christians should be high-touch in whatever they do for the Lord. Our passage this morni

Today’s Verse: But ye shall not be so: but he that is greatest among you, let him be as the younger; and he that is chief, as he that doth serve. ~Luke 22:26 In tennis, two players are trying to outplay the other through the vigorous exchange of hits. The goal is to hit the tennis ball so that the opponent cannot return it. The start of a game is when the player with the ball serves it to his opponent. He will be told, “It’s your serve.” That’s what we are meditating on this

Today’s Verse: But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her. ~Luke 10:42 What is the best choice you’ve ever made? Hopefully, your answer was, “Accepting the Lord Jesus Christ as my Savior!” However, the Christian life is one where we are faced with constant choices. Elijah challenged the people of Israel by telling them, “Choose you this day whom ye will serve.” God told Moses and the Israelites to “choose life.” Jesus

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: But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me. ~1 Corinthians 15:10 Without question, the Apostle Paul was the greatest Christian of the first century. He could not get over the day when the Lord knocked him off his horse and saved him as he was on the road to Damascus. From that moment forward, Paul’s purpose and p

Today’s Verse: Then answered Haggai, and said, So is this people, and so is this nation before me, saith the Lord; and so is every work of their hands; and that which they offer there is unclean. ~Haggai 2:14 Most people do not know the name of Ignaz Phillip Semmelweiss. Back in his day, physicians and those who assisted them did not realize the importance of thoroughly washing their hands before and after treating a patient. Many physicians would treat a sick person or exami

Today’s Verse: Because for the work of Christ he was nigh unto death, not regarding his life, to supply your lack of service toward me. ~Philippians 2:30 In our Western world, we use some very colorful and descriptive phrases and idioms to describe a situation. For instance, when someone greatly exasperates us, we might say, “You’re killing me!” Sometimes, for a serious medical condition or life predicament that needs immediate attention, we might soberly describe it as “a ma