Devotion Archive
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Devotion for May 16, 2021
“Then I heard one of the four living creatures say in a voice like thunder, ‘Come!’” (Revelation 6:1) When Jesus opens the first seal of the scroll, John hears one of the four living creatures speak with a “voice like thunder.” If you have ever been caught in a quick-moving thunderstorm, you know the power…
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Devotion for May 15, 2021
“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.” (Revelation 2:7) Nothing becomes great until it overcomes something. Paul writes, “For a great … door has…
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Devotion for May 14, 2021
“‘The Lion of the tribe of Judah … is able to open the scroll and its seven seals.’ Then I saw a Lamb …” (Revelation 5:5-6) The apostle John, one of Jesus’ closest followers, received amazing visions of Jesus, heaven, mighty angels, and much more while he was exiled on the island of Patmos (Revelation…
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Devotion for May 13, 2021
“On each side of the river stood the tree of life …” (Revelation 22:2) Here we have two very similar pictures of a river flowing from God — and on each side of the river the trees bear fruit every month. The picture in Revelation is a reminder and a completion of Ezekiel’s vision of…
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Devotion for May 12, 2021
“Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.” (Ephesians 4:2) One day a lion met a tiger in the jungle. He grabbed the tiger’s tail and demanded, “Who is the king of the jungle?” The tiger answered meekly, “You are, O mighty lion.” Next the lion grabbed a monkey, asking,…
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Devotion for May 11, 2021
“To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.” (Revelation 2:7) Reading these lines takes us back to the story of Adam and Eve, when they sinned against God and were no longer able to enjoy God’s presence in…
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Devotion for May 10, 2021
“Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 5:10) Jesus said: “God blesses you when people mock you and persecute you and lie about you and say all sorts of evil things against you because you are my followers. Be happy about it! … For a…
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Devotion for May 9, 2021
“Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark.” (James 3:5) James is a practical person whose writing is full of descriptive, helpful images. In this passage about wise speech, he talks about training horses, steering ships, sparking forest fires, taming animals, testing springs of water, and comparing fruit trees. The…
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Devotion for May 8, 2021
“Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” (Hebrews 12:2) James writes, “Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the…