Reflections of a lost sheep

  30 Jun 26 Today's devotional: taken from YouVersion, Devotions on F.I.R.E. Year One Readings: Job 19 Job 20 Acts 9:23-43 But I was let down in a basket through a window in the wall, and escaped from his hands (2 Corinthians 11:33).  Do you share your personal testimony with humility? Paul is the greatest missionary who ever lived, yet before coming to Jesus, he persecuted the church. Shortly after being saved, “he preached the Christ in the synagogues, that He is the Son of God” (Acts 9:20). Consequently, his life is imperiled, and “the disciples took him by night and let him down through the wall in a large basket” (Acts 9:25). The apostle himself shares this story to the Corinthian believers at the culmination of 2 Corinthians 11. Paul defends his apostleship by listing the many difficulties he faced and endured in ministry, which verifies his authenticity. The embattled apostle humbly communicates God's power through his infirmities. Let’s do likewise.  Employment Po...

  29 Jun 26 Today's devotional: taken from YouVersion, Devotions on F.I.R.E. Year One Readings: Job 16 Job 17 Job 18 Acts 9:1-22 Then Job answered and said: “I have heard many such things; miserable comforters are you all!” (Job 16:1-2).  What kind of friend and counselor are you? Job’s friends and counselors are both insensitive and inaccurate concerning his plight. God Himself assesses their counseling with the following: “For you have not spoken of Me what is right” (Job 42:7). These so-called friends take the wrong approach to Job. Paul writes, “Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted” (Galatians 6:1). The term “restore” occurs outside the Bible and refers to gently setting broken bones. Job’s friends seek to accuse and not restore him. Moreover, they don’t speak the truth about God like Job. Truth must be accompanied by love. Paul encourages the Ephes...