Posts with the category “devotions”

Sweet Ebenezers – Alistair BeggNow, therefore, thus you shall say to my servant David, “Thus says the Lord of hosts, I took you from the pasture, from following the sheep, that you should be prince over my people Israel. And I have been with you wherever you went and have cut off all your enemies from before you. And I will make for you a great name, like the name of the great ones of the earth.” ...  Read More

The Power and Mystery of Obedience Alistair BeggThe Lord said to Samuel, “How long will you grieve over Saul, since I have rejected him from being king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil, and go. I will send you to Jesse the Bethlehemite, for I have provided for myself a king among his sons” … Samuel did what the Lord commanded and came to Bethlehem.  1 Samuel 16:1, 1 Samuel 16:4Samuel stands ou...  Read More

A Prayer about the Power of PrayerBy Jessica Van Roekel“That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, having the eyes of your heart enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints and what is the immeasurable greatness ...  Read More

What Really Matters Most TodayBy Keri EichbergerShe had a sister named Mary, who seated herself at the Lord’s feet and was continually listening to His teaching. But Martha was very busy and distracted with all of her serving responsibilities; and she approached Him and said, “Lord, is it of no concern to You that my sister has left me to do the serving alone? Tell her to help me and do her part.”...  Read More

Faith Needed in the StormBy: Betsy St. Amant HaddoxAnd he said to them, “Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?” Then he rose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm. And the men marveled, saying, “What sort of man is this, that even winds and sea obey him?” And when he came to the other side, to the country of the Gadarenes, two demon-possessed men met him, coming out of...  Read More

Living Plan B: A Lesson from ExodusBy Ray PritchardBIBLE VERSE OF THE DAY: When Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them on the road through the Philistine country, though that was shorter. For God said, “If they face war, they might change their minds and return to Egypt.” So God led the people around by the desert road toward the Red Sea. - Exodus 13:17-18Some time ago I heard the follow...  Read More

Gracious Words Flow from a Gracious HeartBy Jessica Van Roekel“The hearts of the wise make their mouths prudent, and their lips promote instruction. Gracious words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.” Proverbs 16:23-24, NIV.Many years ago, I made a bad first impression because of the way I spoke to someone. My speech was the opposite of gracious. At the time, the words spe...  Read More

Gratitude Changes EverythingSharon Jaynes“Give thanks in all circumstances” (1 Thessalonians 5:18 NIV).Thanksgiving is just around the corner, and so I’ve been thinking about gratitude a lot lately. What is it? When should we show it? What does God say about it?Paul wrote the Thessalonians, “Give thanks in all circumstances” (1 Thessalonians 5:18). Most read that verse and think it rather nice. So...  Read More

How Does God’s Word “Light Our Path”?By Sarah E. FrazerYour word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path. - Psalm 119:105 (NIV)Every night, I do the same thing. My husband and I work together on what we call “closing up shop.” What we mean is we put the dog out to the yard one more time before putting her in the garage for the night. We make coffee for the morning. Usually, I wipe the counters a...  Read More

What Are the Different Kinds of Blessings and How Do We Bless Others?By Michelle Lazurek“The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.”’ Numbers 6:24-26Last month, I attended a memorial service for a former college professor. Many people gave touching tributes and testimonies to the man's life. But...  Read More

Is God Your Source of Encouragement?By Victoria RiollanoBe strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the LORD your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.” - Deuteronomy 31:6En·cour·age- to give support, confidence, or hope to someone.Many of us are looking to be encouraged or supported.We look to family.We look to pastors.We look to our friends.We l...  Read More

Today's Thoughts: God means for GoodDaily DisciplesToday's Reading: Genesis 49; Matthew 13:31-58When Joseph's brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, "Perhaps Joseph will hate us, and may actually repay us for all the evil which we did to him." So they sent messengers to Joseph, saying, "Before your father died he commanded, saying, 'Thus you shall say to Joseph: "I beg you, please for...  Read More

The Workings of God – Chuck SwindollThe workings of God are not related to our clocks; they are related to our crises. That's why God doesn't care if this is the last day you can buy that car on sale. It doesn't bother God that it is the first day of summer or high noon or a quarter after seven or ten minutes to one in the morning. His timing is unrelated to Planet Earth's clock time. So while wai...  Read More

Who Am I? – Chuck SwindollGod does not call everybody to build temples. He calls some people to be soldiers. He calls some people to do the gutsy work in the trenches. He calls some people to compose and conduct music. God has all kinds of creative ways to use us—ways we can't even imagine and certainly can't see up there around the next bend in the road. One of the hardest things to hear is that ...  Read More

The Ride of Your Life – Chuck SwindollQueen Esther replied, “If I have found favor with the king, and if it pleases the king to grant my request, I ask that my life and the lives of my people will be spared. For my people and I have been sold to those who would kill, slaughter, and annihilate us. If we had merely been sold as slaves, I could remain quiet, for that would be too trivial a matter to ...  Read More

The Fog Is Lifting – Chuck SwindollSo the king and Haman went to Queen Esther’s banquet. On this second occasion, while they were drinking wine, the king again said to Esther, “Tell me what you want, Queen Esther. What is your request? I will give it to you, even if it is half the kingdom!” (Esther 7:1-2)Imagine swimming in a vast lake and getting three or four hundred yards offshore when suddenly...  Read More

An Answer to Prayer – Daily DisciplesToday's Reading: Judges 4; Luke 4:31-44Then he said, "O Lord God of my master Abraham, please give me success this day, and show kindness to my master Abraham. Behold, here I stand by the well of water, and the daughters of the men of the city are coming out to draw water. Now let it be that the young woman to whom I say, 'Please let down your pitcher that I ma...  Read More

The Beauty of a New DayBy Aaron D’Anthony Brown“Because of the Lord’s faithful love we do not perish, for his mercies never end. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness!” (Lamentations 3:22-23, CSB)I can attest to the relief that comes with waking in the morning with fresh anticipation for what the day has in store. The same relief that says goodbye to the anguish of yesterday and h...  Read More

Patience – Daily DisciplesToday's Reading: Exodus 19; Matthew 18:21-35Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, waiting patiently for it until it receives the early and latter rain. James 5:7I always cringe just a little (if not a lot) when I see the words "be patient." Not long ago we spoke at an event that had an i...  Read More

God Notices – Chuck SwindollThat night the king had trouble sleeping, so he ordered an attendant to bring the book of the history of his reign so it could be read to him. In those records he discovered an account of how Mordecai had exposed the plot of Bigthana and Teresh, two of the eunuchs who guarded the door to the king’s private quarters. They had plotted to assassinate King Xerxes. “What rew...  Read More

Daily Disciples: Move MountainsToday's Reading: Exodus 14; Matthew 17So Jesus said to them, "Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you. - Matthew 17:20The word "faith" has numerous definitions and interpretations. From the intellectual...  Read More

Daily Disciples: Listen and ObeyToday’s Readings: Numbers 3; Mark 3:20-35Then the word of the LORD came to Elijah: "Leave here, turn eastward and hide in the Kerith Ravine, east of the Jordan. You will drink from the brook, and I have ordered the ravens to feed you there." So he did what the LORD had told him. He went to the Kerith Ravine, east of the Jordan, and stayed there. The ravens brought h...  Read More

Praying rather than complainingJohn North“Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.” 1 Peter 5:6-7Instead of complaining, pray!It is so easy to feel very negative about many things in life. The news is full of reports that concern us and our own lives have many stresses, strug...  Read More

Results of Waiting – Chuck SwindollNow, even though what happened in the three days between chapters 4 and 5 is not recorded, don't think for a moment that God is whiling away His time, busy with other things. Remember, He may be invisible, but He is at work. That's the beauty of His invisibility. He can be moving in a thousand places at the same time, working in circumstances that are beyond our ...  Read More

Delivered by Prayer – Alistair BeggI know that through your prayers and the help of the Spirit of Jesus Christ this will turn out for my deliverance. Philippians 1:19Are there people in your life for whom you don’t pray because you think they don’t need it? With our limited human perspective, it can be easy to overlook those who appear on the outside to have it all together. But the truth is, we a...  Read More

Finding rest and peaceJohn North“Lifting up his eyes, then, and seeing that a large crowd was coming toward him, Jesus said to Philip, “Where are we to buy bread, so that these people may eat?” He said this to test him, for he himself knew what he would do. Philip answered him, “Two hundred denarii worth of bread would not be enough for each of them to get a little.” One of his disciples, Andrew, ...  Read More

I'm Available – Chuck SwindollLet's look at Haman. This guy hates Mordecai not just because he's a Jew, but because Mordecai will not bow down to him. So Haman talks the king into a game plan. "If you follow my rules, I will pour money into your treasury. All I ask is that you give me the right to rid the land of all these Jews." And so King Ahasuerus, believing Haman and ignoring the brutal genoc...  Read More

Adopted, Welcomed, LovedGreg LaurieThose who are dominated by the sinful nature think about sinful things, but those who are controlled by the Holy Spirit think about things that please the Spirit. (Romans 8:5 NLT)God wants His Spirit to permeate every area of your life: your thought life, your relationships, your work, and everything that you do. The apostle Paul wrote to the church in Ephesus, “...  Read More

A Prayer for God-Thoughts Day and NightBy Laura Bailey“Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.” - Romans 12:2 NLTOur lives are full of distractions. I sit down to read my Bible in the morning, but at the familiar buzz of my ph...  Read More

As He Planned – Alistair BeggWhat do you have that you did not receive? If then you received it, why do you boast as if you did not receive it? 1 Corinthians 4:7We call it by different names, disguising it in many ways—but jealousy is often one of the “tolerated” evangelical sins. You are unlikely to find it on a “Top Ten” list of sins that a pastor is warning his church against or mentioned very ...  Read More

God Will Call You Out of the BoatBy Jessica Van Roekel“But when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, ‘Lord, save me.’ Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him saying to him, ‘O you of little faith, why did you doubt?’” - Matthew 14:30-31, ESV.One of my daughters didn’t like it when I declared, “Let’s go on an adventure!” She was five and afraid of ...  Read More

Why We Should be Thankful for Unanswered Prayers (2 Peter 1:5-9)By: Jennifer Heeren“For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing me...  Read More

Mundane and Miraculous – Chuck SwindollWoven through the tapestry of this wonderful story we find at least three timeless lessons thus far. The first has to do with God's plan. The second has to do with God's purposes. And the third has to do with God's people.First, God's plans are not hindered when the events of this world are carnal or secular. God is at work. He's moving. He's touching lives. ...  Read More

A Prayer to Be a Humble ServantBy Christine Perry "Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross!" - Philippians 2:6-8 NIVT...  Read More

God at Work - Today's Insight“So if it please the king, we suggest that you issue a written decree, a law of the Persians and Medes that cannot be revoked. It should order that Queen Vashti be forever banished from the presence of King Xerxes, and that the king should choose another queen more worthy than she. When this decree is published throughout the king’s vast empire, husbands everywhere, wh...  Read More

Never Give Up through Unanswered PrayersBy: Lynette KittleThen Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. - Luke 18:1Some believe if you ask God once, you don’t need to ask Him again. However, Jesus taught His disciples to always pray and not give up (Luke 18:1). In one of His parables on prayer, Jesus proposed what you might do if a friend comes ...  Read More

Daily DisciplesToday's Reading: Revelation 19Today’s Thoughts: Signs of the TimesAfter these things I heard a loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, saying, “Alleluia! Salvation and glory and honor and power belong to the Lord our God! Revelation 19:1I can still remember sermons from 1979 when I first came to Christ. The Book of Revelation seemed like a Twilight Zone episode as I heard Pastor ...  Read More

Special People for Special Times – Chuck SwindollGod looks for special people at difficult times. God needed a special man to shine the light in the blackness of those days. But God didn't find him in the palace or the court. He didn't find him walking around with his head down in the school of the prophets. He didn't even find him in the homes of the ordinary people. God found him in Tishbeh, of ...  Read More

Look Up – Chuck SwindollSo Elijah went and found Elisha son of Shaphat plowing a field. There were twelve teams of oxen in the field, and Elisha was plowing with the twelfth team. Elijah went over to him and threw his cloak across his shoulders and then walked away. (1 Kings 19:19)Thanks to God's kind and gentle dealing, Elijah crawled out of the cave. "He departed from there." God graciously nurt...  Read More

Crawling by Faith (Hebrews 11:1)By: Lia MartinToday’s Bible verse is Hebrews 11:1 - Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.Have you read the Hall of Faith in Hebrews 11? It honors a diverse list of ordinary people who pleased God. By what amazing feat did they please the Creator of heaven and earth? By faith.While reading through this list today in Hebre...  Read More