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BIBLE READING: Matthew 6. 19-21 Many times we are so very short-sighted, placing greater value on the pleasures of this life, than on the glories of the future life in heaven. I can’t say we all do it but I do know that it is all too easy to be caught up in the thoughts and cares of daily living and just forget about God. We invest our time and our talents in acquiring more and more earthly wealth, a bigger house, a fancy car, a bigger bank account. For what? I’m reminded of the parable of the “Rich Man” in  Luke 12:13-21 . This guy had acquired so much stuff he had no more room to store it. So he said he would tear down his barns and build them bigger so he could get more stuff. But God said to him, “You fool! This very night your life will be required of you. Then who will get what you have stored up for yourself? ” This is how it will be with anyone who stores up things for himself but is not rich toward God.” I’ve heard it said that the more treasures w...

BIBLE READING: 1 Timothy 1. 1-11 Verse 4 says,  “Give no heed to fables and endless genealogies, which cause disputes.” The truth about babies: A new mother said, but we need our rest. So we started him on formula so he’ll sleep through the night. Sounds logical right? We’ve been told this for years by our parents or others we love and respect. The problem is it’s not true. It’s what we might call an old wives tale, handed down through the years. An article in the Detroit News added these common fables about babies. §   A child will catch cold if he’s chilled. They actually catch colds from germs spread by people. §   Babies need to be kept warmer than adults. Actually we are all the same. §   A baby that stands too early will be bowlegged. Not true. §   Cow’s milk is best. Actually it’s harder to digest and doesn’t have as much iron. It’s the same with spiritual matters. What sounds right may be all wrong. For example: §   God wi...

BIBLE READING: Psalm 16 In this Psalm David rejoices that the life God gives cannot be canceled by the grave. But generally speaking, the Old Testament offers little insight into life after death,  but here David’s faith carries him to a deeper understanding. The apostles Peter and Paul understand this psalm as prophesying about the resurrection of Jesus. (See Acts 2:25-28, 13:35-37). Because of the resurrection of Jesus, David and “all God’s people” will come to a new life in him. People have always wanted an answer to the question: “What happens to you after you die?” and the Psalmists were no different. They lived in an age without effective medicine, in an age when wars were fought hand to hand. Dead bodies were a familiar reality. Yet death, however familiar, remained mysterious and frightening. The Israelites called the dark and shadowy place where dead people go “Sheol.” When you got there, your life seemed thoroughly finished. The psalmists emphatically did not want ...

BIBLE READING: James 4. 13-17 How often have you passed someone on the road that needed help and later you felt guilty about not stopping? Maybe you heard of someone in the community that needed help and you did nothing. Have you ever seen someone being abused or mistreated and have done nothing? Has someone depended on you for help, or even just for you to be responsible and you let them down? Maybe there were times when you should have spoken up for good and you did not. James 4. 17 says “Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and does not do it, sins.” If you have been guilty of this, and we all have, do not let it happen again. Instead, look for opportunities to help others. Make it your mission to do good.

BIBLE READING: James 5.16 Isn’t it interesting that we read books and watch movies and TV shows about fictional characters that we love and adore, but they all have huge character flaws.  Jack Bauer was the antihero that would toss aside all feeling for other people to accomplish a mission.  Harry Potter had a bad temper.  Katniss Everdeen was insecure.  Winnie the Pooh was depressed (and probably had an eating disorder).  The point is this: We also have faults!  Each of us are flawed in a different kind of way, yet, God, in all His wisdom gave us the perfect place to have our faults be accepted.  Thank God for His wisdom in providing us with the church, where we can forgive, be forgiven, and draw strength from each other .

BIBLE READING: Exodus 3. 10-14 Life is confusing. (I could probably stop the devotional right here.)  You wake up one day, and you’re told not to eat eggs because it’ll raise your cholesterol.  The next day you’re told that they are good because of their protein and they’ll help you lose weight.  Same thing happens with coffee.  “Drink it!  It has compounds in it that are healthy!”  The next day: “Don’t drink it!  It’s killing you!”  Even those of us who are older, we remember that when we were younger, Pluto was actually considered a planet.  Now, I’m not so sure if it is, or it isn’t.  The point is that even though mankind likes to act as if we know everything, we don’t.  There’s always more to learn.  How comforting is it to know that God is always the same?  Just as He told Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.”  He never changes.

BIBLE READING: Matthew 18. 1-5                               Grow up!  Be a child! Huh? Yep.  That’s exactly what Jesus was saying.  It’s included in a discussion He was having about humility.  But why?  Unlike adults, children have no illusions of being in control.  All the adults around them are taller, bigger, and stronger.  Adults tell them when to wake up, what to eat for dinner, and whether they can watch the movie they want to watch so badly.  Sometimes it may seem like children are in control, but they’re not, and they know it. We, as adults, cannot go back to the innocence of childhood, because we have been so influenced by the world around us.  We can, though, recognize that we are in the same situation.  So many things around us are completely out of our control, but we can know that God is using it all to accomplish His purposes (...