RETREATING WITH GOD

Sometimes, I’m so weary that I can’t walk without nearly fainting. What would it look like to run tirelessly and soar effortlessly? I come back to the practice of rest. We’ve learned this week that rest isn’t only physical, but it’s also spiritual. It’s not only about pausing, but it’s about praying. It’s not always quiet isolation, but it’s connection with God. As you wait on the Lord, spiri...

God created us to need rest. We can deny ourselves for only so long and then collapse in a heap.   So often and in many areas, we feel that we are indispensable. We convince ourselves that we alone have the talent and strength to get the job done, whether it’s at work, with the kids, serving God, in our marriage or most any area of our life.  Our hard work in an unbalanced life has its r...

Settling into a time of restful prayer isn’t the first thing you think about doing. Instead, turning on the TV, doing some gaming, checking social media, reading a book or finding a deal on Amazon might be the diversion of choice. Today, we'll go through an easy process you can engage in to find rest for your soul. KEY PASSAGE: Psalm 29:1-9 (NIV) Ascribe to the Lord, you heavenly beings, ascribe t...

I’m a wimp when I’m sick. I complain and I want to be left alone. My wife, on the other hand, never complains. Even during her cancer treatment, she never once complained. She had good reason to, but always remained positive. Even on the hardest days during chemo, and its side-effects, she remained steady. How in the world can we be a joyful Christian when pain and sickness crush us? I'll share th...

How can we keep our attitude about money "in check" (no pun intended) so it doesn't control our emotions, or even our lives? Today, we'll turn the tables to see how money can actually feed our joy. And it may not be the way you expect. Listen closely to our audio devotional. KEY PASSAGE: 2 Corinthians 8:1-7 (NIV) And now, brothers and sisters, we want you to know about the grace that God has given...

There aren’t too many things more powerful than money that will affect a person’s joy. Too much of it can make us miserable. Too little of it can make us depressed. Losing money, like in the stock market, can make us panic. A misbalanced bank account ledger can make us anxious. Today, in our audio devotional, I'll share a unique idea that changed the lives of several of us who ran out&nb...

Here's some great news as you start the New Year: God invites you to talk with him about anything on your mind. If you’re worried, lay it out to him. If you’re confused, ask for wisdom. If you have a need, tell him. If you want healing, ask. We know from experience that God doesn’t answer all our prayers like we want him to. His answers to our prayers are often the opposite of what we’ve prayed. I...

Do you want to be a better prayer warrior for your family members in 2026? When you pray for your loved ones, you’re having a more powerful impact on their lives than perhaps any other person. You probably know them better than anyone else and can pray in detailed ways that others can’t. While their friends pray for the obvious things, you can go to a deeper level with God. Today's audio devotiona...

Soon after we moved to North Carolina, Hurricane Florence swept through. It was a rude awakening for us. We had lived through earthquakes in California many years earlier, but hurricanes were new to us. Like any newbies, we ran. We played it safe and evacuated to our kids’ home in Tampa. Meanwhile, on the other side of the world, Super Typhoon Mangkhut was making its way across Southeast Asia with...

It's the day after Christmas. Let's not leave Jesus behind. In today's Christmas Week Audio Devotional, I'll keep Jesus in the forefront, as our Rescuer. In one of the most publicized rescue attempts in recent years, two dozen soccer players were trapped in a cave in Thailand, with waters rising and oxygen diminishing. It was a story that captured the world as we saw daily reports of the daring re...

Tomorrow, all eyes will be on baby Jesus, the Father's gift to all mankind. However, as we know, he was much more than a baby. In our audio Christmas Eve Devotional, we'll consider his identity as "Lord." For me, when I do that, I settle into a spirit of stability and rest. The word “Lord” gives me perspective. Jesus is in control. Everyone and everything report to him. I feel stronger after addre...

It's Christmas week and we seem to have less time to focus on Jesus. Or even spend time with him in prayer. How can that be? It's not only at Christmas when we squeeze Jesus out of the picture. This week, we're focusing on Jesus in our audio devotionals. Today, the frustration to get some "Jesus time" with kids dominating every minute. Instead of racing through a five-minute “hello-...

Jesus warns us about building our lives on the sand.  “And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it” (Matthew 7:26-27 ESV). I picture a sandy foundation made up of things that dissolve o...

Several years ago (even though it seems like yesterday), my wife and I were at a crossroads that defined our faith. She was diagnosed with cancer. The word itself can send chills up and down your spine. It stops you in your tracks. It puts life on hold. Fear tried to show up, as it often does when cancer strikes. If you’ve been there, you know what I mean. Join me on today's audio devotional to he...

Some people have compared faith to a muscle. The more you exercise it, the stronger it gets.  If you read Hebrews 11, you’ll be inspired by the great men and women of great faith. It’s the Hall of Faith, as some have called it. We learn that they didn’t acquire their strong faith instantly, but that their faith muscles were developed over time. God put them through a training program. Today,...

Jesus was the most courageous man I know. He wasn’t forced to go to the cross. He went willingly. He was God and could have vanished from sight. But he was on a mission to save the world. Jesus went to the cross to forgive. He extended forgiveness to you, me and all of mankind. We didn’t deserve this priceless treasure. Are you struggling with the courage to forgive someone? Today's audio devotion...

In our spiritual life, doubts can shred our courage in the Lord. Look what happened to that guy known as “Doubting Thomas.” He struggled with his faith. He wouldn’t step out courageously for the crucified Savior until he absolutely knew Jesus rose from the dead. “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe." You...

A boxer calls it getting up off the mat. In basketball, it’s rebounding from a tough loss. In baseball, a struggling hitter climbs out of a slump. Even for the pros, defeat has a way of sapping their courage. They’re human. And just like them, we cower instead of conquer. We shake instead of shine. How can we have courage when we feel defeated? Let's look at a Bible great, Elijah. God showed up fo...

Jesus turned over the money-changers’ tables in the temple. He was outraged. Broken. Intensely angry. His very Father’s house was being used illegitimately. A disgrace to God. Sometimes we need to stand up for what is right. We recognize an injustice and do something about it. We don’t need to turn tables over, but we might need to turn things upside down. In today's audio devotional, I share my p...

The more I know Jesus, the more I want to know him. I discover that he is the Good Shepherd and I get lost in that aspect of my relationship with him. What is it like to have the Good Shepherd lead me into life, like he says he will in John 10:4 and 10:10? “He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. I have come that they may have life.” (NIV) This life that Jesus gives me is full, abundant...

Have you ever had one of those days where you felt out of step? Things just weren’t quite right. You were a little “off,” reacting instead of taking the initiative on things. Overall, you were “blah.” Today, we're going to look at getting back in step. KEY PASSAGE: Luke 6:47-49 (NIV) As for everyone who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice, I will show you what they are like....

Our salvation should have a radical impact on our generosity. If the reality of Christ's generous sacrifice makes an imprint on our heart, we will respond with extreme generosity. Today, we'll meet a man who experienced this transformation. I’m referring to Zacchaeus, the short tax collector who was transformed by Jesus. The Bible tells us in Luke 19 this man was very wealthy. Happily going about...

Everywhere I turn, all sorts of things shout at me, beckoning me to invite them into my life. I didn’t think I needed a second home in the North Carolina Blue Ridge Mountains until a full-color brochure landed in my mailbox yesterday. The price was right. The views were beautiful. They said the climate was perfect. I have to admit that I was starting to take the bait. You get the same invitations,...

Have you ever said this? “When I’m wealthy, I’m going to give away a lot of money to God.” Generosity doesn’t have to wait until you’re wealthy. In fact, the Bible speaks out against that. The Apostle Paul wrote that a gift “is acceptable according to what a person has, not according to what he does not have” (2 Corinthians 8:12 ESV). Generosity starts now, as Paul said, according to what you...

God's plans are often far different than ours. The disciples planned on Jesus to be king. When he was crucified, those plans were dashed. But God had a better plan. You might feel your plans are dashed. Have you considered that God may have a better plan? Let discuss that today in our audio devotional. KEY PASSAGE: Psalm 46:1-3, 8-10 (ESV) God is our refuge and strength, a very present h...