Today's Verse: Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. ~Hebrews 4:14   A few years ago, I took members of my family out of town for a family trip. On the first day of our arrival, I took my granddaughter to see the ocean waves. As I knelt down holding her to touch the water on the shoreline, we both were surprised by a rogue wave about two feet high that got both of us wet. She was v

Today's Verse: My times are in thy hand: deliver me from the hand of mine enemies, and from them that persecute me. ~Psalm 31:15   Have you ever been involved in a life-or-death situation where your ultimate fate was in someone else’s hands, and you said, “I’m putting my life into your hands”? This is absolute trust. It is when your input, ideas, and know-how are useless and only the person who is stronger and more knowledgeable can get you through your situation. David was a

Today's Verse: (For that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds;) ~2 Peter 2:8   Have you ever played tug of war? In this exercise, two groups of people hold opposite ends of a rope. The side that pulls the hardest is the one that wins. The side that loses is generally the side that yields. In our devotion this morning, we see a tug of war that involved a man named Lot.    We see Lot and his

Today's Verse: And thou shalt make an altar to burn incense upon: of shittim wood shalt thou make it. ~Exodus 30:1     And another angel came and stood at the altar, having a golden censer; and there was given unto him much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne. ~Revelation 8:3   The burning of incense was an integral part of worship after the building of the altar of incense. Incense was composed of

Today's Verse: Then shall the lame man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing: for in the wilderness shall waters break out, and streams in the desert. ~Isaiah 35:6   Death Valley is said to be the largest national park outside of Alaska, covering 3.3 million acres of land. It is primarily a desert location with extreme conditions and weather. Death Valley is the hottest and driest place in America, with summer temperatures peaking above 120 °F and average rainfall

Today's Verse: To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified. ~Isaiah 61:3   Several years ago, an area three hours north of us was completely ravaged by a wildfire. This fire devastated over 151,000 acres, decimated an entire city, displaced thousands of survivors,

Today's Verse: But there the glorious LORD will be unto us a place of broad rivers and streams; wherein shall go no galley with oars, neither shall gallant ship pass thereby. ~Isaiah 33:21   The Bible is abundant with its many descriptions of our Lord. Each description gives us insight to His attributes, His actions, and His attention. No wonder the psalmist wrote "Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised; and his greatness is unsearchable" (Psalm 145:3). Judah had fall

Today's Verse: I made a covenant with mine eyes; why then should I think upon a maid? ~Job 31:1   A covenant is an unbreakable contract between two parties. It is meant to stay in place and be honored by both parties. The only action that could break a covenant was death. The parties of a covenant would “cut the covenant” as their way of pledging their honor and commitment to their respective responsibilities. We see an example of this in Genesis 15:9-18. Job made a consecrat

Today's Verse: The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in him, and I am helped: therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; and with my song will I praise him. ~Psalm 28:7   Psalm 28 was written either during David’s flight from Saul or Absalom. There were moments when the closeness of his adversaries made him think life was over. He was overcome with incredible fears. Yet, as this psalm progresses, there is a major shift in his tone and outlook. As we meditate on t

Today's Verse: And when he had made a scourge of small cords, he drove them all out of the temple, and the sheep, and the oxen; and poured out the changers' money, and overthrew the tables;  ~John 2:15 “Turning the tables” is an idiom that means a correction, reversal, or change in plans has occurred. It refers to a situation where the opposite of what was expected to happen occurs. This morning, we see an incident where Jesus literally turned the tables on those who were usi