Daily Devotionals

2 Corinthians 12:7-9

His mother chose “Andrew” on March 15, 1767, when she gave birth to her son who grew into the independent-minded South Carolina rebel nicknamed “Old Hickory.”Andrew answered the call for soldiers to resist the British invasion when he was only 13. Shortly thereafter, he was taken prisoner. Refusing to black an enemy officer’s boots, he was struck with a sabre—Andrew’s introduction to pain.

Psalm 18:31–33, 35

The Cave of Adullam was no Holiday Inn Express.

It was a wicked refugee camp...a dark vault on the side of a cliff that reached deeply into a hill. Huddled in this clammy cavern were sixhundred outcasts—a mob ofdesperate down-and-outers. They came from all over and wound up huddled in themakeshift shelter, naturally carved in the side of acliff.

2 Corinthians 4:8–9, 13, 15

Galatians 4:4–5

For the longest time, I didn’t understand the new-car industry.

Hebrews 4:14–16

Trauma has been defined as “an injury (as a wound) to living tissue caused by an extrinsic agent ... a disordered psychic or behavioural state resulting from mental or emotional stress.”

Like potatoes in a pressure cooker, we understand the meaning of stress. A week doesn’t pass without a few skirmishes with those “extrinsic agents” that beat upon our fragile frames. They may be as mild as making lunches for our kids before 7:30 in the morning or as severe as a violent encounter with an assailant. Makes no difference. The result is “trauma.”

1 Samuel 3:2–5, 7

As technology continues to take over more of our lives, I find it increasingly more difficult to hear the still small voice of God through the din of culture. Cell phone notifications, laptop“dings,” and pop-up Internet ads create an almost deafening blast of society’s distractions.

That’s why I’m making a commitment every day to listen for God’s voice ... especially in a day when there are so many competing messages.

I’ve always enjoyed the story of how young Samuel, as a boy, first came to know of the presence of God.

Ecclesiastes 3:7

Kids can be nutty.

Some friends of ours have two daughters. They are now all grown up, but years ago, the younger child was constantly on the move, rarely winding down by bedtime.

Jude1:22–23

Tom Skinner, the gifted evangelist, penned a book with a title that won’t let me go: If Christ Is the Answer, What Are the Questions?

I appreciate that title ... not only because it’s creative, but because it seems to strike a chord with the voices of many searchers in society.

Romans 12:10–13

We live in an increasingly impersonal age. With cell phones and gadgets ruling the day, kids’ eyes glued to tablet screens, and endless hours being spent by people of all ages scrolling through social media, it seems there’s little need for face-to-face, personal interaction anymore.

Ephesians 2:8

Let’s label.

That’s a favourite game among Christians.

Anyone can play, but it’s especially appealing to those who are given to oversimplification. And it helps if you speak with a measure of authority. 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.

Labels vary. There are “temperament” labels. “She’s a choleric, poor thing ... married to a melancholic!”