Our Blog

Read Hosea 10:12-15
“Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap in mercy; break up your fallow ground: for it is time to seek the LORD, till he come and rain righteousness upon you” (v 12).
I find myself in the time zone called Urgent. Daily stress challenges my peace, and joy trickles through my soul instead of springing up as a fountain. Tyrants abound in the form of deadlines and due dates, each demanding exclusive and immediate attention. Fellowship with believers is a luxury regularly snatched away by some unavoidable crisis. Time in the Lord’s presence is routinely interrupted with the question, “Can’t you do that later?” Yet God urges me to draw even closer to Him. I turn to Him for guidance and strength for the many challenges surrounding me. Reading or listening to God’s Word inspires, waters, and nourishes the shriveled and trampled down parts of my life until they again show signs of life.
In this chaotic season of life, God reveals areas I must yet cultivate so even the seemingly wasted areas of my life will glorify Him. He enables me to touch others for Him in the midst of our mutually hectic lives. Living in the time zone of Urgent, it is always time to seek the Lord. He is faithful to bring needed guidance and showers of refreshment for my soul. (LeeAnn Davison)
“The first goal of guidance is to lead us into a closer relationship with Jesus. All other goals should be subservient to that” (Lorne Cunningham).
This is the Friday, September 25, 2014 devotional reading of Opening the Word.
Photo credit: "prayer at night" by mrehan used under CC BY 2.0 / Resized, cropped.

Read 1 Samuel 12:13-15
“But if ye will not obey the voice of the LORD, but rebel against the commandment of the LORD, then shall the hand of the LORD be against you, as it was against your fathers” (v. 15).
Perhaps you have had the experience of following a mother with a small child through a grocery store. The experience begins in the produce section, where you first hear those words, “If you do that one more time, Mommy is going to have to spank you!” Of course, if you follow long enough, you will realize that the mother did not mean it at all.
Israel was not being warned by a doting parent. Israel was being warned by God through His prophet Samuel about the consequences of making poor choices. It is clear that Israel had a very short memory. Throughout their history, they failed and were judged. Fresh admonition came again, and they failed and were judged again. Their failure included wanting to be as other nations and have a monarchy instead of a theocracy, adopting pagan religions, and leaving off God’s commandments.
We are ripe for a harvest of penalties as we move farther and farther from the Judeo-Christian roots and God’s absolutes. We are faced with a truth crisis, and we can anticipate certain destruction of society as we move further from God’s pattern for an ordered society. (Lonnie Witt)

Photo credit: "DeCA opens new commissary in Belgium with a little help from USACE" by U.S. Army Corp of Engineers Europe District used under CC BY 2.0 / Resized, cropped, part of image blurred.

Read Romans 11:30-36
​“O the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!” (v. 33).
​During the nineties, we had a gentleman who attended the church we pastored that became one of our best friends. We had many conversations about a variety of subjects, but especially about the Bible and religious things. I remember the time we were discussing what is commonly referred to as the Lord’s Prayer and he brought up the part that says, “Thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven.” He thought the “in earth” meant “in us”, as we are earth. I marveled at his wisdom because he had only attended school through the third grade. I could only conclude that God had imparted to him a part of His wisdom.
​Our text talks about “the depths of the riches of the wisdom … of God.” “The depths” indicates something more than usual; something that surpasses what we expect. That is exactly how it is with the wisdom of God.​ Then it talks about “the riches of the wisdom of God.” The “riches of the wisdom of God” is more than gold or monetary things. It is the joy, peace and contentment that come from understanding the wisdom of God. We can obtain great knowledge through formal education or life experiences, but true wisdom comes only from God. (Larry DeOrnellis)

In our day of great knowledge, we need to understand that wisdom comes not from knowledge but from God.

This week’s featured devotional is the Friday, September 12​​​​​​​​​​​​, 2014 entry of Opening the Word. Order your copy!
Photo credit: "Money!" by Tracy O used under CC BY 2.0 / Resized, cropped.