Deliver us from evil
“In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). The question my wife’s grandfather asked me was completely sincere and has been asked or at…
Devotion: Pick up the proper sword
“ ‘Put your sword back in its place,’ Jesus said to him, ‘for all who draw the sword will die by the sword’ ” (Matthew 26:52). It was a natural…
Devotion: Not my kind of king
“When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, ‘Who is this?’ The crowds answered, ‘This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee’ ” (Matthew 21:10,11). There…
Devotion: Joyful repentance
“When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show others they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their…
Devotion: Be like Jesus in forgiveness and love
“Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children and walk in the way of…
Devotion: Be gentle like Jesus
“A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out” (Isaiah 42:3). Jesus had every advantage over her. A faultless life. A supreme understanding…
Devotion: Jesus is for the birds
“Even the sparrow has found a home, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may have her young—a place near your altar, Lord Almighty, my King and my…
Personal reformation
"As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with…
Be imitators of Jesus in doing good
Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let…