DEVOTIONS

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Today’s Truth

But Phinehas stood up and intervened, and the plague was checked (Psalm 106:30 NIV).

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Phineas and Ferb was one of my absolute favorite cartoons when my kids were little. Seriously. The plots were intriguing, and the characters had whimsy, depth and layer-after-layer of peculiar personality. To top it off, they had a pet platypus named Perry who was actually a secret agent. Is that not epic?


This show was creatively crafted for children and parents. The writers of Phineas and Ferb didn’t forget that adults were watching too. They remembered us, and cleverly wove subtle humor into episodes that entertained both the littles and the larger humans who were in charge of the remote. Well played, writing team. Well played!


Aside from this likable cartoon character, Phinehas isn’t a name you hear much in

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Today’s Truth

[Jesus Christ] gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good (Titus 2:14 NIV).

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Our family adopted a sweet new puppy who is melting our hearts. Her playful curiosity keeps us laughing every day. Yet the challenges of house training and chewing demand supervision to keep her—and the house—in one piece!


To provide a safe space for our puppy, I set up a pen with a latching gate. We added a soft blanket and toys to keep her comfy and entertained. It seemed the perfect place to play when we couldn’t give her our full attention.


Yet I soon realized the pen wasn’t so perfect after all. Its flimsy latches were no match for an active puppy who wanted out! No matter how I tried to secure the gate, she pushed through or climbed

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Today’s Truth

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God (2 Corinthians 1:3-5 NIV).

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A store owner was tacking a sign in his store window, which read PUPPIES FOR SALE, when a little boy appeared.


“How much are you selling the puppies for?” he asked.


The man told the lad he didn’t expect to let any of them go for less than $50.


The boy reached in his pocket, pulled out some change, looked up at the store owner and said, “I have two dollars and thirty-seven cents. Can I look at them?”


The store owner smiled and whistled. From the kennel, a dog named Lady came running down the aisle, followed by five tiny balls of fur. One puppy lagged behind. Immediately, the little boy asked about the limping puppy.


“What’s wrong with that doggie?”


“The veterinarian

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Today’s Truth

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight (Proverbs 3:5-6 NIV).

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My husband and I were in a waiting period. His company had gone through a merger and was collapsing positions and territories, which left his employment in jeopardy. For months we didn’t know if Brad would keep his job or if he’d need to find another one. During that time, we had to choose to trust God. And it wasn’t easy.


Choosing to trust God is so daily, isn’t it?


When I only looked at the “what-ifs” of Brad’s job situation – the possible unemployment, the stress of job-hunting, the financial strain of unemployment, and the uncertainty of the economy – my faith and God-confidence shook and waned. Fear and doubt knocked on the door of my heart, suitcases in

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Today’s Truth

You, O Lord, keep my lamp burning; my God turns my darkness into light (Psalm 18:28 NIV).

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A beekeeper once told author F.B. Meyer how some young bees are nurtured to ensure their healthy development. The queen lays each egg in a six-sided cell filled with enough pollen and honey to nourish the egg until it reaches a particular stage of maturity. The top is then sealed with a capsule of wax.


When the food is gone, it is time for the tiny creature to be released. The wax is so hard to penetrate that the bee can make only a very narrow opening. It is so thin that in the agony of exit, the bee rubs off the membrane that encases its wings. When it finally does emerge, it can fly.


The man telling the story

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Today’s Truth

“Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain” (1 Corinthians 15:58 ESV).

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Some days, before my feet ever touch the floor, I say a one-sentence prayer.


The origins of this one-sentence prayer came during the first few days of quarantine as the world grappled with the uncertainty of the pandemic. Only a few weeks before the country shut down, my mom, my sister and I had said our final goodbyes to my dad.


By God’s grace, we were able to be with my dad during his last days on earth and, in the days that followed his passing, mourn together with others who loved him. The shutdown, however, brought unique challenges. Busyness can sometimes help us move on, but there was no busyness to be found.


My mom, in particular, found herself

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Today’s Truth

He is not here; he has risen! (Luke 24:6 NIV).

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The promise that “God’s Got You” is the basic theme of Easter. A crisis knocks us to our knees. Panic grips our hearts. No hope, no solution, and no deliverance. But when we cry out to God, His response changes everything. “I’ve got you, child!” Then everything that seemed to be falling apart begins falling into place. We realize that the crisis we thought came to destroy us came to cleanse us. And through it all, we hear the promise from our Father, “I’ve got you!”


That is precisely what the women learned when they went to the tomb that first Easter morning. The women knew Jesus was dead. And they were sure His body was in the tomb;

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Today’s Truth

Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn (Romans 12:15 NIV).

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During my divorce, I withdrew from a few of my longtime friends. These precious women had stood by my side throughout years of difficulty and pain. They were my people. Yet, I pulled away.


In that painful season, the “green-eyed monster” of envy was eating me alive. I wept and admitted to my counselor that I was envious that my friends were still married to their husbands while mine walked away. It hurt to watch them enjoy the empty nest season with their spouses while I was starting a new season of life alone.


During that tough time, envy seeped into other areas, too. On social media, I dreaded seeing pictures of couples celebrating anniversaries or vacations. I struggled through

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Today’s Truth

[Jacob said to Esau,] “To see your face is like seeing the face of God, now that you have received me favorably” (Genesis 33:10 NIV).

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Have you ever held a grudge? That’s a silly question. I think we all have. I remember when Nancy Davis asked the boy I had my eye on to the high school dance. Can we all say G-r-u-d-g-e with an extra grrrr?


Esau, now that’s a biblical character who held a grudge…and rightly so. His brother Jacob and his momma grabbed the pen right out of God’s hand, as if God needed help writing their story. While Esau’s mother, Rebekah, was pregnant, God told her:


Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples from within you will be separated; one people will be stronger than the other, and the older will serve the younger. (Genesis 25:23)


Rebekah did indeed give

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Today’s Truth

“But Lord,” Gideon replied, “how can I rescue Israel? My clan is the weakest in the whole tribe of Manasseh, and I am the least in my entire family!” The LORD said to him, “I will be with you. And you will destroy the Midianites as if you were fighting against one man” (Judges 6:15-16 NLT).

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The first few times I sensed God asking me to do something out of my comfort zone, I wrestled.


I had some confidence, sort of.


Enough to get by, maybe.


Okay, not even close.


I weighed what I could do, what I did have, and what I might bring to the table. Those attributes were then outweighed as I listed what I didn’t know, what I didn’t have, and what someone else might do better.


In the book of Judges, Gideon seems to be doing the same.


His people have been under siege by the Midianites for a very long time. He’s hanging out under a tree when an angel of the Lord approaches him. The angel informs Gideon that he indeed is a

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"We loved you so much that we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well…" 1 Thessalonians 2:8