Devotional Thoughts

1 Corinthians 10:1-5    “Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea; And did all eat the same spiritual meat; And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ. But with many of them God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the wilderness.” In chapter nine, Paul spoke to the Corinthians about how that all who were in a race ran but not all were triumphant. He now makes an application of this concerning the fathers who came up out of Egypt. While they were not “fathers” to the Gentiles among the Corinthian brethren in a genealogical sense (as they were to the Jewish brethren), they were still fathers from the standpoint of having the commandments and promises of God delivered unto them. Paul again emphasizes his kinship ...

Psalm 117:1-2    "O praise the LORD, all ye nations: praise him, all ye people.  (2)  For his merciful kindness is great toward us: and the truth of the LORD endureth for ever. Praise ye the LORD." Years ago, a preacher friend of mine felt like the congregation was not listening to his messages. He decided to preach the same sermon until someone noticed. After preaching that same message for four Sundays, a man came up to him and said, "Preacher, I think that is the best sermon I've ever heard." He replied, "I'm glad someone finally heard it."  In that vein of thought, I believe this is the third time that I have tried to write devotions on the book of the Psalms and this is the first time that I have actually noticed the vast number of times that we are told to "Praise the Lord." I think I can hear the Lord saying to me, "I'm glad you finally heard it." The original word for praise means to to be clear in sound, to shine,...

1 Corinthians 9:24-27     “Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain. And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they   do it   to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible. I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air: But I keep under my body, and bring   it   into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.” Public games were a big deal in Paul’s day, just as they are today. Men strove to be champions in running and fighting to prove their prowess and to receive a crown of plaited branches or vines. This was something the Corinthians would be very familiar with, and possibly involved in. As such, they would certainly know that all who aspired to win the prize had to run. There was no prize for just showing up on race day. No one was goi...

Psalm 116:1-7    "I love the LORD, because he hath heard my voice and my supplications. (2)  Because he hath inclined his ear unto me, therefore will I call upon him as long as I live. (3)  The sorrows of death compassed me, and the pains of hell gat hold upon me: I found trouble and sorrow. (4)  Then called I upon the name of the LORD; O LORD, I beseech thee, deliver my soul. (5)  Gracious is the LORD, and righteous; yea, our God is merciful. (6)  The LORD preserveth the simple: I was brought low, and he helped me. (7)  Return unto thy rest, O my soul; for the LORD hath dealt bountifully with thee." I used more Scripture than usual this morning. There are 19 verses in this Psalm where the Psalmist is explaining why he loves the Lord. I'm sure that if each of us listed our reasons, the entire Bible would not be able to contain them all. In fact, the entire world would not be able to contain all of them. As I read these 7 verses, my mind went in tw...

1 Corinthians 9:19-23    “For though I be free from all   men,   yet have I made myself servant unto all, that I might gain the more. And unto the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain the Jews; to them that are under the law, as under the law, that I might gain them that are under the law; To them that are without law, as without law, (being not without law to God, but under the law to Christ,) that I might gain them that are without law. To the weak became I as weak, that I might gain the weak: I am made all things to all   men,   that I might by all means save some. And this I do for the gospel’s sake, that I might be partaker thereof with   you. ” Paul makes it clear in all of his letters that he is not under bondage to any man or any system of men anywhere. He is the prisoner of the Lord Jesus Christ and none other. Yet he here confesses that he has willingly become a servant to all types of people that he might have the opportunity to share t...