Devotional Thoughts

Exodus 18:7-11     "And Moses went out to meet his father in law, and did obeisance, and kissed him; and they asked each other of their welfare; and they came into the tent. And Moses told his father in law all that the LORD had done unto Pharaoh and to the Egyptians for Israel's sake, and all the travail that had come upon them by the way, and how the LORD delivered them. And Jethro rejoiced for all the goodness which the LORD had done to Israel, whom he had delivered out of the hand of the Egyptians. And Jethro said, Blessed be the LORD, who hath delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians, and out of the hand of Pharaoh, who hath delivered the people from under the hand of the Egyptians. Now I know that the LORD is greater than all gods: for in the thing wherein they dealt proudly he was above them."   It is obvious from the beginning that Moses had a special relationship with his father-in-law. A mutual respect was evident, and faith in God was apparent in the...

Isaiah 37:33-35     "Therefore thus saith the LORD concerning the king of Assyria, He shall not come into this city, nor shoot an arrow there, nor come before it with shields, nor cast a bank against it.  (34)  By the way that he came, by the same shall he return, and shall not come into this city, saith the LORD.  (35)  For I will defend this city to save it for mine own sake, and for my servant David's sake." The people of Judah are in a time when doubts and fear have taken hold of them.  They surely were outnumbered and the enemy was much better equipped for a battle. Assyria was using every opportunity to intimidate and feed the doubts of the people. Hezekiah called for the Prophet Isaiah to come and pray. He had humbled himself before the Lord to pray and seek God's face. Surely he was thinking of the promises that God had made when the temple was first built. "If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and ...

Exodus 18:1-6     "When Jethro, the priest of Midian, Moses' father in law, heard of all that God had done for Moses, and for Israel his people, and that the LORD had brought Israel out of Egypt; Then Jethro, Moses' father in law, took Zipporah, Moses' wife, after he had sent her back, And her two sons; of which the name of the one was Gershom; for he said, I have been an alien in a strange land: And the name of the other was Eliezer; for the God of my father, said he, was mine help, and delivered me from the sword of Pharaoh: And Jethro, Moses' father in law, came with his sons and his wife unto Moses into the wilderness, where he encamped at the mount of God: And he said unto Moses, I thy father in law Jethro am come unto thee, and thy wife, and her two sons with her."   When God spoke to Moses out of the bush that burned and was not consumed, Moses was on the backside of the wilderness tending to Jethro’s flocks. Moses married Jethro’s daughter, Zipporah, a...

Isaiah 37:31-32     "And the remnant that is escaped of the house of Judah shall again take root downward, and bear fruit upward:  (32)  For out of Jerusalem shall go forth a remnant, and they that escape out of mount Zion: the zeal of the LORD of hosts shall do this." I would like to expand on yesterday's devotion.  Struggles always have a beginning and an ending. The obvious reaction is to the beginning and the duration of any struggle or situation that we are called upon to endure. It is sometimes difficult to think about the light at the end of the tunnel when we are in the middle of the darkness. God was telling the people through His Prophet Isaiah that there would be an end to the development. There will be those who escape and there will be those who "take root downward, and bear fruit upward." I would like to think about that remnant and their outlook on life. Too often, we see and hear of those who try to run away from God when things are rough ...

Exodus 17:13-16    "And Joshua discomfited Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword. And the LORD said unto Moses, Write this for a memorial in a book, and rehearse it in the ears of Joshua: for I will utterly put out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven. And Moses built an altar, and called the name of it Jehovahnissi: For he said, Because the LORD hath sworn that the LORD will have war with Amalek from generation to generation."   In the verses immediately prior to these, Moses sat upon a stone and, with the help of Aaron and Hur, held up his hands during the battle between the children of Israel and Amalek. As long as Moses’ hands were up, Joshua and the children of Israel prevailed against Amalek. With help, Moses was able to hold his hands up until the sun went down. The tide of battle was turned in Joshua’s favor. Joshua discomfited the Amalekites. Strong’s Hebrew and Greek Dictionary gives the meaning of the word translated as discomfited to mean “to...

Exodus 17:8-12     "Then came Amalek, and fought with Israel in Rephidim. And Moses said unto Joshua, Choose us out men, and go out, fight with Amalek: to morrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the rod of God in mine hand. So Joshua did as Moses had said to him, and fought with Amalek: and Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill. And it came to pass, when Moses held up his hand, that Israel prevailed: and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed. But Moses' hands were heavy; and they took a stone, and put it under him, and he sat thereon; and Aaron and Hur stayed up his hands, the one on the one side, and the other on the other side; and his hands were steady until the going down of the sun."   The man, Amalek, was a grandson of Esau (Genesis 36:12). It makes sense that Amalek in our Scripture here refers to the people or nation that was descended from him just as Israel refers to the nation that was descended from the man Israel (Jacob). Bei...

Isaiah 37:31    "And the remnant that is escaped of the house of Judah shall again take root downward, and bear fruit upward" In order for our lives to bear true fruit of the Spirit, we must be rooted deep in Christ. The energy and ability to bear fruit comes through Him. He said it Himself that without Him, we can do nothing. I believe this is an absolute truth!   How do we root downward? I believe it is by learning more about Him through study of His Word. Then prayer is an absolute must. Communication with the Lord prepares us to be able to have love, joy, peace, and all the other parts of the fruit.   May the Lord help us to root downward and bear fruit upward.

Luke 2:11-12    "For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger."  Is today the day that Jesus was born? No one really knows. But for each of us who believes that our Savior is Christ the Lord, there was a time in our lives when that became a living reality. That was the day we knew that we have a Savior! Prior to knowing we have a Savior was the revelation that we need saving. Do you remember that great conviction that you are a sinner? Do you remember the joy that flooded your soul when God revealed to you your Savior? Unto you is born a Savior. Dear ones, as you gather with friends and family today, may you be filled with the joy of your Savior. And tomorrow when you rise from your bed, may you rejoice that you have a Savior. And on the 25th of July, may you celebrate the love and joy of your Savior. May we, as those who are...

Luke 2:8-14    "And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.  (9)  And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.  (10)  And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.  (11)  For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.  (12)  And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.  (13)  And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,  (14)  Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men." "And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in...

Luke 2:1-7    "And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed.  (2)  (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.)  (3)  And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city.  (4)  And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:)  (5)  To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child.  (6)  And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered.  (7)  And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn." Merry Christmas Eve !! Today, I want to think about this most wonderful event that has ever taken place. The "Word was made flesh...

Exodus 17:1-7     "And all the congregation of the children of Israel journeyed from the wilderness of Sin, after their journeys, according to the commandment of the LORD, and pitched in Rephidim: and there was no water for the people to drink. Wherefore the people did chide with Moses, and said, Give us water that we may drink. And Moses said unto them, Why chide ye with me? wherefore do ye tempt the LORD? And the people thirsted there for water; and the people murmured against Moses, and said, Wherefore is this that thou hast brought us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our cattle with thirst? And Moses cried unto the LORD, saying, What shall I do unto this people? they be almost ready to stone me. And the LORD said unto Moses, Go on before the people, and take with thee of the elders of Israel; and thy rod, wherewith thou smotest the river, take in thine hand, and go. Behold, I will stand before thee there upon the rock in Horeb; and thou shalt smite the...

Isaiah 37:14-16     "And Hezekiah received the letter from the hand of the messengers, and read it: and Hezekiah went up unto the house of the LORD, and spread it before the LORD.  (15)  And Hezekiah prayed unto the LORD, saying,  (16)  O LORD of hosts, God of Israel, that dwellest between the cherubims, thou art the God, even thou alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth: thou hast made heaven and earth." There is a principle that is taught in these verses that apply to us today. We saw yesterday that Hezekiah took his burden to the Lord and spread it out before God. He began to pray with a fervency. Aren't you thankful that we have an open access to the very throne of grace? Isn't it wonderful that the Lord has told us that He cares for us and we are to humble ourselves before Him, casting all our cares upon Him? (1 Peter 5:6-7) Aren't you thankful that we can go boldly in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to that throne and there find mercy and grace...

Exodus 16:32-36     "And Moses said, This is the thing which the LORD commandeth, Fill an omer of it to be kept for your generations; that they may see the bread wherewith I have fed you in the wilderness, when I brought you forth from the land of Egypt. And Moses said unto Aaron, Take a pot, and put an omer full of manna therein, and lay it up before the LORD, to be kept for your generations. As the LORD commanded Moses, so Aaron laid it up before the Testimony, to be kept. And the children of Israel did eat manna forty years, until they came to a land inhabited; they did eat manna, until they came unto the borders of the land of Canaan. Now an omer is the tenth part of an ephah." You may have heard it said that one of the most dangerous reasons in the world to do something a certain way is “because we have always done it this way.” There are times, when we are dealing with manmade customs and traditions that this might be true. However, we are never on safer ground for ...

Isaiah 37:1-2     "And it came to pass, when king Hezekiah heard it, that he rent his clothes, and covered himself with sackcloth, and went into the house of the LORD. (2)  And he sent Eliakim, who was over the household, and Shebna the scribe, and the elders of the priests covered with sackcloth, unto Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz."   Isaiah 37:4       "... wherefore lift up thy prayer for the remnant that is left." Isaiah 37:14     "And Hezekiah received the letter from the hand of the messengers, and read it: and Hezekiah went up unto the house of the LORD, and spread it before the LORD." I have used various passages from Isaiah 37 this morning because it shows to us the pattern that we should use when we are facing difficult situations.  To bring us into focus, we remember that the King of Assyria had sent his army against the nation of Judah. They tried to use intimidation to bring doubt and fear into the heart...

Exodus 16:22-30     "And it came to pass, that on the sixth day they gathered twice as much bread, two omers for one man: and all the rulers of the congregation came and told Moses. And he said unto them, This is that which the LORD hath said, To morrow is the rest of the holy sabbath unto the LORD: bake that which ye will bake to day, and seethe that ye will seethe; and that which remaineth over lay up for you to be kept until the morning. And they laid it up till the morning, as Moses bade: and it did not stink, neither was there any worm therein. And Moses said, Eat that to day; for to day is a sabbath unto the LORD: to day ye shall not find it in the field. Six days ye shall gather it; but on the seventh day, which is the sabbath, in it there shall be none. And it came to pass, that there went out some of the people on the seventh day for to gather, and they found none. And the LORD said unto Moses, How long refuse ye to keep my commandments and my laws? See, for that...

Isaiah 36:18-20     "Beware lest Hezekiah persuade you, saying, The LORD will deliver us. Hath any of the gods of the nations delivered his land out of the hand of the king of Assyria?  (19)  Where are the gods of Hamath and Arphad? where are the gods of Sepharvaim? and have they delivered Samaria out of my hand?  (20)  Who are they among all the gods of these lands, that have delivered their land out of my hand, that the LORD should deliver Jerusalem out of my hand?" To bring us up to date:  Assyria had invaded the land of Judah. The captain sent messengers to try to cast doubt and fear into the hearts of the people. He made them a promise that might sound good for a moment. It is in those moments that we must always take care not to allow those good sounding things to override our God-blessed spirit. The captain said he would take the people "... away to a land like your own land, a land of corn and wine, a land of bread and vineyards." That sou...

Exodus 16:16-20     "This is the thing which the LORD hath commanded, Gather of it every man according to his eating, an omer for every man, according to the number of your persons; take ye every man for them which are in his tents. And the children of Israel did so, and gathered, some more, some less. And when they did mete it with an omer, he that gathered much had nothing over, and he that gathered little had no lack; they gathered every man according to his eating. And Moses said, Let no man leave of it till the morning. Notwithstanding they hearkened not unto Moses; but some of them left of it until the morning, and it bred worms, and stank: and Moses was wroth with them."  In our walk with God, there is something that we always need to be aware of. That something is the thing which the LORD has commanded, whatever that “thing” be. In this instance, the command had to do with the LORD’s provision of bread for the children of Israel. They were to measure an omer ...

Isaiah 36:4-5     "And Rabshakeh said unto them, Say ye now to Hezekiah, Thus saith the great king, the king of Assyria, What confidence is this wherein thou trustest?  (5)  I say, sayest thou, (but they are but vain words) I have counsel and strength for war: now on whom dost thou trust, that thou rebellest against me?" It seems that Satan has certain tools in his pocket that he pulls out more than others. Fear is one of them. We are robbed of many blessings when we allow fear to control our lives. I believe this is why the Holy Spirit included the words, "Fear not," so many times in the Bible. In this wonderful season of the year, we are reminded of those two words quite often. We read when the angel appeared to the father of John the Baptist, "Fear not, Zacharias." When the angel appeared to Mary, He said, "Fear not, Mary."  He also spoke to Joseph, "... fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife..." And then to the shepherds in the fi...

Exodus 16:11-15     "And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, I have heard the murmurings of the children of Israel: speak unto them, saying, At even ye shall eat flesh, and in the morning ye shall be filled with bread; and ye shall know that I am the LORD your God. And it came to pass, that at even the quails came up, and covered the camp: and in the morning the dew lay round about the host. And when the dew that lay was gone up, behold, upon the face of the wilderness there lay a small round thing, as small as the hoar frost on the ground. And when the children of Israel saw it, they said one to another, It is manna: for they wist not what it was. And Moses said unto them, This is the bread which the LORD hath given you to eat." As we continue to read the story of the Exodus, three things stand out to me today. First are the abundant examples that God hears the prayers of His faithful servants. Second are the abundant examples that God hears the complaining of His people....

Isaiah 35:5-10     "Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped.  (6)  Then shall the lame man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing: for in the wilderness shall waters break out, and streams in the desert.  (7)  And the parched ground shall become a pool, and the thirsty land springs of water: in the habitation of dragons, where each lay, shall be grass with reeds and rushes. (8)  And an highway shall be there, and a way, and it shall be called The way of holiness; the unclean shall not pass over it; but it shall be for those: the wayfaring men, though fools, shall not err therein.  (9)  No lion shall be there, nor any ravenous beast shall go up thereon, it shall not be found there; but the redeemed shall walk there:  (10)  And the ransomed of the LORD shall return, and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads: they shall obtain joy and gladness, and so...

Exodus 16:2-4     "And the whole congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness: And the children of Israel said unto them, Would to God we had died by the hand of the LORD in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the flesh pots, and when we did eat bread to the full; for ye have brought us forth into this wilderness, to kill this whole assembly with hunger. Then said the LORD unto Moses, Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you; and the people shall go out and gather a certain rate every day, that I may prove them, whether they will walk in my law, or no."   Exodus 16:8     "And Moses said, This shall be, when the LORD shall give you in the evening flesh to eat, and in the morning bread to the full; for that the LORD heareth your murmurings which ye murmur against him: and what are we? your murmurings are not against us, but against the LORD." It is often easier for us to grumble than to be thankful. Rather ...

Isaiah 35:3-4     "Strengthen ye the weak hands, and confirm the feeble knees.  (4)  Say to them that are of a fearful heart, Be strong, fear not: behold, your God will come with vengeance, even God with a recompence; he will come and save you." What is our responsibility as children of God? Our works will never be good enough to take us to heaven, but what are we to be doing while living here on earth? Did God place us here for our own comfort and ease?  He warns us about being "at ease in Zion."  Again, we are not saved by our good works, but be assured that we are saved in order to do good works. "For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them." (Ephesians 2:10)  Are we to take this gift of salvation and live it unto ourselves?  Did Jesus not say that we are to be lights in this world? How can we be lights if we hide under a basket? Are we not to be salt of th...

Exodus 15:22-27     "So Moses brought Israel from the Red sea, and they went out into the wilderness of Shur; and they went three days in the wilderness, and found no water. And when they came to Marah, they could not drink of the waters of Marah, for they were bitter: therefore the name of it was called Marah. And the people murmured against Moses, saying, What shall we drink? And he cried unto the LORD; and the LORD shewed him a tree, which when he had cast into the waters, the waters were made sweet: there he made for them a statute and an ordinance, and there he proved them, And said, If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the LORD thy God, and wilt do that which is right in his sight, and wilt give ear to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am the LORD that healeth thee. And they came to Elim, where were twelve wells of water, and threescore and ten palm tree...

Isaiah 33:20-22     "Look upon Zion, the city of our solemnities: thine eyes shall see Jerusalem a quiet habitation, a tabernacle that shall not be taken down; not one of the stakes thereof shall ever be removed, neither shall any of the cords thereof be broken.  (21)  But there the glorious LORD will be unto us a place of broad rivers and streams; wherein shall go no galley with oars, neither shall gallant ship pass thereby.  (22)  For the LORD is our judge, the LORD is our lawgiver, the LORD is our king; he will save us." "Look upon Zion."  Debby and I enjoy watching YouTube videos of the Holy Land and the places around Jerusalem where Jesus and His disciples walked.  I'm not a fan of flying, so that will be the closest I come to seeing it.  But I have a better view and I believe this is the view under consideration in today's text.  No doubt, the people could visibly see the things surrounding Jerusalem, "the city of our solemnit...

Exodus 15:14-18     "The people shall hear, and be afraid: sorrow shall take hold on the inhabitants of Palestina. Then the dukes of Edom shall be amazed; the mighty men of Moab, trembling shall take hold upon them; all the inhabitants of Canaan shall melt away. Fear and dread shall fall upon them; by the greatness of thine arm they shall be as still as a stone; till thy people pass over, O LORD, till the people pass over, which thou hast purchased. Thou shalt bring them in, and plant them in the mountain of thine inheritance, in the place, O LORD, which thou hast made for thee to dwell in, in the Sanctuary, O Lord, which thy hands have established. The LORD shall reign for ever and ever." The children of Israel had just witnessed again the mighty hand of God. They had seen the LORD work directly in their deliverance. He had been faithful to His word. A deep sense of rejoicing while looking to the future boosted their spirits. Their minds turned to the promise that God ha...

Isaiah 32:17-18     "And the work of righteousness shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance for ever.  (18)  And my people shall dwell in a peaceable habitation, and in sure dwellings, and in quiet resting places" A few days ago we were reminded that there is right and wrong. There is not as much gray area as some might think. Paul wrote, "For we can do nothing against the truth, but for the truth." (2 Corinthians 13:8) No matter how hard we might attempt, truth will always prevail.  We are told that Abraham Lincoln said, “You can fool some of the people all of the time, and all of the people some of the time, but you cannot fool all of the people all of the time” I will go one giant step farther than that. We can never fool God.  Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me."  We can do nothing against the truth. He will always prevail. There are blessings when our a...

Exodus 15:11-13     "Who is like unto thee, O LORD, among the gods? who is like thee, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders? Thou stretchedst out thy right hand, the earth swallowed them. Thou in thy mercy hast led forth the people which thou hast redeemed: thou hast guided them in thy strength unto thy holy habitation."  We find the question above posed throughout the scriptures in various circumstances. It is one we do well to consider in our daily life. Who is like the LORD unto us. The obvious answer should be that there is no one and nothing that is like the LORD. Yet, we will eventually find the children of Israel making strange gods for themselves. This begs the question, have we made gods for ourselves? God is glorious in His holiness (1 Samuel 2:2). There is no corruption found in Him, and His will is right. He is worthy of our reverential hymns. He deserves to have songs written about Him and sung to Him. Only God created the heavens and t...

Isaiah 30:20-21     "And though the Lord give you the bread of adversity, and the water of affliction, yet shall not thy teachers be removed into a corner any more, but thine eyes shall see thy teachers:  (21)  And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left." We often hear someone saying, "It seems the Lord has just gone away from me."  In our everyday frame of mind and heart, we know that is not true; yet, there are times when it can seem as if that is the case. The truth of the matter is not that God has gone away from me; rather, I have walked away from God. The verses previous to today's text speak to us of a people who willingly disregarded the Word of God. In fact, they refused to hear the prophets as they would speak to them. Remember? God told Isaiah to go speak to the people but they would not listen to him. There are definite consequences when anyon...

Exodus 15:6-10     "Thy right hand, O LORD, is become glorious in power: thy right hand, O LORD, hath dashed in pieces the enemy. And in the greatness of thine excellency thou hast overthrown them that rose up against thee: thou sentest forth thy wrath, which consumed them as stubble. And with the blast of thy nostrils the waters were gathered together, the floods stood upright as an heap, and the depths were congealed in the heart of the sea. The enemy said, I will pursue, I will overtake, I will divide the spoil; my lust shall be satisfied upon them; I will draw my sword, my hand shall destroy them. Thou didst blow with thy wind, the sea covered them: they sank as lead in the mighty waters."  As Moses and the children of Israel continue their song of deliverance, we see again the expression that the LORD “is become.” This does not indicate that He has changed or that He is now something He was not before. Rather, this speaks to their experience with the LORD. He ha...

Isaiah 30:1-2     "Woe to the rebellious children, saith the LORD, that take counsel, but not of me; and that cover with a covering, but not of my spirit, that they may add sin to sin:  (2)  That walk to go down into Egypt, and have not asked at my mouth; to strengthen themselves in the strength of Pharaoh, and to trust in the shadow of Egypt!" "I need help" are some of the most difficult words to say. Our nature is such that we want to be able to do things on our own. Instead of buying the "do it yourself" books when  we don't know how to do something, we now go to YouTube. It really is amazing what you can learn from that place. But we must remember that anyone can post their thoughts and we need to weigh them out before we blindly follow their leadership. But the thing is this, everyone of us, at some time or other, have asked for help. We must be very careful as to where we go to find help in our time of need. When Isaiah wrote these words, the p...

Exodus 15:1-5     "Then sang Moses and the children of Israel this song unto the LORD, and spake, saying, I will sing unto the LORD, for he hath triumphed gloriously: the horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea. The LORD is my strength and song, and he is become my salvation: he is my God, and I will prepare him an habitation; my father's God, and I will exalt him. The LORD is a man of war: the LORD is his name. Pharaoh's chariots and his host hath he cast into the sea: his chosen captains also are drowned in the Red sea. The depths have covered them: they sank into the bottom as a stone."   For many, me included, music and song are integral aspects of our worship and praise. It is a way to express a great well of emotions from our deepest sorrows to our greatest triumphs. We use songs to tell how the LORD of heaven and earth has impacted our lives both here and for eternity. Moses and the children of Israel sang a song of victory unto the LORD. Moses and the...

Isaiah 28:5-6     "In that day shall the LORD of hosts be for a crown of glory, and for a diadem of beauty, unto the residue of his people,  (6)  And for a spirit of judgment to him that sitteth in judgment, and for strength to them that turn the battle to the gate." One of the biggest mistakes in life is the thought that we can handle our own battles. One of the first phrases a child learns is this, "I can do it myself."  It's a sad commentary that we sometimes do not outgrow that mentality. I can handle this without any help. One thing I often hear is, "This is just a little thing. It's too small to bother the Lord with this."  It is my opinion that there is nothing too big, nor too small, for the Lord to handle. We aren't "bothering" Him when we take our struggles to the Lord. I remember the father of my best friend as he struggled to free a bolt on a lawnmower.  He had no idea that I was close enough to hear him, but as he battl...

Exodus 14:26-31     "And the LORD said unto Moses, Stretch out thine hand over the sea, that the waters may come again upon the Egyptians, upon their chariots, and upon their horsemen. And Moses stretched forth his hand over the sea, and the sea returned to his strength when the morning appeared; and the Egyptians fled against it; and the LORD overthrew the Egyptians in the midst of the sea. And the waters returned, and covered the chariots, and the horsemen, and all the host of Pharaoh that came into the sea after them; there remained not so much as one of them. But the children of Israel walked upon dry land in the midst of the sea; and the waters were a wall unto them on their right hand, and on their left. Thus the LORD saved Israel that day out of the hand of the Egyptians; and Israel saw the Egyptians dead upon the sea shore. And Israel saw that great work which the LORD did upon the Egyptians: and the people feared the LORD, and believed the LORD, and his servant M...

Isaiah 26:8-9     "Yea, in the way of thy judgments, O LORD, have we waited for thee; the desire of our soul is to thy name, and to the remembrance of thee.  (9)  With my soul have I desired thee in the night; yea, with my spirit within me will I seek thee early: for when thy judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness." "Yea, in the way of thy judgments, O LORD, have we waited for thee."  If we are honest with ourselves, we are not always happy when things do not go our way. Human nature is such that we want to always have it our way. That made Burger King a popular place for a while when they used the slogan, "Have it your way." Notice I said, they were popular for a while, but then other places came along with better slogans promoting a better product. We always want it our way and we want our way to be the best. But the truth of the matter is that we are not always the best decision makers.  We saw yesterday th...

 INTRODUCTION   In 1965, a song was written by Hal David and Burt Bacharach.The title is, “What The World Needs Now Is Love”. This song has been performed over the years by many artists because it speaks a truth that we so often overlook in our everyday dealings. Each time the song is sung, I believe it infiltrates a listener’s mind and touches their heart, making them think on a level that they may not frequently think on. The message of the song indirectly speaks of the condition of the world and what the writer believes is needed to make the world a better place. In many regards, it is a prayer by Mr. David. Listen to these familiar words:  “What the world needs now is love, sweet love, it’s the only thing that there’s much too little of. What the world needs now is love, sweet love; no, not just for some, but for everyone. Lord, we don’t need another mountain, there are mountains and hillsides enough to climb. There are oceans and rivers enough to c...

Exodus 14:22-26     "And the children of Israel went into the midst of the sea upon the dry ground: and the waters were a wall unto them on their right hand, and on their left. And the Egyptians pursued, and went in after them to the midst of the sea, even all Pharaoh's horses, his chariots, and his horsemen. And it came to pass, that in the morning watch the LORD looked unto the host of the Egyptians through the pillar of fire and of the cloud, and troubled the host of the Egyptians, And took off their chariot wheels, that they drave them heavily: so that the Egyptians said, Let us flee from the face of Israel; for the LORD fighteth for them against the Egyptians. And the LORD said unto Moses, Stretch out thine hand over the sea, that the waters may come again upon the Egyptians, upon their chariots, and upon their horsemen." The children of Israel had no way to go but forward in order to escape Pharaoh’s host. Although the way forward seemed impossible, God made a way. ...