HYMN DAY! The words to “Praise to the Lord! the Almighty, the King of Creation!” was written in 1680 by Joachim Neander and translated into English in 1863 by Catherine Winkworth. Such powerful words! I hope they inspire joy and assurance and gratitude in your soul today. 1 Praise to…
When Paul remembered the support of his Christian friends, he experienced joy that infiltrated his prayers. The amazing thing about this is Paul was in prison when he wrote this letter! Imprisoned, yet he experienced joy. How is this possible? Well, it’s possible because Paul understood that a prison cell…
Paul wrote these words to the believers at Philippi. These were people who had ministered to him, prayed for him, supported him financially, and were his friends. Every Christian needs other Christians to come alongside him from time to time. Doesn’t it do your heart good when you know fellow…
One of the best ways to develop a positive outlook is to adopt an attitude of gratitude. When we put our focus on the blessings we’ve been given, we become more appreciative, more peaceful, more satisfied. Being appreciative and satisfied with Him brings Him honor. If you start feeling grumpy…
Good parents discipline (note: disciple) their children, meaning they teach their children through word and example the proper way to behave. Children who respect their parents are much more likely to be obedient. God, as a loving parent, has given us an instruction Book outlining how to live: His Word.…
HYMN DAY! “Have Thine Own Way, Lord” by Adelaide A. Pollard is a good one to offer as a prayer. Have thine own way, Lord! Have thine own way! Thou art the potter, I am the clay. Mold me and make me after thy will, while I am waiting, yielded…
I get a little weepy reading these words—the good kind of weepy. You see, I have learned that when I lift my soul to Him—open myself fully to Him in praise and adoration—joy always follows. Even in the midst of heartache, confusion, or fear, praise changes me. I know I’ve…
Have you ever prayed something similar to the psalmist’s words? When I am deeply hurting, I want the Lord to hear me and answer NOW. Of course, I usually want Him to immediately remove whatever is causing me pain. But I’ve learned something in the past half century… God can…
When I was child, our family moved a lot. That was so hard for me. I was bashful, so very bashful, and walking into a new classroom full of new faces was excruciating. I didn’t have a lot of friends—it’s hard to make friends when you’re shy, and why bother…
My mom always said, “There are two thing in life that are certain: death and taxes.” Kind of a tongue-in-cheek statement. It’s also true. We can’t avoid either one. So how can the psalmist claim that he was rescued from the depths of death? Well, “depth” could be changed to…
