Daily Devotionals

The word formed literally means "originated or created." 

God reached into my life when I was merely a tiny embryo and began to shape me within. He originated me. He began to put me together while I was still in the soft silence of my mother's womb. It was there my "inward parts" were originated by God....

Do you know what I've discovered about the Lord? He doesn't give wisdom on credit. He doesn't advance you a bundle of insight.... Do you know when He gives us words and wisdom and insight? 

Right when we need them. At the very instant they are required.

Among Christians, a favourite verse of Scripture is Romans 8:28:

And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.

The tyranny of the urgent will always out-shout the essential nature of the important...if we let it. 

We have to determine not to let that happen. The secret is establishing personal priorities. I have suggested four:

In the depths of every person's soul, in the secret chambers where no one else knows the thoughts, we are usually able to find a worry or two or three. Even in the hearts of those who are laughing and smiling.

We worry about death—our own or that of a loved one. We worry about disobedience and sin, about feelings of guilt. We worry about daily problems—people problems, decision problems, problems related to work, home, relationships, finances, school...

You name it, we worry about it....

Proverbs 4:11

Proverbs 21:21

We've been programmed to think that fatigue is next to godliness. That the more exhausted we are (and look!), the more committed we are to spiritual things and the more we earn God's smile of approval.... As a result, we have become a generation of people who worship our work...who work at our play...and who play at our worship.

Hold it! Who wrote that rule? Why have we bought that philosophy? Whatever possessed someone to make such a statement? How did we ever get caught in that maddening undertow?

Proverbs 21:21

Proverbs 23:15

Let me make three practical suggestions to you who are parents:

First, determine your priorities. Ask yourself how high the family rates on your list of involvement. How are your children in particular—just how serious are you regarding time with each? Have you told them or your mate? . . .

Luke 12:15

Let's take a brief look at greed.

Practically speaking, greed is an inordinate desire for more, an excessive, unsatisfied hunger to possess. Like an untamed beast, greed grasps, claws, reaches, clutches, and clings—stubbornly refusing to surrender. The word enough is not in this beast's vocabulary.