“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast”—Ephesians 2:8-9 (NIV). When someone gives you an unexpected gift, how do you react? For example, if someone blesses me with a Christmas present, and I …
“Make your ear attentive to wisdom. Incline your heart to understanding”—Proverbs 2:2 (NASB). A recent devotional in The Upper Room about listening with the heart led me to meditate on the writer’s words. The writer’s husband had retired early because of Parkinson’s disease. Because his voice had become soft and monotone, his wife often had …
“Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank Him for all He has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus”—Philippians 4:6-7 (NLT). We have a standing invitation from …
“Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel”—Isaiah 7:14 (ESV). Anticipation, according to the dictionary, means “realization in advance; foretaste; expectation or hope.” Hope is a four-letter word loaded with meaning. While the dictionary offers several …
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