Daily Devotionals

Ephesians 3:14, 16

If you haven’t read yesterday’s reading, I’d like to ask you to do that. It’s crucial that you understand that God has given Christians an extra inner reservoir of power that is more than a match for the stuff life throws at us. In the verses we studied yesterday (Philippians 4:13; 2 Corinthians 12:9; Ephesians 3:14, 16; 2 Peter 1:4; 1 Corinthians 10:13), it’s called several things: strength, power, divine nature, ability.

So, if we have this miraculous ability, why do we struggle so?

Let’s get specific.

Hebrews 10:35-39

Mark 4:1–25

As you waved goodbye to your friends at church last Sunday, what mental darts were left stuck in the target of your thinking?

Can you remember those pointed challenges from the man who stood before you with Bible in hand? How many hours have passed since you sat there, opening your ears and heart to counsel from God’s always-relevant Book? A few dozen maybe?

1 Peter 3:15

Tom Skinner, the gifted black evangelist, penned a book with a title that won’t let me go: 

If Christ Is the Answer,
What Are the Questions?

I like that...not only because it’s creative, but because it strikes a chord in my soul that harmonizes well with the voices of many searchers in society.

John 7:1–14

As we’ve been discussing, there are certain times when it’s necessary to keep quiet, to relax, to back off. Intensity often leads to futility. Like the little boy who plants the seed and then nervously digs it up every day to see if it is growing. Waiting is as necessary as planting and fertilizing.

Ecclesiastes 3:1–8

Kids are nutty.

Some friends of ours in Texas have two little girls. The younger child is constantly on the move, rarely winding down by bedtime. So the nightly affair has become something of a familiar routine. A story from her favourite book. A drink of water. A prayer. A song. Her doll. Another drink of water. A kiss. A hug. A third sip of water. A trip to the bathroom. A warning. Another kiss. You know, the whole bit.

Romans 15:1–7

Nobody is a whole chain. Each one is a link. But take away one link and the chain is broken.

Nobody is a whole team. Each one is a player. But take away one player and the game is forfeited.

Nobody is a whole orchestra. Each one is a musician. But take away one musician and the symphony is incomplete.

Nobody is a whole play. Each one is an actor. But take away one actor and the performance suffers.

Nobody is a whole hospital. Each one is a part of the staff. But take away one person and it isn’t long before the patient can tell.

1 Samuel 3:1–10

We’ve been talking about the essential skill of listening, particularly as it relates to Sunday sermons. I asked you to come up with some ideas on what can be done by the listener (not the preacher) to keep the sermon interesting. Let’s consider together how we could improve our listening skills. I’m indebted to Haddon Robinson, a Ph.D. in the field of communication, for these four “don’ts” that are worth remembering.

Deuteronomy 18:17-19

Most of us were born hearing well, but all of us must learn to listen well. Listening is a skill, an art that is in need of being cultivated.

Proverbs 12:17–23

Let’s Label.

That’s a favourite parlour game among Christians.

The rules are easy to remember. Any number can play. But it’s especially appealing to those who are given to oversimplification and making categorical comments. Name-droppers thrive on this game. And it helps if you speak with a measure of authority...looking somewhat pious and pronouncing your words very distinctly, very dogmatically. You’ll gain stature in the group if you look down and frown a little as you affix the label to the person in question.