Praise Brings Peace

Read  Psalms 110:1 through 118:29 God can soothe our wounded spirits when we praise Him. This is a true mystery. Suffering may pierce us with financial reversal, spousal abandonment, debilitating sickness, and other devastations. We may find ourselves tossed into uncharted territory; even Christians can experience emotional numbness, not knowing how to proceed. While waiting for direction we can choose …

Constant Faithfulness

Read  Psalms 71:1–24; 89:1–52 God’s faithfulness is the secure foundation we walk on. It is the reason we can go on singing when our earthly expectations are dashed on the rocks below us. God established His faithfulness in heaven, a place not subject to change. Throughout the psalms, songs of God’s faithfulness were sung by people who declared Him to …

Wanting to Escape

Read  Psalms 55:1–23; 58:1–11 Have you every wanted to run; to drop everything and make a break for a quiet place, or a safe place, or anyplace for that matter? You’re not alone. What a comfort it is to find one of the greatest heroes of the Bible expressing that same common desire to escape. King David was walled in …

A Fragrant Reminder

Read  2 Corinthians 1:1 through 7:16 The morals of our society have slipped to a rock-bottom low. This is apparent to anyone familiar with popular entertainment; people pay to watch others saying and doing things that dishonor God, and go on in their daily lives to imitate the sinful patterns they have seen. When they are constantly surrounded by the …

Your Defender

Read  Psalms 24:1 through 26:12 Walking onto the playground was not something Josh wanted to do. Every day that week a couple of boys picked on him, shoving him around and calling him names. He hated being bullied. If I were as big as they are, they would leave me alone, he thought to himself. The problem was, he wasn’t …

Sin is Messy

Read  1 Corinthians 5:1 through 7:40 One evening Justin, David, and Benjamin decided to help their father get rid of the broken washing machine. They disconnected the electrical cord and water hoses, and drained and removed it to make room for the new machine. However, the next morning, they woke up to a wet floor that extended from the laundry …

Friends Like Rivers

Read  Job 5:1 through 8:22 Carter and Anne took annual trips to Yosemite every May. In May the waterfalls are at their peak and the most breathtaking. God’s splendor is exhibited in nature. This year, a combination of rains and warm weather melted the ice pack at the waterfall tops, and the overflowing water cascaded into the valley forcing tourists …

Overdue Spring Cleaning

Read  Nehemiah 11:1 through 13:31 “Look, Jerry,” Dave said, as they explored the education wing of their church building one Saturday. “This room is big enough for a Sunday School class, but it’s filled with so much junk that I can barely open the door.” Jerry agreed. “Paint is peeling, the ceiling is stained, and the carpet is filthy. We …

Change Isn’t Easy

Read  Ezra 1:1 through 2:70 Almost fifty years had passed since Jerusalem had fallen and its inhabitants had been taken captive to Babylon. A new generation with few, if any, memories of Jerusalem was settled in Babylon. When King Cyrus decreed that they could return to Jerusalem, some may have had questions and doubts. Why should they uproot their families …

Blessings of Obedience

Read  Luke 11:14–36 “Blessed . . . are those who hear the word of God and obey it” (Luke 11:28). Jesus taught frequently about obedience. In today’s passage, He reiterated the message from Luke 8:19–21 regarding His mother and brothers. Those who “hear the word of God and obey it” can have a personal relationship with Jesus and be part …