October 1, 2020 | Psalms 42–43 MONTHLY ISSUES This Month’s Issue “There are two easy ways to die in the desert: thirst and drowning,” says naturalist Craig Childs. We depend on water for life! In the second “book” of Psalms, our longing for God is compared to thirst. Chapters 42 and 43 were originally one […]
September 30, 2020 | 1 Samuel 31:1–13 DEVOTIONS This Month’s Issue Although this Old Testament book gets its name from Samuel, one of its main characters, its primary focus is the contrast between Saul and David. Saul’s story unfolds like a great tragedy. His failure is foreshadowed at the outset, and all subsequent events move […]
September 29, 2020 | 1 Samuel 30:1–31 DEVOTIONS This Month’s Issue “Out of the frying pan and into the fire” describes the feeling when you pass from one trouble only to find yourself in another difficult situation. Just when you breathe a sigh of relief that your troubles are over, you find yourself in a […]
September 28, 2020 | 1 Samuel 29:1–11 DEVOTIONS This Month’s Issue Some television drama series involve multiple storylines. These complex narratives weave in and out but are usually all part of one larger story. The same is true of biblical narratives. As storm clouds gathered for Saul, David was facing a different kind of jeopardy […]
September 27, 2020 | 1 Samuel 28:3–25 DEVOTIONS This Month’s Issue Many people find silence to be awkward. Studies have shown that long pauses in conversation can produce negative emotions in some people. Maybe this happens because silence is often perceived as a sign of disagreement. Seek the LORD while he may be found; call […]
FEAR AND FAITH September 26, 2020 | 1 Samuel 27:1–28:2 DEVOTIONS This Month’s Issue Feeling a bit discouraged today? Being a Christ-follower does not mean you will never have difficult days. “Usually cheerful as we may be, we must at intervals be cast down,” declared 19th-century preacher Charles Spurgeon, “The strong are not always vigorous, […]
September 25, 2020 | 1 Samuel 26:1–25 DEVOTIONS This Month’s Issue New Tribes missionaries Martin and Gracia Burnham were kidnapped and held for more than a year by terrorists in the Philippines, an ordeal that ended with Martin’s death. In the book that describes her experience, Gracia tells how the Scriptures were a source of […]
September 24, 2020 | 1 Samuel 25:1–44 DEVOTIONS This Month’s Issue According to the Mayo Clinic, impulsive anger disorder is a pattern of behavior marked by “repeated, sudden episodes of impulsive, aggressive, violent behavior or angry verbal outbursts in which you react grossly out of proportion to the situation.” Its symptoms include rage, irritability, racing […]
September 23, 2020 | 1 Samuel 24:1–22 DEVOTIONS This Month’s Issue A popular saying goes, “I don’t get mad. I get even.” Another word for this is revenge. It is not unusual for people to want to see those who have treated them unjustly punished. Even those who are godly have sometimes prayed that the […]
September 22, 2020 | 1 Samuel 23:1–29 DEVOTIONS This Month’s Issue Did you know that the average man will travel 900 miles while being lost? A study sponsored by a company that makes GPS devices also revealed that men are typically the ones who refuse to stop and ask for directions. Many reasons have been […]