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I hold on to you for dear life,and you hold me steady as a post.Psalm 63:8 MSG One of my favorite memories from our children's baby and toddler days were monkey hugs. You know the kind: arms around neck, legs around waist, head on shoulder, and with a grip so tight one could let go and the child would stay exactly where they were. These hugs were dubbed "monkey hugs" beca...
Keep ReadingBut the king will rejoice in God; all who swear by God will glory in him,while the mouths of liars will be silenced (Psalm 62: 11). Spring is just around the corner. If you're like me, you enjoy opening your eyes to see a little more sunlight coming through the windows. The birds are singing. Flowers are blooming. However, facing an otherwise wonderful morning, you remem...
Keep ReadingOn my bed I remember You; I think of You through the watches of the night.(Psalm 63:6) I wouldn't say I'm a textbook insomniac, but I have trouble getting to sleep most nights. So I lie there. I rethink what I should have done that day. I make mental lists for tomorrow. I return to mistakes God has long ago forgiven. I also get hungry. What if, instead of getting up (quie...
Keep ReadingPsalm 63 David spent significant time in the desert, in the wilderness. His shepherd work as a boy likely took him into some remote locations. Jealous, murderous King Saul chased him into and through some wild places. Later in life, and when finally King of Israel, David's son Absalom seeks to overthrow and replace his father, and once again, David finds himself on the ru...
Keep ReadingGo up to the land flowing with milk and honey. But I will not go with you,because you are a stiff-necked people and I might destroy you on the way.(Exodus 33:3) Knowing the extreme planning that goes into a trip to Disney "Promised Land" World these daysnot to mention the costwhat's a parent to do if their children do something off the charts horrible in the weeks leading...
Keep Reading"Go up to the land flowing with milk and honey. But I will not go with you, because you are a stiff-necked people and I might destroy you on the way."(Exodus 33:3) A land "flowing with milk and honey" likely sounded pretty dreamy to the Israelites after walking through the desert for 40 years. But how satisfying would it be without the Lord accompanying them? I'd imagine ...
Keep ReadingAnd the Lord said to Moses, "I will do the very thing you have asked, because I am pleased with you and I know you by name." Then Moses said, "Now show me your glory." And the Lord said, "I will cause all my goodness to pass in front of you, and I will proclaim my name, the Lord in your presence. I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on wh...
Keep Reading"And the Lord said, "I will cause all my goodness to pass in front of you, and I will proclaim my name, the Lord, in your presence. I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion." (Exodus 33: 19) In this chapter of Exodus, Moses is speaking directly with God. He's walking with God. He's even, on behalf of all God's ...
Keep ReadingIf your Presence does not go with us, do not send us from here. And now, Lord, show me Your glory.(Ex. 33:15,18) Moses has heard God call him from a burning bush, give him specific directions for shepherding His people out of Egypt, direct the miracles that led to the people's release, and chisel the Commandments in his very presence. Verse after verse notes what Moses "s...
Keep ReadingAnd she made a vow, saying, "Lord Almighty, if you will only look on your servant's misery and remember me, and not forget your servant but give her a son, then I will give him to the Lord for all the days of his life, and no razor will ever be used on his head" (1 Samuel 1:11). When we sit down as a family to eat, we always say the same blessing. Dear God, Thank you fo...
Keep ReadingIn her deep anguish Hannah prayed to the Lord, weeping bitterly. And she made a vow, saying, "Lord Almighty, if you will only look on your servant's misery and remember me, and not forget your servant but give her a son, then I will give him to the Lord for all the days of his lifeThen she went her way and ate something, and her face was no longer downcast (I Samuel 1:10-1...
Keep ReadingIn her deep anguish Hannah prayed to the Lord, weeping bitterly (1 Samuel 1:10). "God, if you do this one thing for me, I promise I will __________." Have you ever prayed a prayer like that? I have. When I was a teenager, I remember bargaining with God in this way. I was desperate. I knew He was the One who could fix my problem. Although, if I am honest, I hadn't though...
Keep Reading1 Samuel 1 2 On a warm summer day, a woman is walking downtown around lunchtime. There is a slight breeze, she can hear the birds chirping, and she can smell the freshly baked donuts about a block away. She thinks about how hungry she is and how a freshly baked donut would fill her empty stomach. She decides that she is going to get that donut, no matter what, so she kee...
Keep Reading"Don't I mean more to you than ten sons?"(1 Samuel 1:8) Have you ever prayed for something, prayed for years, hungering for God to answer? Was it something that would bring you happiness or erase your shame (or maybe both)? Was it something that consumed all your bandwidth? It's what you thought about when you couldn't go to sleep, what you prayed about unceasingly, what ...
Keep ReadingNow, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness. (Acts 4:29) When I was younger, I could eat as much of anything I wanted, and get away with it. As I've gotten older, I learned to be more careful about what goes from my plate to my mouth. Unfortunately, the same can't be said for my work/life balance. I've always been hun...
Keep ReadingWhen they heard this, they raised their voices together in prayer to God. "Sovereign Lord," they said, "you made the heavens and the earth and the sea, and everything in them" (Acts 4:24). Often, when I read the news, I think, "The world is such a mess." How about you? Each day we are confronted with any number of disturbing news stories. There are stories of wars, oppre...
Keep ReadingOn their release, Peter and John went back to their own people and reported allthat the chief priests and the elders had said to them. When they heard this,they raised their voices together in prayer to God (Acts 4:23-24a). When confronting a challenge or crisis, we often experience a "hunger" of some kind. Maybe we find ourselves hungering for safety, quick and easy solu...
Keep Reading"Now, Lord, enable Your servants to speak Your word with great boldness."Acts 4:29 As we dive into our new series, Hungry for God, one aspect we should consider as Jesus followers is this: are we hungry to see others come to Him? Please indulge my overuse of bold font throughout this devotional, but I am struck by the Book of Acts' emphasis on just plain talking to non-be...
Keep Reading[Editor's note: the passage for this week is Acts 4:23-34, and Deb, Heidi, Elizabeth andDave will be offering their usual insightful and helpful meditations on it throughout this week. Today's Connect Devotional hopes to serve as an entry door into this new series.] It's a familiar experience: there I stand, looking into fridge or pantry, hungry for something. Or I'm ru...
Keep Reading"Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you."(Matthew 28: 19-20) I'm in sales, and a couple of weeks ago I was working with a retail partner to set up a new display in their store. While building the display one of my co-workers wa...
Keep ReadingThen Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age. (Matthew 28:18-20) When I was in...
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