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“He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.” Isaiah 40:29 How grateful we all should be for  God’s care for us and His help from day by day. These words from Isaiah remind us  of that very thing.  We all have times when we feel inadequate and weak. We become tired and weary. We may feel discouraged when the devil whispers to us that we are not smart enough, not talented enough, or not worthy enough. We may feel as though we’re not accomplishing anything for our Savior! But chapter 40 of the book of Isaiah reassures us that the opposite is true. First of all, God reminds us in verse 28 that He NEVER grows tired or weary. He ALWAYS has our back (so…

“For surely, O Lord, you bless the righteous; you surround them with your favor as a shield.” Psalm 5:12 How wonderful it must be to be in God’s favor! To be showered with undeserved blessings; to be protected by an Almighty God; to be loved unconditionally. It is almost too much for our human minds to understand. Does God really care that much for us? How can we be sure?  Are we even worthy of such blessings? No, we are not worthy on our own merit to receive anything from God. But as David reminds us in this verse, God blesses the righteous. Who are these righteous ones? Simply stated the righteous are those in “right standing” with God. The righteous are those that have accepted salvation, confessed Jesus as…

“Remember your creator in the days of your youth, before the days of trouble come…” Ecclesiastes 12:1 Today’s young people are faced with many, many challenges. We know that evil runs rampant in the world. It even seems as though youth and children are being targeted by the devil and his dark forces. Abortion rates are high, suicide victims seem to be younger than ever, and deadly drugs are made to look like candy in order to attract children. It is not uncommon to hear of a child being kidnapped or killed by a stray bullet or worse, caught in the middle of an adult altercation. This verse of scripture from Ecclesiastes reminds us of the importance of teaching our children, grandchildren, neighbors, students and friends about God’s love for…

“And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.” 1 Corinthians 13:13 These words come at the end of a very familiar chapter in the Bible sometimes referred to as the love chapter.  Portions of 1 Corinthians 13 have been spoken at weddings, put to music in lyrics of songs and repeated as poetry. This chapter tells us the characteristics of love  in verses 4-8a.  A quick study of chapter 13 will show that it is a continuation of chapter 12. Here, Paul names parts of the body of Christ, such as apostles, prophets, teachers, etc.  While all  are important in the  ministry of Christ and not to be ignored, some may think one job is more important than another, but as Paul…

“Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine.” Isaiah 43:1b What a comfort these words from Isaiah must have been for God’s chosen people, the Israelites!  It reassured them that they were His special people. These words encouraged and ensured protection from the Lord Himself.  As we take a closer look and think more deeply about this passage from Isaiah, we realize that we too can receive this blessing and promise. As Christians we have been  redeemed through Christ. We are God’s people too!  What comfort is found in verses 2 and 3! God promises to be with us through all kinds of trials. Verse 5 tells us there is no need to fear, because God will always go with us. Notice…

“Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another…” Hebrews 10:25 Why is church attendance important? Many churches have services live-streamed and can be viewed over the internet. Sermons, devotions, and other religious programs can be seen on television or heard on the radio. There are countless Christian books that can be read that contain great devotions, and of course we can read the Bible anytime . So why is it important to attend a church service? It is not to achieve an enormous number in attendance, although it is a blessing to see big, thriving churches. It is not to make the pastor look good or give any prestige to the members. The answer is found in…

“Great is the Lord and most worthy of praise; his greatness no one can fathom.” Psalm 145:3 A well known children’s prayer begins with “God is great and God is good…” These are simple words, but oh the weight and truth they carry!  God is great!  He created the world out of nothing. The sun, moon and stars, His handiwork, declare His glory (Psalm 19:1)  He created man from mere dust and gave him life by breathing holy breath into him. Only the great God could have performed such wonders. His greatness is evident today too. He continues to give life to His creations, by waking us each new day. He provides for us beyond anything we can imagine and He protects us from the evils of this world. Only…

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you… Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” John 14:27 There are times when we all need to comforted, times when we feel afraid, doubtful, or lonely.  A call from a friend, a hug from a loved one, a kind word, a listening ear or a heartfelt prayer can go a long way in helping someone through a difficult time.  But God goes beyond anything that we humans can do. In 1 Peter 5:7 He says to “cast all our cares on Him, because He cares for us.”  No matter how heavy our burden seems to be, it is not too much for our Lord and Savior. He loves us  so much that He invites us…

In His Praise -- September 11, 2022 In His Praise! “…be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the power of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil… Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes you will be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything to stand. Stand firm then…” Ephesians 6:10 - 14 We live in a world that seems to be filled with all kinds of evil. It is not uncommon to hear about murders, shootings, kidnapings, abuse and other hateful crimes. Strong drugs that can kill are created with the express purpose…

“For nothing is impossible with God.” Luke 1:37 How wonderful to know that we serve a God of miracles! There is nothing that is beyond His power. Things that are too difficult for us to even understand, are simple to our great God. We can find reassurance of this throughout the Bible.  Genesis 18:14, Job 42:2  and Jeremiah 32:17,27 are just few examples found in the Old Testament. Jesus made this statement in Matthew 19:26, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”   So many times we look at situations through our human eyes and forget that God is still in control. He is greater than any bad choice we may have made. He is stronger than any hurtful relationship we may be in. He…