SPECIAL: TODAY! As Christians, we must live a day at a time. No person, no matter how wealthy or gifted, can live two days at a time. God provides for us “day by day” as we pray to him (Luke 11:3). He gives us the strength we need according to our daily requirements. We must not make the mistake of trying to “store up grace” for future emergencies, because God gives us the grace we need when we need it. When we learn to live a day at a time, confident of God’s care, it takes a great deal of […]

Following Where He Leads Read: 1 Kings 19:19–21 Then [Elisha] set out to follow Elijah and became his servant. 1 Kings 19:21 As a child, I looked forward to our church’s Sunday evening services. They were exciting. Sunday night often meant we got to hear from missionaries and other guest speakers. Their messages inspired me because of their willingness to leave family and friends—and at times, homes, possessions, and careers—to go off to strange, unfamiliar, and sometimes dangerous places to serve God. Like those missionaries, Elisha left many things behind to follow God (1 Kings 19:19–21). Before God called him […]

Load Line Read: 1 Peter 5:5-9 Humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you. —1 Peter 5:6-7 In the 19th century, ships were often recklessly overloaded, resulting in those ships going down and the crews being lost at sea. In 1875, to remedy this negligent practice, British politician Samuel Plimsoll led the charge for legislation to create a line on the side of a ship to show if it was carrying too much cargo. That “load line” became known as the […]

Prescription For Anxiety Read: Psalm 55:4-23 Cast your burden on the Lord, and He shall sustain you; He shall never permit the righteous to be moved. —Psalm 55:22 According to a Wall Street Journal report, anxiety has overtaken depression as the leading mental health problem in the United States. Anxiety-fighting drugs are now the top-selling pharmaceutical products. Even with a booming economy and political stability, worry and apprehension remain part of our human condition—one that can never be adequately relieved by a pill. When David composed Psalm 55, his mind was agitated by the same types of situations we struggle […]

Consider Your Ways! Read: Haggai 1:1-11 Thus says the Lord of hosts: “Consider your ways!” —Haggai 1:7 How long has it been since you read Haggai? If you’re like me, it’s been a while. Why not take a few minutes and read all 38 verses of this book. Look for the word consider. It occurs four times (1:5,7; 2:15,18). God spoke through Haggai to the Israelites who had returned from exile. He said, in effect, “Think about it. You don’t have enough to eat. Your clothes don’t keep you warm. You’re not prospering. I have commanded you to rebuild My […]

Peace In The Storm Read: Psalm 37:1-11 Commit your way to the Lord, trust also in Him, and He shall bring it to pass. —Psalm 37:5 During a terrible storm on the ocean, a small passenger ship rolled precariously in the roaring tempest. The furniture and anything else that could move was tied down, and the passengers were confined to their bunks for their own safety. Many on board thought the vessel was doomed. Finally, a passenger who was determined to find out if there was any hope for survival set out to see the one who was in command. […]

Doughnut Holes and Dots Read Psalms 104:1-15 Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits. Psalm 103:2 As a minister was addressing a group of men, he took a large piece of paper and made a black dot in the center of it. Then he held up the paper and asked them what they saw.One person replied, “I see a black mark.” “Right,” the preacher said. “What else?” Complete silence prevailed. “I’m really surprised,” the speaker commented. “You have completely overlooked the most important thing of all—the sheet of paper.”We are often distracted by small, dot-like […]

Deep Water Read: Psalm 69:13-18 The builders of sport utility vehicles (SUVs) like to show us their products in mind-boggling situations. High on a mountain crag, where no truck could seemingly go. Or in a swamp so impassable you’d need a hovercraft to negotiate it. We’re supposed to think that SUVs are invincible. That’s why I found unintended humor in the disclaimer in a recent ad for a four-wheel-drive SUV. A photo showed the vehicle up to its headlights in water as it forged across a foreboding river. The ad said: “Traversing deep water can cause damage, which voids the […]

God Has a Plan for Your Life BIBLE MEDITATION: “…let us run with patience the race that is set before us.” Hebrews 12:1 DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT: God has a plan for my life, and God has a plan for your life. Do you know God’s plan for your life? I don’t care whether you’re nine or ninety, man or woman, rich or poor, God has a plan for your life! God has a race He wants you to run! And the Bible says you’re to run the race that is set before you. ACTION POINT: Have you ever taken time to […]

What Cancer Can’t Do Read: 1 Corinthians 15:35-49 Thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. — 1 Corinthians 15:57 One of the most dreaded sentences a patient can hear is, “You have cancer.” These words bring a chill to the heart. Although great progress is being made in treating this disease, recovery can be long and painful, and many people do not survive. An enthusiastic believer in Christ, Dan Richardson, lost his battle with cancer. But his life demonstrated that even though the physical body may be destroyed by disease, the spirit can […]