Today's Verse: And it came to pass, as they fled from before Israel, and were in the going down to Bethhoron, that the LORD cast down great stones from heaven upon them unto Azekah, and they died: they were more which died with hailstones than they whom the children of Israel slew with the sword. ~Joshua 10:11 Hail is formed when the temperature of the upper air reaches a point that transforms rain or water particles into ice. Basically, water is turned into ice, and ice pe

Today's Verse: But who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth? for he is like a refiner's fire, and like fullers' soap: ~ Malachi 3:2 Have you ever done a load of white laundry only to be disappointed that the white clothes did not come out as clean as you had anticipated? Perhaps you tried applying a stronger detergent or more bleach to get the effect you wanted. At His Second Coming, our Lord Jesus is described as a refiner’s fire and a ful

Today's Verse: He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it. ~Matthew 10:39 Have you ever left an important personal article like clothing, sunglasses, or an electronic device at a store while shopping, on public transportation, or even at church and could not find it where you thought you left it? If you have, you have most likely gone to the “lost and found” hoping that someone honest had found it and turned it in. “Lost an

Today's Verse: Nebuchadnezzar spake and said unto them, Is it true, O Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, do not ye serve my gods, nor worship the golden image which I have set up? ~Daniel 3:14 How important is truth to you? Truth consists of absolute facts that are essential for our belief and behavior. What we believe determines how we behave. Truth is pure honesty. Truth is authenticity in the representation of facts. The opposite of truth is falsity and lies. This morning,

Today's Verse: By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name. ~Hebrews 13:15 The idea of a sacrifice refers to something or someone being offered up without reservation. It conveys the idea of something being given up for a good purpose. When we study sacrifices in the Bible, we see that they are costly, consuming, and continuous. This morning, we are encouraged to make the sacrifice of pra

Today's Verse: And Noah began to be an husbandman, and he planted a vineyard: ~Genesis 9:20 In self-defense, a student is taught the importance of keeping his guard up. This means keeping one hand and arm at a certain level to quickly deflect or block a jab or punch that is aimed at the head. Keeping your guard up is also used to describe being careful and watchful when you are negotiating or dealing with someone who is not trustworthy. We also see how this applies to us wh

Today's Verse: But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall. ~Malachi 4:2 Malachi 4 is prophetic in its message. In this chapter, we see the judgment of sinners. "For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the LORD of hosts, that it shall

Today's Verse: And they put him in ward, that the mind of the LORD might be shewed them. ~Leviticus 24:12 It is always wise to know exactly what you are supposed to do and to do it right. It can be discouraging and devastating to execute a project and find out that you did it wrong. This means you might have to redo the entire project. It also means you might have jeopardized other people by doing something you did not completely think through. In our devotion this morning,

Today's Verse: And I, behold, I have given with him Aholiab, the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan: and in the hearts of all that are wise hearted I have put wisdom, that they may make all that I have commanded thee; ~Exodus 31:6 There is a tremendous feeling of accomplishment in our hearts when we can start and finish a major project. It is even more gratifying to have reliable and faithful people who share the same vision and come alongside of you to help get it done.

Today's Verse: For thou art my hope, O Lord GOD: thou art my trust from my youth. ~Psalm 71:5 Most of us deposit money into a bank without much fear of loss. Banks insure our money up to a certain amount through the FDIC. There is an implied trust we have in the banking institution that the money we have deposited is safe and secure. Many people keep their money with a mainline bank for most of their lifetime because they feel a sense of reliability in the size, strength, a