Daily Devotionals

2 Corinthians1:3–4

Of all the letters Paul wrote, 2 Corinthians is the most autobiographical. In it, the great apostle lifts the veil of his private life and allows us to catch a glimpse of his humanity. He writes transparently about his frailties and needs. You need to read that letter in one sitting to capture the moving emotion that surged through his soul, his anguish and tears, including his feelings of inadequacy. Yet in all of that, Paul learned the purpose in suffering. So that he could comfort others.

Psalm 90:10–12

Strange creatures roam the land these days. Being efficient, diligent, and productive, they are remarkably impressive ... but beneath the surface, they are suffering from a miserable malady. Compulsivelydriven with an obsessive desire to achieve, these creatures give themselves to labour like alcoholics give themselves to booze.

Workaholics. People who consistently overdo it.

2 Timothy 4:5–8

These days the words “Let’s just quit” are household expressions. A marriage gets shaky and hits a few hard jolts—“Let’s just quit.” When a personal dream or goal in life is met with hurdles and hardship—both goal and dream are soon forgotten. Before long we begin to resemble Rome in its last days—a magnificent shell of outward, impressive stature...devoid of inner strength, soft and mushy at the core, desperately lacking in discipline and determination.

Romans 10:13–14

Romans 12:3–5

One of my favourite stories is about a group of children who couldn’t get along while playing in their clubhouse. So they decided to come up with a set of rules by which everyone could abide. Here they are:

Rule #1: Nobody act big!

Rule #2: Nobody act little!

Rule #3: Everybody act medium!

I love that! Sadly too many adults fail to keep the second rule.

Proverbs 6:6–11

Unless you’re living under a rock, you can’t deny the remarkable nature of our technological culture. No longer does a young man or young woman need to trek across the country, secure an expensive residence, and visit a vast university campus in a strange, faraway city in order to begin a college career. Thanks to distance learning, students can start and finish right from the comfort of their parent's basement.

Hebrews 10:24–25

Go, go, go, go! The demands on our time are relentless. There’s never a lull in “must do” requirements. Get it done, drop it off, finish that task. Answer that email! Send that text! Make that phone call!

But let’s take a few minutes to ponder a word that gets overlooked in the midst of a breakneck schedule. That simple word is ... encouraging.

John 13:16–17

Once upon a time life was simpler. There were struggles and problems, but they weren’t all that complex. Right fought against wrong in the main event, and not too many folks remained neutral. There was a clear, unmistakable line between winning and losing.

James 1:2–4

The hammer is a useful and handy instrument. It is an essential and helpful tool if nails are ever to be driven into place. Each blow forces them to dig deeper as the hammer’s head pounds and pounds.

Philippians 3:12–14

Are you an innovative person? Let’s take a test. I have Earl Nightingale to thank for this list of traits generally found in innovative people.