"Swear by the Lord, the God of heaven and earth, that you will not allow my son to marry one of these local Canaanite women. Go instead to my homeland, to my relatives, and find a wife there for my son Isaac." Genesis 24:3-4 My sister, Mary Claire, is one of my best friends. We are different in...
Continue ReadingThen Samson prayed to the Lord, "Sovereign Lord, remember me again. O God, please strengthen me just one more time. With one blow let me pay back the Philistines for the loss of my two eyes." Judges 16:28 In the month of January, every gym is packed. This is because, at the beginning of the...
Continue ReadingFinally, Samson shared his secret with her. "My hair has never been cut," he confessed, "for I was dedicated to God as a Nazirite from birth. If my head were shaved, my strength would leave me, and I would become as weak as anyone else." Judges 16:17 Several months ago, I got in my car very...
Continue ReadingSamson was now very thirsty, and he cried out to the Lord, "You have accomplished this great victory by the strength of your servant. Must I now die of thirst and fall into the hands of these pagans?" Judges 15:18 When I was a kid, I never really understood why my parents wanted me to have a...
Continue ReadingKeep watch and pray, so that you will not give in to temptation. For the spirit is willing, but the body is weak! Matthew 26:41 When you have a job interview, there is one dreaded question that we should all be prepared to answer: "What are your weaknesses?" This question is dreaded because...
Continue ReadingPride goes before destruction, and haughtiness before a fall. Proverbs 16:18 Do you remember what it is like to practice for many hours, only to find out that you did make the team? Or perhaps you know what it feels like to prepare for that interview, but learn days later that you did not get...
Continue ReadingYou will become pregnant and give birth to a son, and his hair must never be cut. For he will be dedicated to God as a Nazirite from birth. He will begin to rescue Israel from the Philistines." Judges 13:5 When I was a kid, I had a babysitter who made me cinnamon toast. Now, cinnamon toast...
Continue ReadingBut the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, "Because you did not trust me enough to demonstrate my holiness to the people of Israel, you will not lead them into the land I am giving them!" Numbers 20:12 As we end our study of the life of Moses this week, we need to acknowledge one last moment in...
Continue ReadingBut Moses told the people, "Don't be afraid. Just stand still and watch the Lord rescue you today. The Egyptians you see today will never be seen again." Exodus 14:13 Some of the monsoons we face may seem so intense that they feel out of our control. These monsoons may make us feel like life is...
Continue ReadingThen the Lord said to Moses, "I will strike Pharaoh and the land of Egypt with one more blow. After that, Pharaoh will let you leave this country. In fact, he will be so eager to get rid of you that he will force you all to leave." Exodus 11:1 Throughout our study of Scripture in these daily...
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