Banner of Love
Read: Song of Solomon 2 My beloved is mine, and I am his. (v. 16) When children sing the song “His Banner Over Me Is Love,” they are encouraged to put their arms over their heads interlocking their hands demonstrating God’s banner of love that covers them. In the Old Testament, banners were raised to proclaim […]
August 2022 Prayer Guide
BHUTAN — Give thanks that our team in Bhutan is able to share the love of Christ through their children’s ministry. They have set up tuition centers as a way of witnessing through their love and care for people’s practical needs. Once they have made personal connections, they are able to share the gospel. The […]
Created by God
Read: Psalm 139 For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. (v. 13 NIV) Adoptees of my generation usually do not know their birth mothers. For a long time, this was true for me. Knowing that the Lord carefully formed me and knit me together in my birth mother’s womb […]
A Lamp to Our Feet, a Light to Our Path
Read: Psalm 119:89-112 Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. (Prov. 3:5-6) I can’t read those words from Proverbs 3 without traveling back in time and seeing Mr. Van Houten leading our junior […]
What to Do with Your Sins
Read: Psalm 32, James 5:13-16 Whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy. (Prov. 28:13) Both David and Solomon (Psalms and Proverbs) knew long ago what modern psychology has confirmed. Suppressed guilt produces serious side effects. The psalmist’s spiritual struggles resulted in physical symptoms (Ps. 32:3-4). […]
Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?
Read: Luke 18:18-30 Give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with the food that is needful for me, lest I be full and deny you and say, “Who is the LORD?” or lest I be poor and steal and profane the name of my God. (Prov. 30:8-9) I have a British friend who, when […]
The Fear of Man
Read: Matthew 10:16-33 The fear of man lays a snare, but whoever trusts in the LORD is safe. (Prov. 29:25) In one of our early devotionals in this series, I mentioned that we don’t seem to pay much attention to the fear of the Lord today. But there’s another kind of fear we may worry […]
A Good Name
Read: Acts 9:36-42 A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches, and favor is better than silver or gold. (Prov. 22:1) When Proverbs talks about choosing a good name it’s not referring to expectant parents having lengthy conversations about what to call the baby. It’s talking about caring in the right sense […]
Lord Willing
Read: James 4:13-17 Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring. (Prov. 27:1) When I was growing up, it was customary for the church bulletin to feature the letters “D.V.” in the schedule of events for the coming week—as in, “The Ladies Missionary Society will meet on Thursday […]