Devotional Thoughts

Psalm 150:1-6   "Praise ye the LORD. Praise God in his sanctuary: praise him in the firmament of his power.  (2)  Praise him for his mighty acts: praise him according to his excellent greatness.  (3)  Praise him with the sound of the trumpet: praise him with the psaltery and harp.  (4)  Praise him with the timbrel and dance: praise him with stringed instruments and organs.  (5)  Praise him upon the loud cymbals: praise him upon the high sounding cymbals.  (6)  Let every thing that hath breath praise the LORD. Praise ye the LORD." I'm so thankful this morning to say that I have breath in my lungs. There are some days that the humidity affects my breathing; yet, I can say I have breath in my lungs. How about you? For me to say and know that I have breath in my lungs, then this Psalm applies to me. I can't play the trumpet or psaltery or harp. I only can make a noise on a timbrel. I used to play the dulcimer, but it's been a long ...

Matthew 1:21-23     "And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.  Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying,  Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us. " The angel of the Lord had appeared unto Joseph to comfort him concerning Mary’s pregnancy. Joseph was assured that his espoused wife had not been unfaithful to him in any way. The angel then began to unfold more of the story for Joseph. Mary would have a son, and his name would be called Jesus (Jehovah is salvation – see Thayer’s Greek Definitions). Jesus’s birth was simple: He was born into this world in the same physical process as every other baby ever born. However, there was a powerful exception in His conception in that He was conceived by the Holy Ghost and carried in ...

Matthew 1:18-20    "Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost.  Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a publick example, was minded to put her away privily.  But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost."    In Isaiah 7:14, God promised us a sign concerning our Saviour. The Scripture tells us that “ Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.” The birth of Jesus Christ came in this manner (was on this wise) as a sign from God to His people that He was faithful to the promise He made to Abraham. Although the engagement gift had bee...

Psalm 149:1-5    "Praise ye the LORD. Sing unto the LORD a new song, and his praise in the congregation of saints.  (2)  Let Israel rejoice in him that made him: let the children of Zion be joyful in their King.  (3)  Let them praise his name in the dance: let them sing praises unto him with the timbrel and harp.  (4)  For the LORD taketh pleasure in his people: he will beautify the meek with salvation.  (5)  Let the saints be joyful in glory: let them sing aloud upon their beds." Why do you think the Holy Spirit inspired so many Psalms about praise? It seems to me that praise is an exercise of the soul that gives strength to us even in times of struggle. It is when we lose our praise that we are at our weakness in our spiritual walk. If we are honest with ourselves, there are days when we have to put forth more effort to praise than at other times. Yet, we are to praise the Lord at all times. It isn't because it makes God feel better w...

Matthew 1:1    "The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham."     Some people love to trace their family heritage. They enjoy seeing how far into the past they can find their ancestors. My immediate forebears were McGrady, McPeak, McCraw, and Hill. As you can probably tell, I am heavy on the Scottish, Irish, and Welch influence, and I can trace family lines back into the 1600’s. In the case of my maternal Grandfather Hill, the records I have found go back even earlier to the 700’s.   My Grandfather Hill would have gotten quite a thrill to learn that one of his ancestors in the 700’s was a king. I am sure that it was not a large kingdom nor notable on a grand scale. It is what I would term a “fun fact.” However, that knowledge is not going to fundamentally change my life or yours.   When the book of Matthew begins with the “generation” of Jesus Christ, he is not giving an all-encompassing look into Jesus’s ancestry....