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