Devotionals

I was seven years old. I’d had enough of my father’s rules and decided I could make it on my own, thank you very much. I got to the end of the alley and remembered I was hungry, so I went back home! Did Dad know of my insurrection? I […]

Most people have small thoughts about God. In an effort to see God as our friend, we have lost his immensity. In our desire to understand him, we have sought to contain him. The God of the Bible cannot be contained. With a word he called Adam out of dust

Religious leaders loved to make theater out of their prayers. The show nauseated Jesus. In Matthew 6:6 He said, “When you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father who cannot be seen. Your Father can see what is done in secret, and He will

A lot of us make unnecessary messes. But we can change that. May I make a suggestion? Before you face the world, face your Father. Take this “pocket prayer:” “Father. . .You are good. Your heart is good.” The words come slowly at first, but stay at it… “Your ways are

Romans 5:8 says, “God shows his great love for us in this way. Christ died for us while we were still sinners.” A friend of mine tells of the man who set out to adopt a troubled teenage girl. One would question the father’s logic. The girl was destructive, disobedient

Confession admits wrong and seeks forgiveness. Amnesty denies wrong and claims innocence! Many mouth a prayer for forgiveness while in reality claiming amnesty. Consequently our worship is cold—why thank God for a grace we don’t need? . . .and our faith is weak—I’ll handle my mistakes myself, thank you.  We are better at

Let’s face it–anxiety or worry have no advantages!  They ruin our health, rob us of joy, and change nothing!  Our day stands no chance against the terrorists of the Land of Anxiety. But Christ offers a worry-bazooka.  Remember how He taught us to pray?  “Give us this day our daily bread.

When I was nine years old, I complimented a friend’s model airplane. He said, “I stole it!”  He could tell I was stunned because he asked, “Do you think that was wrong?” When I told him I did, he answered simply, “It may be wrong for you, but it’s not

When you recognize God as Creator, you will admire Him. When you recognize His wisdom, you will learn from Him. When you discover His strength, you will rely on Him. But only when He saves you will you worship Him. It’s a “before and after” scenario. Before your rescue, He

Uncle Billy had come to west Texas to visit the grave of my dad, who’d died several months before.  We laughed, talked, and reminisced. When time came to leave, he followed me to my car.  He placed his hand on my shoulder and said, “Max, I want you to know, your