Devotionals

Genesis 39:19-21; 41:50-52; 45:4-8; Proverbs 18:12; 1 Peter 1:3-9

"There lies the most perfect ruler of men the world has ever seen...[and] now he belongs to the ages."

Of whom was this said? One of the Caesars? No. Napoleon? No. Alexander the Great? No. Eisenhower? Patton? MacArthur...or some earlier military strategist like Grant or Lee or Pershing? No, none of the above. How about Rockne or Lombardi? No. Or Luther? Calvin? Knox? Wesley? Spurgeon? Again, the answer is no.

Leviticus 26:14, 18, 21, 27, 40-46; Luke 8:4-18; John 4:1-26; James 1:19

It is impossible to overemphasize the immense need humans have to be really listened to, to be taken seriously, to be understood. No one can develop freely in this world and find a full life without feeling understood by at least one other person....

Listen to the conversations of our world, between nations as well as those between couples. They are for the most part dialogues of the deaf.¹

Psalm 37:30-31; 119:9-16; Matthew 4:1-10

Genesis 2:2–3:15, 31:38–42; Colossians 3:22–25

I have just taken my Webster’s Dictionary off the shelf and looked up "thorough." He says it means “carried through to completion, careful about detail, complete in all respects.”

1 Corinthians 15:50–58

One evening my wife and I were enjoying a quiet conversation together. We were sipping some fresh-perked coffee, the house was unusually still, and there were no plans to go anywhere that evening. You know, one of those priceless moments you wish you could wrap up and reserve for later use when it’s really needed again. 

Philippians 2:1–2

As we discussed in Part One, Martin Luther, hero of the Protestant Reformation, was a maverick, a classic shaker and mover. Alone...independent...invincible. He needed no one but God to lean on.

Or did he? 

Is that true of any “hero”? 

Mark 10:35-45

Up-front heroes are often seen as being larger than life. Overstated. That’s unfortunate. 

Romans 5:3-5

Romans 8:28-30

Ever felt sorry for certain Scriptures? I sure have. I’m talking about passages like John 3:17, Hebrews 4:13, 1 John 1:10, and Philippians 4:14. Great verses, all...yet the popularity of their next-door neighbours has resulted in their being virtually ignored. 

Colossians 3:1–17

As I mentioned yesterday, as stimulating and invigorating as change may be—it is never easy. And when it comes to certain habits that haunt and harm us, change can be excruciating. But it isn’t impossible.