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Job 8:21 NASB "He will yet fill your mouth with laughter,
And your lips with joyful shouting." My sides were killing me! Today's verse, while simple, offers to us that we can laugh! Have you ever had a good laugh, I mean a really good laugh to where your cheeks hurt, your side hurt and tears came down your face?! Recently, there was a misunderstanding between me and a friend - that misunderstanding what due to my hearing loss - I thought he said something else and when the truth came out, about what he really said, we laugh so hard we began to cry. It was contagious, the more we laughed, the louder we got, the more we cried tears of laughter. Let's not take life so serious that we forget to laugh, to enjoy a funny moment! peace, tom
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Hebrews 11:25 NASB "choosing rather to endure ill-treatment with the people of God than to enjoy the temporary pleasures of sin,"I'd rather be ... Today's verse speaks of choice! I recently got a hat that says "I'd rather be fishing" and while true, the reality is that the choice to go fishing or not is up to me! Many times I have made the choice not to go fishing for this reason or not but it's still my choice. That's the third greatest gift we receive from God our Father. One is His Son, two is the Holy Spirit and three is choice. The key is making the right choices at the right time. The choice we make can and will make a difference. I can complain all I want that I didn't go fishing but the Truth is that it was and is my choice. Let's not complain about the choices we make, but make sure they bring glory to God and not ourselves! Choose wisely my friends! peace, tom
Habakkuk 3:19 NASB "The Lord God is my strength,
And He has made my feet like deer’s feet, And has me walk on my high places."At first glance, we may think that today's verse is about climbing mountains but it could be about going to a place that brings us much joy! I really wanted to lay back and enjoy a nice quiet day but I had responsibilities like watching one of my grandsons. So, I asked God for the strength to enjoy my grandson and the day. And God gave me feet like a deer to chase him around and let me enjoy a moment as my grandson caught a fish! That's what today's Word means about walking on my high places, I was on cloud nine as he reeled the fish in! Finding strength in the our God means just exactly that, letting God supply our strength for each new day. Oh, by the way, our strength may fail but His never will! Walk in His Strength today! peace, tom Nahum 1:7 NASAB "The Lord is good, A stronghold in the day of trouble, And He knows those who take refuge in Him."We could see it on the horizon! Today's Word shares where to go on those days of trouble! It was moving faster that we thought, by the time it got here, we were not where we should have been. While fishing with my dad, we could see the storm approaching. The fishing was great so we decided to stay a little longer before running for cover - boy, were we wrong. When the storm hit, the waves crashed over the side of the boat, everything go soaked including us. As we sat back at the room, we talked about how we should have left sooner. In life, storms will come and come fast - where is our refuge, where do we take comfort - I pray it's in the Lord and we don't wait till it's too late! peace, tom
2 Corinthians 12:10 NASB "Therefore I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in distresses, in persecutions, in difficulties, in behalf of Christ; for when I am weak, then I am strong." No one said it would be easy! Today's Word has a very important line.."in behalf of Christ!". No matter what we are facing, it's nothing compared to what Jesus went through for us. I can't imagine the pain of what He went through for us and yet we find ourselves complaining about this and that. I wonder if we could ever stop complaining long enough to see the blessings we take for granted?! It was the fifth call I received, people calling to complain about this or that, this person or that person - I kept pointing them to today's verse and said that in our weakness, we can become strong if we keep Jesus first. Don't let others rob us of the peace of Christ. Buckle up, it's going to be hard but with Him all things are possible - so smile and let them think we are up to something! peace, tom
Malachi 4:6 NASB "He will turn the hearts of the fathers back to their children and the hearts of the children to their fathers, so that I will not come and strike the land with complete destruction."There's not a day that goes by, that I don't think of him! Today's verse can actually be a prayer for us men blessed to be fathers! It doesn't matter how long ago he went to be with Jesus, I think of my dad every day! With Father's Day approaching, I think of him more and have come to the conclusion that the greatest thing I can do for my dad is to live the lessons he taught me! My dad was more than my father, he was my friend, fishing partner and I still find it hard to fish without him. I have a choice, live in the loss or live in the gain I received by having a godly father who shared the love of God the father with me. Those of us blessed to be fathers need to live like it's the greatest adventure we will ever have, because it is! Happy Father's Day, Dads! peace, tom
Proverbs 10:9 NASB "One who walks in integrity walks securely, But one who perverts his ways will be found out."I thought you should know! Today's verse shares with us about integrity - a word that seems lost in today's vocabulary! I had gotten an email concerning one of the men in the group. It simply stated that we needed to check up on what he was doing outside the group. Not sure what it was all about, I made some calls, talked to some people and found out that what he was saying to the group wasn't truthful. I confronted him at the next meeting, asking him to be honest. He began to break down and tell the whole story, how he had lied to the group, how he had lied to his wife and then he asked me a question - how did I find out?! I didn't share who sent the email, just that it was sent. We never know who is watching, so let's be men of integrity no matter who is watching, because He is! peace, tom
1 Corinthians 2:14 NASB "But a natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned." It was like I was a child, trying to understand the ways of an adult! Today's verse tells us why some just don't understand! I asked him to repeat it to me again and again but I just couldn't understand what he was trying to teach me. It's not that I wasn't an educated man but this theory, this way of doing things was foreign to me. I tried to understand what he was trying to teach me but I couldn't grasp it. I remember writing it down and told him I would keep trying to learn it. It was years later, when I had finally reach a point of understanding, that the theory he was trying to teach me that day sunk in. There will be things of God we just don't understand but if we keep seek Him above all, one day, the light bulb will go on! peace, tom
Mark 9:24 NASB "immediately the boy’s father cried out and said, “I do believe; help my unbelief!”"I didn't think it could happen! Today's verse speaks about a man who told the truth about where his faith was, we can learn a lot from him! As I stood there, watching him begin to work, I said to myself - "there's just no way!" He was old, tired and bent over from years of working. He had a simple job to do, lift an unbelievable weight to the top of the scaffolding. I offered my help but he kindly refused. He went to work and before you know it, the weight was at the top of the scaffolding. I didn't believe in the man, and my unbelief made me embarrassed when he finished the task. We may think, and even believe that God can't but He can and will - we just need to believe! The question for the day is... do we? peace, tom
Genesis 2:7 NASB "Then the Lord God formed the man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and the man became a living person."As I walked away, I took a moment to look back! Today's verse speaks of what God created, you and me! It was a hard month of building. Working through days of rain, cold but we got it done and when it was time to leave, I stood for a moment and looked at the house we had built. In a few short weeks, the house would become a home, the people would begin to live there and enjoy the hard work we did. God created us to create! We each have been given gifts to be used to create. Let's not waste our talents and gifts but use them to give life to someone else. Be a blessing and realize that even dirt can be used to create life! He did! peace, tom
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Tom SEmberAuthor of Daily Devotions Archives
June 2025
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