"Many women do noble things, but you surpass them all. Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.” – Proverbs 31:29-30

Anne Steele was born, lived and died in Broughton, Hampshire, England. She was the daughter of a lay preacher at the Baptist church in Broughton. She lost her mother at age 3. At age 19, a severe hip injury made her a lifelong invalid. At age 21, her fiancé drowned the day before they were to be married. After the death of her fiancé she assisted her father with his ministry and remained single.

Despite her sufferings she maintained a cheerful attitude. She wrote 144 hymns and 34 versified Psalms, which were enormously popular. Her main work was “Poems on Subjects Chiefly Devotional” which was published in 1760. When Trinity Church in Boston, Massachusetts published its hymnal in 1808, 59 of its 144 hymns were from the pen of Anne Steele. She preferred to remain anonymous, though, writing under a pen name of Theodosia. Her tombstone carried the following words:

“Silent the lyre, and dumb the tuneful tongue,

That sung on earth her great Redeemer’s praise;

But now in Heaven she joins the angelic song,

In more harmonious, more exalted lays.”

In our churches and Christian organizations, there are millions of dedicated Christian women who need to be praised for their faithfulness in serving the Lord. Today in prayer, thank the Lord for these women of faith and seek out some of them and praise them for their service to other Christians and to the Lord.

“The faithful person lives constantly with God.” – Clement of Alexandria

God’s Word: “Humility and the fear of the LORD bring wealth and honor and life.” – Proverbs 22:4

By Peter Kennedy, Copyright 2014, Devotional E-Mail   

DEVOTIONS IN PROVERBS

“Every word of God is flawless; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him. Do not add to his words, or he will rebuke you and prove you a liar.” – Proverbs 30:6

For centuries, Bible critics had long argued at references in the Bible to a people called the Hittites (Genesis 15:20; Exodus 3:8, 17; Numbers 13:29; Joshua 1:4; Judges 1:26 as well as 50 other references in the Bible). Their opinion was that the Hittites were simply one of the many mythical peoples made up by Bible writers.

Then in 1876, British explorer George Smith was able to pinpoint the city of Carchemish on the Euphrates River in Syria. British archeologists uncovered Hittite monuments confirming the Bible's accuracy. Later, in 1906, excavations at Boghazkoy (ancient Hattusas, capital of the Hittite Empire) in Turkey uncovered thousands of Hittite documents, revealing a wealth of information about Hittite history and culture. The centuries-old Hittite rubbish showed they were a real and formidable power. They were once one of the dominant peoples of Asia Minor and the Near East. They exercised considerable control south into Syria and Palestine.

Today, no scholar questions the existence of the Hittites.

God’s word can withstand all criticism. Today in prayer, praise Jesus that His Word is reliable and is the truth.

“When the Bible speaks, God speaks.” – B.B. Warfield

God’s Word: “I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds anything to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book.” – Revelation 22:18

By Peter Kennedy, Copyright 2014, Devotional E-Mail   

DEVOTIONS IN PROVERBS

“He who conceals his sins does not prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them finds mercy.” – Proverbs 28:13

Time Magazine called opera soprano Beverly Sills “America’s Queen of Opera”. She was the face of opera for millions through her public performances, recordings and broadcasts during a singing career of more than four decades.

After retiring in 1980, she stayed in the public eye for the next three decades as head of music organizations, host of public television specials, and as chairperson for national charities.

She was also the general director of the New York opera. All of the commitments took a toll on Beverly. Her weight had ballooned on her 5 foot 6 inch frame.

"It made me sick to look at myself. I'd reached the point where I didn't want to have my clothes made anymore. It was too embarrassing. So I ordered everything from catalogues." Eventually Sills was forced to face the problem. "I woke up one day and realized I was really ill." She went to see a specialist. "He put me on the scales. They read 215 pounds. 'I cannot possibly weigh that much!' I gasped. And the doctor said, 'Please look down. Are those two fat feet on the scale yours or mine?'"

Beverly smiled. "Once I accepted the problem, I was on my way."  

The best thing you can do with sin is to confess it and forsake it. Today in prayer, confess any sin in your life to the Lord. Draw close to Him and receive His gift of mercy.

“A man should never be ashamed to own he has been wrong, which is but saying in other words that he is wiser today than he was yesterday.” – Alexander Pope

God’s Word: “When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer. Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, "I will confess my transgressions to the LORD"-- and you forgave the guilt of my sin.” – Psalm 32:3-5

By Peter Kennedy, Copyright 2014, Devotional E-Mail   

DEVOTIONS IN PROVERBS

“Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring forth.” – Proverbs 27:1

In the late 1990's, computer programmers realized that the dates they had been writing in most programs were hard wired to 19XX. This meant that when the date became 2000, there could be conceivably computer errors. The problem was dubbed "Y2K" short for year 2,000.

Many companies began addressing this problem in the last few years of the twentieth century. Edmund DeJesus, editor of Byte Magazine, thought that the problem would be catastrophic. In 1998, he wrote: "Y2K is a crisis without precedent in human history."

In 1999, DeJesus wrongly predicted "I think a close analogy to Y2K is a hurricane." He then gave advice about the loss of electricity due to Y2K: "Electric generators are an interesting idea for the electrically-dependent. Don't wait until November or December to buy one: start looking now or during the summer. Remember that fuel may be in short supply, so have enough available beforehand. Use it only for essential purposes, such as if it is the only possible source of heat, not to run the microwave. It has to go outside, so don't be surprised if it gets stolen."

Thankfully his apocalyptic prediction of January 1, 2000 did not occur.

We do not know what will happen tomorrow. Today in prayer, confess any sin of boasting in the future and trust in Jesus for all of your days. 

“I never worry about the future, it comes soon enough.” – Albert Einstein

God’s Word: “Now listen, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money." Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, "If it is the Lord's will, we will live and do this or that." As it is, you boast and brag. All such boasting is evil.” – James 4:13-16

By Peter Kennedy, Copyright 2014, Devotional E-Mail   

DEVOTIONS IN PROVERBS

“A false witness will not go unpunished, and he who pours out lies will not go free.” – Proverbs 19:5

In March 2014, one by one, five police officers took the witness stand at the Skokie courthouse for what would typically be a routine hearing on whether evidence in a drug case was properly obtained.

But in a dramatic moment, the inquiry took a surprising turn when the suspect's lawyer played a police video that contradicted the sworn testimony of the five officers.

Cook County Circuit Judge Catherine Haberkorn was outraged that the five officers had lied under oath and charges were dropped against the suspect. All five officers were later stripped of their police powers and put on desk duty pending internal investigations.

The transcript from the courtroom recorded Judge Haberkorn's remarks: "Obviously, this is very outrageous conduct. All officers lied on the stand today. ... All their testimony was a lie. So there's strong evidence it was conspiracy to lie in this case, for everyone to come up with the same lie. ... Many, many, many, many times they all lied."

The Lord hates lying lips and a false witness. Today in prayer, confess to the Lord any lies in your life and seek to be truthful in all that you do.

“The least initial deviation from the truth is multiplied later a thousand fold.” – Aristotle

God’s Word: “A false witness will perish, and whoever listens to him will be destroyed forever.” – Proverbs 21:28

By Peter Kennedy, Copyright 2014, Devotional E-Mail   

DEVOTIONS IN PROVERBS

“A gift opens the way for the giver and ushers him into the presence of the great.” – Proverbs 18:16

John Wesley was one of the great evangelists of the 18th Century. In 1731, at the age of 28, he began to limit his expenses so that he would have more money to give to the poor. In the first year his income was 30 pounds and he found he could live on 28 and so gave away two. In the second year his income doubled but he held his expenses even, and so he had 32 pounds to give away (a comfortable year's income). In the third year his income jumped to 90 pounds and he gave away 62 pounds. In his long life Wesley's income advanced to as high as 1,400 pounds in a year. But he rarely let his expenses rise above 30 pounds. It has been said that he seldom had more than 100 pounds in his possession at a time.

During his lifetime Wesley gave away 30,000 pounds or the equivalent of $1,000,000 in today's dollars.

The Lord blesses those who give. Today in prayer, thank the Lord for all that you have and ask Him how you can faithfully give to others.

“Nothing is really ours until we share it.” – C.S. Lewis

God’s Word: “On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh.” – Matthew 2:11

By Peter Kennedy, Copyright 2014, Devotional E-Mail   

DEVOTIONS IN PROVERBS

“A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.” – Proverbs 17:17

In January 2014, Gerdie McKenna of South Africa was diagnosed with breast cancer. The radiation treatments caused her hair to fall out and she became bald.

Eleven of her closest friends want to show their support for Gerdie and each of them went to a hair salon and had their heads shaved. All of their hair was graciously donated to CANSA (Cancer Association of South Africa). "I learned one thing this morning and that is that hair is but a small part of you," one woman said after shaving her head.

Then the girls threw Gerdie a party and surprised her with their new "haircuts." They memorialized their party by having a group photo professionally taken. Gerdie was deeply moved by her friends' remarkable show of support and solidarity.

She said: "Good Friends are like stars. You don't always see them, but you know they're always there."

We can never love our friends and family too much. Today in prayer, praise Jesus for your family and friends, and ask Him how you can love them deeper.

“God evidently does not intend us all to be rich, or powerful, or great, but He does intend us all to be friends.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

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 2014, Devotional E-Mail   

DEVOTIONS IN PROVERBS

“In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, “Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: ‘The Son of Man must be delivered over to the hands of sinners, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.’ ”  – Luke 24:5-7

In March 2014, British researchers reported that moss frozen on an Antarctic island for more than 1,500 years was brought back to life.

The verdant growth marks the first time a plant has been resurrected after such a long freeze, the researchers said. "This is the very first instance we have of any plant or animal surviving [being frozen] for more than a couple of decades," said study co-author Peter Convey, an ecologist with the British Antarctic Survey.

The moss comes from Signy Island, a small, glacier-covered island in the Drake Passage offshore of the Antarctic Peninsula. On Antarctic islands and the continent's coastline, thick, lush moss banks thrive on bird droppings. The moss acts like tree rings, with layer upon layer of fuzzy clumps recording changing environmental conditions, such as wetter and drier climate shifts.

The moss resurrection came about after Convey and his colleagues noticed that old moss drilled out of permafrost on Signy Island looked remarkably fresh. The deeper layers didn't decay into brown peat (a type of decaying organic matter), as they would in warmer spots.

Jesus died, was buried, and then rose from the grave. He did not suffer decay. Today in prayer, give thanks to the Lord for His Resurrection and that He is alive. Praise the Lord that eternal life awaits us beyond the grave!

“Angels, roll the rock away;

Death, yield up thy mighty prey:

See, He rises from the tomb,

Glowing with immortal bloom.” – Thomas Scott

God’s Word: “The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. 6 He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay.” – Matthew 28:5-6

By Peter Kennedy, Copyright 2014, Devotional E-Mail

DEVOTION FOR EASTER

“Carrying his own cross, he went out to the place of the Skull (which in Aramaic is called Golgotha).” – John 19:17

On November 7th, 1907, a boxcar containing dynamite caught fire in the village of Nacozari in Sonora, Mexico. When the flames reached the dynamite, the blast was felt 10 miles away.

The whole town of Nacozari should have been destroyed, if it wasn't for the railroad engineer, Jesús García. When he noticed that the boxcar had caught fire, he quickly drove the car away from the town where it exploded harmlessly--harmlessly for the people of Nacozari, that is, but not harmlessly for Jesús. Jesús himself died in the blast. He gave his life to save the lives of many.

The people were so grateful to Jesús that they renamed the town Nacozari de García to honor him. Besides Nacozari, there are monuments to Jesús García in many other Mexican cities and towns. November 7 is the Day of the Railroader in Mexico. All except essential employees of the National Railways of Mexico get the day off. Many streets in Mexico are named Jesús García or the Héroe de Nacozari. Poems and songs have been written about him, and the accident.

There is another Jesús who gave his life in a daring rescue. On Good Friday, Jesus of Nazareth hitched the world's sins to Himself and pulled them up on the cross where God's fury exploded with a deafening silence that can still be heard 2,000 years later. Today in prayer, thank Jesus for dying for your sins on the Cross.

"The cross is proof of both the immense love of God and the profound wickedness of sin." - John MacArthur

God’s Word: “They came to a place called Golgotha (which means The Place of the Skull).” – Matthew 27:33

By Peter Kennedy, Copyright 2014, Devotional E-Mail

DEVOTION FOR GOOD FRIDAY

“Starting a quarrel is like breaching a dam; so drop the matter before a dispute breaks out.” – Proverbs 17:14

In July 1831, a volcano off the coast of Sicily erupted. Out of the water rose an island in the Mediterranean Sea. A British Royal Navy ship observed it and named it Graham Island after Sir James Graham, the First Lord of the Admiralty. Sicily also saw the military importance of the island and named it Firdinandèa after the King of Sicily. Not to be out done, the French claimed it and desired to make the island a resort.

Immediately, diplomatic wrangling broke out.

For five months conflict raged in newspapers and elsewhere as the different nations fought over the 200-foot high rock. Tourists traveled to the island to see its two small lakes. Sailors watched it when sailing by it.

Then on December 17, 1831, officials reported no trace of the island. As dynamically as the seamount had appeared, it disappeared, defusing the conflict of ownership.

The best way to get over a quarrel is to never start one. Today in prayer, confess any sins of anger to Jesus. Ask Him to give you the wisdom when to drop a matter before it becomes a quarrel.  

“You should either avoid quarrels altogether or else put an end to them as quickly as possible; otherwise, anger may grow into hatred, making a plank out of a splinter, and turn the soul into a murderer.”  – Augustine

God’s Word: “It is to a man's honor to avoid strife, but every fool is quick to quarrel.” – Proverbs 20:3

By Peter Kennedy, Copyright 2014, Devotional E-Mail   

DEVOTIONS IN PROVERBS

“Commit to the LORD whatever you do, and your plans will succeed.” – Proverbs 16:3

If you were inside the cockpit of a departing airplane, just before it began rotating and became airborne, you would hear the copilot or pilot call out, "V1." This phrase represents the "point of no return."

As the airplane accelerates toward the end of the runway, the pilot must decide if the plane is moving fast enough for a safe takeoff. This speed must be determined preflight based on several factors, including the air pressure, temperature, speed of the wind, and weight of the aircraft.

The pilot maintains a hold on the throttle as the plane approaches the V1 speed, so that he or she can abort the takeoff if something goes wrong. However, after V1, the pilot must be fully committed to take off.

As Christians, we should have a V1 commitment to our walk with Christ. Once we have placed our faith in Christ alone, we have reached the point of no return. We need to adjust our "attitude," apply full throttle, and take off after Him.

The Lord asks us to commit to the Lord whatever we do. Today in prayer, commit all that you do to the Lord and seek to faithfully seek Him.

"Give me 100 men who hate nothing but sin and love God with all their hearts and I will shake the world for Christ!" - John Wesley

God’s Word: “Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him and he will do this: He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun.” – Psalm 37:5-6

By Peter Kennedy, Copyright 2014, Devotional E-Mail   

DEVOTIONS IN PROVERBS

“A hot-tempered man stirs up dissension, but a patient man calms a quarrel.” – Proverbs 15:18

A great lesson of patience, persistence and hard work can be learned from the story of planting Chinese bamboo. Unlike most other plants, Chinese bamboo is quite unique on its own. When this bamboo is planted, watered, and nurtured for the whole growing season, it does not outwardly develop even just for an inch. Then, on the next growing season, the farmer must continue to irrigate, fertilize and care for the bamboo tree and yet nothing happens - it fails to sprout just the same.

And as the seasons go in and out, the farmer has to continue caring for the bamboo for four consecutive years. What could be discouraging is the farmer has nothing substantial to demonstrate for all of his labor in caring and growing the tree. Four lonely years of hard work and caring and yet you have nothing to show!

And then on the fifth year, you must be prepared for something so amazing and incredible!

All the hard work pays off on the fifth year because that Chinese bamboo tree seed at last grows and not just growing as we normally see with other plants. The bamboo tree shoots up to more than 80 feet all in just one growing season!

Now, you might be thinking: Why was the small tree inactive for four years and then just decided to grow dramatically on the fifth? The answer is quite clear for us to see. The little tree was actually developing itself underground by expanding its root system to make it tough enough to sustain its impending external growth in the fifth year and even beyond.

Now, had the tree failed to build up a strong and capable underground foundation, it would be impossible for it to keep on growing when it was time to grow on the outside.

One of the toughest lessons in life is learning to be patient. Today in prayer, confess any sin of impatience to the Lord and seek to be a patient person.

“There are three indispensable requirements for a missionary: 1. Patience 2. Patience 3. Patience.” Hudson Taylor

God’s Word: “Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD.” – Psalm 27:14

By Peter Kennedy, Copyright 2014, Devotional E-Mail   

DEVOTIONS IN PROVERBS

“The sluggard craves and gets nothing, but the desires of the diligent are fully satisfied.” – Proverbs 13:4

Robert grew up in Southern California during the 1940’s. He has described himself as having been a "bad" student, finding inspiration outside the classroom, and being interested in art and sports. He was a streetwise kid who stole car hubcaps. At one of his first jobs as an unskilled worker at Standard Oil, a supervisor found him asleep at work. Instead of firing him, they switched him to another department, where he continued to screw up. After smashing several cases of glass bottles, Robert was terminated.

After high school, he attended the University of Colorado for a year and a half on a baseball scholarship, but he was expelled from the university for habitual drunkenness.

He eventually made his way into acting. His good looks, talents and hard work began to payoff. In 1969, he became a star when “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid” became a box office hit. Since then, Robert Redford has been one of the most highly acclaimed actors and directors receiving two Oscars including a Lifetime Achievement award in 2002.

The Lord does have a plan for our lives. We need to discover that plan to diligently at it. Today in prayer, confess any sin of laziness and seek to be a diligent worker.

“Laziness grows on people; it begins in cobwebs and ends in iron chains.” – Thomas Buxton

God’s Word: “Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise!” – Proverbs 6:6

By Peter Kennedy, Copyright 2014, Devotional E-Mail   

DEVOTIONS IN PROVERBS

“The integrity of the upright guides them, but the unfaithful are destroyed by their duplicity.” – Proverbs 11:3

For more than four decades during the 1800's, Major General Thomas Sidney Jesup served as The Quartermaster General of the Army. Known as the "Father of the Quartermaster Corps," he was also a man of unshakable character and integrity.

One event that shaped his character occurred in 1811. As a young lieutenant, Jesup was appointed brigade quartermaster on the Mississippi frontier, under the command of Brigadier General James Wilkinson. General Wilkinson had a somewhat unsavory reputation. And it was perhaps inevitable that the principled young lieutenant would eventually clash with his rather unscrupulous commander.

While stationed at a cantonment in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Lieutenant Jesup got permission from Secretary of War William Eustis to come to Washington to settle his quartermaster accounts. However, by the time he actually arrived in the nation's capital months later, Jesup was informed by a War Department accountant that he would be personally charged for an item that rightly should have been charged to General Wilkinson.

The sum in question only amounted to $79.00. Still Jesup was incensed. Why should a junior officer be forced to pay for a senior officer's wasteful excesses? It should not matter if the latter happened to be his commanding general. Knowing this to be unfair, he referred the matter directly to the Secretary of War. General Eustis must have been impressed with Jesup's integrity and he sided with the young whistleblower.

Guard your good name and maintain integrity in all that you do. As a Christian, you carry Christ’s name with you and often your conduct is your witness. Today in prayer, thank Jesus for His Holiness and integrity and seek to follow Him in all that you do.

“There is no such thing as a minor lapse of integrity.” – Tom Peters

God’s Word: “Righteousness guards the man of integrity, but wickedness overthrows the sinner.” – Proverbs 13:6

By Peter Kennedy, Copyright 2014, Devotional E-Mail   

DEVOTIONS IN PROVERBS

“Hatred stirs up dissension, but love covers over all wrongs.” – Proverbs 10:12

On January 19, 2014, 8-year-old Tyler Doohan, of East Rochester, New York was staying at the home of relatives in the nearby town of Penfield when he noticed a fire in the single-wide trailer.

Tyler was able to wake six other people in the small trailer, including two more children, ages 4 and 6, and get them to safety.

Then Tyler went back into the blaze to help his grandfather, who was disabled and would have been unable to get out of the home on his own. Tyler and his grandfather were like best friends, said Tyler's mother.

"By that time, the fire had traveled to the back of the trailer," said Penfield Fire Chief Chris Ebmeyer. "Unfortunately they both succumbed to heat and smoke."

In life, Tyler was known as a rambunctious boy. But in death, Tyler will forever be remembered as the boy who died trying to save the ones he loved.

In all that we do, we need to love others. Today in prayer, praise the Lord that He loves you. Show your appreciation by loving others for Jesus.

“He alone loves the Creator perfectly who manifests a pure love for his neighbor.” – Bede

God’s Word: “He who covers over an offense promotes love, but whoever repeats the matter separates close friends.” – Proverbs 17:9

By Peter Kennedy, Copyright 2014, Devotional E-Mail   

DEVOTIONS IN PROVERBS

“Do not rebuke a mocker or he will hate you; rebuke a wise man and he will love you.” – Proverbs 9:8

Adoniram Judson (A.J.) Gordon was an American Baptist preacher, writer, and composer. In 1869, he became pastor of Clarendon Street Baptist Church in Boston, a fairly affluent church, where he ministered for 25 years until his death. He was the founder of Gordon College and Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. As an author, he is best remembered for his book "The Ministry of Healing," where he gently rebukes with Scripture those who believe miracles ceased with the Apostles.

But it was a gentle rebuke from the Lord which changed Gordon's praying into action. Gordon wrote: "I have long since ceased to pray, "Lord Jesus, have compassion on a lost world!" I remember the day and the hour when I seemed to hear the Lord rebuking me for making such a prayer. He seemed to say to me, "I have had compassion upon a lost world, and now it is (time) for you to have compassion."

A gentle, loving rebuke can shake us to great things.  Today in prayer, ask the Lord to give you a ready ear and heart and to apply any rebuke to become more like Jesus Christ.

"Often times God asks us to take risks in order to be obedient to Him. This is especially true when He speaks to us about our need to confront others when they are unmistakably caught in the cycle of unrepentant sin." - Ritch Grimes

God’s Word: “These, then, are the things you should teach. Encourage and rebuke with all authority. Do not let anyone despise you.” – Titus 2:15

By Peter Kennedy, Copyright 2014, Devotional E-Mail

DEVOTIONS IN PROVERBS

“To fear the LORD is to hate evil; I hate pride and arrogance, evil behavior and perverse speech.” – Proverbs 8:13

In March 1889, a Texas section of the Weather Bureau was being established, and meteorologist Isaac Cline was sent to Galveston to organize and oversee it. During his time in Galveston, aside from running the weather office, Isaac also taught Sunday school at his church, was a professor at the local medical college and, in 1896, earned a doctor of philosophy degree.

He provided reliable forecasts of freezing weather and also provided some of the first available flood warnings on the Colorado and Brazos rivers.

However, in 1891, he wrote an article in the Galveston Daily News in which he arrogantly gave his official meteorological opinion that the thought of a hurricane ever doing any serious harm to Galveston was to him preposterous, "an absurd delusion." Many residents had called for a seawall to protect the city, but Isaac's statement helped to prevent its construction.

He was proven tragically wrong on September 8, 1900, when the Galveston Hurricane of 1900 hit the island. Between 6,000 and 12,000 people were killed in what remains the deadliest natural disaster in U.S. history. Isaac's wife, Cora, who was pregnant with their fourth child at the time, was one of those who perished in the storm.

The sin of arrogance is odious to both God and other people. Today in prayer, confess to the Lord any pride or arrogance in your life. Seek to walk humbly with Jesus in all that you do.  

“The source of sin is pride.” – Augustine

God’s Word: “When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom.” – Proverbs 11:2

By Peter Kennedy, Copyright 2014, Devotional E-Mail

DEVOTIONS IN PROVERBS

“For the lips of an adulteress drip honey, and her speech is smoother than oil; but in the end she is bitter as gall, sharp as a double-edged sword.” – Proverbs 5:3-4

In May 2013, the Elder Board of Discovery Church, Orlando, Florida issued the following statement about the resignation of lead pastor, David Loveless.

"It is with great sadness that we announce the immediate resignation of our lead pastor, David Loveless, following his acknowledgement of his participation in a wrongful relationship over multiple years with a woman not his wife. While David indicates that the relationship was ended approximately three years ago, we were only made aware of it when he informed us in recent days. David offered his resignation and the elders prayerfully and unanimously accepted it.

David has relinquished his pastoral responsibilities at Discovery Church and will be succeeded, on an interim basis, by Director of  Ministry, Don Cousins.

These are difficult circumstances for any church, regardless of size, and serve as a poignant reminder of the frailty of man and the need to live in honest community and accountability with other believers. While we believe David Loveless can be restored to Christian fellowship and productive Christian service, we do not believe he can serve as a pastor at Discovery Church."

The statement concludes:

"This will be a test for Discovery Church on many fronts and we ask you to join with us in handling the challenges of the days and weeks to come in a way that would honor the God we worship and serve week after week. Thank you for your prayers."

Adultery hurts those involved and those who love them. Today in prayer, look to the Lord and flee from any temptation of adultery.

“Do not commit adultery. Adultery destroys a marriage and is a sin against God and against your mate.” – Billy Graham

God’s Word: “Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a man commits are outside his body, but he who sins sexually sins against his own body.” – 1 Corinthians 6:18

By Peter Kennedy, Copyright 2014, Devotional E-Mail

DEVOTIONS IN PROVERBS

“Honor the LORD with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops; then your barns will be filled to overflowing, and your vats will brim over with new wine.” – Proverbs 3:9-10

Pastor and Christian writer Tony Campolo tells of being invited to speak at a ladies meeting. There were 300 women there. Before he spoke the president of the organization read a letter from a missionary. It was a very moving letter.  In the letter the missionary expressed a need for $4,000 to take care of an emergency that had cropped up. So the president of the organization said, "We need to pray that God will provide the resources to meet the need of this missionary. Brother Campolo will you please pray for us?" 

Tony Campolo, who is very outspoken said, "No."

Startled, she said, "I beg your pardon." 

He said, "No, I won't pray for that." He said, "I believe that God has already provided the resources and that all we need to do is give. Tell you what I'm going to do. I'm going to step up to this table and give every bit of cash I have in my pocket. And if all of you will do the same thing, I think God has already provided the resources." 

The president of the organization chuckled a little bit and said, "Well, I guess we get the point. He is trying to teach us that we all need to give sacrificially." 

He said, "No, that is not what I am trying to teach you. I'm trying to teach you that God has already provided for this missionary. All we need to do is give it. Here, I'm going to put down all of my money I have with me."  He wrote, "I only had $15 in my pocket so I wasn't too worried about that." So he put down his $15 and then looked at the president of the organization. Reluctantly, she opened her purse & took out all of her money, which was about $40, and put it on the table. One by one the rest of the ladies filed by and put their money on the table, too. When the money was counted they had collected more than $4,000." 

Tony Campolo said, "Now, here's the lesson. God always supplies for our needs, and he supplied for this missionary, too. The only problem was we were keeping it for ourselves. Now let's pray and thank God for His provision." 

The Lord asks us to be a good steward of the money and goods we have. Today in prayer, thank the Lord for all that He has given you and seek to bless others with what you have been given.

“Feel for others - in your pocket.” - Charles H. Spurgeon

God’s Word: “"Will a man rob God? Yet you rob me. "But you ask, 'How do we rob you?' "In tithes and offerings.” – Malachi 3:8

By Peter Kennedy, Copyright 2014, Devotional E-Mail

DEVOTIONS IN PROVERBS

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

In November 2013, a Cornell University study revealed that clay hydrogels could provide the perfect environment for primitive life on Earth.

A clay hydrogel is essentially a fancy way of saying mud, although of a particular type and consistency-in this case, wet clay.

Researchers were trying to find better ways to produce complex proteins for drug manufacturing when they realized the conditions found in clay hydrogels were quite good for biomolecules and biochemical reactions. In other words, in their finding, the building blocks of life might more easily assemble within clay.

Science has "discovered" what the faithful already know:  "then the LORD God formed the man out of the dust of the ground and blew into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being," (Genesis 2:7).

In several other passages, God is referred to as a "potter" and life is fashioned out of clay.

Creationists will simply point to the fact that God created man whole, fashioning him from dust.

It should also be noted that science still can not create life from non-life, no matter how much clay there is in the lab.

We find wisdom when we seek the Lord. And seeking the Lord begins with searching His Word. Today in prayer, thank the Lord that He gives wisdom in the Bible and seek Him with all of your heart.

“The wiser man shapes into God’s plan as water shapes into a vessel.” – Ella Wheeler Wilcox

God’s Word: “If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.” – James 1:5

By Peter Kennedy, Copyright 2014, Devotional E-Mail

DEVOTIONS IN PROVERBS

"My son, if sinners entice you, do not give in to them." - Proverbs 1:10

In 1961, "The Temptations" signed with Motown Records. They released their first smash hit "The Way You Do The Things You Do" followed by their first number one hit, "My Girl."

Singer Otis Williams gave the group its name and described the background of The Temptations: "We're all God-fearing Southern boys, raised in the church. We all have that spiritual, Baptist upbringing."

But success brought enticements to The Temptations. David Ruffin suffered from hard-core drug use, Eddie Kendrick fought with Berry Gordy, Motown's founder and president, and Paul Williams battled depression, alcoholism and he eventually committed suicide.

There was rampant anger, jealousy, illicit sex, prolific drug use, arrests, with the eventual fall of the group from superstardom.

Today, only Otis is alive and tours with new members to the group. The rest of the original Temptations had untimely deaths.

Everyday and in many ways we are tempted to sin. Today in prayer, thank the Lord that in Him we can overcome temptation to sin.

"Few speed records are broken when people run from temptation." - E.C. McKenzie

God's Word: "And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one." - Matthew 6:13

By Peter Kennedy, Copyright 2014, Devotional E-Mail

DEVOTIONS IN PROVERBS