“I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord. —Jeremiah 29:11 “Your prayer has been heard,” angel Gabriel told Zechariah—“Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son” (Lk 1:13). The old couple had given up that dream long ago—hadn’t prayed that prayer in years. But it had been heard back then and […]
This man is my chosen instrument. —Acts 9:15 Deceiver Cheater Adulterer Denier Persecuter Match these names with the word above that describes them: David, Paul, Jacob, Abraham, Peter. These single-word epitaphs could have been chiseled on their gravestones, but weren’t, because each was forgiven and used. Jacob was on the lam, running away from the
Go with the strength you have. —Judges 6:14 The greeting to Gideon was laughable: “The Lord is with you, mighty warrior” (Jgs 6:12). Mighty warrior? “My clan is the weakest in the whole tribe,” Gideon protested, “and I am the least in my entire family.” “Go with the strength you have,” the Lord said, “I
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Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up! Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone?
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First I prayed to the God of heaven. —Nehemiah 2:4 Nehemiah had a good job as the king’s cupbearer, but he was depressed. Jerusalem, where his ancestors were buried, was in shambles: its wall flattened, its gates burned, its citizens dejected. He wanted to go to Jerusalem and rebuild,
Happy are those . . . who don’t go where sinners go. —Psalm 1:1 Maybe it’s because I live in Houston, Texas, where flooding isn’t a matter of “if” but “when,” that I found the name of a street in Santa Barbara, California, intriguing. The street name is “Salsipuedes”—Spanish for “leave
You will call out, and the Lord will answer. You will cry out, and he will say, “Here I am.” —Isaiah 58:9 Thirty-three-year-old Dr. Mark Ashton Smith, a lecturer from Cambridge University, capsized his kayak in treacherous waters off the
Everywhere we go, people breathe in the exquisite fragrance. —2 Corinthians 2:14 Sitting on the outside deck of a café in Dover, England, author Rita Snowden was suddenly aware of a delightful smell. She asked her waiter where it was coming from. He said it was from some of the people walking by, who
If you are thirsty, come! —Revelation 22:17 It’s deceptively easy to convince ourselves that God is number one in our life when the way we spend our time and resources says he isn’t. When we stray from him, he continually calls us back. If you’re feeling a spiritual hunger and thirst, here’s God’s invitation:
Our spirit . . . is made new every day. —2 Corinthians 4:16 Graham Sutherland was commissioned to paint Winston Churchill’s portrait in celebration of his 80th birthday. Sir Winston hated the result, as did Lady Churchill—she said it was “alarmingly like him.” It pictured him slumped in his
