Tag: devotional

March 15, 2026

March 15th, 2026

Sunday – Poetry

Reading – Proverbs 17

Highlight Verse:

“Fire tests the purity of silver and gold, but the Lord tests the heart.”
‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭17‬:‭3‬ ‭NLT‬‬

And sometimes the Lord uses fire to test the heart.

The photo today is of last night’s beautiful sunset in North Platte, NE.

Unfortunately, it was beautiful because of major wildfires in Nebraska.

Already over half a million acres have burnt. Fortunately, the fires are in sparsely populated areas, but they are spreading quickly, and winds are expected to be very high today.

When people are faced with disaster, that is when true character comes out.

Some will do whatever it takes to protect themselves and assure their own survival.

Others will protect their loved ones at all costs.

Finally, a third group will help as many people as they can with the resources that they have.

I have not been in a major disaster, but the minor ones have mostly fallen in the second category. I definitely check on my own first.

But when the situation allows, I will turn to help others once my family is taken care of.

Case in point was a music festival years ago on a farm in western New Jersey. The remnants of a hurricane blew through that day, but the show went on (at least for those who braved the elements).

When they finally called it quits halfway through the afternoon, many cars were stuck in the muddy fields.

I joined a group of people pushing cars out of the mud.

When I finally got home, I discovered how completely covered in mud I was.

But I looked back at realized that was one of the best times I have had at a concert.

Now if they could just get some of that rain on the fires in Nebraska!

How do you react in the aftermath of disaster?
What have been some of your experiences?

Note: if you are reading this in the middle of March 2026, please pray that the fires in Nebraska and elsewhere are quickly extinguished and that victims experience love in the form of people living out their faith by helping.
March 14, 2026

March 14th, 2026

Saturday – Open Topic

Reading – Ecclesiastes 5:8-20

Highlight Verse:

“Those who love money will never have enough. How meaningless to think that wealth brings true happiness!”
‭‭Ecclesiastes‬ ‭5‬:‭10‬ ‭NLT‬‬

It’s between Friday the 13th and Saint Patrick’s Day – between an unlucky day and a lucky one.

The 11% of Irish blood in me wants to celebrate the luck o’ the Irish.

I could even make a (very weak) case for luck by referring to the Urim and Thummin from the Old Testament.

But the idea of luck ignores the providence of God.

Worse, the Bible warns us against what we usually seek luck for – wealth.

I must confess, I sometimes enter contests for million-dollar homes or nice cars. I’ve even been known to buy the occasional lottery ticket.

Is that wrong?

Maybe.

It certainly isn’t wise.

Sometimes they are drawings that go to support good causes.

But if I want to support those causes, I could just donate and they wouldn’t have to share the proceeds with companies that run the drawings.

Sometimes I try to rationalize it with visions of supporting many ministries with the winnings.

But if I spend too much time dwelling on the possibility of winning, that can be considered idolatry.

To my credit, I don’t spend much time thinking about winning. I often forget to check for winning tickets for weeks or more. The realist in me knows the odds are far against me.

The biggest problem with gambling is that some people get sucked into obsession with winning.

Gambling addiction can be just as strong as drug or alcohol addiction.

While it has not been a temptation for me, I want to set a good example.

So, here’s my challenge of the day, if even one of you messages me or comments with a commitment to not gamble any money (through lotteries, gaming, etc), I will make the same commitment with you for however long you want.

If you have recovered from a gambling addiction, how did you do it?
If you are in the midst of such an addiction, will you be brave enough to put it behind you?
March 13, 2026

March 13th, 2026

Friday – Prophets

Reading – Daniel 3-4

Highlight Verse:

“King Nebuchadnezzar made a gold statue ninety feet tall and nine feet wide and set it up on the plain of Dura in the province of Babylon.”
‭‭Daniel‬ ‭3‬:‭1‬ ‭NLT‬‬

You’ve probably all heard of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego and the fiery furnace.

It’s an amazing story with a miraculous ending.

But did you know it is backed by historical evidence?

The Plains of Dura were to the east of Babylon.

The fact that the statue was not in the city of Babylon may explain why Daniel wasn’t there or he would have be right there with his three friends.

My curiosity about the site brought a fact to light that I had never heard before.

There is a man-made mound that is just the right size after millennia of erosion, to support a statue of the dimensions listed for Nebuchadnezzar’s gold statue.

Did you notice how big it was?

Given the dimensions and the practices of the cultures of that era in that area, it was likely an obelisk dedicated to Nebuchadnezzar instead of a likeness of him.

Again, that would fit right into the practices of that time and place.

Why would I point this out?

A lot of people look at stories like this one and Daniel and the lion’s den and assume that they were just fairy tales.

While some details may be left out of the stories, I believe they really happened as told in the Bible.

These archeological and anthropological facts support that belief.

Are there any stories in the Bible that you have a hard time believing were true?
What would it take to change your mind?
Thursday – Letters

March 12th, 2026

Reading – Hebrews 10

Highlight Verses:

“And since we have a great High Priest who rules over God’s house, let us go right into the presence of God with sincere hearts fully trusting him. For our guilty consciences have been sprinkled with Christ’s blood to make us clean, and our bodies have been washed with pure water.”
‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭10‬:‭21‬-‭22‬ ‭NLT‬‬

I have had the privilege of meeting some famous people.

I’ve even had lunch or dinner with a handful of them.

While it was cool to spend time with them, I doubt if any of them remember me.

When we get to heaven we will spend as much time as we like in the presence of God.

He knows us and loves us.

Let’s dwell on that for the rest of the reading time.

How do you think that you will react when you get into the presence of God?
How are you preparing For eternity?
March 11, 2026

March 11th, 2026

Wednesday – History

Reading – 2 Kings 15-17

Highlight Verses:

“Uzziah son of Amaziah began to rule over Judah in the twenty-seventh year of the reign of King Jeroboam II of Israel. He was sixteen years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem fifty-two years. His mother was Jecoliah from Jerusalem.”
‭‭2 Kings‬ ‭15‬:‭1‬-‭2‬ ‭NLT‬‬

I lead high school boys in our church student ministry.

The idea of one of them ruling a whole country at age sixteen is horrifying.

The idea of me ruling a country when I was sixteen is even worse.

But the more I think about it, there are a couple of young men in our group who could, with guidance, rise up to a challenge like that.

They might even do better than Uzziah.

2 Kings doesn’t go into his leprosy. You will read later in Chronicles that it came after he acted pridefully, trying to do the job of a priest.

But this account just gives the quick summary of his reign.

We’ll see more details in 2 Chronicles 26

The big idea that hits me with this account is the fact that he willingly stepped into the role to which he was called.

That willingness and humility of his early reign resulted in great success.

God will grant the same when we step into His calling.

What has God challenged you with that feels beyond your abilities?
Who would you seek to help you be successful at that which God has challenged you?
Tuesday – Pentateuch

March 10th, 2026

Reading – Leviticus 13

Highlight Verse:

““If a man loses his hair and his head becomes bald, he is still ceremonially clean.”
‭‭Leviticus‬ ‭13‬:‭40‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Dr. Jack Hayford (former president of Foursquare International) once told of a birthday card he got.

On the front it read, “I always picture you standing proud on top of a hill, hair blowing in the wind.”
On the inside it continued, “And you, too proud to run after it.”

Did Moses know how funny today’s highlight verse would sound when he wrote it?

I doubt it.

But I bet God knew.

Seriously, this chapter deals with some pretty serious health issues.

It’s good to know that God considers baldness to be normal.

Dr. Howard Hendricks (of Dallas Theological Seminary) always said, “God made some heads perfect, the others he covered with hair.”

Regardless of whether your hair is full and vibrant, or grey and wild (like mine), or, like the two men I quoted, blowing in the wind,

God cares about your health.

With over a million people traveling together with Moses, health was vitally important.

The rules listed in this seemingly irrelevant chapter show the great care that God showed for His people.

He still cares for you and me today.

While the health rules outlined here may not be directly relevant to today’s health issues, the general principles of cleanliness and consulting professionals still apply today.

What parts of the rules outlined in this chapter do you think apply directly to us today?
What principles can you see in this chapter that carry over to today?
Monday – Gospels

March 9th, 2026
Reading – Luke 10

Highlight Verses:

“These were his instructions to them: “The harvest is great, but the workers are few. So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask him to send more workers into his fields. Now go, and remember that I am sending you out as lambs among wolves.”
‭‭Luke‬ ‭10‬:‭2‬-‭3‬ ‭NLT‬‬

It’s easy to think that the time when this was written was different. The harvest was great because it was that special time when Jesus split history in two and brought the new covenant to humankind.

It’s also easy to think that the harvest is limited today. In many ways our culture is at an all-time low.

If you think that, you may want to

take another look around.
- Younger generations are seeking God in increasing numbers
- In a reversal of most past trends, more young men are seeking God than young women.
- The Gospel is growing like never before in places where it has been forbidden like Iran.
- Christian music and film is gaining acceptance.
- Forest Frank, Brandon Lake and Jelly Roll have made it on Billboard’s top 100.
- The Chosen Series has seen huge streaming numbers.
- Numerous popular celebrities have accepted Jesus as Savior recently.
The list could go on.

The point is, the world is poised for a revival (or “awakening” to use the grammatically correct term) that could dwarf the Jesus Movement of the 1970’s.

I’ve included verse 3 in the highlight verses because Satan is ticked.

He will do what ever he can to stop the harvest.

Read on. Later in the chapter, Jesus saw Satan fall like lightning.

If you are seeing opposition when you try to share the Gospel, don’t fear. That opposition is just Satan popping his head up like a “Whack-a-Mole.”

Jesus is waiting to send that mole back where he came from.

If we are willing to be sent as workers, we will see a “harvest” beyond what we could imagine.

What signs of revival have you seen lately?
What are you doing to become a “worker” in that harvest?
March 8, 2026

March 8th, 2026

Sunday – Poetry

Reading – Proverbs 15-16

Highlight Verse:

“For the despondent, every day brings trouble; for the happy heart, life is a continual feast.”
‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭15‬:‭15‬ ‭NLT‬‬

A couple of my co-workers are constantly talking about what’s wrong.
• Corporate does this wrong.
• Customers do that wrong.
• The AI in our dispatch system messes that up.

Oh wait. That last one is me sometimes.

Yes, I can get sucked into the negative attitude too.

But look at the second part of today’s highlight verse.

“For the happy heart, life is a continual feast.”

That sounds pretty awesome to me!

Of course, my mind goes to food, but the word feast is used in a broader sense here.

Basically, life can be a constant celebration when you go through it with a positive attitude.

People criticize singer Forest Frank because his songs are always positive.

I think he may be on to something.

Try it.

I’ll link one of his songs here.

Sing along and see if it doesn’t brighten your day at least a little bit.

How have you seen a positive attitude make a difference in your life?
What else stood out to you in today’s reading?
March 7, 2026

March 7th, 2026

Saturday – Open Topic

Reading – Psalm 95

Highlight Verse:

“He holds in his hands the depths of the earth and the mightiest mountains. The sea belongs to him, for he made it. His hands formed the dry land, too.”
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭95‬:‭4‬-‭5‬ ‭NLT‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

Some say that getting old stinks, but it beats the alternative.

I’m getting old, and I think it’s great.

Sure, I have more aches and pains and I’m slower than when I was young. But next week I turn 62 and I’m excited about it.

Next week I get to buy a National Parks America the Beautiful lifetime pass!

I love exploring God’s incredible creation.

The United States has preserved many natural wonders in its National Parks and Monuments. (As in this photo of Zion National Park.)

As of next week, I’ll be able to go to as many of than as I like as often as I am able.

I have already been to many of them.

Experiencing the beauty and grandeur of nature in those places reminds me of the artist that created them.

Even my dad, who was an atheist most of his life, acknowledged that there must be a God after seeing more and more of the wonder of His creation.

I am planning a road trip this summer that will take me through several Nation Parks and other scenic areas this summer.

I’ll be sure to share what I see and what I learn of our Creator when I do that.

What is your favorite National Park or natural wonder that you have seen?
What have you learned about God through His creation?
March 6, 2026

March 6th, 2026

Friday – Prophets

Reading – Daniel 1-2

Highlight Verse:

“But Daniel was determined not to defile himself by eating the food and wine given to them by the king. He asked the chief of staff for permission not to eat these unacceptable foods.”
‭‭Daniel‬ ‭1‬:‭8‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Daniel was not just a picky eater.

First, he was selected from the smartest and most talented young men taken captive from Israel.

That alone would have given him a measure of respect among his captors.

Add to that the fact that God had given him favor with the chief of staff.

But true respect is earned.

I might be reaching but I think one of the ways that God gave Daniel favor was through the behavior that came from Daniel’s faith.

We witness this in the respectful way that Daniel asks for a special diet.

We are not told why the food would have defiled Daniel and the others. It is possible that it included pork. The meat and wine had likely been from sacrifices to Babylonian gods. I’ve also read that the rich royal food was used to lure people away from their previous cultural values.

Daniel wanted none of that.

He had faith that God would provide a way to not defile himself with the royal food.

With that faith he was able to be both bold and respectful at the same time.

The chief of staff honored that respectfulness and faith and gave Daniel a chance to prove his convictions.

Most of us deal with people everyday who have no respect for our faith. It is tempting to take a “holier than thou” attitude and refuse respect for those people.

Those people are God’s creation too. We should treat them with the same respect as any others, knowing that God longs for them to return to Him.

While respecting them, we should not shy away from maintaining and sharing our faith.

One example was my first customer yesterday. They proudly identify as transgender and started spouting some political statements that were far from my opinions.

The temptation was to get into a political argument. But, through hard, skillful work on this person’s printers, I had earned their respect. I wasn’t about to give that up.

I politely informed them that, while I disagreed with them politically, I view relationships as far more important than politics. They stopped spouting their rhetoric and continued to treat me with respect. Perhaps someday, they will turn to me for advice on faith (which I have made no secret).

How do you balance boldness and respect?
What in your world is important enough to ask boldly for?

Tag: devotional

The 11% of Irish blood in me wants to celebrate the luck o’ the Irish.

It certainly isn’t wise.

Gambling addiction can be just as strong as drug or alcohol addiction.

But did you know it is backed by historical evidence?

My curiosity about the site brought a fact to light that I had never heard before.

These archeological and anthropological facts support that belief.

I have had the privilege of meeting some famous people.

When we get to heaven we will spend as much time as we like in the presence of God.

The idea of one of them ruling a whole country at age sixteen is horrifying.

God will grant the same when we step into His calling.

Did Moses know how funny today’s highlight verse would sound when he wrote it?

God cares about your health.

He still cares for you and me today.

take another look around.

I’ve included verse 3 in the highlight verses because Satan is ticked.

If we are willing to be sent as workers, we will see a “harvest” beyond what we could imagine.

Yes, I can get sucked into the negative attitude too.

Basically, life can be a constant celebration when you go through it with a positive attitude.

Sing along and see if it doesn’t brighten your day at least a little bit.

Next week I get to buy a National Parks America the Beautiful lifetime pass!

Even my dad, who was an atheist most of his life, acknowledged that there must be a God after seeing more and more of the wonder of His creation.

Daniel was not just a picky eater.

With that faith he was able to be both bold and respectful at the same time.

While respecting them, we should not shy away from maintaining and sharing our faith.