Daily Devotional

January 31, 2020

Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God. – 2 Corinthians 1:3-4

Fifteen-year-old Douglas had been feeling sick for several days. His temperature fluctuated between 103 and 105 degrees, ...

January 30, 2020

And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt? – Matthew 14:31

When I was in high school, I played on our football team. The week before we would go up against a particular team, a squad from our team would scrimmage us using plays that we expected the other team to use in our upcoming...

January 29, 2020

He saith unto him, Follow me. – John 21:19

Recently, I needed to make a left turn onto the street that takes me to my home. Sometimes that street is very busy, so I have to drive halfway across it, wait until traffic is clear, and then safely finish my left turn. This particular trip home from the grocery store was one of those times when ...

January 28, 2020

And David girded his sword upon his armour, and he assayed to go; for he had not proved it. And David said unto Saul, I cannot go with these; for I have not proved them. And David put them off him. – 1 Samuel 17:39

When I was in the military, I was issued weapons during basic training. One of the training exercises was to take my gun apart and...

January 27, 2020

And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left. – Isaiah 30:21

Recently my brother and his wife visited their son, who is working temporarily on a construction project in Kauai, Hawaii. It was their first visit to this island and they were...

January 26, 2020

Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. – 1 Corinthians 2:9

After my brother moved out of our home, he relocated to another town. From then on, when he came back to visit, it was a special event. On one of these occasions, he took my mom, my younger sister, and...

January 25, 2020

Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour. – 1 Peter 5:8

Growing up in the Midwest, I had never seen a live coyote, but that changed when we moved near the foothills in southern California. The first time I looked at one, I thought I was looking at a thin, scraggly, long-legged dog. They could frequently be...

January 24, 2020

Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life. – Proverbs 4:23

Recently when I was visiting my elderly father, I mentioned that our upcoming Sunday school lesson was on wisdom and asked if he had any “words of wisdom” for me. I have come to really value my father’s wisdom and reasoning, but naturally did not expect a deep philosophical ...

January 23, 2020

Enlarge the place of thy tent, and let them stretch forth the curtains of thine habitations: spare not, lengthen thy cords, and strengthen thy stakes. – Isaiah 54:2

Back in the mid-1950s, Harry Holt was a retired farmer and father of a large family in Creswell, Oregon. As a Christian, Harry was deeply interested in evangelism, and one night he and his wife, Bertha, went to hear a speaker from...

January 22, 2020

And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. – Romans 8:28

The expression “lose your shirt” often refers to a number of different types of losses, whether it be monetary, personal possessions, a business endeavor, or something else entirely. Generally speaking, you do not want to “lose your shirt.”

Several years ago, my son...