Daily Devotion
April 13, 2026
Jeremiah 9:23-24 “Thus saith the LORD, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches: But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the LORD which exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the LORD.”
To glory in something means a sense of triumph or victory, to feel or express great pride, joy, or satisfaction regarding an achievement, an attribute, or a status. It’s usually accompanied by bragging or maybe by someone else pointing out our glory. But when people get glory, the Bible says in 1 Peter 1:24, “For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away”. In our world, movie stars, music stars, rich people, and others like athletes sometimes sit on thrones of glory: people are their fans, their name appears often in the news, and they sometimes live lavish lifestyles. The recent release of the Epstein files uncovered the filth that had been hidden behind the public glory of many men the world honored for years. Note the words, “And all the glory of man as the flower of the grass”. Earthly glory doesn’t last. But the Bible says we can receive glory that is eternal: 1 Peter 5:4, “And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away.” This is the glory that today’s verses reference. When we seek the glory that comes from God, it’s a heavenly glory unknown to the glory hounds of this world. Even though it might seem strange, the Bible says in Galatians 6:14, “But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world”. When we seek the glory of the cross of Jesus Christ, we are choosing a stance that sets us apart from anything this world sees as glorious. The world condemns our identity with Jesus, and we condemn this world’s pattern of glory. What becomes glory for us is a life that exalts the Lord, one that seeks not its own glory but the honor of Him who alone is worthy of such glory. And because God has not ordained us to glory in the things of this world, He gave us this promise: Romans 8:18 “For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.”
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April 12, 2026
Psalms 116:1-2 “I love the LORD, because he hath heard my voice and my supplications. Because he hath inclined his ear unto me, therefore will I call upon him as long as I live.”
This Psalm is part of what is known as the Egyptian Hallel, a group of Psalms traditionally sung at the close of the Passover meal. That means these very words were likely sung by our Lord and His disciples on the night He was betrayed. As they joined their voices together and spoke of their love for God, the time for the suffering of the cross was already drawing near. The words of this Psalm do more than express devotion: they quietly foreshadow the agony for Jesus that would unfold before the night was over. Just a few verses later, we read, “The sorrows of death compassed me, and the pains of hell gat hold upon me: I found trouble and sorrow.” Not long after singing this, Jesus entered into the Garden of Gethsemane, where His soul was “exceeding sorrowful, even unto death” (Matthew 26:38). There He cried out to the Father in deep agony, bearing the weight of what lay ahead. And all of it, every moment of sorrow, every drop of anguish, was for us. The opening words, “I love the LORD,” call to mind the great commandment: that we are to love God with all our heart, soul, and mind (Matthew 22:37). Yet when we are honest, we must admit that our love for the Lord often falls short. It wavers, it weakens, and it is sometimes crowded out by lesser things. But His love for us is faithful, perfect, and beyond full comprehension. From His side, it is difficult for us to grasp why He loves us at all. We bring nothing of value to Him. Even our best intentions are often followed by failure, disobedience, and forgetfulness. But from our side, the Psalm gives us a simple and profound reason for love: “I love the LORD, because he hath heard my voice.” He hears us. He listens. Despite our inconsistency, despite our wandering hearts, His ear is still inclined toward us. The language paints a tender picture—God bending low, as it were, giving His full attention, like a loving parent who quickly responds to the cry of a child. Because He hears, the Psalmist declares, “therefore will I call upon him as long as I live.” That is both a statement of devotion and a pattern for life. We pray because He listens. We continue because He is faithful. Our calling upon Him is not based on our worthiness, but on His faithful love for us. Our love for God, imperfect as it is, is rooted in the reality that He first loved us and continues to hear us. Even when we fail, His ear remains inclined toward His children. Bless the Lord, O my soul. And, all that is within me, bless His Holy Name.
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April 11, 2026
Psalms 77:7-9 “Will the Lord cast off for ever? and will he be favourable no more? Is his mercy clean gone for ever? doth his promise fail for evermore? Hath God forgotten to be gracious? hath he in anger shut up his tender mercies? Selah.”
Most of us can understand the words of today’s verses because we’ve been through times when we felt like God had forgotten us. We were still trusting, trying to do what was right, and praying for help. But there was no answer, no encouragement, and no matter how hard we tried to knock on heaven’s door, it all felt in vain. Maybe it was the death of someone dear to us, or a time of sickness for us or a loved one. Perhaps someone abandoned or betrayed us, or it could have been a time we were bound by an addiction or suffering from depression. But no matter what it was, all of us can tell a story of a time or times when we were so overwhelmed it seemed like the end of our world. The answer to all the questions in today’s verses concerning the feeling that God has forgotten us and let us down is a resounding NO! It’s just a season, a valley of trouble, but the Lord will faithfully bring us out. The Bible says in Psalms 30:5, “Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning”. We don’t know how long the night season we’re in will be, and while we are in it, we may be weeping, battling unbelief, and holding on for dear life. But morning will break, the dawn of a new day will arise, and joy will return because God never leaves us, never forsakes us, and never fails to bring us through and out of our troubles. A lot of these devotions are encouragements for troubled times, and maybe that’s because of the long valley Laura and I have been traveling through. But we get responses from a lot of people who are going through trials we can’t imagine, and they are looking to the Lord in faith, believing for the victory. The Bible says the devil is like a roaring lion, always on the prowl, looking for people to destroy. But our weeping is just for a period of time: It will be followed by joy, and in fact, in His presence, there is fullness of joy. Let’s claim our victories by faith, even if we can’t yet see the expected end. The Lord said in Jeremiah 29:11, “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.” Can you say, “Amen, let it be so!”
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April 10, 2026
Luke 22:31-32 “And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat: But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.”
Jesus spoke these words to Peter at their passover meal, right before He was arrested. It’s a sobering insight into the spiritual battle that rages against us, unseen by our eyes, but well known to our Lord. Satan had singled out Peter as someone he needed to destroy, perhaps because he had observed the boldness and tenacity of his faith, and also because he was often close to Christ in important moments. Satan already had his hooks into Judas, and Jesus said he wanted to sift Peter like wheat, meaning to crush and overthrow, and in this case, separate him from the Lord. The enemy is not playing games: He’s trying to kill, steal, and destroy God’s creation, and he is especially attacking those who belong to Christ. But I love the Lord’s words to Peter when He said, “I have prayed for thee”. We are not on our own in the battle with the wicked one, and the promise of God that comes to my mind here is Romans 8:31, “What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?” When Jesus spoke these words to Peter, He knew that in just a few hours, Peter would turn away from the Master, and even curse and deny that he even knew the Lord. God sees us in our weakest moments, times when we are far from His will and walking away from Him, and yet He is faithful in His love for us. He is determined and has purposed that we will overcome, and like Peter, that in the victory He brings us, we will help others who are fighting the fight of faith. It’s easy to label Peter as a traitor, a denier of Christ, and a failure as a disciple. But God gave him the keys to open the door of salvation to the Jews in Acts 2, and to the Gentiles in Acts 10. Despite Satan’s plans to crush him, God’s plans never failed, and Peter turned completely to the Lord as Christ had prophesied in today’s verse, “And when thou art converted”. The word for converted, “Epistrepho”, means to turn back, to return to the worship and will of God. The enemy is real, and his attacks are sometimes fierce; designed to crush us and separate us from our Lord. But Jesus is our intercessor, standing up for us, and the Holy Spirit will never fail us. By God’s grace and the power of the Holy Spirit, we will win this war.
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April 9, 2026
Matthew 5:16 “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.”
People can hear our declaration of faith, but they can’t see the faith. What they see, is what we do. If we live by faith, and our actions are in line with God’s Word, then what we do is a witness not only to what we believe, but to the One we serve. Today’s verse follows the words of our Lord, “Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel (basket), but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house”. We talk about being light to this dark world, we sing about it (This little light of mine), and we know we are called to tell others about the Savior. But without good works, our words fall on deaf ears. If we are not doing what is right after we’ve identified ourselves with Jesus, we are more damaging to the cause of Christ than if we didn’t say anything. Good works, doing justly or doing what is right, are the essence of our daily lives and are the foundation of our personal integrity. Integrity is the quality of being honest and having strong moral principles that you refuse to change. Someone said that integrity is doing what is right even if no one is watching. Jesus said our good works are our light, and when people see that light, it points them to God. Also, good works make better families, communities, neighborhoods, and nations because they provide a foundation of safety and trust that safeguards who we are, where we live, what we possess, and our personal liberties as citizens. While good works can’t save us, James 2:17 says,” Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone”. Almost all those serving time in jails and prisons are there because of their lawlessness. This is why we teach our children the Ten Commandments and instruct them in the truth of doing good. When we do what is right, saved or not, it’s a better life because our good deeds shelter us from the consequences of lying, cheating, stealing, and so on. Good works, doing what is right, is the evidence of our faith, and that evidence brings people to God. My prayer for myself today is, “Lord, help me to do what is right, even when it’s hard, because I know what I do speaks louder than what I say. Use me to point others to You. In Jesus’ Name”.
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April 8, 2026
2 Corinthians 4:18 “While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.”
In the verses that precede this one, Paul wrote about times we are troubled on every side, confused, and facing afflictions. In that light, if we look only at the things which are seen, the things that are in this present world around us that we see and experience, we can be discouraged. We might be tempted to think, “Is this all there is”? There are times when it’s hard to find joy and a good way forward. We can all get stuck in what seems to be seasons and cycles of sorrow and suffering. We have to make a conscious effort to turn our thoughts and attention, as this verse speaks about, to what we look at: Away from the problems, and to the One who will bring us deliverance. When our only reality is the here and now, some call that being realistic, and I’m not saying that we should ever deny the facts of this life. But by faith, at every moment and in every season, there’s another view that’s more real than the one we’re in: It’s a view of what we can’t see yet, but one that has lasting substance. The Bible sometimes uses the word “substance” for reality, as in Hebrews 11:1, “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen”. The substance and evidence of faith become our reality and our facts when we remind ourselves that whatever we are facing, whatever is afflicting us, is temporary. As some have said, their favorite phrase in the Bible is, “And it came to pass”. Steam and fog are real: they can be seen and experienced, but they soon dissipate. I just clicked the “confirm appointment” on a text message about another lung scan this Friday. That will be followed by a consultation with a Thoracic Surgeon. It’s hard for me to say, “Hallelujah, Praise the Lord” for this. But as a believer, I must do what I’m writing about here: I fasten my eyes and thinking on the facts that everything in this life, including the body I live in, is temporary. Jesus redeemed my soul, and He will redeem this body with one that’s glorified. The reality, the substance of this one now, is temporary. But I’m looking for and waiting for one that’s eternal. The time I have left to live in this one, what Paul called “The life that I now live in the flesh”, I will live for the glory of God. But it’s just for a little while. The best, the eternal one, is yet to come.
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April 7, 2026
Romans 11:33 “O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!”
In the preceding verses of this chapter, the Apostle Paul speaks about God’s big plan through the ages for the nation of Israel and the Gentiles, and sums it up with this verse of praise. Adam Clark commented on this verse, saying, “It is strange that, with such a scripture as this before their eyes, men should sit down coolly and positively write about counsels and decrees of God formed from all eternity, of which they speak with as much confidence and decision as if they had formed a part of the council of the Most High, and had been with him in the beginning of his ways!” The verse and the one that follows, “For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counsellor?”, are paraphrased from the Old Testament, and point us to God’s greatness in all His ways. Job said, in Job 11:7-8, “Canst thou by searching find out God? Canst thou find out the Almighty unto perfection? It is as high as heaven; what canst thou do? deeper than hell; what canst thou know?” God loves us and came to us in the person of Jesus Christ, a form we can understand. Yet He is unsearchable, and even as He reveals Himself to us in His Word, we have nothing to compare Him to and no way to understand His being. In an earthly sense, it would be like a toddler hanging out with a genius nuclear physicist. The toddler brings nothing to the table in understanding the realm of nuclear physics. We bring nothing to our relationship with God that helps Him or contributes to who He is. He is not becoming something, He is not on a personal journey, and we have nothing by which we can instruct Him or make Him better in any way. Our part in all of this creator/creation bond is just that we are what we are by the grace of God. God alone is the beginning and end of all that exists, and it is His will and purpose that is moving all creation to its culmination. Our purpose must be found in Him; in living created in His likeness and fulfilling His will. Like the toddler, we learn to trust the Lord because He is everything, and our past, present, and future are completely in His hands. When we consider Revelation 4:11, “Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created”, we get insight that whatever pleasure and goodness we receive, it is but a shared part of the primary purpose of creation: That is, all that exists is for God’s pleasure.
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April 6, 2026
Matthew 5:7 “Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.”
When we show mercy, we reflect the very heart of God. The Bible says in 1 Chronicles 16:34, “O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever”. Our Lord echoes this truth in Luke 6:36: “Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful.” In today’s verse, a part of the Beatitudes, Jesus puts mercy at the very center of His message. But Micah 6:8 opens the matter further. God does not just call us to show mercy; He calls us to love mercy. On this level, it isn’t about just being kind and nice to people, but it reaches to the depth that God reaches when He shows us His mercy. In our natural, unregenerate state, we want, and sometimes expect mercy for ourselves, yet are often reluctant to give it to others. We want forgiveness, patience, and compassion, but struggle to extend the same. That’s because mercy is not native to the human heart. It must be formed in us by the work of the Holy Spirit. When we have the power, or believe we have the right, to retaliate; yet choose compassion and forgiveness instead, we are walking in Mercy. When we are merciful, we do not seek revenge or pass judgment. We forgive though we have been wronged. It is not just being polite or generous; it is a costly grace. True mercy gives up something real: our pride, our rights, our demand for justice. There is a difference between kindness and mercy. We may give to someone in need and call it mercy, but often that is simply kindness. Mercy goes further and answers wrongdoing with forgiveness. It repays injury with compassion. It doesn’t demand what is deserved, but shows grace. God could compel us to act mercifully, but what He desires is far greater. He desires a heart that delights in mercy. He wants us to rejoice when mercy prevails, even when it costs us personally. For when mercy triumphs, God Himself is put on display. Justice has its place, but it cannot do what mercy does. It is bound together with God’s goodness, kindness, compassion, and grace. We rejoice in the mercy God has freely given to us. Our salvation stands as a testimony to it. In a lot of cases, showing mercy will mean just holding our judgmental tongue, refusing to join others in belittling or berating another, and refusing to demand an apology or recompense when we’ve been wronged by another. But to love God and walk in the steps of our Savior, means to love mercy, practice mercy, and let this be who we are, not just what we practice.
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April 5, 2026
John 11:25-26 “Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?”
Today, on this Easter Sunday, we celebrate the resurrection of our Lord. Around the world, believers look back to that day when Jesus conquered death and gave us life. The importance of the resurrection is given in 1 Corinthians 15:17, “And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins”. Christ arose bodily: The tomb was empty. Years ago, when I was a young preacher and first starting in the ministry, I was invited to preach at a local church. That night, as I preached, I spoke of the hope of a bodily resurrection for believers, just like our Lord Jesus. The people in the church immediately stood up and started singing and praising so loudly that I couldn’t speak over their volume. Confused, I assumed they were caught up in the Spirit, and I ended my sermon. The pastor stood, and a few minutes later, he dismissed the service. It was only later that I found out the truth. Their pastor didn’t believe in a bodily resurrection and had brainwashed his congregation with his heresy. He instructed them that whenever someone came to their church and began preaching that God will bodily raise the dead, they were to stand and “shout the speaker down”, that is, drown out his words by feigning to be led by the Holy Spirit in worship and praise. What an unmitigated mess. In today’s verse, at the tomb of Lazarus, Jesus presented Himself as the resurrection and the life and asked Martha, “Believest thou this?” A few minutes later, the Lord resurrected Lazarus bodily from the grave simply by commanding him to come out. A few days later, a bodily resurrected Lazarus ate dinner with the Lord, and I believe all that is true. How about you? Do you agree with these words: I believe Jesus Christ is the Son of God. I believe He was crucified in my place and for my sins. I believe He was buried in a tomb and three days later, He arose from the dead. If you believe those words and have never asked Jesus to save you, why not right now, pray this simple prayer: “Jesus, I believe that You are the Son of God, and that You died and rose again. I repent of my sins, and ask You to forgive me, and come into my heart. I confess that You are my Lord and Savior”. If you prayed that simple prayer, then tell someone that you prayed to Jesus and that you believe He forgave you and saved your soul.
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April 4, 2026
Malachi 3:16 “Then they that feared the LORD spake often one to another: and the LORD hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the LORD, and that thought upon his name.”
We self-reflect during the Holy Week of Easter because what Jesus did, including His resurrection, brings personal salvation. God reaches out to us individually and saves us one by one. We visualize ourselves with Him as He suffered, see ourselves nailed to His cross, and rejoice as we rise with Him, defeating sin, death, and the grave. But as we consider today’s verse, we see ourselves joined with other believers, and the Lord taking notice of our fellowship. It says that as we meet together and speak of the things of God, the Lord records it in a “book of remembrance”. When I think about it, it brings Psalms 133:1 to mind: “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!”. Our world stresses individualism, and that’s not bad as part of who we are because it means we are personally responsible for our choices, and we will appear as individuals at the Judgment Seat of Christ. But we are also members of the body of believers, visible members of an invisible spiritual organism. We’re a family, children of God, and united by all the things that happened this Easter week. The death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ is the power that makes Ephesians 4:4-6 such a wondrous thing: “There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; One Lord, one faith, one baptism, One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all”. God didn’t make us to be alone, and this is evident in the creation of Adam. Adam was perfect, lived in a perfect garden, had everything he needed, and had the companionship of God. But God said it wasn’t enough because God said, it’s not good for man to be alone”. This refutes the statement we often hear, “The Lord is all I need”. Studies of interpersonal relationships are showing that while we are the most connected generation that has ever existed because of social media, we are also one of the loneliest and most depressed, and getting worse. Let’s reflect on the church, united by the Holy Spirit that raised Christ from the dead, and let’s strengthen the ties that bind us to each other. Let’s pray for each other, comfort each other, and, as today’s verse tells us, speak often to each other, lifting up the name of the Lord.
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April 3, 2026
Luke 23:42-43 “And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom. And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.”
The two thieves, crucified on either side of our Lord, represent us all. The majority of the world can be seen in the one who spoke out against the Savior in unbelief. The Scripture says he “railed on him, saying, If thou be Christ, save thyself and us.” The word “railed” comes from the Greek word blasphemeo, the root of our word blaspheme. The name of the Lord is blasphemed continually; people swear, mock Him, and attribute His work and creation to a cosmic accident. Humans, made in the image of God, are said to be mere animals instead of the reflection of a gracious, wise, and loving Creator. That thief, in his dying moments, chose to dishonor the Creator of all things and sneered at the only One who could give him hope and life. It is no different today with people who hear the message of truth, stop their ears, and walk away in unbelief. The hardened human heart, depraved and unclean, apart from faith and the grace of God, has no desire but to reject the Word of God and choose death rather than life. But the other thief looked at Jesus in a different light and believed He was no ordinary man. He called Him “Lord” and asked for mercy, looking ahead to the coming kingdom. What a statement, and what a request. Dying beside the Christ, believing Him to be who He said He was, this criminal reached out in faith in the final moments of his life. In doing so, he found Jesus still doing exactly what He came to do, as declared in Luke 19:10: “For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.” For those who think they have gone too far in sin to be saved, or that they have waited too long and missed their opportunity, let them learn from this scene. Jesus didn’t say, “Well, fellow, it’s too late. You’ve passed up too many chances, and you’ve lived too long in life’s gutter for me to forgive you”. Instead, He said, “Verily (truly) I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.” And just like that, a lifetime of sin and shame was washed away. This thief, who was crucified a sinner, died a saint. He stands as a testimony to us all that the words of 1 Timothy 1:15, “This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners”, are the summation of it all: Christ saves all who come to Him by faith.
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April 2, 2026
Luke 22:48 “But Jesus said unto him, Judas, betrayest thou the Son of man with a kiss?”
In Matthew’s account of Judas betraying the Lord, he tells us that Jesus called him “friend”. Several years ago, Michael Card wrote the lyrics in a song that addressed this: “Why did it have to be a friend who chose to betray the Lord? And why did he use a kiss to show them? That’s not what a kiss is for. Only a friend can betray a friend; a stranger has nothing to gain. And only a friend comes close enough to ever cause so much pain”. Spurgeon said of this, “He must be betrayed by his friend, that he may bear the utmost depths of suffering, and that in every separate circumstance there may be a well of grief”. When we see it on this level, that Judas was chosen by Jesus to be a disciple, that he followed Him for the years of the Lord’s ministry and was with the other eleven when the Lord sent them ministering throughout Israel, it speaks to us about the pain that others can bring to us. It also speaks to us about the pain we can cause when we dishonor people. But other layers in this reveal more about the complexity of the moment. Jesus knew Judas wasn’t a true friend, and early in His ministry, He said these words in John 6:64,” But there are some of you that believe not. For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that believed not, and who should betray him”. When He called Judas a friend, He used the word “hetairos”, which means: one who labors in a common field or endeavor, but not necessarily for the same purpose or reason. Other places in the Bible, close friends that are endeared and beloved to each other, as appearing in Luke 7:34, “a friend of publicans and sinners”, are designated by the word “philos” which means: dear, close, affectionate, and denoting personal attachment, as a matter of sentiment or feeling. Judas will always be a part of the Easter story, and our Lord’s submission to the murderous, scheming, religious leaders, including the sickening betrayal by a disciple, will always be reminders that when God came down to visit people, they wanted Him dead. It’s a mystery how Judas was chosen, spent years with Jesus, witnessed His power, and heard His teaching. He saw the kindness and goodness in Christ, yet his conscience became seared, and his heart hardened to the point where he joined with those who hated and despised our Lord. As we consider the Lord’s crucifixion this week, let’s never forget that our Savior died all alone. Even His Father turned away, and Jesus suffered it all because of His love for us.
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April 1, 2026
Romans 10:8-9 “But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.”
Today’s verses point us to the wonderful simplicity of the gospel. Our faith in what the Lord offers does not originate in ourselves; it comes by the Word of God. Even these plain truths have been clouded by confusion. Some twist these simple verses, telling people that some of them are “believing in their heads and not in their hearts”. By the time these legalists finish bashing and confusing people with this craziness, whole congregations lose sight of the pure truth of what God promised. H.A. Ironside said it like this: “The heart is simply another term for the real man. The apostle is not trying to draw a fine distinction, as some preachers do, between believing with the head and believing with the heart. He does not occupy us with the nature of belief; he does occupy us with the object of faith. We believe the message that God has given concerning Christ. If we believe at all, we believe with the heart. Otherwise, we do not really trust”. God has made His Word near because His purpose is to save. He has not hidden the way, and He has not made it complicated. As 1 Timothy 2:4 declares, He “will have (desires) all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.” Notice the order: hear the Word, believe what God has said concerning His Son, confess Him as Lord. And what follows? “Thou shalt be saved.” This is not a process of human effort, but a work of divine grace. The new birth is not achieved; it is received. The Lord never intended for believers to be crushed under the weight of man-made religion, endless rules, lifeless orthodoxy, or guilt-driven performance. He has called us to something altogether different: peace, joy, freedom, hope, and a living faith in His promises. “The word of faith” is not a slogan for an invented doctrine. It simply means that God’s Word produces faith. It carries within it the very power needed for us to believe, to confess, and to receive the gift of everlasting life. His word is near us, readily available, and doesn’t have to be channeled through a religious leader with multiple doctrinal degrees. God is planting it in our hearts from wherever we hear it, like in this little devotion, and the Holy Spirit is bringing it to our mouths if we will but just declare it. His Word is near you. Receive it, believe it, and confess it. And do not let anyone complicate what God has made so wonderfully clear.
March 31, 2026
Matthew 11:2-3 “Now when John had heard in the prison the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples, And said unto him, Art thou he that should come, or do we look for another?”
None of us has faith so strong that we never battle with doubt. In today’s verses, John the Baptist is a reminder of that truth. When he was free, preaching boldly, baptizing in Jordan, and calling sinners to repentance, his faith seemed unshakable. He pointed directly to Jesus and declared, “Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.” He saw the Spirit descend. He knew who Christ was. But when he was locked up in prison, confined, isolated, and cut off from the movement he once led, John found himself in a place where his faith faltered. The same man who boldly proclaimed that Jesus was the Christ now sends word asking, “Art thou he… or do we look for another?” That moment is recorded in the Scriptures and speaks to us all. It shows us that even the strongest servants of God can experience seasons where faith gets weak. And yet, what a comfort it is to see how Jesus responded. The Lord did not rebuke John. He did not condemn his question or dismiss his struggle. Instead, He sent back a message filled with evidence and assurance, reminding John of the works that confirmed who He was. In other words, Jesus met doubt with truth. The enemy often takes advantage of our lowest moments, times when we feel confined by circumstances, worn down by waiting, or distanced from what once felt clear. He whispers that our faith is failing, that what we believed isn’t coming to pass. But his voice has not changed: he is always a liar. God, our Heavenly Father, meets our weakness with His Word. Romans 10:17 reminds us, “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” Faith is not powered by emotion or intellect; it is powered by truth. Just as Jesus sent words to John to steady his heart, He sends His Word to us. And the Holy Spirit faithfully brings those truths back to our remembrance (John 14:26), right when we need them most. Doubt may visit, but truth sends it packing. When we come honestly before the Lord, acknowledging our weakness instead of hiding it, we find not rejection, but grace. He comforts us. He reminds us. He restores us. And, faithfully, as our loving Father, He leads us back into confidence in Him. When doubt arises, let’s return to God’s Word, trust the Holy Spirit to strengthen our hearts, and remember: even the strongest believers battle against unbelief, but the Lord is faithful to help us in our weak moments.
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March 30, 2026
1 Corinthians 15:58 “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.”
The word “therefore” in this verse reaches back to previous verses that remind us that this world is not our home and this life is only temporary. Verse 49 reminds us, “And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly.” In other words, what we are becoming in Christ far outweighs anything we accumulate here. With that in view, we are called to stand firm, steadfast, and unmoveable, refusing to be shaken by the pressures, distractions, and shifting values of this world. If we only throw ourselves into the things of this life, working harder to buy bigger houses, top-tier cars, and all the things this world has, we might achieve all that only to leave it all behind when we pass from this life. Have you ever stopped by an estate sale and looked at the piles of stuff people left behind when they died, junk and treasures, being sold at bargain prices to total strangers? Or have you, like me, when my parents died, had the task of bagging up all their clothes and hauling the clothes and boxes of odds and ends they’d piled up to the donation containers at the thrift store? In those moments, the temporary nature of earthly things becomes very real. Paul redirects our attention to something eternal: “the work of the Lord.” This isn’t a casual or occasional effort. The word “labour” speaks of toil, of pouring oneself out, even when it’s difficult or inconvenient. Scripture often paints this picture through the imagery of farming. A farmer clears the land, breaks up hard ground, plants seed, waits patiently, waters faithfully, and labors through long days before ever seeing a harvest. That’s work that’s far from sitting half-asleep in a church pew now and then. The Bible is filled with examples of people who did the Lord’s work. Noah continued building the ark, year after year, when no one else believed (Genesis 6). Galatians 6:9 echoes the same truth: “And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.” The work of the Lord requires endurance, but it always carries a promise: The rewards are eternal. This verse calls us to be involved, serving, giving, witnessing, praying, encouraging, and investing in eternal things. Not just occasionally, but “always abounding.” That means overflowing, going beyond the minimum, giving our best for the One who gave everything for us. And here is the assurance that anchors it all: “your labour is not in vain in the Lord.” The world may overlook it. Others may not notice it. Results may not come as quickly as we hope. But God sees, God remembers, and God rewards. Every act done for Him carries eternal value.
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March 29, 2026
Acts 2:1-2 “And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.”
The day of Pentecost in Acts 2 was a defining moment in the plan of God. It brought into reality the New Testament phase of His purpose and began the next chapter for the people of God, from the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus until His return as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Under the Old Testament covenant, the dwelling place of God was “between the cherubims” above the mercy seat (Ex. 25:22; Num. 7:89; 1 Sam. 4:4; 2 Sam. 6:2; 1 Kin. 7:29). His presence remained there with the ark of the covenant until the ark disappeared before the Babylonian captivity in the sixth century BC. Scripture gives us a solemn picture of His departure in Ezekiel 10. The Jews believed the mercy seat, the throne of His presence, was God’s permanent dwelling place. Because of this, they assumed He would never leave the temple. This helps explain why many refused the warnings of Jeremiah and Ezekiel to repent or face destruction. In their thinking, if God would never leave, then the temple could never fall. But the glory of God did depart and would not be seen again until Jesus appeared, and John declared, “and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father” (John 1:14). Then came Pentecost. On that day, the Holy Presence of the Lord came, not to dwell in a building, but in the bodies of believers. It marked the fulfillment of God’s plan to once again dwell with His redeemed creation in a real and intimate way. From Pentecost forward, God would no longer dwell behind a veil, separated from His people; He would live within them. God now calls our bodies His temple (1 Corinthians 3:16). Romans 8:11 and Ephesians 2:1 remind us that the Holy Spirit has quickened us, and made us a suitable dwelling place for His holy presence. Because of this, we have been made holy, and we are called to practice holiness (Romans 12:1; 1 Peter 1:15-16). We must also understand the difference between our physical body, which God has redeemed, and the fleshly nature, which must be denied and brought under submission. What a humbling truth: God has chosen to live in us, in our physical body. He walks with us, strengthens us, comforts us, and even enjoys fellowship with us. Since Adam’s fall, mankind has been separated from God, but all along, He has been working His plan to restore that relationship. Now, He is leading us toward that final and glorious fulfillment described in Revelation 21:3-5: “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.”
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March 28, 2026
Psalms 37:39 “But the salvation of the righteous is of the LORD: he is their strength in the time of trouble.”
Jeremiah asks the Lord a question in Jeremiah 12:1: “Wherefore doth the way of the wicked prosper? Wherefore are all they happy that deal very treacherously?” When we go through times of trial, seasons that test us and even bring us to our knees, we can look around and see people who do not honor the Lord, yet seem to have no trouble at all. They’re partying, living high, and appear to have no care in the world. Jeremiah watched people turn their backs on God and live wickedly, and it seemed they were getting by much better than he was. Meanwhile, he faced persecution and hardship. But God answers him later in that chapter, making it clear that the wicked will face a future of judgment. Though it appeared they were escaping correction, their prosperity would not last. The truth is, all people have times of trouble. Job reminds us in Job 14:1, “Man that is born of a woman is of few days, and full of trouble.” Yet today’s verse gives light in times of deep darkness. When trouble floods our lives like a raging torrent, we are not left to face it alone. I don’t like the season of trials I’ve been in these past few years, but I can say with blessed assurance, the Lord has been with me every moment. There are times when Jesus keeps us from the fire altogether, and those are sweet mercies. But there are also times when, like the three Hebrew boys, we walk into the flames, and He is there with us, the Fourth Man in the fire. When my latest scan came back, and they began to suspect that the spot on my lung may be cancer related to what was in my neck, it was not news anyone wants to hear. And when I was told they are scheduling me with the same doctor who treated my neck, I had hoped I wouldn’t see him again until we’re both in heaven (He is a believer and does mission work). Yet even in this extended season of trouble, God is with me, and I can hold fast to this promise: “the salvation of the righteous is of the LORD: he is their strength in the time of trouble.” The God of all comfort, who comforts us in our tribulation, will also use our trials to open doors for us to comfort others (2 Corinthians 1:3–4). He is with us, He is for us, and He will be our strength in the time of trouble.
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March 27, 2026
Psalms 130:5 “I wait for the LORD, my soul doth wait, and in his word do I hope.”
Almost a thousand times in Scripture, we are encouraged to wait on the Lord; to wait for Him to move, to answer, and to complete His will in our lives. Yet waiting is one of the hardest things we are called to do. Psalm 37:7 tells us not only to wait, but to “wait patiently for him.” That’s an even greater challenge with that “patiently” part. Honestly, I just don’t want to wait. I want things resolved quickly. Problems fixed, burdens lifted, and life moving forward pronto. But for the past few years, that has not been my experience. Walking through recurring cancer has meant returning again and again to a place of waiting: doctor visits, treatments, scans, and the battle of ongoing uncertainty. After my first surgery, when I was declared cancer-free, I thought that chapter had closed for good. But when it returned, so did the waiting. And this is a battleground of faith. Here’s what I know: I belong to God. He is not punishing me, and He is working all things together for good, even when I cannot see how. My part is not to try to control the outcome, but to trust Him, seek His wisdom for the decisions ahead, and wait for Him to accomplish what He is allowing. Right now, the test of faith is in the waiting. It’s in those moments when thoughts creep in, “You need to fix this,” “What if things get worse?” or even, “Are God’s promises really true?” The enemy and our own nature will always try to keep us from waiting in faith. But the only way through is to anchor ourselves again in the Word of God. His Word does not shift with circumstances. Heaven and earth may pass away, but His truth stands sure. The path we are on is not unknown to Him, and He is directing every step. I was surprised and blessed yesterday when my doctor, my new primary physician, asked if I minded if he prayed for me. I’ve been to many Dr’s, and that was a first. He laid his hand on me and prayed for wisdom, God’s guiding hand, and for a good outcome for this present trial I’m in. It was a reminder that God is always with us, working even in places and in ways we might not expect. God is not a distant force, “the man upstairs”, or an unknown “higher power.” He is Lord of all. He is personal, present, and purposeful. And He works according to His perfect will. We may as well learn to wait on Him because in the waiting, He is doing some of His deepest work in us, and as for God, His ways are perfect (2 Samuel 22:31).
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March 26, 2026
Job 21:15 “What is the Almighty, that we should serve him? and what profit should we have, if we pray unto him?”
Many people who read these Daily Devotions, either on our website or reposted on Facebook, know me and know that I started writing these devotions in January 2021 after my vocal cords were removed due to throat cancer. Occasionally, I post about Laura’s and my journey since October 2020, when my loss of speaking changed a lot of things for us. I had a follow-up PET scan this morning, after a very confusing one I had this past October. At that time, a PET scan showed the cancer had returned in my neck for the third time, and had possibly spread to my lung. The Dr set me up for more radiation, but when they did the biopsy on my neck, there were no cancer cells in the sample. Confused because they were certain it was cancer, they did the biopsy again and, again, there were no cancer cells. They put the treatment for my neck on hold and moved forward to biopsy the place on my lung. When we went for consultation, they said a biopsy was almost impossible because of the location of the spot, and they wanted to immediately operate and remove a section of my lung. I became very uneasy, not fear, but an intense awareness that I needed to give God time to direct us, and I could hardly force myself to finish the consultation, something that had never happened to me before. I told the Dr I wanted to put everything on hold and have a follow-up scan in 3 or 4 months to give me time to come to terms with whatever path God has for us without the medical system guessing in uncertainty. So, after 4 months, the scan was this morning, and Laura and I are waiting to see what’s next. I came home from the scan and was mowing the grass when today’s verse popped into my mind. It’s a statement of people who reject the Lord and will not trust in Him, and can see no benefit, no value in praying to Him. As I mowed, I was overwhelmed with thankfulness for Jesus Christ and for my faith in Him, faith that assures me that I am not my own; I belong to the Lord. And the fact that He hears our prayers, that when we look to Him with expectation, He is always there and makes His presence known, is above any value we could place on it. I can’t imagine walking this journey without Him and the comfort of prayer. I’m sure many do, but if only they knew Him and the power of His resurrection, they would understand this post, and know what a joy it is to walk in His ways. (Philippians 3:10)
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March 25, 2026
1 Peter 3:10-11 “For he that will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile: Let him eschew evil, and do good; let him seek peace, and ensue it.”
God’s plan for us is to live this life in peace as much as possible. I say as much as possible, because the Scriptures tell us in Romans 12:18, “If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men.” There will always be people we must deal with who are perpetually unpeaceful. One of the characteristics of this fallen world is the absence of peace. The Bible describes fallen creation in Romans 3:17, “And the way of peace have they not known.” But it is not so for the family of God, for our Savior Jesus Christ is called “The Prince of Peace.” Today’s verses are clear: if we want to enjoy our lives, we must guard what we say, refusing to speak evil or deceit; we must turn away from evil and do what is right; and we must desire peace and pursue a peaceful path. This mirrors Romans 14:19, “Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another.” Peace is one of the fruits of the Holy Spirit. It is a gift from God, because what lies naturally within the human heart is anything but peaceful. The works of the flesh, revealed in Galatians 5, include hatred, strife, anger, and conflict. Left to ourselves, peace is not what we produce, it is what we lack. That is why Jesus said in John 14:27, “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you.” The peace that comes from the Lord is rooted in His eternal love, not in self-interest or survival. The world seeks peace only when it is convenient; when it helps avoid pain, delay conflict, or have a pause in war to give time to rearm for the next one. The peace of Christ is steadfast, enduring, and true. As I have grown older, I find that peace is one of the things I value most. I no longer enjoy loud, blasting music as I once did. I don’t like the noise and commotion of this world. My wife and I look forward to the evenings, when everything begins to quiet down. The neighbors put away their mowers, weed eaters, and blowers and we pray together, talk about how good God has been to us, and enjoy the simple blessing of peace. And we snack, I can’t forget that. That is the goal set before us: seek peace and be peacemakers. Matthew 5:9 reminds us, “Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.”
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March 24, 2026
Matthew 18:21-22 “Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times? Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven.”
Would Jesus hold us to a standard He would not hold for Himself? More plainly, would He command us to live a life of forgiveness, yet refuse to extend that same mercy? “Seventy times seven”, four hundred ninety times, is a staggering number. Peter probably thought he was being generous in suggesting seven. And truthfully, for many, even one offense feels like too much. Someone hurts us, speaks against us, or does us wrong, and immediately something rises up within us. We’re ready to command fire down from heaven to destroy them. At the very least, we are ready to cut them off and carry the offense for years. But Jesus raises the standard far beyond human thought. He calls us into a life marked not by keeping score, but by showing mercy. And why would He ask this of us? Because this is exactly how He deals with us. Consider the mercy of God. How often have we repeated the same mistake, fallen into the same sins, returned to the same patterns we promised we had left behind? Yet every time we come to Him in repentance, He receives us, He forgives us, and He restores us. Then, the enemy sets traps, hoping to discourage us to the point where we believe we’re doomed. He wants us to live our lives weighted down with guilt because of our past, choices we’ve made, addictions that enslave us, repeated cycles of sin we’ve committed, and messes we’ve made that involved not only ourselves but others as well. The enemy is always there, whispering: “There’s no way back to God, you’ve crossed over a line that God won’t forgive, and you can’t expect any mercy after the mess you’ve made. “Look at you: you’re hopeless, you’ve thrown away your future for success, you’ve proven you’re a born loser, you’ve used up all your chances”, and on and on. But these are his lies, not the truth of God’s Word and His amazing promises. But those are all lies. If Jesus commands us to forgive again and again, it is because that is the very heart of God toward us. He does not demand what He Himself refuses to give. His mercy is not given in limited portions; it is abundant, patient, and enduring. So, as we extend forgiveness to others, we are not just obeying a command; we are showing the very character of Christ. And as we receive His forgiveness, we are reminded that His mercy toward us is far greater than we could ever fully imitate.
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March 23, 2026
1 John 3:12 “Not as Cain, who was of that wicked one, and slew his brother. And wherefore slew he him? Because his own works were evil, and his brother’s righteous.”
Let’s consider the murder of Abel. We know from Genesis 4 that Abel offered an animal sacrifice to God, and God accepted his offering. But Cain offered a sacrifice from his harvest, and God did not accept it. We can infer from the account that both men knew what was acceptable to God. Yet when Cain realized the Lord would not receive his offering, instead of changing his mind and returning with a proper sacrifice, he became very angry, and his anger overcame him. His solution to the problem was to kill his brother Abel, an evil act that makes no sense. Today’s verse tells us that Cain “was of that wicked one.” His hatred toward what was acceptable to the Lord, and toward Abel, who chose to walk in God’s ways, reflects the hatred of the devil himself, set against anything that honors God. Cain could not attack God, so he chose to attack his brother, who represented Him. It’s evil. It’s senseless. But it is the way of the world. The verse following today’s text says, “Marvel not, my brethren, if the world hate you.” Just as Abel was slain by his own brother, wickedness still rises up against those who live for God. When we see hostility toward righteousness, we are reminded who is truly being followed and the lengths to which the enemy will go to oppose the Lord and His people. Hebrews 11:4 tells us, “By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaketh.” Abel’s faith moved him to do what was right and pleasing to God. Cain’s unbelief led him from anger to rebellion, and finally to the unspeakable murder of his brother. What a blessed thought, that Abel’s faith and obedience still speak to us today. In a few days, we will commemorate Good Friday, when our Lord was crucified. Let’s remember that, like the murder of Abel, the hatred and violence against Jesus by His accusers were without cause. As John 15:25 says, “They hated me without a cause.” Cain’s life shows us the tragic path of unchecked sin: rejection, anger, and ultimately wicked destruction. Abel’s life, though brief, stands as a lasting testimony of faith, obedience, and righteousness. May we be found walking in the way of Abel, living by faith and choosing to honor God, doing what is pleasing in His sight. And when we face opposition for righteousness’ sake, let’s remember: we are in the company of the faithful, and ultimately, of Christ Himself.
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March 22, 2026
Ephesians 3:8 “that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ”
When we speak of the unsearchable riches of Christ that God has given to His people through our Lord, some grow uneasy. The excesses of prosperity preaching in years past twisted the truth of who we are in Christ, so that whenever “riches” are mentioned, many assume it refers to a “believe and get rich” doctrine. But the Word of God teaches something far deeper. Our union with Christ has brought us into God’s family. We are the children of Almighty God, and the riches we possess in Him are beyond human comprehension. Yet many believers live their entire lives never realizing who they are in Jesus Christ. Despite clear Scripture, they continue to see themselves as weak, unworthy, and at the mercy of circumstances. They plod through each day as if they are in chains of uncertainty. Some have even been taught that humility means becoming a doormat, accepting anything that comes their way. This is not from God. It is a deception meant to blind us to our identity in Christ. The Bible declares that we have hope, the riches of a glorious inheritance, and exceeding great power at work within us (Ephesians 1:18-20). This is not a call to pride or self-exaltation, but a clear declaration of who we are in Jesus Christ. We are new creations, destined by the plan and will of the Creator of the Universe to share eternity with Him. Sin weakens, but the imputed righteousness of Christ and the joy of the Lord strengthen us. This fallen world offers no lasting hope. But our hope is steadfast and sure. Since the day sin entered through Adam, it has been moving steadily toward destruction. Everything tied to this world: wealth, fame, appearance, status, possessions, will one day be stripped away. And apart from Christ, the loss is eternal, for even the soul is lost. But for those in Christ, the story is entirely different. We belong to God, and He has made us heirs of His kingdom. Our riches are not temporary; they are eternal. They cannot be lost, diminished, or taken away. We are indwelt by the Holy Spirit, and the power at work within us is the very same power that raised Jesus from the dead. Because of this, we are not defeated. We are not easily shaken. We are not swept away by the storms of life. Though people may oppose us, though Satan resists, and though circumstances rise against us, we remain rooted in Christ. Our foundation is unmovable, our future is secure, and our inheritance is certain. We are rich, rich in Christ, and those riches will never fade.
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March 21, 2026
Revelation 19:11 “And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.”
The Lord is given many names throughout Scripture, and here He is called “Faithful.” Notice it is capitalized, a proper name, declaring one of His unchanging attributes. It reminds us of 1 Thessalonians 5:24, “Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it,” and reaches back to Psalms 89:1, “I will sing of the mercies of the LORD for ever: with my mouth will I make known thy faithfulness to all generations.” “Faithful” means trustworthy: One who can be fully relied upon, One who never fails in what He has promised. We may call others faithful, but we do so in a limited, human sense. Even the best among us falter. Yet Christ stands alone in perfect, unwavering faithfulness. Consider Moses. Hebrews 3:2 says he “was faithful in all his house.” And yet we know his life was not without failure. Still, the overall testimony of his life was one of faithfulness. The same is said of Abraham, “faithful Abraham” (Galatians 3:9), though Scripture plainly records his missteps. God saw the measure of their lives, not just the stumbles along the way. And isn’t that how a loving parent deals with a small child learning to walk? They steady, lift them when they stumble, and guide them on a safe path. So, our Lord, Faithful and True, walks with us. When we fail, He does not abandon us; He upholds us. The Scripture teaches that He “stablisheth” us. Our faithfulness, then, is not rooted in our own resolve and abilities, but in His sustaining grace. It is His hand that keeps us steady. Yes, we should purpose in our hearts to be faithful. That desire is good and right. But we must never forget the words of our Lord in John 15:5: “for without me ye can do nothing.” True faithfulness flows from dependence, not determination alone. Not only does He enable us to remain faithful, but He also keeps us from evil. Both from the evil one, and from the influence of this wicked world (2 Thessalonians 3:2-3). This brings to mind the Lord’s prayer: “And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.” Our safety rests in His faithfulness. What a comfort this brings. God’s faithfulness means He will never leave us, never forsake us, never fail us. Even when our faith wavers, He never fails. Even when we fall short, He remains steadfast. As 2 Timothy 2:13 reminds us, “If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself.”
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March 20, 2026
James 1:27 “Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.”
If we ask the world to define religion, we are often given long, complicated explanations that say much but mean very little. It’s usually a bunch of gobbledygook, such as the internet’s definition: A system of beliefs, behaviors, practices, and ethics that connects humanity to supernatural, transcendental, or spiritual elements. But the Word of God speaks of “religion” here as not empty ritual or outward form, but it’s the visible expression of a living faith in Jesus Christ. It is what our faith looks like when it is lived out. James points us in two clear directions. First, we are to care for the fatherless and widows, those who are vulnerable, overlooked, and burdened by life’s afflictions. In Bible times, there were no social systems to support them. Their care rested upon the people of God. That truth still speaks. While much of this responsibility today has been handed to institutions and agencies, the calling of the believer has not changed. There are still needs sitting quietly among us: People carrying heavy loads, some struggling just to get through the week. Second, we are to keep ourselves “unspotted from the world.” This paints the picture of a clean, white garment, untouched by stains or contamination. It speaks of a life set apart, guarded, and yielded to God. Though the blood of Jesus Christ has cleansed us from all sin, we are called to walk a daily repented life, to live with tender hearts, quick to acknowledge our wrongs, and mindful of anything that grieves the Holy Spirit. True, undefiled religion brings both of these together. It moves us toward people in need, and it draws us away from the corruption of this world. It is compassion with clean hands. It is love that serves and a life that stays near to God. Hebrews 12:1 calls us to lay aside every weight and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and to run with patience the race set before us. That means turning from anything that dulls our walk with God, while also stepping toward those who need His love expressed through us. This is not harsh or a legalistic doctrine; it is necessary. It is a call back to what matters most. Do what is right for those in need. Walk clean before God. And let your faith be seen, not just heard. In summary, pure religion is not found in words alone, but in a life that reflects Christ. It reaches outward in compassion and remains inwardly clean before God. It’s a simple truth we need to hear and practice: Do what’s right by people who need us and turn away from the things that pull us away from God’s best for us.
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March 19, 2026
Luke 9:62 “And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.”
Our Lord speaks these words to a man who desired to follow Him, but on his own terms, and in his own timing. He wished first to return home and say his farewells. On the surface, that request seems harmless, even reasonable. Yet Jesus, who sees the heart, knew the deeper issue. There was a divided affection. The call to follow Christ is not a casual invitation; it is a wholehearted surrender. In Luke 14:26, Jesus uses strong language when He says that we must “hate” father, mother, and even our own life. This does not mean a literal hatred, but rather to love less by comparison. Our devotion to Christ must be so great that every other love falls beneath it. He must have first place, without rival. To illustrate this truth, Jesus points to the ploughman. In those days, a man plowing a field would fix his eyes on a distant point like a tree, a stone, something steady, and guide his plow toward it. This kept his rows straight. But if he looked behind him, even for a moment, the line would bend, and the field would suffer for it. So it is in the Christian life. A divided gaze produces a crooked walk. Paul echoes this same truth in Philippians 3:13: “this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before.” If we keep our focus on the past and dwell on it, it can become a powerful distraction. Regrets, failures, missed opportunities: these can quietly pull our hearts backward and hinder our progress forward. Many of us can look back and see things we wish we could change. Words we would take back. Choices we would undo. But the grace of God meets us right there. When we confess our sins and yield our past to Him, He forgives, and He remembers those sins no more. They are not held against us. They are not brought up again. Why then should we keep revisiting what God has already removed? The Lord desires His children to walk in freedom; free from guilt, free from distraction, and free to move forward in His will. A backward glance may seem small, but it can subtly draw the heart away from full devotion. Today is a good day to examine our focus and ask, are we looking forward, or back? Let’s ask the Holy Spirit to reveal anything that is pulling our attention away from Christ, anything that divides our affection or hinders our obedience. Then, by His grace, set our eyes firmly on Him again. A steady gaze on Christ produces a straight and fruitful life.
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March 18, 2026
Genesis 15:13-14 “And he said unto Abram, Know of a surety that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs, and shall serve them; and they shall afflict them four hundred years; And also that nation, whom they shall serve, will I judge: and afterward shall they come out with great substance.”
About 200 years after God spoke these words to Abraham, his grandson Jacob and his family moved to Egypt, and the 400 years of this prophecy began. The plight of Israel in Egypt was all about God’s purpose, His plan to carry out His covenant with Abraham in His own timing. We are, by nature, impatient. We struggle to accept that God’s ways are His own and that He works according to His will, whether or not we understand it. We want immediate answers and quick resolutions, and when things don’t unfold as we expect, we are often tempted to question God. But God had a purpose in placing Israel in Egypt. He had promised to make a great nation from Abraham’s descendants, and He began with just one son, Isaac, and then Jacob. Had Jacob’s family remained scattered in Canaan as nomadic shepherds, they likely would have dispersed, intermarried with pagan nations, and lost their distinct identity. Instead, God brought them into Egypt and kept them together. There, He took a family of seventy and formed a nation of millions. Because shepherds were an abomination to the Egyptians, they remained separate and unified. When they came out, they came out as one people; bound by heritage, identity, and the promises of God. Egypt became the womb of the nation. Everything they experienced there, hardship, growth, and eventual deliverance, was part of God’s design. Their story set them apart as God’s people and established a shared identity that would define them for generations. God was working in every detail: the move to Egypt, the years of bondage, the raising up of a deliverer, the exodus, the giving of the law, and the journey to the promised land. This is the way God still works in our lives today. He has a plan and a purpose, but He will accomplish it in His way and in His time. Our part is not to rush Him, but to trust Him. Hebrews 10:36 reminds us, “For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise.” Four hundred years seems long to us, and it is from our perspective, but it was exactly what God required to fulfill His purpose. The same is true in our lives. What feels delayed is often divine preparation. So, we learn to wait, we trust His Word, and we submit to His wisdom. And in the waiting, we are never alone. He is with us, for us, sustaining us, and working on our behalf. When His work is complete, we will be able to say with confidence, “The Lord will perfect that which concerneth me.” Psalms 138:8
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March 17, 2026
Luke 20:17-18 “And he beheld them, and said, What is this then that is written, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner? Whosoever shall fall upon that stone shall be broken; but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder.”
In this chapter, Jesus was teaching when the religious leaders, the priests, scribes, and elders, confronted Him. The Lord had just driven out those who were using the temple to make money, and the leaders demanded that He tell them by what authority He had done these things. Jesus did not argue with them. Instead, He spoke the truth, and in today’s passage, He used the metaphor of a stone building to present them with two choices. Quoting Psalm 118, Jesus identified Himself as the cornerstone of the building. The building is the kingdom of God, and Jesus is the Cornerstone, the primary, foundational stone laid at the corner of a structure to ensure its stability and proper alignment. In Bible times, the cornerstone was the most solid and carefully carved stone, set first so that the entire building could be measured and formed from it. The Bible also speaks of the church this way in Ephesians 2:20: “And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone.” The leaders in that day, and all of us today, are left with only two choices. We can fall upon the stone, Jesus. This is a picture of humbling ourselves before the Lord and allowing Him to break our pride, our stubbornness, our self-will, and our sinful nature. Or, if we choose to turn away from Christ, the day will come when we will be broken before Him in judgment. People often imagine there are other options, other paths that avoid this simple truth. But Scripture makes the matter clear: either we come to God now with a broken heart and a broken spirit, or we will one day stand before the Almighty at His great white throne, unprepared for eternity. This message is rejected by the world today just as Jesus Himself was rejected by many in Israel. As He said in this passage, “The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner.” The wise choice is to fall before the Stone now, to humble our hearts and welcome the Holy Spirit’s work of breaking down the fortress of sin and unbelief within us. When our will is broken, and His will is formed in us, only then can we know the full joy of His salvation. When Jesus spoke this truth to the religious leaders, they became so angry that they determined to destroy Him. In doing so, they chose the second choice.
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March 16, 2026
Genesis 13:3-4 “And he went on his journeys from the south even to Bethel, unto the place where his tent had been at the beginning, between Bethel and Hai; Unto the place of the altar, which he had made there at the first: and there Abram called on the name of the LORD.”
When God chose Abraham and called him to leave his country of Mesopotamia and his family behind, the Bible tells us that he obeyed as an act of faith. Scripture says in Hebrews 11:8, “By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went.” Abraham stepped out not because he understood everything, but because he trusted the One who called him. When Abraham first arrived in the land God promised him, he built an altar at a place called Bethel. The name means “the house of God.” Genesis 12:8 tells us that there, at the altar he built, Abraham “called upon the name of the LORD.” That simple phrase is rich with meaning. It tells us that Abraham sought the Lord, spoke with Him, and placed his trust in Him. The altar at Bethel was more than a marker in the land; it was a place of communion with God. But soon a famine came, and Abraham’s faith faltered. Instead of remaining in the land and trusting the Lord, he went down to Egypt. There, fear took hold of him. Fearing for his life, he told the Egyptians that Sarai was his sister, a partial truth meant to protect himself. Sarai was taken into Pharaoh’s house, and Abraham’s deception created a situation that only the Lord could correct. God intervened and delivered both Abraham and Sarai. Abraham left Egypt and returned to the land of promise. More importantly, he returned to Bethel, “unto the place of the altar…which he had made there at the first.” And there, once again, he called upon the name of the LORD. His return to the altar signified a restoration of fellowship with God. He came back to the place where his walk with the Lord had first been strong. This story speaks plainly to our own lives. There are times when believers drift from that place of close fellowship with God. Fear, pressure, or the difficulties of life may draw us away from simple trust. But the path back is the same as it was for Abraham, we must return to the altar. We must come again to that place of prayer, surrender, and renewed faith in the promises of God. Call it revival, restoration, or rededication. Whatever name we give it, it is simply coming back to where we belong, walking with the Lord in humble dependence. There is no joy, no lasting peace, and no spiritual power when we try to live outside the will of God. Prodigals always end up in the pigpens of this world, and that is a miserable, shameful place for the children of God to dwell. But the Lord who called Abraham still calls His people today. He calls us back to our own Bethel, to that place where our hearts are right with Him, where we live by faith, and where once again we call upon the name of the Lord.
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March 15, 2026
Matthew 14:31 “And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?”
The disciples were in a boat, crossing the Sea of Galilee. A storm hit them, and they looked across the water and saw Jesus walking on the water. Peter said, “Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water. And he said, Come”. Peter believed what Jesus said, and believed that walking on the water to Jesus was possible. He climbed out of the boat and began walking on the water towards the Savior. But as he walked, he started looking around as the wind whipped up the waves, and He began to sink. He prayed one of the shortest prayers in the Bible, “Lord, save me”. Today’s verse tells us what happened. Note that Jesus saved him before asking him the probing question: Why did you doubt? Every day, Peter had been with the Lord and watched Him do miracles. He had witnessed His power to do the impossible. And not only that, in chapter 10, we know Jesus sent the disciples to travel into towns and villages, and gave them the power to heal the sick of all types of illnesses, including leprosy, cast out demons, and to raise the dead. Yet there was still something within Peter that blocked his faith and pushed him into unbelief. That question still speaks to us today: Why do we doubt? I know that with me, I have times when my faith is so strong that I pray and believe God without hesitation. I don’t doubt that He can and will answer. These times are followed by seasons when my faith seems so weak, so small that I wonder what happened to those days when I was praying and declaring the Lord’s promises. If you are like that, it’s not that we doubt God exists or that we belong to Him. It’s that fear, dread, and doubt rise up and make us think that, for whatever reason, we will not see the goodness of God for us personally. It’s good to meditate on the details of Peter’s dilemma because it’s our personal dilemma. When Jesus told him to “Come”, that was His guarantee that he could safely walk across the water to Him. There was no reason to think otherwise. But it’s all about keeping our eyes, our focus on Jesus and His words. That’s why He told us in John 15:7, “If ye abide in me, (stay joined to me, remain connected to me) and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you”. When we are in moments of doubt, let’s keep asking ourselves: Why are we doubting when we know Jesus will never fail?
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March 14, 2026
Numbers 11:5 “We remember the fish, which we did eat in Egypt freely; the cucumbers, and the melons, and the leeks, and the onions, and the garlick.”
In today’s verse, the people described their life in Egypt as if it had been a wonderful time, as though all they had to do was sit down to great meals of every kind of food imaginable. Yet something seems terribly wrong with their thinking. They forgot that while there was food available, they were slaves to an empire that was killing their children and working them like animals. They were not free. They had no dignity, owned no land or homes, and for four hundred years they lived as poor foreign outcasts among the Egyptians. To that empire, they were nothing more than disposable labor. Their future offered no hope except that they and their descendants would remain enslaved. This is the deception of the world, and of sin itself. It convinces people that they are living their best life when, in reality, they are serving a system that quietly mocks them. They live in chains of bondage and addiction, believing themselves free. Their joy is shallow and fleeting, and they walk in a darkness so deep that they do not even realize they have no lasting hope. But when God’s promises become real to us, when we begin living for the things that will never pass away, our eyes are opened to the truth that we are children of the True God. When that happens, our past life of false hope, bondage, and emptiness loses its appeal. It becomes a place we never wish to return to. If the Israelites had paused for a moment and shaken off the illusion that Egypt had been some kind of paradise, they might have remembered the truth. They were no longer slaves. God was leading them toward a land He had prepared for them, a land flowing with milk and honey, where their future and the future of their children would be secure under His blessing. They could have said, “Let us settle our hearts, trust in the Lord, walk toward the promised land, and be thankful for what God provides along the journey.” Perhaps that is a lesson for us today. Our God is not only supplying our daily needs; He is also leading us toward a far greater promise. A place where there will be no sorrow, sickness, or death. We are going home to an eternal and perfect kingdom, and along the way, the Lord has promised us joy in the journey. All the allure of the fish, cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions, and garlic of this world is only a smokescreen of the flesh and the enemy, hiding the pit of sin and shame from which the Lord has delivered us. There is nothing back there worth even a glance. The human heart has a strange tendency to romanticize the past, even when that past was marked by bondage. Israel remembered the meals of Egypt but forgot the chains. In the same way, believers must guard against looking back longingly at the life Christ delivered them from. God has set us free and is leading us toward an eternal inheritance.
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March 13, 2026
Romans 8:28 “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.”
There are some who believe this verse means that God is managing every minute detail of our lives, piecing events together like a puzzle. They have a flat tire, shake off the frustration, and say, “It’s ok—God is probably protecting me from something else.” While that may certainly be true, it’s also possible they simply hadn’t checked their tire tread in a while and didn’t realize they needed new tires. But when we take the full picture of the context, we cannot overlook the first part of verse 18: “For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.” The passage is speaking about the sufferings of this present time. From that perspective, we begin to see that the promise that all things work together for good is much larger than the small irritations of daily life. Consider the Apostle Paul, who by inspiration of the Holy Spirit penned these words. After assuring believers that all things work together for good, about seven years later he was beheaded under the rule of Nero. The “good” was not an immediate deliverance from life’s hardships. Rather, it was the eternal testimony of a life faithfully surrendered to God. The Almighty Sovereign Creator—the Ruler of the universe—brought all the twists and turns of Paul’s life to a moment where he glorified God even in death, becoming a hero of the faith whose witness has strengthened believers for generations. Some people struggle to see this reality in an age where many of us rarely suffer for our faith and live with comforts previous generations could scarcely imagine. In truth, the last few generations of ordinary people have lived with a level of abundance and convenience that most of human history never experienced. It can certainly be frustrating when the electronics in our thousand-dollar washing machine malfunction. But that may not be God orchestrating inconvenience for a mysterious purpose. It may simply be the result of profit-driven companies producing expensive items filled with cheap, fragile parts. Yet wherever we land in interpreting life’s circumstances, the greater promise of this verse remains unshaken. The Lord is bringing His people to a good place. Even the Apostle Paul, the moment he died for the glory of God, stepped into the presence of Jesus and fully realized the truth he had written only a few years earlier: “The sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.” It’s never wrong to acknowledge the good hand of God in our everyday details, and give Him praise for all the blessings and victories. But when we keep eternity in view, we begin to understand the deeper “good” God is accomplishing in those who love Him and are called according to His purpose.
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March 12, 2026
Romans 7:19 “For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do.”
If we take this verse out of context, it would seem to justify doing bad things because it sounds like the Apostle Paul is saying that he just can’t do good, and has resigned himself to evil ways. I’ve even heard this verse used by people who say, “Well, you know what Paul said, I want to do what’s right, but sometimes I just can’t”. But this chapter lays down the doctrine that people under the law could never become righteous by the law because the law didn’t give the power to defeat sin; it was just the light of truth that made sin highly visible by pointing it out. People remained carnal and dead to God under the law because they remained trapped in their sins. This is the meaning of today’s verse: Even though people may have wanted to achieve righteousness and live holy under the law, they could not reach a place where they lived pure before God because their sinful nature kept defeating them. This is why believers can not remain stuck in Romans Chapter 7. Chapter 7 sets up the problem and explains it and then Chapter 8 tells us that Jesus Christ stepped in where we were trapped, and He set us free. Romans 8:1-2, “There is therefore now no condemnation (judgment) to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death”. By the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit, we can now obey God, follow His ways, and do what is pleasing to Him. That’s not saying that we always do good and shun evil, but we now have the power to. When this is combined with the fact that God has completely covered us with the righteousness of Jesus Christ and never sees us anymore as fallen, sinful people, we have the victory and the power to please God that the law could never give. Romans 8:37, “Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us”. Praise God, we don’t have to live defeated, trapped in ways that dishonor the Lord, and continually making choices that drag us down. Romans 8:4 tells us that Jesus came, “That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit”.
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March 11, 2026
1 Timothy 6:12 “Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses.”
What is the good fight of faith? Some of the little churches I grew up in must have thought it was referring to business meetings and deacon sessions, because I can remember a few times when faces were red and voices raised. But it certainly is not about disagreements among believers. It is about the Christian life in general, when we go against the tide of this world and against the very nature of our flesh that lurks within us. The fight of faith is not fought with raised voices, but with a steadfast heart. It is the daily decision to believe God when circumstances suggest otherwise. Faith stands when fear tries to control us. Faith obeys when the flesh resists. Faith presses forward when the world says to compromise. Paul uses the language of a soldier because the Christian life truly is a battlefield. Our enemy is not one another. The real battle is against the pull of this present world, the deceitfulness of sin, and the weakness of our own hearts. The devil continually works to distract believers with arguments and divisions, but the real victory comes when we remain faithful to Christ. To fight the good fight means we hold firmly to what God has promised. When temptation comes, faith remembers that sin never delivers what it promises, but God always does. When discouragement pounds us, faith remembers that God has not abandoned His children. When trials storm us and test our patience, faith reminds us that the Lord is working something eternal through what feels temporary. This is why Paul tells Timothy to “lay hold on eternal life.” He is not suggesting that eternal life must be earned, but that it must be grasped by faith and lived in the light of it. The believer who keeps eternity in view will live differently in the present. When heaven fills our vision, the passing struggles of earth lose much of their power. Every day we wake up on a battlefield. The world pulls us in one direction, the flesh pulls in another, and the Spirit calls us higher. The good fight is fought quietly in the choices we make, choosing truth over error, obedience over convenience, and faith over fear. And though the fight is real, the victory is certain. Christ has already won the war. Our calling is simply to stand firm and faithful in the victory that’s already ours. Praise God, one day the battles will be over, and we will never fight them again. But until then, we will fight this good fight of faith!
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March 10, 2026
Hebrews 12:16-17 “Lest there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright. For ye know how that afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected: for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears.”
In Old Testament times, the law of the firstborn wasn’t that the firstborn son inherited everything, and that was the end of the story. Being the firstborn carried a great responsibility, and upon his father’s death, he became the head of the household, managing the family estate, land, and flocks. He received twice the inheritance of his brothers, given to ensure that he had the resources to support the family unit and chart its growth and success for the future. He was responsible for the protection and welfare of his mother and for providing for any unmarried sisters, along with serving as the family’s priest or spiritual head, guiding the family in the ways of God. This responsibility and right, this great blessing, is what Esau thought so little of, cared so little for, that he sold it to his brother Jacob for a bowl of stew. Let’s let that sink in for a minute and understand why Esau is called a “profane” person in today’s verse. He was so self-centered, so wrapped up in pleasing himself and doing what he wanted that he cared nothing for the responsibilities and great blessings that came with being the firstborn. When the Bible says here that he was not able to repent, it’s not saying that God wouldn’t forgive him, but that once his birthright was sold, the deed couldn’t be undone. Though he begged Isaac to reconsider and reverse the blessing and the conferment of the rites of the firstborn, it was too late. The driving force behind his being willing to give up such an honor and blessing so easily, with no thought or care for his family and their future, revealed the evil of his profanity: Taking something sacred and a highly valued gift of God and casting it aside as if it were trash. The warning to us is that what we have been given in Jesus Christ, what God has planned and done for us, has infinite value because it’s an eternal gift of an unspeakable price. If we lose sight of that and treat our salvation as if it is cheap, common, or as worthless as the things this world offers, we can make choices, cross lines, and throw away blessings that we can’t recover. It’s not that we lose our salvation, but that we, like Esau, miss God’s best for us. God forgives, God restores, and God keeps moving us forward in His plan, sometimes in paths that are alternatives to His best ways. But why would we cast aside the things that have such great value? Why not desire and seek His best? Why not carefully make choices that honor Him, honor others, and show honor to His great grace?
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March 9, 2026
Exodus 3:1 “Now Moses kept the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian: and he led the flock to the backside of the desert, and came to the mountain of God, even to Horeb.”
When this moment occurred, Moses was nearly eighty years old, and his life had taken a strange path. Raised in Egypt as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, he had once lived among the splendor and power of the greatest empire of that age. Egypt was the center of wealth, learning, art, and influence. Roads, chariots, luxury, and prestige surrounded him daily. Humanly speaking, Moses possessed every advantage the world could offer. Yet the direction of his life changed when he chose to identify with the people of God rather than remain in the privileges of Egypt. Scripture tells us this decision was not impulsive but an act of faith. Hebrews 11:24-26 says, “By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter; Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season; Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt.” That choice eventually led Moses far from the palace into the desert land of Midian. There he spent forty years living a quiet life as a shepherd, tending the flocks of his father-in-law. It was a drastic contrast to the life he had once known. Instead of royal halls and political influence, his days were spent among sheep in lonely places. Yet it was precisely in that setting that God was shaping the man He would use. Exodus tells us Moses led the flock to the “backside of the desert” and came to Horeb, a name associated with barrenness and desolation. It was there, in that quiet and unremarkable place, that the Lord appeared to him in the burning bush and called him to the work that would define his life. God often prepares His servants in hidden places long before He reveals His purposes. There is no standard curriculum in the school of God. Each servant is trained according to the work appointed for him. The patience learned in shepherding sheep, the solitude of the wilderness, and the stripping away of Egypt’s glamour were all part of God’s preparation for Moses. Others were trained in similar ways. John the Baptist also spent years in the wilderness before his ministry began. In such places, there is little to distract the soul. The noise of the world fades, human pride loses its appeal, and the heart becomes quiet enough to hear the voice of God. Many believers experience their own “backside of the desert.” These seasons may feel slow, hidden, or even unproductive. Yet God wastes nothing. What seems like a delay is often divine preparation. The Lord is never in a hurry, but His timing is always perfect. Times of solitude with Him are not wasted moments but sacred ones; opportunities to grow in faith, to deepen in His Word, and to be shaped for the work He has prepared.
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March 8, 2026
Song of Solomon 2:4 “He brought me to the banqueting house, and his banner over me was love.”
In the beautiful poetic language of the Song of Solomon, the Holy Spirit paints a picture of a special place where the bridegroom brings the bride; a place called the banqueting house. The Hebrew language suggests a quiet, secluded, outdoor setting where the bridegroom and his bride could be together. Yet he marked the place with something meaningful: he raised a banner, a flag that declared his heart: love. In our practical, duty-driven, and success-pressured religious world, there often seems little time, or appetite, to consider such a scene. Some Christians even wince at the thought of the Song of Solomon being inspired Scripture. One scholar once remarked that the book “sneaked its way into our Bibles.” Yet today’s verse casts a bright light on the depth of God’s love for His people. The Song of Solomon uses the language and poetry of earthly love to help us glimpse something higher. It points us to how God loved us when we were unlovable, and how He foresaw what we would become after He covered us with His grace (Song of Solomon 1). The banqueting house also reminds us of other rich biblical pictures. Psalm 23:5 says, “Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies.” And Revelation 19:9 declares, “Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb.” These passages present the image of a table filled with abundance, an arrangement of provision prepared as though for honored guests at a royal feast. We might say that the Lord is not offering us a bag lunch, a fast-food combo, or a frozen heat-and-serve meal. What He spreads before us is a banquet, a sit-down, waiter-served, multi-course feast of grace. Yet as wonderful as that provision is, it is not the food that captures our attention most. It is the banner flying above the table. Over all the blessings, over all the provision, over all the grace stands a declaration: love. Jeremiah 31:3 reminds us of this thrilling and humbling truth: “The LORD hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee.” Every blessing, every mercy, every invitation to sit at His table flows from that everlasting love. My wife hangs flags on a pole off our back porch. She changes them with the seasons and holidays, and they quietly speak to those who see them that we are thankful and enjoying the moments God has given us. In a far greater way, Jesus has raised His banner over His people. His flag does not change with the season, and it never fades. It declares forever the heart of the Bridegroom toward His bride. As the Song of Solomon beautifully expresses in 2:16, “My beloved is mine, and I am his.”
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March 7, 2026
John 4:3-4 “He left Judaea, and departed again into Galilee. And he must needs go through Samaria.”
In John 4, our Lord was traveling with His disciples and deliberately chose a route no devout Jew of His day would normally take: through Samaria. The Jews despised the Samaritans and would go miles out of their way to avoid passing through their land. The Samaritans were a mixed people, the result of Assyrian conquest and intermarriage, and generations of hostility had hardened hearts on both sides. But Jesus did not travel according to prejudice. He traveled according to purpose. John 8:29 reminds us that He always did those things that pleased the Father. So, when Scripture says He “must needs go through Samaria,” it was not geographical necessity; it was divine appointment. The Father had business with a woman at a well. While the disciples were away buying food, Jesus met a Samaritan woman at Jacob’s well. There, in that unlikely place, He revealed her sin, offered her living water, and transformed her life. The reason for the journey became clear: the people of Samaria needed Him. The tension between Jew and Samaritan is not just ancient history. It is a mirror of the human heart. Our nature leans toward division, suspicion, and self-righteousness. But God’s heart beats with mercy. Revelation 5:9 declares that Christ “hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation.” His kingdom has no room for racial pride or cultural contempt. When hatred erupts in any society, when lives are lost, wounds deepen, and bitterness spreads, we are seeing what Psalm 37:35 describes: “the wicked in great power, and spreading himself like a green bay tree.” Lawlessness grows where Christ is refused. But when the Lord stops at our well and exposes what is really in us, we face the same question Pilate asked in Matthew 27:22: “What shall I do then with Jesus which is called Christ?” Those who receive Him discover that barriers fall. Galatians 3:28 tells us, “There is neither Jew nor Greek… for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.” At the well, walls of division began to crumble. When the disciples returned and found Jesus speaking with the woman, they “marveled” (John 4:27). They didn’t yet understand, but something was changing in them. Soon they would stay two days in a Samaritan town. Later, Peter would enter the house of Cornelius in Acts 10, and Paul would declare in Acts 18:6 that he would go to the Gentiles. The gospel would move beyond borders they once defended. Our walk with Christ may lead us through uncomfortable Samarias, toward people we once avoided or misunderstood. But if He must needs go through Samaria, then so must we. There are souls He loves, souls He died for, and souls He desires to make children of the King.
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March 6, 2026
Job 17:15 “where then is my hope? Who will see my hope?”
We can find ourselves in storms of life and situations that wear us down. We can pray, pray, and pray some more, but it still seems there’s no solution, no end in sight of the ordeal. In today’s verse, these are the words of Job, spoken when he was going through a most difficult time. And, difficult isn’t a strong enough description: It was horrific, painful, and with unspeakable loss. Of all the seasons we go through, such times might be called the night seasons, and Job certainly had a miserable one. When we examine his words in Job 7:3, he said: “So am I made to possess months of vanity, and wearisome nights are appointed to me”. He’s having to go through months of vanity where vanity means emptiness, nothingness, ruin, and devastation. Then in the next verse, he talked about the wearisome nights when he tossed and turned until daybreak, and most of us can identify with such times. It feels like whatever we’re going through, it’s never going to end, and there’s no way out. For many, discouragement, depression, despair, and dismay, all the “dis” words set in, and it’s hard to pray, hard to believe, and hard to have hope. We can identify with Job’s pain and His words because we, too, have been in night seasons. Can you remember the last time you went through such a season? Or perhaps you’re going through one right now, and there doesn’t seem to be an answer or a solution for the situation. It took Job a while in his season of trouble until he was able to have the hope he finally declared in Job 19:25-26, “For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth: And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God”. When we read Job’s story, it’s easy to get caught up in the unspeakable trial, the heartbreaking circumstances he faced, and keep our eyes on the suffering he went through. But Job is also a book of hope, for it tells how Job had a season of trouble, but it passed, and when it was over, the Lord blessed him, comforted him, and rewarded him. When we get to the closing verses of the book, we breathe a sigh of relief because Job’s season of sorrow ended, and the sun of God’s grace shone brightly on him. No matter the storm, it will come to pass. No matter the trial, the Lord has already made a way for escape. And, no matter what our fears and natural view is telling us, God will always be for us, with us, and He will deliver us.
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March 5, 2026
Mark 6:31 “And he said unto them, Come ye yourselves apart into a desert place, and rest a while: for there were many coming and going, and they had no leisure so much as to eat.”
It wasn’t that Jesus and His disciples were swinging hammers, shoveling dirt, or plowing fields and were simply exhausted from manual labor. Their weariness came from the pace of life: the constant demands, the continual press of people, the endless coming and going. They were so busy ministering that they did not even have time to eat. Our Lord’s invitation is personal and instructive: “Come ye yourselves apart… and rest a while.” God is not calling us to laziness or neglect of duty. But He is calling us to intentional seasons of withdrawal, places of refuge where we step away from the noise and refocus our gaze upon Jesus, the Prince of Peace. In those quiet places, the Holy Spirit clears the fog from our hearts and minds. He strengthens our resolve. He realigns our purposes. He steadies us again for the sake of our families and the work He has entrusted to us. For many, even weekends and days off are crammed with errands, chores, and obligations. The pace becomes so normal that we do not realize we are running a race God never intended for us. We grow accustomed to being hurried. We accept being drained. Yet the words of Christ here literally carry the idea, “Let us go somewhere quiet and secluded and be alone for a while.” That is God in the flesh with His disciples, setting an example for us. And this is not the same as our modern idea of vacation. We often return from vacation needing another break. True rest is deeper than recreation. In Isaiah 28:12, the Lord says, “This is the rest wherewith ye may cause the weary to rest; and this is the refreshing.” The primary meaning points to spiritual rest: rest for the soul. Jesus clarified this in Matthew 11:29: “Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me… and ye shall find rest unto your souls.” That is rest from working to earn salvation. Rest from trying to make ourselves right with God through effort. But when we connect that promise with today’s verse, we see something broader. The Lord cares about our whole person, body, soul, and spirit. Daily, like Lot, we are vexed by the pace, the sin, and the confusion of the world around us. The strain seeps into our homes if we are not careful. Tension builds quietly. So, we must purposefully carve out time to step away, to sit before the Lord, to let Him refresh us. A quiet room with our Bibles, a walk enjoying God’s beautiful creation, or moments when we turn off our phones and learn to think again. Our Lord Jesus set the example. He withdrew. He rested. He returned strengthened for the work. If the Son of God needed to “come apart” for a while, surely, we do as well. Let’s follow His example, come apart for a while, and let Him make us whole again.
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March 4, 2026
2 Corinthians 1:21-22 “Now he which stablisheth us with you in Christ, and hath anointed us, is God; Who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts”
New Testament believers have a provision from God in the new birth that was unknown to believers in other dispensations: the indwelling Holy Spirit. It is tempting to look back at Old Testament accounts and view those saints from our present position in Christ, but that’s a mistake. Before our Lord Jesus was crucified, resurrected, and ascended back to heaven, He gave a promise that believers in the past did not possess in this way. In John 14:16-17 He said, “And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; Even the Spirit of truth… for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.” That promise was fulfilled after His ascension. The Spirit would not merely come upon believers temporarily: He would dwell within them permanently. I have found that often there are at least two camps of people concerning this truth. Some seldom mention the wonderful presence and power of the Holy Spirit. Their central message is the gospel of the cross and then the responsibilities of believers, and rightly so, but they rarely encourage people to seek the fullness of the Spirit’s power or to rely daily upon His help. Then there is the other side, those who seem to have lost themselves in a doctrine that is almost entirely Holy Spirit-centered, making their main message about miracles and a continual focus on the supernatural. It sometimes appears that both sides are fearful of becoming like the other. But there is a beautiful balance. We can faithfully preach Christ crucified and call believers to holy living, while at the same time acknowledging that we cannot live the Christian life apart from the Spirit who indwells us. We honor Him not by imbalance, but by dependence and obedience. Today’s verse tells us that God has established us in Christ. He has anointed us, set us apart, and part of that anointing is that He has sealed us and given us the earnest, the down payment, of the Spirit in our hearts. The word “seal” carries the meaning of stamping with a signet, a private mark for security and preservation. In the ancient world, a seal signified ownership and protection. God has given us the Holy Spirit not only to accomplish His will through us, but also to mark us as His own. This seal signifies our eternal covenant with Him through our Lord Jesus Christ. It is heaven’s declaration that we belong to Him. Praise God, we belong to Him, body, soul, and spirit.
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March 3, 2026
2 Timothy 3:5 “Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away”
The form of godliness is the outward practice of religion without the inward life of Christ. It is going through the motions of Christian activity and appearing to follow Jesus Christ, while in reality, everything is being done in our own strength and not in the power of the Holy Spirit. We used to call this “Sunday morning religion.” It describes those who rarely seek the Lord through the week, who do not order their steps by His Word, yet show up on Sunday as though worship and obedience were their daily pattern. There is a routine, there is Christian language, and there is activity. But there is no transforming power. Jesus confronted this very thing in Matthew 15:7–8: “Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying, This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.” The Lord does not accept a heartless approach. He will not receive worship that is mechanical, lips that move without love, or service that flows from self rather than surrender. The warning in today’s verse is direct: from such turn away. That command still speaks in this day of grace. When hearts are not anchored in Christ, people attempt to live with divided affections: partly looking to God, partly walking in step with the spirit of this world. But God has always dealt with divided hearts. Hosea 10:2 says, “Their heart is divided; now shall they be found faulty.” A divided heart will eventually be exposed. We are often quick to deny that idolatry exists among us. We imagine that because we mention the Lord’s name or maintain a religious appearance, all must be well. Yet the form of godliness is itself a subtle idolatry. It replaces the living Christ with religious performance. It substitutes atmosphere for anointing, activity for obedience, and excitement for holiness. If you have ever truly drunk from the fountain of living water, you recognize the difference. No amount of polished presentation can substitute for the presence of God. Stage effects like fog machines cannot replace the breath of the Spirit. Perfectly timed music cannot replace hearts yielded to Him. And ministers who echo the latest cultural trends can never replace those who obey Isaiah 58:1, “Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and shew my people their transgression.” The question is simple and direct: Do you belong to Jesus Christ? And do you desire to follow Him in truth? Then weigh carefully what you receive. Listen to what is being offered as the Bread of Life. If it is not Heaven’s Bread, if Christ is not central, if repentance is absent, if holiness is ignored, and if there is no witness of the Holy Spirit, then obey the Scripture. Turn away.
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March 2, 2026
Romans 3:21-22 “But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference”
When our Lord Jesus was on earth and ministering, He spoke the words of Matthew 5:20 that shook the very foundation of Jewish confidence: “Except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.” To the average listener, that must have sounded impossible. The Pharisees were the strictest religious people in Israel. They refined their lives around the Law, carefully observing its commands and even adding safeguards to avoid the slightest violation. If anyone appeared righteous, surely it was them. But that was exactly the point. They appeared righteous. The Pharisees believed that careful obedience to the Law, over six hundred commandments, produced righteousness. They strained their drinks to avoid swallowing an unclean insect. They tithed with precision. They polished the outside of the cup. Yet they misunderstood what God wanted. The Law was never given to create righteousness; it was given to reveal sin. It could restrain behavior, but it could not transform the heart. Jesus made this painfully clear in Matthew 15:19-20: “For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries…” The problem is not merely what we do; it is who we are. You can modify conduct and still have a corrupt heart. You can clean up habits and still be unchanged within. The Law can fence in actions, but it cannot breathe life into a dead spirit. As Galatians 3:21 declares, if righteousness could have come by the Law, then it would have come that way. But it did not, and it cannot. This is where many stumble. We want to believe our good deeds will outweigh our failures. We argue with the clear testimony of Scripture because admitting our helplessness wounds our pride. Yet until we understand that even our best efforts fall short, we will never appreciate the glory of what God has done for us. Romans 3:21-22 unveils the “new and living way.” A righteousness apart from the Law has been manifested. It is “the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe.” Notice those words: unto all and upon all. This righteousness is not achieved; it is received. It is not earned; it is imputed. The only way our righteousness can exceed that of the Pharisees is by possessing a righteousness that is not our own. When we trust Christ, we are clothed in His righteousness. God does not measure us against religious elites; He sees us covered in the perfection of His Son. What we could never produce, He freely provides. That is grace. And that is the only righteousness that satisfies God.
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March 1, 2026
Acts 4:13 “Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus.”
Peter and John were fishermen, considered by their culture as part of the working class. The fishing tradition was usually a family business, passed down from fathers to sons, and they had specific skills that were unique to their occupation. They were in no way a part of the educated elite of their day and were considered just ordinary people. That’s what today’s verse is referring to when people witnessed Peter and John doing the mighty works of God, and it took them by surprise because they were just, well, fishermen. The religious world decided long ago that the only way to carry out God’s will is to form organizations, qualify people, certify them as “competent”, educate them with their agendas and belief systems, and then weave all this into a social and economic fabric they present to the world as “God’s work”. They rely on this system to produce results which they periodically analyze, evaluate, and present to committees. The organizations then make adjustments to produce better numbers. Fishermen? Not hardly. Religion is more like a mechanized sardine harvesting operation where no one comes in contact with the fish, and no one has a personal vested interest in the real purpose of our Heavenly Father. His plan is to bring people into the lives of other people in intimate, Holy Spirit-filled power connections. And, one-on-one, they present God’s love, mercy, and kindness, and willingness to save, deliver, and bless the people He created. Organizations may serve a purpose, but the real fishing is done by you and me daily as we cast the nets of truth, mercy, and compassion: nets that our Lord provides. We do it over and over again, personally touching the lives of people who are beaten, bruised, and living in darkness without hope, longing for a God they have rebelled against. They are His creations, and His methods to reach them won’t always fit our man-made criteria, platforms, and patterns. But He uses those He has called, qualified, certified, and educated by His power and grace to accomplish His purpose. After all, it’s really His Word and His Spirit that’s doing the fishing: we are just casting the nets. Even if we try to point to apostle Paul to show that his education and intellect made the difference, just listen to what he said after listing all his personal accomplishments and accolades: Philippians 3:7-10,” But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith: That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death”. May the Lord raise up people, filled with the Holy Spirit, of humble hearts and reeking of the things of God to confound the things which are wise and mighty (1 Corinthians 1:27).
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