Search Results for: "1 Thessalonians 5:"

Blessings And Requests

Wednesday, January 1, 2025

I have a friend who is the sole caregiver for her 106-year-old mother. Her mother has some clarity of mind and can manage some of her own personal issues, but nevertheless requires quite a bit of care and cannot be left alone. In addition, … Read more

Elated To Deflated

Monday, August 5, 2024

As I begin each day, I try to keep this passage at the forefront of my mind. I admit that on some days, I am better at this than on others. On this particular day, I had made the last payment on my car, and all the paperwork was done. I … Read more

The Responsibility

Saturday, June 8, 2024

Agnes is very old for a goat. Yet, she has done a wonderful job acting as foster mom to our five adopted goat kids. I have very much enjoyed watching her mothering skills and how the kids have responded by trusting her and obeying. As of … Read more

Betrayed Or Blessed?

Saturday, February 3, 2024

When tragedy strikes, I've heard people ask, "How could a loving God do that?" He is all powerful, but for reasons beyond our understanding, He allows horrible things to happen, and through the experience, "God is able to bless you … Read more

Light Shining In Darkness

Sunday, January 7, 2024

Being a writer, I have learned that it is vital to have a pen and a pad of paper or some sort of audio recording device readily available to save thoughts and ideas that come to mind. This is especially true at night. Very often in the … Read more

Small Things

Sunday, November 12, 2023

In the small mountain community where I live during the summer, there are hundreds of children who don't have adequate food at home. In response, two faithful young women founded Backpack Snacks. On Friday, each of the identified … Read more

Imitators Of God

Tuesday, May 16, 2023

For a number of weeks through this past winter, I was out in western Canada to visit family. In some places, the ice underfoot was thick and treacherous. I am used to having salt mixed in the gravel that is applied to roads and parking … Read more

The Two Houses

Monday, April 10, 2023

My neighbour recently dropped by for a visit. She had never been over to our place, even though we lived across the street from one another. As she and her little boy walked up our driveway, she was astounded at the amount of light that … Read more

Good Noise

Wednesday, March 22, 2023

Who would have thought that I would welcome the pounding and thudding up on my roof? Yet, at last, the long-anticipated and dreaded day had arrived! Our condo association board had been preparing us for several months for this reality. It … Read more

Everyone Has A Story

Thursday, November 17, 2022

There is a couple in my church who appear to have the perfect life. Their most common expression is a smile. They both teach Sunday School, and they share their Christian witness often. Their Facebook posts feature happy events and their … Read more

The Promise

Wednesday, October 5, 2022

With the support of my Sunday School teacher, Mrs. Evans, the church, and my parents, I felt that I was being called to become a missionary. God's Spirit encouraged me to share my love for Him as I sang His praises both in and out of the … Read more

Hopeless

Monday, August 8, 2022

Some time ago, I was discussing the writing of these devotionals with a member of the staff where I am privileged to live. When I mentioned that I was considering doing one about counting our blessings, Ashley, who is always so … Read more

Songs In The Heart

Sunday, May 29, 2022

In January, I told how God spoke to me through others' devotionals. I've recently realized that He's speaking to me in a different way — through hymns that pop into my mind in random moments. At … Read more

Prayer

Tuesday, March 29, 2022

God, the recipient of our prayers, is always awake. Prayer is not restricted to specific times; it is something that can be done anywhere, anytime. Recent research has established that our mind is active even while we are sleeping, thus … Read more

The Spirit's Surprises

Friday, November 5, 2021

Authors cannot agree on whether writer's block is real or a myth. We all struggle with our words sometimes, though. Not long ago, my church assigned me to write a series of devotionals based on the lectionary readings for the season. I … Read more

Cultivating Joy

Thursday, November 4, 2021

I woke on the wrong side of the bed. I had a headache, and had been aroused by its pounding rather than by my alarm. As I reluctantly climbed out of bed, my dog, Scout, bounced around, happy to be awake and alive, and soon to be fed! Her … Read more

Our Walk And Talk Must Match

Thursday, September 30, 2021

Many years ago on the farm, we had chickens for eggs to sell to the neighbouring farms and African Guinea Fowl to grow for meat. This African bird has all brown meat. I was usually able to find a Guinea hen's nest, and I would wait … Read more

Out Of A Clear Blue Sky

Friday, July 16, 2021

In May, I had some correspondence with one of the contributors to these PresbyCan Daily Devotionals, in which we commented on the fact that our small pets or animals can fall prey to a predator at any time. This made me think of the time … Read more

Investing Wisely

Tuesday, June 15, 2021

At some point in our lives, many of us will invest money for our retirement. Those of us who are retired may be drawing an additional source of income from the investments that we made when we were younger. Some, however, may have seen … Read more

Running With Jesus

Saturday, March 13, 2021

In the 1960s, I read a book entitled Are you running with me, Jesus? (Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1965) by Episcopalian (Anglican) priest, Malcolm Boyd. Interesting title, isn't it? Here is an excerpt that will give you an idea of what … Read more

Thankful In All Circumstances

Thursday, November 26, 2020

Recently, I came across the story of Martin Rinkart, a Lutheran minister, who came to the German city of Eilenburg in 1637 near the beginning of the Thirty Years' War. Because the city was walled, it became overcrowded with refugees from … Read more

Unexpected

Thursday, October 29, 2020

We live our lives with certain expectations, so it is always a surprise when the unexpected happens. In 1959, we were in the United Kingdom for three weeks. During that time, we spent a day trying to find the resting place of my wife's … Read more

Christmas In October

Sunday, October 25, 2020

I keep a box of mementoes in a drawer. Every so often, it is good to look at poems or wise sayings that teach the grace of God in our lives. But I carry one of those keepsakes in my Bible: a ticket for a gondola ride. In 1997, John and I … Read more

Hidden Blessings

Wednesday, March 20, 2019

Have you ever seen blessings in disguise in your life? You know, those things which — at the time — seemed to be inconveniences or obstacles, but later proved to be for the very best? Sometimes, these stumbling blocks are just … Read more

Wait On The Lord

Saturday, December 1, 2018

The day after Labour Day, my wife and I were returning from a lovely weekend away at our family cabin. Unfortunately, we were rear-ended in the rush-hour traffic, and the grey 2012 Toyota Matrix that I loved was written off as a total … Read more

Thanksgiving

Thursday, November 22, 2018

"Thank You, Lord, for whoever invented electric blankets." I sigh in pleasure as I slip into the warm bed. "Thank You, Lord, for whoever invented Excedrin®." It's the perfect pill for a pounding headache. "Thank You, Lord, for my … Read more

Thanks At Thanksgiving

Tuesday, November 20, 2018

Thanking God in every circumstance is challenging — some might say impossible. I'm a nostalgic kind of guy. In my mind's eye, I can imagine myself sitting at a table with the early Pilgrims and their Indian neighbours who had shown them … Read more

Radical Gratitude, Fleas, And Nazis

Monday, October 8, 2018

During World War II, Corrie ten Boom's family sheltered many Jews who were fleeing the Nazis. The Nazi police seized Corrie, her sister Betsie, and their father. They ended up in a concentration camp, all the while holding firmly to the … Read more

A Thief In The Night

Friday, May 25, 2018

There are rules for living in the city, just as there are rules for living in the country. For instance, city dwellers keep their doors locked. When we moved from the city to a farm where our nearest neighbour was a ten-minute walk from … Read more

But Do You?

Monday, February 19, 2018

What do you think of worship? Or maybe the question should be, "Do you think about worship at all?" There are many passages in the Bible that speak to the different facets of worship. Some focus on the aspect of praise, others on the idea … Read more

The Beans

Sunday, November 26, 2017

I had never made baked beans from scratch, but recently, I decided to do so. I was amazed that the beans needed not only to soak overnight but also to boil gently for another hour after soaking and then to cook on low in my slow cooker … Read more

A Time For Giving Thanks

Thursday, November 23, 2017

The national holiday for giving thanks in the United States of America is celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November. This custom stems from the three-day thanksgiving feast held in the autumn of 1621 by the Pilgrims and the Wampanoag … Read more

Recognizing Danger

Sunday, November 19, 2017

One morning in late August, my wife discovered a big clump of wasps or bees on a branch of the cedar tree near the flower garden behind our house. She called me to have a look at it, and I thought that it was a nest being built by wasps. … Read more

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