daily devotional

The Two Types of Laughter

“Sarah said, ‘God has brought me laughter, and everyone who hears about this will laugh with me.’ ” – Genesis 21:6 Abraham and Sarah waited over twenty-five years to receive God’s promise of their son. Yesterday, I shared the resulting joyous laughter due to their long wait with faith. She named the baby Isaac, which means “he laughs” in Hebrew. We can see that this name was chosen as a reminder of the joy and laughter that filled Sarah’s heart. As I read this story, I noticed that there are two kinds of laughter, both positive and negative. Here’s an example of negative laughter: When Jesus went into the room with the deceased 12-year-old and told the mourners that she was not dead; she was just sleeping, and everyone laughed and mocked Him. Here’s what positive laughter looks like: What did the disciples and the 12-year-old girl’s parents do when

September 20, 2023 No Comments

A Reminder of God’s Promise

“Sarah was afraid, so she lied and said, ‘I did not laugh.’ But he said, ‘Yes, you did laugh.’ ” – Genesis 18:15 Our focus today is on God’s promise to Abraham and Sarah that she would bear a son. The Lord told Abraham He was going to give him a son, and this son would start a generation that would outnumber the sand on the shore and the stars in the sky combined. In faith, Abraham believed God. It took this 75-year-old man 25 years to receive this promise! It’s a long time to wait for us — but not for God. It had been 25 years since Abraham received the promise, and God visited Abraham and told him, “I will surely return to you about this time next year, and Sarah your wife will have a son.” Since Sarah served and prepared the food, she was hiding behind

September 19, 2023 No Comments

The Reward for Well-Doing

“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” – Galatians 6:9 I love being a dad. There’s nothing better in this world than seeing my kids smile and watching them learn and grow. However, there’s also a price to be paid when you are a parent. Before we had our own family, I used to look at people who had kids and hear them talk about how happy they were, but all the while I would be thinking to myself, They don’t look happy. They look tired and poor and like they never have any free time. At the same time, I watched as every single one of them grew in character; they were more patient, kind, and loving, even those who had started out really rough around the edges. Indeed, parenting is a

September 18, 2023 1 Comment

Strike With Everything You’ve Got

“The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.” – Genesis 2:15 With your dream, your prayer, your life, and everything God has called you to do, strike while the iron is hot! Strike and strike as long as it takes to succeed! Don’t let opportunity pass you by. In the year 1519, Hernán Cortés arrived in the “New World” with 600 men and he was clearly outnumbered by the natives. Upon arrival, he made history by burning his ships. This sent a clear message to his men: There is no turning back! He knew they had nowhere to go and no choice but to fight for their lives. They would win and claim the land. Now, burning ships isn’t always wise, but if you have an I’m going to win, ‘burn the ships’ attitude towards whatever

September 17, 2023 No Comments

Two by Two

“Calling the Twelve to him, he began to send them out two by two and gave them authority over impure spirits.” – Mark 6:7 When Jesus sent people out, He always sent them two by two, or in a group. Jesus would send His disciples out without food, money, weapons, jackets, or shoes, but He would never send them alone. He understands that this is how we are made and how we are built, and we can’t help but become like the people we spend most of our time with. The book of Genesis describes God creating different things, and it always says they are good. His creation of light and darkness was good. The earth, plants, and animals he created are good. Mankind was created by Him, and He declared it to be very good, but then He said, “It is not good for man to be alone.”A person

September 16, 2023 14 Comments

Are You Ready for the Fight?

“Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses.” – 1 Timothy 6:12 Life is a fight. Are you ready? Are you primed to partner with the Lord and defend your dreams? Luckily, I have a great story to illustrate this point: It is a surprise to many who watch me on television that I am 6 feet, 3 inches tall. But amongst my 18 male cousins, I’m the smallest. Back in our college days, my manly cousins Scott, Chris, Jason, and I were at my grandpa Schuller’s house during Christmas. My grandpa Schuller was an eccentric man who loved to build things. He bought a small house but added these little rooms over time, except the library. It was a big, beautiful room. As we chatted in the

September 15, 2023 No Comments

Get Ready by Preparing

“But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the bridegroom arrived. The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet. And the door was shut.” – Matthew 25:10 In a parable about 10 young women and a Jewish wedding, Jesus teaches us that when we’re prepared, we will be ready for whatever comes our way. This is how it is in the Kingdom of God. In Jesus’ time, weddings were huge events that spanned several days and every young woman was eager to attend. Much to their delight, 10 young women were invited to the wedding, which would have lots of food, wine, dancing, and song. During those days, if you were a family member or friend of the wedding party, you would receive word telling you when the groom would arrive and when the party would start. You were supposed to wait

September 14, 2023 No Comments

Touch the Lord With Your Faith

“But Jesus said, “Someone touched me; I know that power has gone out from me.” – Luke 8:46 Over the last couple of days, I’ve discussed how the Holy Spirit can help you grasp the miraculous world within yourself! The synagogue leader and his wife, along with Peter, John and James, were present when Jesus raised their 12-year-old daughter from the dead. He also healed a faith-filled woman of her bleeding disorder that kept her in bondage for 12 long years. (We see the Biblical significance of the number 12 here.) She is instantly healed when she touched Him. When Jesus felt the power leave his body, he asked, “Who touched me?” When He asks, “Who touched me?” He teaches us that there are two ways to reach, or “touch” the Lord. In contrast, the first way is powerless, superficial, materialistic, and just a matter of going through the motions.

September 13, 2023 No Comments

The Kingdom of God is Within You

“And he sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal the sick.“ – Luke 9:2 Yesterday we discussed how Jesus had been summoned by one of the synagogue leaders to heal his daughter, but was interrupted and healed a woman who had a bleeding disorder for twelve years. Today, we return to our discussion of the 12-year-old girl’s miraculous healing. By the time Jesus arrives at Jairus’ house, his daughter is already deceased. She must have been deceased for some time because now people have gathered; they are weeping, wailing, and they are already beginning to sing dirges, which are songs of mourning for the dead. When Jesus came into the house, although the people were weeping and mourning, He told them to relax and not weep; she wasn’t dead, she was just asleep. Immediately, they go from mourning to laughing at Him. Is it really

September 12, 2023 1 Comment

Faith Is Powerful

“Then the woman, seeing that she could not go unnoticed, came trembling and fell at his feet. In the presence of all the people, she told why she had touched him and how she had been instantly healed. Then he said to her, ‘Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace.’ “ – Luke 8:47,48 Today is Patriots Day, marking the 22nd anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. We honor in prayer those whose lives were lost, and the unparalleled changes to the families personally affected, along with our citizens, and our nation. The miracle I share today is just one of many that Jesus performed. It is interesting to note that Jesus was summoned to heal a child, but was interrupted to heal a woman who had a bleeding disorder. As Jesus returns to Capernaum, a synagogue leader interrupts him as He is teaching. He tells Jesus that his

September 11, 2023 No Comments

The Two Types of Laughter

A Reminder of God’s Promise

The Reward for Well-Doing

Strike With Everything You’ve Got

Two by Two

Are You Ready for the Fight?

Get Ready by Preparing

Touch the Lord With Your Faith

The Kingdom of God is Within You

Faith Is Powerful

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