Over the past few weeks, we've begun a series of devotions based on the Exodus wanderings of the Children of Israel, and their tragic mistakes which we can learn from and avoid. One powerful influence common to their failures was fear.
...continue reading this Christian devotionalHistorian Shelby Foote tells of a soldier who was wounded at the battle of Shiloh during the American Civil War and was ordered to go to the rear. The fighting was fierce and within minutes he returned to his commanding officer. "Captain, give me a gun!" he shouted. "This fight ain't got any rear!"
...continue reading this Christian devotionalAfter being on the road for months on end, I finally got to sleep in my own bed this week! And boy, it sure was nice! We're still dealing with jet lag, but isn't it always great to get home? Well, if it’s that nice to get to our earthly homes after a long journey, can you imagine what it's going to be like to get to our glorious eternal home? I want to share the following illustration a friend sent me. I believe it will truly bless you.
...continue reading this Christian devotionalDoesn't it seem like just when we get that much needed breakthrough, suddenly the enemy comes to attack? In this passage we read how the Philistines heard that David was anointed King and quickly assembled together to seek and destroy him. And what does David do? Does he become fearful? No. Does he hide? No! David goes out to meet them!
...continue reading this Christian devotionalOn late Friday evening as terrorist attacks broke out in Paris, I couldn't help being reminded of a story that took place in World War 2.
...continue reading this Christian devotionalSome experts believe that acute stress can provoke changes in the heart that may lead to death. In one study, fifteen cases were identified in which people died after a physical assault, even though the injuries alone were not enough to kill them. Eleven of the fifteen showed a type of heart-cell death, similar to a reaction in experimental animals that feel helpless to anticipate or avoid danger.
...continue reading this Christian devotionalCarl Armerding wrote a funny story in Moody Monthly, about his experience at the zoo. "As I stood there," he said, "an attendant entered the cage through a door on the opposite side. He had nothing in his hands but a broom.
...continue reading this Christian devotionalA missionary in the New Hebrides Islands, described his experience with God's divine angelic protection. Hostile natives surrounded his mission headquarters one night, desiring to kill him and his wife and burn the place down. All through that terror filled night, they prayed that God would deliver them from this evil. When daylight came they were amazed to see the natives leave, looking frustrated.
...continue reading this Christian devotionalYears ago, a young sailor went to sea for the first time. Not long after setting sail his ship encountered a heavy storm and the sailor was commanded to go aloft and trim the sails. About three quarters of the way up, the young sailor made the mistake of looking down. The roll of the ship combined with the tossing of the waves made for a frightening experience. The young man started to lose his balance. At that moment, an older sailor underneath him shouted, "Look up, son! Look up!" The young sailor did as he said -- he looked up, and regained his balance.
...continue reading this Christian devotionalPerhaps this Scripture just hit me harder when I read it, living here in Israel under the circumstances but I believe there is a word for all of us here.
...continue reading this Christian devotionalAs we continue our study of the Mighty Men of David, another quality is worth pointing out -- they were not procrastinators. Notice that these men decided to cross the Jordan river when it was at flood stage! They didn't wait till the river receded, but rather, boldly crossed when it was the most dangerous!
...continue reading this Christian devotionalIn Israel, we often see goats and sheep roaming the countryside. Driving through rural Israel often involves suddenly stopping to allow a herd of sheep or goats to cross the road. But interestingly, I have never seen "sheep kill" on the side of the road in all the years that I've lived in Israel. It's because sheep don't roam without a shepherd!
...continue reading this Christian devotionalPsalms 107:29 He maketh the storm a calm, so that the waves thereof are still. Richard Wurmbrand, a Romanian Jewish Believer and an amazing man of God, spent 14 years in communist prisons where he was tortured brutally for his ... continue reading
...continue reading this Christian devotionalDuring the building of the Golden Gate Bridge over San Francisco Bay, construction fell badly behind schedule because several workers had accidentally fallen from the scaffolding to their deaths. Engineers and administrators could find no solution to the costly delays.
...continue reading this Christian devotionalFailure is never a pleasant feeling. It isn’t enjoyable to lose a job, see a relationship falter, or fail a test. But the disappointment we feel when we face defeat can be turned to joy if we look at it the right way!
...continue reading this Christian devotionalThe world these days is full of bad news, with tensions growing in the Middle East, economies on the brink of collapse, and nature constantly adding to the chaos with one disaster after another. It's a time of trouble all right, and for us believers it may sometimes be hard to believe – but it never is as bad as it seems. Let me illustrate with a joke I like to share with my messages.
...continue reading this Christian devotional