Acts 12:1-18 Would the curse of Herod ever break? Rhoda shivered slightly in the midnight chill and tugged at her wrap with one hand while the other clutched a water pitcher. She navigated the room, stepping around the friends and family of her mistress who had gathered in the house to pray for Peter – …
Category: Devotionals for All Ages
New Year C.L.O.C.K.
Since 1989, a project has been underway to build a clock which will tick once a year for the next 10,000 years, move the century hand every 100 years and mark each millennium with a cuckoo appearance. The project, alternatively termed ‘10,000-Year Clock,’ ‘Millenium Clock,’ and ‘Clock of the Long Now’ aims to promote long-term …
The Great Shepherd Proclamation
Throughout scripture, we encounter Jehovah Rohi, the Lord Our Shepherd. Long before David penned the familiar verses of Psalm 23, Jacob acknowledged the mighty role which the Shepherd, the Stone of Israel played in the life of his son Joseph (Gen 49:24). The prophets Ezekiel and Isaiah delivered divine prophecies featuring Israel as the sheep …
Thank You (Even) For the Fleas
In her book, The Hiding Place, Corrie Ten Boom shares the harrowing tale of how she, her father and sister Betsie were arrested for harboring Jews from the Nazis in Holland. After weeks of solitary confinement, Corrie and Betsie reunited in a concentration camp where they were assigned to a flea ridden barracks. Their horror …
The Tenacious Faith of Israel’s Patriarchs Part II
Jacob’s heel grabbing in the womb was a foreshadowing of future events. First, he conned his brother Esau into selling his birthright for a bowl of stew (Gen 25:29-34). Then, when their father Isaac was old and blind, Jacob conspired with their mother Rebekah to trick Isaac into giving Jacob the blessing of the firstborn …
Continue reading The Tenacious Faith of Israel’s Patriarchs Part II
The Tenacious Faith of Israel’s Patriarchs Part I
We often hear about the Lord God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel. Today, I’d like to add Joseph to that illustrious list. Why? I believe he displayed the same type of tenacious faith which characterized the lives of his forefathers. Abraham waited until he was 100 years old before God’s great promise for his life …
Continue reading The Tenacious Faith of Israel’s Patriarchs Part I
Safe Refuge Part 3 – The Psalmists Club
“Sin whispers to the wicked, deep within their hearts. They have no fear of God at all. In their blind conceit, they cannot see how wicked they really are. Everything they say is crooked and deceitful. They refuse to act wisely or do good. They lie awake at night, hatching sinful plots. Their actions are …
A Safe Refuge Part II
Grace clicked out of the pop-up news article and turned away from her laptop with a sigh. She’d tried so hard to be brave after Mom told her Elijah’s story. She’d even tried to trust God with her fear and listen to Him for what to do. But if God was saying something to her, …
Speak it to Heal it
An excerpt from an article titled “Jacob and our wrestling match with God,” featured on the website Mishpacha reads as follows: “Like his grandfather before him, Jacob received a new name from God, symbolizing a transformation. Among the understandings of the name Israel are: One who wrestles with God [and] One who is straight (direct, …
The Just Judge
Text: 2 Samuel 13:1-29 When King David heard, he was very angry. And though Absalom never spoke to Amnon about this, he hated [him] deeply (vv21-22). The TV show American Greed catalogs stories of scams and schemes that leave trails of broken dreams and shattered lives in their wake. Although the perpetrators are often caught, …