Devote Yourselves to Prayer
Read: Colossians 1:1-8; 4:2-4 Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. (Col. 4:2 NIV) “Prayer today is the most neglected area in the life of the believer and in the life of the church.” Those are the words of Dr. J. Vernon McGee, a prominent Bible teacher, pastor, and theologian who ministered in the […]
The Sabbath Keeps Us
Read: Isaiah 30:12-17 In returning and rest you shall be saved. (v. 15) Today is the final devotion in our Sabbath series. The irony is not lost on me that as I write this, I’m using my Sabbath to finish in order to meet my deadline! It’s so easy to slip back into patterns of […]
Rehearsing Heaven
Read: Hebrews 4:1-11 So then, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God. (v. 9) The great Albert Einstein was traveling on a train from Princeton, New Jersey. When the conductor came through collecting tickets, Einstein grew frantic because he couldn’t find his ticket. The conductor reassured him. “Dr. Einstein, I’m sure you […]
Gaining a Wise Heart
Read: Psalm 90 So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom. (v. 12) Four thousand weeks. This is the amount of time human beings, on average, have on this earth (about 80 years). Some of us will get a bit more, others of us will get less. It’s […]
Learning to be Content
Read: Philippians 4:10-20 I have learned to be content with whatever I have. (v. 11 NRSV) If only . . . Do you ever find yourself thinking these two words? If only my child would behave, I’d be less stressed. If only I could get a raise, I’d enjoy my job more. If only I […]
We’re Not in Egypt Anymore!
Read: Deuteronomy 5:12-15 You shall remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the LORD your God brought you out from there with a mighty hand. (v. 5) You may recall from earlier in this devotional series that there are two places in the Bible where the Ten Commandments are recorded: […]
Time to Play?
Read: Luke 10:38-42 Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things. (v. 41) My work had piled up, so I brought it home. Suddenly my three-year-old daughter came running up and said, “Daddy, westle Abby!” I told her after my work was done, but she refused to take no for an answer. So […]
Feasting with the Bridegroom
Read: Luke 5:27-39 Can you make wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is with them? (v. 34) Most of us didn’t know each other, but here we were gathered around the dinner table in Anita’s home. As we ate by candlelight, there was much laughter and even some tears. A couple hours later, a group […]
Listening for God’s Voice
Read: 1 Kings 19:1-18 When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. (v. 13) One of the fundamental assumptions of the Bible is that God speaks. But just because God speaks does not guarantee we’re listening. And here’s the thing: we […]