Category: DEVOTIONALS

  • BEING GOOD AT WHAT MATTERS

    Connect The TestamentsJudges 20:1-21:25; Philippians 4:21-23; Psalm 7:1-20 Though prayer is important, it’s an area of our faith lives that we often neglect. But people of great faith in the Bible relied on prayer—and not just for difficult situations. From general direction to specific details, they turned everything over to prayer. God spoke to them…

  • THE GRACE SCANDAL

    Reflections on Hosea I’m learning that grace is not like glory. Grace applies in all moments, all postures. It doesn’t wait for anything. Where there is darkness, there can also be grace. Though glory may require acknowledgment, grace can stand quietly in the shadows. The book of Hosea portrays a wonderful picture of grace: “Then…

  • MORNING & EVENING

    It is well there is One who is ever the same, and who is ever with us. It is well there is one stable rock amidst the billows of the sea of life. O my soul, set not thine affections upon rusting, moth-eaten, decaying treasures, but set thine heart upon him who abides for ever…

  • OLD, WISE, AND DESPERATELY IN NEED OF GOD

    Connect The TestamentJudges 18:1-19:30; Philippians 4:10-20; Psalm 71:1-24 Sometimes we expect that we’ll naturally grow in faith as we grow older. We tend to see elderly people as those who have been molded and shaped by life—rock-solid in their faith and untapped sources of wisdom. That, or we speed around them in the grocery aisle,…

  • MEETING GOD

    Reflections on Daniel As we know from the book of Daniel, God watches over his people. We can take comfort in the fact that his wisdom far exceeds our own (Dan 2:20–22). But in the midst of difficult circumstances, it can be challenging to remember that God is always near. April 11 came and went.…

  • MORNING & EVENING

    The whole system of Christianity rests upon the fact that “Christ is risen from the dead;” for, “If Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain: ye are yet in your sins.” The divinity of Christ finds its surest proof in his resurrection, since he was “Declared to…

  • SUCCESS DECEIVES

    Connect The TestamentsJudges 15:1-17:13; Philippians 4:2-9; Psalm 69:18-70:5 When leaders come to power, there are always people who become insistent on stopping them. It’s incredible how easy it is for people to justify envy or hatred for authority figures. Most of us have made the offhand remark, “I hate that guy.” And in those words,…

  • GOD, NEAR AND FAR

    Reflections on Ezekiel Today we often take our church buildings for granted; but in Ezekiel’s day, the temple was a big deal. The temple served as God’s earthly dwelling place, representing his presence among his people. Because of the people’s disobedience and idolatry, however, God removes his glory from the temple (Ezek 10:1–22). Yet in…

  • MORNING & EVENING

    All the goodness of the past, the present, and the future, Christ bestows upon his people. In the mysterious ages of the past the Lord Jesus was his Father’s first elect, and in his election he gave us an interest, for we were chosen in him from before the foundation of the world. He had…

  • BEYOND REGRET

    Connect The TestamentJudges 13:1-14:20; Philippians 3:21-4:1; Psalm 69:1-17 I’ve excelled at regret. When I’ve dwelt on the wrongs I committed against other people and my offensive rebellion against God, I lost my focus. It’s difficult to be confident in our righteousness through Christ when we go through these periods. In Philippians 3:12–14, Paul offers both…