“Unleash the fury of your wrath, look at every proud man and bring him low, look at every proud man and humble him, crush the wicked where they stand.” – Job 40:12

While a master sergeant in the Armed Forces of Liberia (AFL), Samuel K. Doe staged a violent coup d’état in April 1980 that left him de facto head of state. During the coup, then president William Tolbert, and much of the True Whig Party leadership were executed. Doe then established the People's Redemption Council, assuming the rank of general.

He suspended the constitution and headed the country's military junta for the next five years. In 1985 he ordered an election and officially became the 21st President of Liberia. The election was marked by controversy, as there was evidence of election fraud. He attempted to legitimize his regime with passage of a new constitution in 1984 and elections in 1985. However, opposition to his rule increased, especially after the 1985 elections, which were declared to be fraudulent by most foreign observers.      

A civil war began in December 1989, when rebels entered Liberia through Ivory Coast, capturing and overthrowing Doe on 9 September 1990.

Author Wonderr Freeman wrote that Doe claimed to fight for the little person but "died a multi-millionaire and proud owner of mansions and estates."

One sin the Lord hates is pride. He desires humility in us as we look to Him for our source of strength. Today in prayer, praise the Lord that He is all-powerful and it is through the blood of Jesus we are saved by His grace.

“Pride is at the bottom of all great mistakes.” – John Ruskin

God’s Word: “They will spread out their hands in it, as a swimmer spreads out his hands to swim. God will bring down their pride despite the cleverness of their hands.” – Isaiah 25:11

By Peter Kennedy, Copyright 2020, Devotional E-Mail   

DEVOTIONS IN JOB

“He redeemed my soul from going down to the pit, and I will live to enjoy the light.” – Job 33:28

When he was 16, Bobby Bledsoe found the family he was looking for - in a gang in New Jersey.

“We started selling crack cocaine in some of the projects and some of the apartments and hotels,” he said. “Selling drugs led to trying a little bit of drugs. I got locked up for strong-arm robbery in Philly. I had got to the point that we didn’t care about life. So we would just go around doing strong arm robbery, robbing purses, robbing people, gang activity - to have money to buy your drugs, to sell your drugs.”

Bobby served every day of a 19-month sentence. When he was released, he went right back to the only life he knew.

Homeless and broke, he called his Christian mother. He asked for one more chance to get his life together.

He went to church with his mother and heard a message that changed his life.

“He said, ‘Is anybody ready for a change? Does anybody want Jesus?’ And I ran to that altar, threw myself at that altar and I said, ‘God, if you’re real, take this addiction from me. God, if you are who you are, please forgive me for my sin.’ Right there and then, like I never felt before, I felt the weight of the world being lifted off my shoulders,” Bobby said. “I felt as if scales came off my eyes. I really felt free, and instantaneously I was delivered from Crack cocaine, Heroin.”

Bobby has never gone back to his old ways.

Today, Bobby is married and has two beautiful children. He serves as a youth pastor and every week he tells young people about Jesus.

The Lord is in the practice of redeeming souls lost in sin and giving them eternal life. Today in prayer, praise the Lord that He found you lost in your sin, that He redeemed you through His precious death on the Cross, and granted you eternal life in Him.

“Redemption never comes by our own efforts. Spiritually, redemption cannot happen without a Redeemer. This word is precious because it reminds followers of Jesus that relationship with Him has been purchased at great cost.” – Bob Snider

“Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: ‘Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.’” – Galatians 3:13

By Peter Kennedy, Copyright 2020, Devotional E-Mail   

DEVOTIONS IN JOB

“But it is the spirit in a man, the breath of the Almighty, that gives him understanding.” – Job 32:8

Oscar Cervantes is a dramatic example of Christ's power to turn our weaknesses into strengths. As a child, Oscar got into trouble. As he grew older, he was jailed 17 times for brutal crimes. Prison psychiatrists said he was beyond help. Some believed he was so hardened a criminal that he should never be allowed out in public again. They were proven wrong by God's grace. During a brief interval of freedom, Oscar met an elderly man who told him about Jesus. Oscar placed his trust in the Lord and the Holy Spirit changed him into a kind, caring man. Shortly afterward, he started a prison ministry. Chaplain H. C. Warwick described it this way: “The third Saturday night of each month was 'Oscar Night' at Soledad State Prison. Inmates came to hear Oscar and they sang gospel songs with fervor; they sat intently for over 2 hours; they came freely to the chapel altar.  What professionals had failed to do for Oscar in years of counseling, Christ did in a moment of conversion.”

The Holy Spirit is God and He gives us understanding. Today in prayer, thank the Lord that He has imparted to you the Holy Spirit.

“The Holy Spirit is not a blessing from God. He is God.” – Colin Urquhart

God’s Word: “But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. He will glorify me because it is from me that he will receive what he will make known to you. All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will receive from me what he will make known to you.” – John 16:13-15

By Peter Kennedy, Copyright 2020, Devotional E-Mail   

DEVOTIONS In JOB

“If I have put my trust in gold or said to pure gold, 'You are my security,' if I have rejoiced over my great wealth, the fortune my hands had gained, if I have regarded the sun in its radiance or the moon moving in splendor, so that my heart was secretly enticed and my hand offered them a kiss of homage, then these also would be sins to be judged, for I would have been unfaithful to God on high.” – Job 31:24-28

Vijay Mallya "spent a lifetime building a reputation as India's professed King of Good Times." Sometimes called the Indian Richard Branson, he turned his family brewing business into a massive conglomerate. He also made money in chemicals, fertilizer, and an airline. But the "flamboyant" tycoon once said he played just as hard as he worked. Mallya loved to party, and his own birthdays included performances from stars like Enrique Iglesias and Lionel Richie. He also bought a stake in a Formula One team. Meanwhile, his company was having problems paying its staff.

It was a sign that things weren't going great. Besides employee back pay, Mallya's airline also owed more than $1 billion in loans. The authorities raided his homes and offices in 2015. He fled India for Britain in 2016. But he wasn't out of the reach of the law, and Mallya managed to get arrested twice in 2017 for defaulting on his loans and money laundering, the Times of India reports.

As of April 2019, however, he was still fighting extradition to India to face charges. His creditors still want their $1.5 billion back.

We cannot put our trust in money. Today in prayer, thank the Lord for being the only true foundation where we can place our trust and put your trust in Him and not in money.

“Money is the root of every mess you can think of. Anyone who lives for money is surely missing the best things in life.” – Sadie and Bessie Delany

God’s Word: “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.” – 1 Timothy 6:10

By Peter Kennedy, Copyright 2020, Devotional E-Mail   

DEVOTIONS IN JOB

“because I rescued the poor who cried for help, and the fatherless who had none to assist him. The man who was dying blessed me; I made the widow's heart sing.” – Job 29:11-12

Wes and Misty Peterson have felt God’s call to reach out and serve the orphaned and vulnerable children throughout the world. The Petersons are missionaries with FEA ministries and moved to Lesotho, Africa, in August 2018 with their 6 children—Kaylee, Karissa, Kathryn, Kara, Clayton, and Courtney. Their passion for orphans is matched by an almost devastating need in Lesotho where a large percentage of children are orphaned. The Peterson’s goal is to help make disciples by working with orphans in community-based programs through the ministry of the local church.

Wes and Misty both grew up in missionary families. Wes was born in the U.S. Virgin Islands and later served with his parents in the Cayman Islands. Misty grew up in Papua New Guinea where her family served as missionaries for 14 years.

We can all have a heart for orphans and do something to love them. Today in prayer, ask the Lord how you can help some of the orphans in this world.

“What does love look like? It has the hands to help others. It has the feet to hasten to the poor and needy. It has the eyes to see misery and want. It has the ears to hear the sighs and sorrows of men. That is what love looks like.” - Augustine

God’s Word: “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.” – James 1:27

By Peter Kennedy, Copyright 2020, Devotional E-Mail   

DEVOTIONS IN JOB

“And he said to man, 'The fear of the Lord--that is wisdom, and to shun evil is understanding.'” – Job 28:28

British Pastor James Smith said the following in his sermon “He is the one you are to fear!”:

“But we are to fear God — the Lord Almighty, who rules all worlds, and exercises all power. He is, in our minds, to be separated from all creatures, and all idols; as infinitely superior to them, and immeasurably above them. He is the one you are to fear — and he alone. We are only to fear offending him, or grieving his loving heart. If we do so, it will be our daily study, our habitual aim to please him. We shall seek above everything else to honor and glorify his dear name. If with a filial child-like fear, we fear God as he is revealed in Jesus — we need fear no one beside. Indeed it is wrong to do so.”

Fearing God is the yielding our hearts to Jesus. Today in prayer, love the Lord with your whole heart and He will give you wisdom.

“The truly wise are those whose souls are in Christ.” – Ambrose

God’s Word: “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.” – Proverbs 9:10

By Peter Kennedy, Copyright 2020, Devotional E-Mail   

DEVOTIONS IN JOB

\“As surely as God lives, who has denied me justice, the Almighty, who has made me taste bitterness of soul, as long as I have life within me, the breath of God in my nostrils, my lips will not speak wickedness, and my tongue will utter no deceit.” – Job 27:2-4

Oswald Chambers was an early-twentieth-century Scottish Baptist and Holiness Movement evangelist and teacher. He is best remembered for the devotional book “My Utmost for His Highest.”

In that devotional book, Chambers wrote in the chapter entitled “The Waters Of Satisfaction Scattered” the following on the subject of bitterness:

“If you satisfy yourself with a blessing from God, it will corrupt you; you must sacrifice it, pour it out, do with it what common sense says is an absurd waste.” He then concludes:

“If you have become bitter and sour, it is because when God gave you a blessing you hoarded it. Yet if you had poured it out to Him, you would have been the sweetest person on earth. If you are always keeping blessings to yourself and never learning to pour out anything "to the Lord," other people will never have their vision of God expanded through you.”

Whatever bitterness you have tasted, do not let it consume you. Today in prayer, thank the Lord that in Christ, you are a victor over all sin and death and pray that bitterness does not take a hold of you.

“Bitterness is like drinking poison and waiting for the other person to die.” – Ron McManus

God’s Word: “Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice.” – Ephesians 4:31

By Peter Kennedy, Copyright 2020, Devotional E-Mail   

DEVOTIONS IN JOB

“How you have helped the powerless! How you have saved the arm that is feeble!” – Job 26:2

In April 2018, Terry Burleson, of Edmond Oklahoma, went turkey hunting with some friends. As they drove down the road, a wall of flames was racing toward them. “Get us out of here!” Terry screamed.

Soon the tornado-like wildfire had surrounded the men. Their cellphones went dead.

The smoke became thick and Terry’s friends jumped out of the truck, leaving Terry alone.

“I’d never needed God as I did now. But I never felt as if I’d done anything to deserve his help or his love” Terry remembered.

“I was on my own here. Through the smoke, the flames biting me every step of the way, I made it to the top of a canyon. Momentarily I was above the fire. To the west, maybe a quarter-mile away, I saw a flat area the fire hadn’t reached, a place clear of cedars. I half-ran, half-staggered there, then collapsed on the ground.”

“God, please let me live,” I cried out in desperation. It was the first prayer I’d said in years.

Terry ran throughout the night. The next morning, a search helicopter spotted him and he was rescued.

Terry concludes: “A helicopter took me to the burn unit in Oklahoma City. As it lifted off, I took one last look at the charred landscape below. Total devastation. More than 280,000 acres would burn. But in the blackness I saw hope, the promise of a new day dawning, new growth. I was alive because the fire had miraculously changed direction. And so had I.”

Our God sees our tears, hears our sobs and draws close to the powerless. Today in prayer, praise Jesus that He is a God of compassion.

“The dew of compassion is a tear.” – Lord Byron

God’s Word: “You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly.” – Romans 5:6

By Peter Kennedy, Copyright 2020, Devotional E-Mail   

DEVOTIONS IN JOB

“Dominion and awe belong to God; he establishes order in the heights of heaven.” – Job 25:2

In 2009, NASA astronaut Mike Massimino visited the Hubble Space Telescope, some 350 miles above the planet. His mission was to fix the beloved eye in the sky for the last time. Hubble’s gaze is perpetually turned toward outer space but tethered next to the massive observatory, Earth entranced Mike. With verdant South American rain forests, rugged African deserts, and sparkling city lights spread out below him, the planet looked like a paradise.

“I thought at one point, if you could be up in heaven, this is how you would see the planet. And then I dwelled on that and said, no, it’s more beautiful than that. This is what heaven must look like. I think of our planet as a paradise. We are very lucky to be here.”

God is the Creator of all and His creation is awesome and beautiful. Today in prayer, praise the Lord for His Creation.

“This is the creator; by his love, our Father; by his power, our Lord; by his wisdom; our maker and designer.” – Irenaeus

God’s Word: “By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God's command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.” – Hebrews 11:3

By Peter Kennedy, Copyright 2020, Devotional E-Mail   

DEVOTIONS IN JOB

“But God drags away the mighty by his power; though they become established, they have no assurance of life.” – Job 24:22

Victoria Kamāmalu was the granddaughter of King Kamehameha I, founder of the united Hawaiian Kingdom. It was intended that Victoria would succeed her mother Kīnaʻu in the position of Kuhina Nui (premier), but her mother died while she was still an infant. Victoria’s aunt Kekāuluohi became a placeholder for her niece using the name Kaʻahumanu III, but she died when Victoria was seven.

At age 11, Princess Victoria Kamāmalu was appointed as Heiress Presumptive to the title of Kuhina Nui in 1850 and made Minister of the Interior. But that position was repealed five years later because of Victoria’s young age.

On 30 November 1864, Victoria became head of state when her brother Kamehameha IV's died at 9:15 a.m. For the next 5 hours and 45 minutes, she reined until her other brother Kamehameha V was declared the actual successor at 3 p.m. the same day.

Kamehameha V appointed her heiress-apparent and Crown Princess. But she never again was head of state. She died on 29 May 1866, at the age of 27 years old.

Christ alone is the eternal King. Today in prayer, praise the Lord that He alone is all-powerful and at the name of Jesus, every knee will bow.

“The greatest single distinguishing feature of the omnipotence of God is that our imagination gets lost thinking about it.” – Blaise Pascal

God’s Word: “The LORD reigns, let the earth be glad; let the distant shores rejoice.” – Psalm 97:1

By Peter Kennedy, Copyright 2020, Devotional E-Mail   

DEVOTIONS IN JOB

“But he knows the way that I take; when he has tested me, I will come forth as gold.” – Job 23:10

Frederick Brotherton (F.B.) Meyer was a Baptist pastor and evangelist in England. His ministry and inner city mission work extended to North America. He is the author of more than 75 books. On the subject of testing, Meyer wrote:

“The supreme test of goodness is not in the greater but in the smaller incidents of our character and practice; not what we are when standing in the searchlight of public scrutiny, but when we reach the firelight flicker of our homes; not what we are when some clarion-call rings through the air, summoning us to fight for life and liberty, but our attitude when we are called to sentry-duty in the grey morning, when the watch-fire is burning low. It is impossible to be our best at the supreme moment if character is corroded and eaten into by daily inconsistency, unfaithfulness, and besetting sin.”

The Lord tests us and knows what needs to be refined in our lives to make us more like Him. Today in prayer, praise the Lord for His testing, knowing that testing brings you closer to Jesus.

“We turn to God for help when our foundations are shaking, only to learn that it is God who is shaking them.” – Charles C. West

“For you, O God, tested us; you refined us like silver.” – Psalm 66:10

By Peter Kennedy, Copyright 2020, Devotional E-Mail   

DEVOTIONS IN JOB

“Can anyone teach knowledge to God, since he judges even the highest?” – Job 21:22

In 2019, Amber Guyger, a former Dallas police officer, was sentenced to 10 years in prison. She was convicted of murdering her neighbor, Botham Jean, in an apartment she mistook for her own.

Moments before the emotional sentencing, the victim's brother Brandt Jean forgave Guyger with an embrace and suggestion that she turn to God.

Then Judge Tammy Kemp opened a Bible to John 3:16 and gave it to Amber Guyger. She also gave her some words of encouragement to do something with her life following the 10-year sentence.

Describing Judge Tammy, the Rev. Frederick Haynes, senior pastor at Dallas' Friendship-West Baptist Church said: “She is a woman of remarkable faith. And I admire and appreciate the fact that she doesn't limit her faith to Sunday morning.”

In our relationship with God, He is our teacher and judge. Today in prayer, praise the Lord for His wisdom in administering justice and mercy.

“I will govern my life and my thoughts as if the whole world were to see the one, and to read the other. For what does it signify to make anything a secret to neighbor, when to God, who is the Searcher of hearts, all our privacies are open?” – Seneca

God’s Word: “But it is God who judges: He brings one down, he exalts another.” – Psalm 75:7

By Peter Kennedy, Copyright 2020, Devotional E-Mail   

DEVOTIONS IN JOB

“Surely then you will count my steps but not keep track of my sin. My offenses will be sealed up in a bag; you will cover over my sin.” – Job 14:16-17

Providence Rhode Island Municipal Court Judge Frank Caprio is known for his compassionate verdicts. Once the 80-year-old municipal judge heard a case against Andrea Rogers. She had traffic tickets that totaled more than $400. She sobbed as she told the judge she was having a tough time. Her son was murdered the previous year and Social Security had lowered her check amount because he was no longer her dependent.

Andrea accumulated the tickets while being evicted from her apartment and taking care of her son’s affairs after his death.  

After hearing her horrific story, the judge reduced her fines to $50. When Andrea admitted that would leave her with just $5, Judge Caprio changed his verdict on the spot and he dismissed all of her tickets.

We have a Heavenly Father who has compensated for all of our sins through the shed blood of Jesus Christ. Today in prayer, praise the Lord for covering your sins and live today for Christ's glory.

“When Jesus bowed his head, And dying took our place, The veil was rent, a way was found To that pure home of grace.” – John Elias

God’s Word: “For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive by the Spirit” – 1 Peter 3:18

By Peter Kennedy, Copyright 2020, Devotional E-Mail   

DEVOTIONS IN JOB

“But I desire to speak to the Almighty and to argue my case with God. You, however, smear me with lies; you are worthless physicians, all of you! If only you would be altogether silent! For you, that would be wisdom.” – Job 13:3-5

The American term a “quack” is a “fraudulent or ignorant pretender to medical skill” or “a person who pretends, professionally or publicly, to have skill, knowledge, qualification or credentials they do not possess; a charlatan or snake oil salesman”.

William Radam, a Prussian immigrant to the USA, was a quack. In the 1880s, he started to sell his “Microbe Killer” throughout the United States and, soon afterward, in Britain and throughout the British colonies. His concoction was widely advertised as being able to "cure all diseases", and this phrase was even embossed on the glass bottles the medicine was sold in.

In fact, Radam's medicine was therapeutically useless and in large quantities actively poisonous. It was a diluted solution of sulfuric acid, colored with a little red wine. 

Radam died in 1902, but the “Microbe Killer” continued to be sold until 10 years after his death when it was determined that it was a fake drug in violation of the Pure Food and Drug Act.

We need to avoid giving and listening to foolish advice. Today in prayer, look to the Lord in prayer and in your Bible for the wisdom needed to answer your questions.

“Do not open your heart to every man, but discuss your affairs with one who is wise and who fears God.”  – Thomas a Kempis

God’s Word: “Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night.” – Psalm 1:1-2

By Peter Kennedy, Copyright 2020, Devotional E-Mail   

DEVOTIONS IN JOB

“To God belong wisdom and power; counsel and understanding are his.” – Job 12:13

Elizabeth Elliot, in her book “Let Me Be a Woman”, records the story of Gladys Aylward unable to accept the looks God had given her. Ms. Aylward told how when she was a child she had two great sorrows. One, that while all her friends had beautiful golden hair, hers was black. The other, that while her friends were still growing, she had stopped. She was about four feet ten inches tall. But when at last she reached the country to which God had called her to be a missionary, she stood on the wharf in Shanghai and looked around at the people to whom He had called her. “Every single one of them” she said, “had black hair. And every one of them had stopped growing when I did.” She was able to look to God and exclaim, “Lord God, You know what You’re doing!”

In all that you say and do, seek God’s wisdom. Today in prayer, look to the Lord for His wisdom to respond in His way in every situation.

“He is truly wise who looks upon the earthly things as folly that he may gain Christ.” – Thomas `a Kempis

God’s Word: “For the LORD gives wisdom, and from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.” – Proverbs 2:6

By Peter Kennedy, Copyright 2020, Devotional E-Mail   

DEVOTIONS IN JOB

“Can you fathom the mysteries of God? Can you probe the limits of the Almighty?” – Job 11:7

In May 2019, Explorer and businessman Victor Vescovo descended 35,853 feet (10,927 meters) into the Pacific Ocean, breaking the record for deepest dive ever.

At the very bottom, he found colorful rocky structures and weird critters.  

Vescovo descended alone in a submersible called the DSV Limiting Factor. It took 3.5 to 4 hours to reach the record-breaking depth — a flat, beige basin covered with a thick layer of silt.

From inside the submersible designed to withstand extreme pressures, he spent hours observing and documenting the quiet, dark alien world.

He observed a variety of critters. "There were some small, translucent animals," gently moving about, Vescovo said.

The dive revealed four new species of amphipods, or shell-less crustaceans.

"Honestly, toward the end, I simply turned the thrusters off, leaned back in the cockpit and enjoyed a tuna fish sandwich while I very slowly drifted just above the bottom of the deepest place on Earth, enjoying the view and appreciating what the team had done technically," Vescovo said. "It was a very happy, peaceful moment for me."

We cannot fathom the mysteries of this world, never mind the mysteries of God. Today in prayer, praise the Lord that He is Lord of all and He knows the answers to everything.

“For there is no other mystery of God, except Christ.” – Augustine

God’s Word: “Daniel replied, "No wise man, enchanter, magician or diviner can explain to the king the mystery he has asked about, but there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries. He has shown King Nebuchadnezzar what will happen in days to come. Your dream and the visions that passed through your mind as you lay on your bed are these: "As you were lying there, O king, your mind turned to things to come, and the revealer of mysteries showed you what is going to happen.” – Daniel 2:27-29

By Peter Kennedy, Copyright 2020, Devotional E-Mail    

DEVOTIONS IN JOB

“You gave me life and showed me kindness, and in your providence watched over my spirit.” – Job 10:12

Jim Cymbala, Pastor of Brooklyn Tabernacle, had just finished preaching on a busy Easter morning when a homeless man approached him at the front of the church. David was disheveled and filthy. He asked Pastor Jim, “Could I talk to you?”

Jim remembers: “I keep in my back pocket a money clip that also holds some credit cards. I fumbled to pick one out thinking; I’ll give him some money. I won’t even get a volunteer. They are all busy talking with others. Usually we don’t give money to people. We take them to get something to eat. I took the money out.

David pushed his finger in front of me. He said, ‘I don’t want your money. I want this Jesus, the One you were talking about, because I’m not going to make it. I’m going to die on the street.’ I completely forgot about David, and I started to weep for myself. I was going to give a couple of dollars to someone God had sent to me.”

David became a Christian that Easter morning and has become an ordained minister.

The Lord deeply cares for us and watches over us. Today in prayer, praise the Lord that He is a loving Father.

“God loves each one of us as if there were only one of us to love.” - Augustine

God’s Word: “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” – Romans 5:8

By Peter Kennedy, Copyright 2020, Devotional E-Mail   

DEVOTIONS IN JOB

“My days are swifter than a runner; they fly away without a glimpse of joy.” – Job 9:25

There is a practice of stopping a clock following the death of a loved one. It is quite prevalent throughout America’s Southland and mountain communities.

The origin of this practice is unknown, but in Victorian times, when someone died in the house and there was a clock in the room, you had to stop the clock at the death hour or the family of the household would have bad luck. The thought was that when a person died time stood still for them and a new period of existence started without time. To permit time to continue was to invite the spirit of the deceased to remain and haunt unendingly. Stopping time was a way to allow the deceased to move on.

It wasn’t just superstition, however, that led many family members to stop the clocks following the death of a loved one. It was also done in order to provide a time of death for the local coroner.

There is an appointed hour when time on earth will stop for each of us. Today in prayer, praise the Lord for this day and live it fully for Him.

“Few, we are persuaded, even among professing Christians, so realize the swiftness of their days, as to live every day to God – to spend all their days in the service of Christ, and with a view to preparedness for eternity.” – Thomas Wallace

God’s Word: “As for man, his days are like grass, he flourishes like a flower of the field” – Psalm 103:15

By Peter Kennedy, Copyright 2020, Devotional E-Mail   

DEVOTIONS IN JOB

“A despairing man should have the devotion of his friends, even though he forsakes the fear of the Almighty.” – Job 6:14

In 1967, Stu Webber was in the U.S. Army Ranger School at Fort Benning, Georgia. It was brutal training for brutal times. The war with Vietnam was the backdrop for the young men trying to survive the heat, humidity, and the rigors of the camp.

Now a pastor and author, Webber writes of the day the raspy voice of the drill sergeant barked out his first, passionate speech. "We are here to save your lives," he told the young men headed for combat. "First, we're going to see to it that you overcome all your natural fears. … And second, we are going to show you just how much incredible stress the human mind and body can endure. And when we're finished with you, you will be the U.S. Army's best! America's best. You will be confident. You will survive, even in combat. And you will accomplish your mission!"

Before he dismissed the formation, the sergeant gave Webber and his fellow recruits their first order.

"Find yourself a Ranger buddy," he growled. "You will stick together. You will never leave each other. You will encourage each other, and, as necessary, you will carry each other."

It was the Army's way of saying difficult assignments require a friend. Together is better. 

We all need life long, devoted friends who are there especially during our darkest days. Today in prayer, praise the Lord for your friends and let them know you appreciate their friendship.

“Here's another way to determine who your friends are. They will be standing by you when a hardship or crisis comes.” – Greg Laurie

God’s Word: “Do not forsake your friend and the friend of your father, and do not go to your brother's house when disaster strikes you-- better a neighbor nearby than a brother far away.” – Proverbs 27:10

By Peter Kennedy, Copyright 2020, Devotional E-Mail   

DEVOTIONS IN JOB

“Blessed is the man whom God corrects; so do not despise the discipline of the Almighty.” – Job 5:17

On the subject of God’s discipline, Billy Graham commented how, "When a ship's carpenter needed timber to make a mast for a sailing vessel, he did not cut it in the valley, but up on the mountainside where the trees have been buffeted by the winds. These trees, he knew, were the strongest of all. Hardship is not our choice; but if we face it bravely, it can toughen the fiber of our souls."

And that's exactly why God disciplines us and allows us to go through trials. They are designed to strengthen us and help us to grow healthy and strong. And while "No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful," what we always need to remember is that "the Lord disciplines those he loves."

Discipline is never pleasant, but discipline from God always brings blessings. Today in prayer, thank the Lord for any correction He has brought into your life.

“God has no pleasure in afflicting us, but He will not keep back even the most painful chastisement if He can but thereby guide His beloved child to come home and abide in the beloved Son.” – Andrew Murray

God’s Word: “No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.” – Hebrews 12:11

By Peter Kennedy, Copyright 2020, Devotional E-Mail   

DEVOTIONS IN JOB

“and said: ‘Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked I will depart. The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away; may the name of the LORD be praised.’” – Job 1:21

In July 2000, Joan Lefkow was commissioned as United States District Judge of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois.

On February 28, 2005, after work Judge Lefkow returned to her suburban North Side of Chicago home on. There she found in the basement the bodies of her mother and of her husband. They had been murdered with a shotgun. The killer was Bart Ross, a man whom she ruled against in court. He committed suicide before being arrested and in a note he confessed to the double murder.

Judge Lefkow later told the Chicago Tribune: “As a sojourner on this earth, I don’t feel terribly entitled. I believe the Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away. It’s your responsibility to accept the adversity as well as the abundance.”

The Lord is the giver of all good things, and it is naturally difficult when someone or something is taken away from us. Today in prayer, if you are wrestling after a loss, praise the Lord that He is near to you during difficult times.

“In almost everything that touches our everyday life on earth, God is pleased when we're pleased. He wills that we be as free as birds to soar and sing our maker's praise without anxiety.” – A.W. Tozer

God’s Word: “always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” – Ephesians 5:20

By Peter Kennedy, Copyright 2020, Devotional E-Mail   

DEVOTIONS IN JOB

"In the land of Uz there lived a man whose name was Job. This man was blameless and upright; he feared God and shunned evil.” – Job 1:1

Jenny Smith graduated early from high school, earned a master’s degree in counseling and psychology at the University of Louisville. She writes: “After my spinal cord injury at age 16 when I became a quadriplegic, God was present. When everything around me was changing, God was the one on whom I could trust. As Hebrews 6:19 says, ‘We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure.’ God was my anchor, my firm foundation.”

In 2018, Jenny had to undergo an operation: “After much prayer and experiencing circumstances that could only be arranged by God, I felt 100% sure that I was to have this surgery. Despite that confidence, it didn’t go smoothly. Within the weeks following my initial surgery, I had to have two more surgeries. And I got sepsis.

Why did I have so many complications? I don’t know.

What I do know is this: God knows and is present in our suffering even when we do not understand. I clung to Bible verses as I spent week after week in the hospital. Yes, I have been discouraged. Yes, I have been afraid. And yet the support and prayers of many people carried me through this entire experience.

During my nine-week hospital stay, I saw God place nurses in my path who prayed for me when I was in tears. I experienced God’s provision in ways I never expected. An exceptionally caring nurse watched over me and my family to ensure my surgery could be as successful as possible. Through it all, God was able to shine through me and impact the lives of others.

What have I learned during the most difficult times in life? I’ve learned that God is present. I’ve learned that we can trust Him. I’ve learned that although I may not understand my present sufferings, He can be glorified through them.”

Blameless and upright Christians seek the Lord first in all that they do. Today in prayer, ask Jesus to take all of your life for His glory.

“I fear God, yet I am not afraid of Him.” - Thomas Browne

God’s Word: “This is the account of Noah. Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time, and he walked with God.” – Genesis 6:9

By Peter Kennedy, Copyright 2020, Devotional E-Mail   

DEVOTIONS IN JOB