Devotionals

Ephesians 5:1

Since most humans suffer from a lack of balance in their lives, our best counsel on living a steady and stable life comes from God’s Word. In Paul’s letter to the Christians in Ephesus, he includes this most unusual command: 

“Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children...” (Ephesians 5:1 NIV) 

Acts 1:8

It’s a cartoon I’ve smiled at again and again. 

There are two Inuit sitting on chairs, fishing through holes in the ice. The fella on the right has draped his line through your typical disk-like opening...about the size of a small manhole. 

The man on the left has his line in the water, too. He also waits calmly for a nibble. His hole, however, is more like a crater, a Rose Bowl-sized opening that reaches to the horizon—in the shape of a whale. 

Now that’s what I call vision. 

Luke 9:18

Now here’s a rhyme I’ll never understand: 

Pussy-cat, pussy-cat, where have you been? 
I’ve been to London to look at the queen. 
Pussy-cat, pussy-cat, what did you there? 
I frightened a little mouse under the chair.

Ephesians 5:21-6:4

If you are involved in church or religious activities to the point that your home life is hurting, you’re too involved—and you’re heading for trouble. Look at what you’re doing in the light of eternity. God is primarily interested in the quality, not quantity, of our spiritual fruit. He looks behind our hurry and hustle...to our motive, our inner purpose.

1 Corinthians 3:12–15

God has ordained and established three great institutions: 

    1. the home (Genesis 1:27–28; Ephesians 5:22–31) 
    2. the church (Matthew 16:18; Acts 2:41–47) 
    3. government (Romans 13:1–7) 

2 Corinthians 12:7-10

When it comes to physical healing, often confusion reigns. To combat it, I’d like to point out five “laws” of suffering. These “laws” will do more to help the hurting and erase their confusion than perhaps anything else they could read. Yesterday, we looked at laws one through four. Today we’ll look at number five.

Law Five: It is not God’s will that everyone be healed in this life. 

Matthew 9:35

“Have you heard of the Four Spiritual Laws?” 

That question, found in a small booklet, has been asked and answered thousands—perhaps millions—of times in our generation. These “laws” have been used by God to introduce His plan of love and forgiveness to countless numbers of people who had no idea how to have a meaningful relationship with Him. 

1 Kings 19:9–21

God often delivers His best gifts to us in unexpected ways...with surprises inside the wrappings. Through apparent contradictions. Somewhat like the therapy He used when Elijah was so low, so terribly disillusioned. 

Philippians 2:5-11

Tom Landry, the late head coach of the Dallas Cowboys, was once quoted as saying something like this: 

“I have a job to do that is not very complicated, but it is often difficult: to get a group of men to do what they don’t want to do so they can achieve the one thing they have wanted all their lives.” 

Philippians 4:11–13

What a beautiful scene in the soul is Lake Contentment! Undisturbed by outside noises brought on by the jackhammers of exaggeration, those who enjoy the lake know what relaxation is all about. They know nothing of any winter of discontent—or spring or fall or summer, for that matter. Such an existence breeds security and happiness. 

Paul lived on that lake once he got his life squared away. He’s the one, remember, who wrote: