Take counsel together, but it will come to nothing; speak the word, but it will not stand, for God is with us.” Isaiah 8: 10, NKJV. Gracious God, we give You thanks for the privilege of being called by Your name, and for the blessed assurance that You are with us. We praise You and give you thanks, in the mighty name of Jesus Christ. Amen. As I read this portion of Scripture, I received a "blessed assurance!" It gave me a renewed feeling of safety. It helped me to look beyond the gloom that surrounds us to the hope that is within...

Better the little that the righteous have than the wealth of many wicked; for the power of the wicked will be broken, but the LORD upholds the righteous. Psalm 37: 16, 17, NIV. Dear God, please speak Your will to our hearts. Help us to listen and obey. This we ask in the holy name of Jesus Christ. Amen. In the age of the Prosperity Gospel, this message might not be very appealing to many. However, rightly understood, this message has nothing to do with the blessedness of poverty. The real message is that good will triumph over evil at last....

‘The land shall not be sold permanently, for the land is Mine; for you are strangers and sojourners with Me. And in all the land of your possession you shall grant redemption of the land. ‘If one of your brethren becomes poor, and has sold some of his possession, and if his redeeming relative comes to redeem it, then he may redeem what his brother sold. Or if the man has no one to redeem it, but he himself becomes able to redeem it, then let him count the years since its sale, and restore the remainder to the man...

All things are lawful for me, but not all things are helpful; all things are lawful for me, but not all things edify. Let no one seek his own, but each one the other’s well-being. 1 Corinthians 10: 23, 24, NKJV. Dear God, what a joy it is to come into Your presence and learn of  You, and from You. We pray that You will speak to our hearts at this time. This we ask, in the holy name of Jesus Christ. Amen. The attitude:  I can, but I will not - requires quite a bit of self control. I believe this...

The LORD lives! Blessed be my Rock! Let the God of my salvation be exalted. Psalm 18: 46, NKJV. Dear God, we bow low before You today, and ask that as we study Your Word, we will be convinced, that You are alive, and will be, forevermore! We rejoice in this truth, in the blessed name of Jesus Christ. Amen. How good to know that our Redeemer lives! I do not know in what decade the saying, "God is alive and well. I spoke to Him this morning," became popular. As I think back to when I heard it for the first time, I believe...

And when they had preached the gospel to that city and made many disciples, they returned to Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch, strengthening the souls of the disciples, exhorting them to continue in the faith, and saying, “We must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God.” Acts 14: 21, 22, NKJV. Dear God, by Your grace we know that we shall make it "through many tribulations." So please provide us with the necessary grace and strength. We pray these things in the holy name of Jesus Christ, who walked this path before us. Amen. As we begin our study today,...

O LORD, how long shall I cry, and You will not hear? Even cry out to You, “Violence!” And You will not save. Why do You show me iniquity, and cause me to see trouble? For plundering and violence are before me; There is strife, and contention arises. Therefore the law is powerless, and justice never goes forth. For the wicked surround the righteous; therefore perverse judgment proceeds. Habakkuk 1: 2-4, NKJV. Gracious God, there are times that we are tempted to feel that we are victims of an unfair system, and we begin to wonder, and ask, "God are You there? At these times may we be able...

Then the word of the LORD came by Haggai the prophet, saying, “Is it time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses, and this temple to lie in ruins?” Now therefore, thus says the LORD of hosts: “Consider your ways!"  You have sown much, and bring in little; you eat, but do not have enough; you drink, but you are not filled with drink; you clothe yourselves, but no one is warm; and he who earns wages, earns wages to put into a bag with holes.” Thus says the LORD of hosts: “Consider your ways! Go up to the mountains and bring wood...

So all the congregation lifted up their voices and cried, and the people wept that night. And all the children of Israel complained against Moses and Aaron, and the whole congregation said to them, “If only we had died in the land of Egypt! Or if only we had died in this wilderness! Why has the LORD brought us to this land to fall by the sword, that our wives and children should become victims? Would it not be better for us to return to Egypt?” So they said to one another, “Let us select a leader and return to...

My most sincere apologies to my faithful web friends and family, for the absence of our daily devotionals during the past three days. I have been presenting a Week of Reflection at church, based on the final days in the life of Christ, and  have not been able to prepare and share my devotionals with you. I regret this tremendously! I will be resuming our devotionals on Monday, April 5. Once again, my heartfelt regret! Much love and blessings, and a very - Happy Easter to all! Mabel