Daily Archives: May 2, 2026

Turning Point

Turning Point; David Jeremiah – May Mothers: The Patience of Sarah

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Now Abraham and Sarah were old, well advanced in age; and Sarah had passed the age of childbearing.
Genesis 18:11

Recommended Reading: Romans 4:18-21

In the Old Testament, children were considered “a heritage from the Lord … a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior …. Happy is the man who has his quiver full of them” (Psalm 127:3-5). Hannah, the eventual mother of Samuel, is an example of an Israelite woman anxious because of her barrenness (1 Samuel 1:1–2:11).

Abraham and Sarah are another example of a barren couple. But at ages near-one hundred and ninety respectively, God appeared to them and promised them a son (Genesis 17:15-17). Sarah doubted God’s promise at first but eventually came to believe that her womb would bear the fruit she had longed for: “By faith Sarah herself also received strength to conceive seed, and she bore a child when she was past the age, because she judged Him faithful who had promised” (Hebrews 11:11). Abraham and Sarah were learning to trust the God who called them from Mesopotamia to Canaan to walk with Him. Sarah learned that patient faith would see the promises of God fulfilled.

If you are waiting on God to answer your prayer, combine your faith with patience. Like Sarah, “judge Him faithful.”

Hope is the foundation of patience.
John Calvin

 

 

https://www.davidjeremiah.org

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread – A Good Defense

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Be alert and of sober mind. 1 Peter 5:8

Today’s Scripture

1 Peter 5:8-11

Listen to Today’s Devotion

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Today’s Devotion

On the basketball court, our grandson’s seventh-grade team did their best to score. Offense was their passion. But after each basket, their coach urged them to hurry back downcourt and play defense, which they were sometimes reluctant to do. Everyone wanted to score, but no one seemed eager to put in the hard work of defending.

The key to the game, the coach taught them, was to anticipate the movements of the opposing players. Stepping in front of a pass or shot would thwart the other team’s scoring and help the team win the game.

A defensive strategy that anticipates the moves of our enemy can also help in our spiritual lives. And who is that enemy? Peter’s letter to believers in Jesus reminds us: “Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8). So “be alert and of sober mind,” Peter wrote. Indeed, we’re called to “resist” our spiritual enemy, “standing firm in the faith” (v. 9).

Living out an active defense leads us as believers in Jesus to be more effective in our lives and in the productive work we seek to do for His kingdom. Then, if we have spiritual setbacks, the God of all grace “will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast” (v. 10). He is the one who establishes us, and who builds our strong defense—in Him.

Reflect & Pray

Where have you “dropped the ball” defensively in your spiritual life? How can you be more alert and sober-minded?

When I let down my guard in life, please remind me, O God, of Your protection of me.

Today’s Insights

Believers in Jesus are urged to “resist [the devil]” and stand “firm in the faith” (1 Peter 5:9). Jesus told His followers, “The one who stands firm to the end will be saved” (Matthew 10:22; 24:13; Mark 13:13). The apostle Paul urged believers to “be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong” (1 Corinthians 16:13). And he acknowledged that God is the one who enables us to stand firm in Christ through faith (2 Corinthians 1:21, 24). We can be strong in our battle against the devil by putting on “the full armor of God” (Ephesians 6:13). And we have the Spirit inside us to encourage and guide us (Romans 8:26). The best defensive strategy against any temptation our enemy hurls our way is to read the Scriptures, pray, and ask God to help us.

 

http://www.odb.org

Denison Forum

Denison Forum – NASA chief wants to make “Pluto great again”

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NASA chief Jared Isaacman was on Capitol Hill recently for a meeting with the US Senate Committee on Appropriations. After more than an hour of testimony, Sen. Jerry Moran of Kansas asked Isaacman about his thoughts on Pluto. Isaacman replied, “Senator, I am very much in the camp of ‘make Pluto a planet again.”

While that statement was interesting, NASA’s chief administrator went on to add that his agency is currently working on several papers that will attempt to get the scientific community to re-examine the former planet’s candidacy. And earlier this year, he told the Daily Mail, “I 100% support President Trump making Pluto great again.”

Ultimately, the decision will rest with the International Astronomical Union (IAU)—the organization that demoted Pluto to a dwarf planet in the first place. However, a bit of added pressure from the leader of the world’s largest space agency can’t hurt.

As someone who grew up with Pluto as the final planet in our solar system (and someone who may or may not take far too much pleasure in largely pointless debates), I’d love to see it restored to full planetary status. It wasn’t until I looked into Isaacman’s comments a bit further, though, that I realized how deep this particular rabbit hole goes.

Continue reading Denison Forum – NASA chief wants to make “Pluto great again” →

Greg Laurie

Harvest Ministries; Greg Laurie – Step Right

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 Those who say they live in God should live their lives as Jesus did. 

—1 John 2:6

I have a problem when I walk with my wife. I always walk a little faster than she does. Every time we go out together, I find myself walking ahead of her. I have to stop and wait for her to catch up. I make a conscious effort to walk more slowly—at least for a while. But the next thing I know, I’m walking fast again.

Many believers face a similar challenge when it comes to walking with God. Some people want to run ahead of Him. They grow impatient waiting for Him to answer a prayer or reveal His will, so they take matters into their own hands. Other people lag behind Him. They’re reluctant to act when He prompts them. They’re hesitant to step outside their comfort zone without two weeks’ advance notice.

Our goal should be to move in harmony with the Lord. We need to stay close to Him and adjust our steps so that they match His. Enoch is listed in the Faith Hall of Fame (see Hebrews 11:5). Yet we know little about him beyond this note in Genesis 5:22 (NKJV), which is repeated in verse 24: “Enoch walked with God” (NKJV).

Referring to our daily relationship with God’s Holy Spirit, the apostle Paul wrote, “Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit” (Galatians 5:25 NIV).

But what does that mean in practice? How do we do it? What does it look like to “keep in step with the Spirit”? It means that we prioritize the things of God. It means that when we get up in the morning, we take time to read the Bible. If we neglect the Word of God, it will show in our lives. Keeping in step with the Spirit also means that we spend time in fellowship with God’s people.

The apostle John put it this way: “Those who say they live in God should live their lives as Jesus did” (1 John 2:6 NLT). In short, make time for the things of God. Be proactive in your walk with the Lord. Don’t wait for spare time simply to materialize. Be deliberate about carving out room in your schedule. If it means one less hour of sleep, so be it. If it means delaying a meal, put your appetite on hold. If it means missing a television program, deal with it. Do what you need to do because these things are essential to spiritual growth, to abiding with God, and to bearing spiritual fruit.

Never lose sight of what a privilege it is to walk with the Lord. Any sacrifice you have to make for the sake of that walk will be well worth it. Your walk with God will bring indescribable richness to your daily life.

 

Reflection question: What would keeping in step with the Spirit look like in your life? Discuss this with believers like you on Harvest Discipleship!

 

 

Harvest.org | Greg Laurie

Days of Praise

Days of Praise – Son of the Living God

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by Henry M. Morris, Ph.D.

“And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.” (Matthew 16:16)

This ringing affirmation of faith came from Peter as spokesman but undoubtedly was shared by all the disciples, since Jesus had asked the question “Whom say ye that I am?” of them all. Actually, many had probably been disciples of John the Baptist, who had directed them to Jesus, and so had heard John’s testimony concerning Christ’s identity. John had said that Jesus was indeed “the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father” (John 1:18).

Yet, as they followed Him, they heard Him speak of Himself far more often as “the Son of man.” Over 30 times in the gospel of Matthew alone He identified Himself as Son of man, not once as the Son of God. Nevertheless, He accepted Peter’s statement as absolutely true, saying that the Father had so revealed it.

In fact, it is essential that one must believe it to be saved. Jesus did say, “But he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God” (John 3:18).

Yet, He seems to want us to know Him especially as the Son of man, perhaps so that we will never forget that He, though God, is also man just like us. And as man, He was “in all points [tested] like as we are, yet without sin” so He can “be touched with the feeling of our infirmities,” and we now can “come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:15–16).

John was enabled to see Christ once again long after His return to heaven. Although He was now in His resurrection body, John still saw Him as “one like unto the Son of man” (Revelation 1:13). Although He is indeed the Son of the living God, He is also our “man in the glory”! HMM

 

 

https://www.icr.org/articles/type/6

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – See Yourself the Way God Sees You

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Because you are precious in My sight and honored, and because I love you, I will give men in return for you and peoples in exchange for your life. Fear not, for I am with you.

Isaiah 43:4–5 (AMPC)

Take a minute and look into your heart. How do you feel about yourself? If your answer does not agree with God’s Word, I encourage you to begin today renewing your mind about yourself.

See yourself as God sees you. Study God’s Word and you will find out that you are precious, created in your mother’s womb by God’s own hand. You are not an accident. Even if your parents told you they never really wanted you, I can assure you that God wanted you. You are valuable, you have worth, you are gifted, you are talented, and you have a purpose on this earth.

Not only must we ask God for things He has promised us, but we must receive them (John 16:24). If you feel unworthy, you probably won’t ask, and even if you do, you won’t receive by faith. Don’t let feelings rule you anymore. Take a step of faith and start improving your quality of life today. Believe that you make good decisions, that you are a valuable person with a great future, and something good is going to happen to you today!

Prayer of the Day: Lord, I ask You to imprint Your love into the depths of my heart. I believe that You have a great future for me and that I can walk in Your purpose for my life, amen.

 

http://www.joycemeyer.org

Today in the Word

Today in the Word – Moody Bible Institute – Divine Order

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Read Numbers 2

Marching bands at half-time shows are a wonderful spectacle to behold. Hundreds of musicians move in perfect synchronization, each person knowing exactly where to go. What appears chaotic up close becomes a beautiful, coordinated display when viewed from above. The secret is in everyone following the same conductor, knowing their precise position in the larger formation.

Numbers chapter 2 presents us with God’s magnificent blueprint for organizing His people in the wilderness. After counting the tribes in chapter 1, God now assigns each group their specific position around the tabernacle. This wasn’t arbitrary—it was divine orchestration on a massive scale.

The chapter begins with God’s instruction to Moses and Aaron: “The Israelites are to camp around the tent of meeting some distance from it, each of them under their standard and holding the banners of their family” (v. 2). Picture this: 603,550 men, plus women and children, arranged in perfect order around God’s dwelling place. At the center of this vast human formation stood the tabernacle, with the Levites camping immediately around it as guardians of God’s presence. God dwelt at the center of His people’s lives.

The chapter’s conclusion captures the heart of the passage: “The Israelites did everything the LORD commanded Moses; that is the way they encamped under their standards” (v. 34). We see perfect obedience to God’s detailed instructions.

Just as each tribe had its designated place, God has specific roles for us in His kingdom. Embrace your unique calling, rather than coveting someone else’s assignment.

Go Deeper

The arrangement of the tabernacle wasn’t random. God was to be the focal point around which everything else was organized. Look at your daily priorities and decisions. Do they truly revolve around God’s presence and purposes?

Pray with Us

God, how often we look at others with envy and miss our own purpose and calling. Keep our focus always on You. Help us to listen for Your direction in our life.

The Israelites did everything the LORD commanded Moses.Numbers 2:34

 

 

https://www.moodybible.org/