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Christian Devotional – September 27, 2023
The Savior Comes, Day 25 Keep watch. Read Matthew chapter 25. This chapter is full of stories that we have heard many times. However, it’s interesting to remember that all of them are in the context of the second coming of Christ. They all are about that point when Jesus will return, how he will return, and what he will we will do when he returns. Interestingly, we are still reminded that we must watch and be ready for his return. When we are watching for it, there is a level of anticipation and excitement. It’s not just casually watching. It’s watching expectantly, waiting for it to happen. What do…
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Christian Devotional – July 16, 2023
Through Suffering, Day 28 Only be slaves to God. Read 2 Peter 2:17-22. As Peter continues to remind the people that they must stay away from sin, we see this verse even more clearly explain the negative impact of being involved in sin. The question becomes, what are we allowing to master us? When we are being driven and controlled by the sin in our lives, we allow sin to be our master and we are it’s slave. We should not be a slave to anything except for God himself. That is who our master is. Are we allowing anything else to take that place? If we are, then we…
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Christian Devotional – July 5, 2023
Through Suffering, Day 17 Eager to serve. Read 1 Peter 5:1-4. We see two truths about leadership in these verses today. Leadership must be something that we are eager and volunteering to do. Sometimes, there can be some reluctance or hesitancy, and that’s okay. However, we are to truly want to help the people that we are serving. Which brings us to the second point. Leadership is service. We are to be serving the people that we are helping to lead. As we think about our leadership, first off, are we leading ourselves? That can be the most difficult person to lead at times, and we must start there. Are…
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Christian Devotional – June 15, 2023
The Journey of Ruth, Day 6 The legacy. Read Ruth 4:18-22. As we come to the end of the book of Ruth, we see the legacy. Ruth’s decisions and her obedience in all the choices she made that led up to that point, we see the culmination here in how God used her to build a legacy that led to a king that was a man after God’s own heart. When we think about the choices that we make, do we recognize that each and every choice leads us down a path that will ultimately result in the legacy that we leave to those behind us. God desires our obedience,…
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Christian Devotional – June 14, 2023
The Journey of Ruth, Day 5 God hasn’t abandoned us. Read Ruth 4:13-17. God continues his miraculous working in the life of Ruth and Naomi. Not only did he provide a kinsman redeemer who was willing to accept Ruth but he also allowed Ruth to have a son. Such a sign of blessing in the life of Ruth and Naomi after all they have been through! We are never abandoned by God. We may go through seasons of our life when we struggle to see his purpose and plan, or where we don’t feel his presence, but that does not change the truth of who God is and what God…
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Christian Devotional – June 13, 2023
The Journey of Ruth, Day 4 It’s all about me. Read Ruth 4:1-11. There is so much in this book of Ruth, but especially in this last chapter. We’ll start through the first 11 verses today. Here, we see Boaz negotiating who was going to redeem Naomi’s husband’s property. Originally, the first man was interested in it, until he found out that it included a wife. At that point, he was not as interested in the property anymore because he was concerned with how the wife might impact his personal property. When we are evaluating what God’s will is for our life, are we looking at it only in terms…
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Christian Devotional – June 12, 2023
The Journey of Ruth, Day 3 Please save me. Read Ruth chapter 3. The time has come for Ruth to ask Boaz for help. Naomi orchestrates the entire event, knowing what needs to happen and how she believes Boaz will respond. She gives Ruth specific direction, and Ruth follows it exactly. And then the moment comes. Boaz asks who are you, with the implied question of what are you doing here? Ruth answers. She tells him who she is and asks him for the help that she needs. Oftentimes, we do not like to admit our need for help. Especially in the American culture, independence is a valued and prized.…
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Christian Devotional – June 11, 2023
Journey of Ruth, Day 2 Boaz meets Ruth. Read Ruth chapter 2. Ruth had made a conscious decision in the chapter before to not be swayed, but to be obedient to the calling that God had for her life. She went forward with that calling and came back with Naomi. Now, she has been introduced to Boaz, the owner of the field. Boaz recognizes in her the obedience and he gives her a blessing based upon her obedience. When we are seeking to be obedient, it’s often not easy. We often struggle with understanding that obedience and knowing what we couldn’t or could do. Or, like we mentioned last time,…
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Christian Devotional – June 8, 2023
Book of Revival, Day 34 Why did Moses die? Read Deuteronomy chapter 34. As we come to the end of Deuteronomy, we find the death of Moses. However, what was the cause of death? According to scripture, there was nothing physically wrong with Moses. He was in good health through the 120 years of his life. So why did he die? The answer is that he had fulfilled his purpose and God took him home. So often, we look to understand why people die. Some people die very early in life and others die much later. Some people die as a result of health issues and others die as a…
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Christian Devotional – June 7, 2023
Book of Revival, Day 33 Where do we rest? Read Deuteronomy chapter 33. As Moses is concluding his message, he starts saying blessings on all of the tribes of Israel. When he comes to Benjamin, he indicates that those who are beloved of the Lord should rest securely in him. While this was specifically a blessing for the tribe Benjamin, the same applies to us in many ways today. We who are the beloved of the Lord can rest securely in him. God is always in control of everything and we know that he can do all things. We can always rest in him. Are we resting in him today?