Daily Devotionals

Genesis 21:1-2

God isn’t in a hurry, so He didn’t have a problem waiting a quarter century before fulfilling His promise and allowing Abraham and Sarah to conceive. Who knows why He waited that long? It was His call; His timing is perfect. Personally, I believe Abraham would not have been ready any earlier. Abraham needed spiritual maturity, so the Lord waited.

Genesis 20:2

Genesis 19:1

When God paid His visit to Sodom and Gomorrah, these twin cities controlled a lush, fertile valley through which ran the Jordan River. These two population centres were the economic hub for everyone living at the southern end of this valley, and their wealth probably contributed to the beauty of their architecture and art. Still, their immorality had become notorious, even among pagan, idol-worshipping communities outside the valley. A thin veneer of beauty shielded the uninformed eye from the cities’ true natures.

Genesis 18:20, 23-24

Like many people, I approached prayer simplistically when I first learned how to pray. Ask God for what you want. If you ask Him correctly or impress Him sufficiently, He just might grant your request. Or not. Who really knows? But as I learned more about prayer, I discovered that much of my thinking had been clouded by misunderstandings prevalent in popular culture.

Genesis 17:2

Nearly 25 years had passed since the Lord first spoke to Abram in Ur. Since then, his spiritual roots had pushed deep into the soil of faith in his God. At long last, he trusted in the Lord’s promise and rested in His sovereign will. He was now capable of receiving the covenant blessings.

Genesis 17:1

Thirteen years passed, and Abram didn’t hear anything from God. There was no vision. There was no voice. There was no visit. Only silence. Try to imagine: complete silence on God’s part for 13 years.

Genesis 16:2

2 Corinthians 6:14-18

As a pastor, I often get asked questions regarding God’s will. Let’s consider four of the more common ones. 

Philippians 2:12-13

Want to know God’s will for your life? Let me ask you to stop, look, and listen. God makes His desires known to those who stop at His Word, look in with a sensitive spirit, and listen to others. When we go to His Word, we stop long enough to hear from above. When we look, we examine our surrounding circumstances in light of what He is saying to our inner spirit (perhaps you prefer to call this your conscience). And when we listen to others, we seek the counsel of wise, qualified people. 

1. Stop at the Scriptures 

Hebrews 6:17-18

I confess to you, at times I’ve doubted God’s purpose and promise. I say that to my own embarrassment. When things hadn’t worked as I thought they would, when I received a no instead of a yes or a yes instead of a no as an answer to prayer, when I couldn’t unravel a situation and fit it with the character of God...those have been times when I’ve said, “I know down inside this isn’t right.”