…”Go to the village ahead of you, and at once you will find a donkey tied there, with her colt by her. Untie them and bring them to Me. If anyone says anything to you, tell him that the Lord needs them….” – Matthew 21:2-3 A donkey was an animal of commerce in Jesus’ day.

“They mourned and wept and fasted till evening for Saul and his son Jonathan, and for the army of the Lord and the house of Israel, because they had fallen by the sword.” – 2 Samuel 1:12 How would you respond if you heard something bad happened to someone who had been trying to cut

“O Lord, by Your hand save me from such men, from men of this world whose reward is in this life….” – Psalm 17:14 Whenever I travel over the ocean, I am always reminded of the seemingly insignificant time we have on this earth. I often imagine dropping a glass of water out the window

“Beat your plowshares into swords and your pruning hooks into spears.” – Joel 3:10a In this third chapter of Joel, we hear the prophet describe a time yet to come. It will be a time of great harvest on the earth, and this verse describes the catalyst. A plowshare is an agricultural instrument used to

“I tell you the truth, we speak of what we know, and we testify to what we have seen, but still you people do not accept our testimony.” – John 3:11 When is the last time God did something in your work life that can only be explained as God? Was it yesterday? Was it

“The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.” – 2 Corinthians 10:4 One of the great discoveries I made in later years in my walk with God has to do with living in victory over generational strongholds. The Bible speaks of

“And he sent a man before them – Joseph, sold as a slave.” – Psalm 105:17 God is doing a unique work around the world today. He is rising up Josephs throughout the world. Some are still in the “pit” stage of their pilgrimage, while others are heading toward fruitfulness. What does it take for

“Then they were willing to take Him into the boat, and immediately the boat reached the shore where they were heading.” – John 6:21 The disciples were traveling across the lake to Capernaum when a strong wind arose and the waters grew rough. Suddenly they saw a figure on the water, and they were terrified

“He who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I too will love him and show Myself to him.” – John 14:21b We live in a day of 12-step programs for this, four points to success for that, and all forms of programmed means of becoming successful. Have you ever wondered how you

“Those who cling to worthless idols forfeit the grace that could be theirs.” – Jonah 2:8 Have you ever exercised your will over the will of God? Have you ever been so willful that you were going to go your own way no matter what God said? If so, you have been at the same

“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline.” – Proverbs 1:7 Marvin Wilson, author of Our Father Abraham, has written incisively about the various meanings for our word “fool”: In Biblical wisdom literature, the pupils of the sages and mentors are the unwise, often termed “fools” (Prov.

“Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints.” – Psalm 116:15 The Bible often speaks of death as a requirement of living a life in Christ. This death is not a physical death, but a spiritual death. It is a death of the old so the new can be raised.

“Those who sow in tears will reap with songs of joy.” – Psalm 126:5 Psalm 126 describes an interesting process that goes against our natural tendencies when we are taken into a difficult period in our lives. Whenever we are hurled into a crisis that brings tears, our tendency is to retreat or recoil in

…”Throw your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some.” – John 21:6a The disciples were fishing. It was after Jesus had been crucified. Peter had gone through his most agonizing moment in which he had denied Jesus three times. He had lost a friend. No doubt he probably wondered

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.” – Proverbs 3:5 This is one of the most quoted verses in the Bible related to gaining wisdom and direction from God. Yet I have never heard one teaching on this passage that teaches what I believe the psalmist is

…”My grace is sufficient for you….” – 2 Corinthians 12:9 If you are older than 35, you may recall the early days of the space program. I remember the early spacecraft launch with John Glenn. One of the most exciting and tense moments of his return to earth was his reentry to the earth’s atmosphere.

Now about spiritual gifts, brothers, I do not want you to be ignorant. – 1 Corinthians 12:1 In First Corinthians 12 and Romans 12, the apostle Paul is teaching us about the role of spiritual gifts in the Church. He correlates these gifts to a human body, telling us that each person’s gift helps the

Ever since I went to Pharaoh to speak in Your name, he has brought trouble upon this people, and You have not rescued Your people at all. – Exodus 5:23 Have you ever felt like you have been obedient to the Lord for something He called you to do and all you get are more

Where there are no oxen, the manger is empty, but from the strength of an ox comes an abundant harvest. – Proverbs 14:4 When Jesus came into this world, He chose to be born in a most unusual place-a manger. It was no more than a livery stable with goats, oxen, and other livestock animals.

Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with Me. Revelation 3:20 A friend of mine tells the story of an encounter he had with a very important government official – the head of

The donkey said to Balaam, “Am I not your own donkey, which you have always ridden, to this day?” – Numbers 22:30 Most workplace believers I know tend to be task – oriented, motivated visionaries. And they will do just about anything to make their projects successful. This great strength can, if not properly bridled

…”I will not sacrifice to the Lord my God burnt offerings that cost me nothing.” – 2 Samuel 24:24 One day I was having lunch with a man who had a certain amount of notoriety in his life. After a time of getting to know each other, he said, “How can I help you?” Those

…but they did not listen to him because of their discouragement and cruel bondage. – Exodus 6:9 It is very difficult to lead when those you are leading believe they have been mistreated and have lost all hope. Such was the case when God called Moses to bring the people of Israel out of Egypt.

Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. – Joshua 1:7 In sports, there is a term known as “in the zone.” It is a description

So the Lord sent a plague on Israel, and seventy thousand men of Israel fell dead. – 1 Chronicles 21:14 When was the last time your overconfidence cost the lives of 70,000 men? That is exactly what happened to David. David made what might appear to be an innocent request of his general, Joab. But

Others went out on the sea in ships; they were merchants on the mighty waters. They saw the works of the Lord…. – Psalm 107:23-24a When you were a child, perhaps you may have gone to the ocean for a vacation. I recall wading out until the waves began crashing on my knees. As long

The Lord has torn the kingdom out of your hands and given it to one of your neighbors – to David.– 1 Samuel 28:17b When God anoints a person, a pattern of testing appears to take place at specific times in the leader’s life. God often takes each leader through four major tests to determine

Glancing this way and that and seeing no one, he killed the Egyptian and hid him in the sand. – Exodus 2:12 Moses saw the pain of his people. He saw the bondage and the injustice. His heart was enraged, and he decided he would do something. He would take matters into his own hands.

But Paul shouted, “Don’t harm yourself! We are all here!” – Acts 16:28 Paul and Silas had just been thrown into prison. An earthquake erupted and the jail cell was opened. It’s Paul and Silas’ opportunity. “Deliverance! Praise God!” might be the appropriate response. But this is not what Paul and Silas did. In fact,

…”Today I have rolled away the reproach of Egypt from you”…. – Joshua 5:9 Joshua and the people had just crossed the Jordan River. They were camped at Gilgal. But before they could proceed they were required to circumcise all the males, because a whole new generation had grown up while living in the desert.

Unless the Lord builds the house, its builders labor in vain. – Psalm 127:1a Imagine spending years building an expensive home with the finest materials and craftsmanship. It is a work of art, and the project is almost complete. As the day arrives to move in, a building inspector arrives and hands you a notice