Daily Devotionals

Revelation 1:1-3; 3:11-12 

It was Ernest Hemingway who once said, "Time is the least thing we have of." And he was right. How quickly time passes—and how often we lament this. If only we could tack an extra 25 or 30 years on to the usual span. There is so much more we want to see, to celebrate, to do. So many places to go, so much to enjoy, to feel, to read, to talk about, to participate in, to encounter. Yet, for each of us, this thing called time is in such short supply.

Malachi 3:16-17

Call me sentimental, but some tunes really send me reeling. And nobody—I mean nobody—does it any better than Barbra Streisand. Her rendition of "The Way We Were" is pretty close to the ultimate in my book. Remember the words? 

"Memories...light the corners of my mind...." 

Philemon

"My treat!" Nice words to hear, huh? They have flowed into my ears from any number of places. At Thirty-One Flavors on a smoggy, stifling, sweltering August afternoon after I've ordered a double-decker pralines and cream, dark cone with a buddy. He digs deeper, faster. I start licking, smiling. Full of gratitude, I leave wondering why I ordered two scoops. We laugh. I say thanks.

Acts 20:25-38

A birth is always exciting. Yes, always. Whether it is your baby or someone else's, those first cries never fail to make our hearts flutter. Family ties are strengthened as new life extends the roots. Everybody moves in closer and smiles approvingly. What power little babies possess!

How have you responded to these temptations mentioned in yesterday's reading in your own life? Do you give things instead of giving yourself, your presence, your personal involvement?

Do you save your best for the workplace?
Do you deliver lectures rather than earning respect by listening and learning?
Do you demand perfection from those under your roof?
Do you try to find intimate fulfilment outside the bonds of monogamy?
Do you cultivate your family's spiritual appetite?

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Ephesians 6:4-8 

I don't often recommend a volume without reservation, but I think every man should read Temptations Men Face by Tom Eisenman. I'm not saying I agree with everything in it, or that you will, but his observations, insights, and suggestions are both penetrating and provocative. In fact, that book got me thinking about the top temptations fathers face.

Romans 6:6; 12:13

Conscience is our moral intuition. It's that part of us that passes judgment on our own state. And it takes away our confidence when something is sour or bad. It takes away our security when it is soiled.

"Let your conscience be your guide." You've heard that. You've said it. Wait a minute. Sometimes that's reliable. But a great deal depends on the condition of your conscience. What if your conscience is seared?

Matthew 9:10-12

"Physician. One upon whom we set our hopes when ill and our dogs when well," defines A. Bierce in The Devil's Dictionary.

Romans 1:18-20

When I was deep in the redwoods some time ago, I lay back and looked up. I mean really up. It was one of those clear summer nights when you could see forever. So starry it was scary. The vastness of the heavens eloquently told the glory of God. No words could adequately frame the awesomeness of that moment. One of my mentors used to say, "Wonder is involuntary praise." That night, it happened to me.

1 Corinthians 12:19-25

Pull a sheet of scratch paper out of your memory bank and see how well you do with the following questions: