Ron McClung |
January 25, 2020 |
Daily Devotionals
You shall not covet. (Ex. 20:17) The desire to acquire is something that seems to be natural to all God’s creatures. Birds have an innate desire to collect grass, straw, sticks, even mud in order to build a nest where they can lay their eggs and raise their...
Ron McClung |
January 24, 2020 |
Daily Devotionals
You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor. (Ex. 20:16) “Each of us fibs at least fifty times a day,” claimed Jerald Jellison in USA Today. He suggested people lie about their age, their income, and their accomplishments. They may fib to...
Ron McClung |
January 23, 2020 |
Daily Devotionals
You shall not commit adultery. (Ex. 20:14) How does adultery happen? It may happen in many ways, but Stuart Briscoe suggested it could happen like this: A man is not happy in his marriage. At the end of a tiring day at work, he can’t face going home to two or three or...
Ron McClung |
January 22, 2020 |
Daily Devotionals
Honor your father and your mother. (Ex. 20:12) Have you noticed that some of Grimm’s fairy tales are truly grim? Like the one Joy Davidman retold in one of her books. It was the story of two parents who had a couple of children and one grandfather living with...
Ron McClung |
January 21, 2020 |
Daily Devotionals
Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. (Ex. 20:8) A young lady in California was learning to drive a car. However, finding a highway in California where an inexperienced driver could safely learn to drive was a daunting task. A friend suggested she get up early...
Ron McClung |
January 20, 2020 |
Daily Devotionals
You shall have no other gods before me. (Ex. 20:3) a young friend called Fred Smith and said, “Fred, you’re going to think I’ve gone off my rocker.”Fred, who had been trying to mentor the young man, said, “Why?”“I just...
Bob Black |
January 19, 2020 |
Daily Devotionals
The precepts of the Lord are right, giving joy to the heart. (Ps. 19:8) In South America, a cluster of Christians have come to be called “the people of the dirty Bibles.” That sounds odd, maybe even blasphemous, but it’s actually a beautiful...
Bob Black |
January 18, 2020 |
Daily Devotionals
Then Moses led the people out of the camp to meet with God. (Ex. 19:17) Modern presidents seldom attend worship services in Washington, DC for security reasons, but years ago the practice was somewhat more common. Some of the churches near the White House even have...
Bob Black |
January 17, 2020 |
Daily Devotionals
Put limits around the mountain and set it apart as holy. (Ex. 19:23) “My God, my God, why have you mistaken me?” According to my student, that’s what Jesus said from the cross. In reality, of course, it was the student who was mistaken (and not for the first time)! As...
Bob Black |
January 16, 2020 |
Daily Devotionals
The people all responded together, “We will do everything the Lord has said.” (Ex. 19:8) Dietrich Bonhoeffer was a German pastor and teacher who opposed Hitler and paid for it with his life. He was executed just as the war was ending, but his death did not silence his...
Bob Black |
January 15, 2020 |
Daily Devotionals
You will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. (Ex. 19:6) I remember it well, though it was long ago. Current members of the high school honor society scattered through the auditorium to tap new members on the shoulder, leading them to the stage for their...
Bob Black |
January 14, 2020 |
Daily Devotionals
I carried you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself. (Ex. 19:4) America was stunned to hear in April 1995 that a massive bomb had obliterated a section of downtown Oklahoma City in the nation’s heartland. The magnitude of the blast was hard to...
Bob Black |
January 13, 2020 |
Daily Devotionals
Then Moses went up to God, and the Lord called to him from the mountain. (Ex. 19:3) Mount Sinai looms large over the barren stretches of the Sinai Peninsula. Known today as Jebel Musa (the mountain of Moses), its rugged slopes make it easy to imagine the awe of the...
Lawrence W. Wilson |
January 12, 2020 |
Daily Devotionals
The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. (Ps. 19:1) “I know this monk,” said my friend, a theology professor who was teaching our Sunday school class about the origins of the Bible. In his hand was a copy of a...
Lawrence W. Wilson |
January 11, 2020 |
Daily Devotionals
But I will gain glory for myself through Pharaoh and all his army, and the Egyptians will know that I am the Lord. (Ex. 14:4) So there it is. That’s the reason for all of this. For the running, and the chasing, and the heart hardening. For being cornered...
Lawrence W. Wilson |
January 10, 2020 |
Daily Devotionals
They were terrified and cried out to the Lord. (Ex. 14:10) I learned to ride a bike on a perfect summer day. I was four or five years old, and I begged Dad to take the training wheels off my little two-wheeler. I hopped on with confidence and said,...
Lawrence W. Wilson |
January 9, 2020 |
Daily Devotionals
The Egyptians . . . pursued the Israelites and overtook them. (Ex. 14:9) “Be careful what you wish for.” You may have received that advice at some point. The things you think you want don’t always produce the result you had in mind. King Midas...
Lawrence W. Wilson |
January 8, 2020 |
Daily Devotionals
Pharaoh . . . said, “What have we done? We have let the Israelites go and have lost their services!” (Ex. 14:5) Everyone has a few regrets. I regret buying a home at the peak of the housing bubble, even if the interest rates were low. And I regret being...
Lawrence W. Wilson |
January 7, 2020 |
Daily Devotionals
And I will harden Pharaoh’s heart. (Ex. 14:4) I must confess, I never fully understood the hardening of Pharaoh’s heart. My belief in human freedom, subject to divine sovereignty, is strong, and I observe it throughout the Bible. Didn’t Joshua...
Lawrence W. Wilson |
January 6, 2020 |
Daily Devotionals
Then the Lord said to Moses, “Tell the Israelites to turn back.” (Ex. 14:1–2) “An alternate route is available. Do you want to take it?” The navigation app on my smartphone (I call her Gloria) wanted to know. I glanced at the route....
Jarod Osborne |
January 5, 2020 |
Daily Devotionals
He gives his king great victories. (Ps. 18:50) We have seen so much abuse of power in our lifetime that many shy away from having power at all. Priests abusing children. Politicians abusing their positions. Law enforcement abusing citizens. Parents abusing their kids....
Jarod Osborne |
January 4, 2020 |
Daily Devotionals
This is how you are to eat it: with . . . your sandals on your feet. (Ex. 12:11) This summer I ran my first marathon. During the “long run” training days, I learned the value of refueling during the run. I would stash Clif bars and Gatorade at various...
Jarod Osborne |
January 3, 2020 |
Daily Devotionals
For there was not a house without someone dead. (Ex. 12:30) His name was Bryan. I don’t know why he made me the offer, but it came as a surprise, and it also felt like an honor. During recess one day in elementary school, Bryan approached me out of nowhere:...
Jarod Osborne |
January 2, 2020 |
Daily Devotionals
This is a day you are to commemorate; for generations to come. (Ex. 12:14) Summer days can last forever when you are a kid stuck at home with nothing to do. On occasion, I would complain to my parents, “I’m bored.” They would inevitably recite a...
