Moments to RememberandMoments of Melody

About these moments

A Word in Season

Kenneth Ercil Engle trained at Moody Bible Institute and worked at WMBI radio in Chicago before going to the Philippines as a missionary in 1951. There he served alongside Cyril Brooks at the gospel broadcasting station DZAS in Manila.

Over the years he recorded short radio spots called Moments to Remember. Each one tells a simple story, opens the Bible to a single verse, and closes with the same words: “This has been a moment to remember from the Bible.”

The 236 moments in this book come from those recordings, lightly edited for reading. Moments 1–27 come first; the rest are arranged by theme, with the verses in the King James Version. Read one a day. Memorize the verse. Share it with someone else.

— Kevin Engle, his son

Last updated October 13, 2026

Contents

1. Section One · Moments to Remember
2. 1–27The First Twenty-Seven5
3. 28–78Knowing Christ32
4. 79–98God’s Word85
5. 99–112Prayer106
6. 113–137God’s Care and Guidance121
7. 138–172Worry, Fear and Trouble148
8. 173–180Friendship and Loneliness185
9. 181–194Home and Family194
10. 195–220Words and Attitudes209
11. 221–230Money and True Treasure237
12. 231–236Seasons of the Year248
13. Section Two · Moments of Melody (coming soon)
14. Moments of Melody255
15. KEEPM.org
16. Hide God’s Word in Your Heart256

Moment 1

A Letter from Home

F. B. Meyer has written, “Read the Bible not as a newspaper, but as a letter from home. If a promise lies on the page as a blank check, cash it.” There’s a song: “Every promise in the Book is mine, every chapter, every verse, every line.” Let’s open the Bible now and read one of those promises, from the letter to the Philippians. Let’s read it again, slowly.

“My God shall supply all your needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.”

Philippians 4:19

To remember God’s promises are meant to be claimed, not just admired.

Moment 2

The Tract in the Café

One of Hitler’s bodyguards was a man named Kurt. He reverenced Hitler as a god. At the end of World War II, with Hitler a suicide in a Berlin bunker, Kurt’s faith was shattered, and he planned to take his own life. Going for a final cup of coffee, he picked up a gospel tract. He read it first carelessly, then with interest. As a result of that piece of paper, he looked for someone to tell him more about the Lord Jesus, and readily received Christ as his personal Savior. God has promised to bless His Word.

“So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; it shall not return to Me void, but it shall accomplish what I please.”

Isaiah 55:11

To remember Never underestimate one piece of paper carrying God’s Word.

Moment 3

Last Chance Gulch

Many fortune seekers passed over Last Chance Gulch in Montana, unaware of its wealth. Then a miner, driven almost to desperation by his need, began to dig vigorously. In a short time more than eight million dollars’ worth of gold was brought to the surface. There is treasure to be found on the pages of your Bible — not dollars and cents, but spiritual treasure, which is good forever.

“If you seek her as silver, and search for her as for hidden treasures, then you will understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God.”

Proverbs 2:4–5

To remember Dig into the Bible like a miner who needs the gold.

Moment 4

The God Who Does Not Change

Did I hear you say, “Everything about me is changing, and I just can’t adjust to it all”? What about God — does He change too? In the last book of the Old Testament He says, “I am the Lord, I change not.” And in the New Testament we read that every good and perfect gift comes from the Father of lights. Friends may change, and there may be change all about us, but we have a God who changes not. We can trust Him and His Word.

“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.”

James 1:17 (see Malachi 3:6)

To remember When everything shifts, God stays the same.

Moment 5

Loyal to Country, Obedient to God

What should my attitude be toward the government? Must I be loyal to my country, right or wrong? What does the Bible say? In Romans 13 we are told to obey the government, for God is the one who put it there. But in special cases, where the government asks us to do something contrary to God’s guidelines in the Bible, we remember the words of the Apostle Peter after he was arrested for preaching the gospel.

“We ought to obey God rather than men.”

Acts 5:29 (see Romans 13:1)

To remember Honor those in authority — and honor God above them.

Moment 6

The Electric Light

Erasmus Wilson, a professor at Oxford, made this prediction in 1878: “When the Paris Exhibition closes, the electric light will close with it, and no more will be heard of it.” Well, he was wrong. Many people make wrong evaluations about life and death too. The Bible warns of a road that seems right but ends in death. The Lord Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” With Christ as our Savior, we have life — eternal life.

“There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.”

Proverbs 14:12 (see John 14:6)

To remember Feeling right is not the same as being right.

Moment 7

A Father with All the Answers

A dad and his small son were out for a walk when the boy asked, “How does electricity go through the wires?” “I don’t know,” said the father. “What causes lightning and thunder?” “That puzzles me.” On the way home the boy said, “Pop, I hope you don’t mind all my questions.” “Not at all,” replied the father. “How else are you going to learn?” We smile — but sometimes we feel like that dad. We have a heavenly Father who has all the answers.

“The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but those things which are revealed belong to us and to our children forever.”

Deuteronomy 29:29

To remember We don’t need every answer when we know the One who does.

Moment 8

Chart and Compass

A ship crosses the ocean with neither pilot nor compass. A jet starts a flight over the North Pole with no navigator on board. We would question the sanity of a crew like that. And yet many people travel through life with very little thought about the one Book that contains the chart and compass for living and for dying.

“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.”

Psalm 119:105

To remember Don’t travel through life without the map God gave you.

Moment 9

Prayer as Natural as Breathing

General Stonewall Jackson was a man of prayer. He once said, “I never raise a glass of water to my lips without asking God’s blessing, never seal a letter without putting a word of prayer under the seal, never change my classes without a minute’s petition for the cadets who go out and those who come in.” How can we pray without ceasing? We can have a constant attitude of prayer. As we walk with the Lord, prayer can become almost as natural as breathing.

“Pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”

1 Thessalonians 5:17–18

To remember Turn every ordinary moment into a moment with God.

Moment 10

Advice for Families

Someone has said a family is a group of people no two of whom like their eggs cooked the same way. Someone else said all happy families are alike, but each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way. The best advice for families is found in the Bible. Listen to these words from the first chapter of Proverbs.

“My son, hear the instruction of your father, and do not forsake the law of your mother; for they will be a graceful ornament on your head.”

Proverbs 1:8–9

To remember Listen to godly parents — their wisdom will serve you for life.

Moment 11

Let Go of Everything

A man was going through a deep, discouraging time, and his confidence in God was severely tested. One day he walked in the orchard with his small son, who climbed an old apple tree. The limbs began to break. “Jump, buddy, I’ll catch you!” the father called. “Shall I let go of everything, Daddy?” “Yes!” The boy jumped, and the father caught him. Later the man said, “That moment spoke to my heart. I trusted the Lord completely, and before long He wonderfully supplied my need.”

“Whenever I am afraid, I will trust in You.”

Psalm 56:3

To remember Real trust means letting go and leaping into the Father’s arms.

Moment 12

You Don’t Have to Eat the Whole Egg

As editor of the Emporia Gazette, William Allen White sent back many articles. One disappointed writer complained, “I know you didn’t read my story — I pasted pages 18 and 19 together, and they came back still stuck. You’re a fraud!” Mr. White answered, “Dear madam, at breakfast when I open an egg, I don’t have to eat it all to know it’s bad.” The Bible tells us not to believe everything we hear just because someone says it is from God. Test it first.

“Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world.”

1 John 4:1

To remember Measure every message by God’s Word.

Moment 13

The Bigger Piece of Fish

Two friends met for dinner, and each ordered fillet of sole. The waiter brought one large piece and one small. The man serving took the large piece and gave his friend the small one. “Well, you certainly have your nerve!” said the friend. “How would you have done it?” “I would have given you the big piece.” “Well,” came the reply, “I’ve got the big piece, haven’t I?” They both laughed. We’re all a bit selfish — maybe quite a bit. This is something Jesus had to teach His disciples.

“Whoever of you desires to be first shall be slave of all.”

Mark 10:44

To remember Greatness in God’s eyes looks like serving others first.

Moment 14

Don’t Worry — Pray

Worry. We have all worried. A physician who studied the worriers among his patients found that 40 percent worried about things that never happened, 30 percent were upset about things already past, and 12 percent feared for their health when the illness was only in their imagination. The Apostle Paul wrote to the Philippians, “Be anxious for nothing.” It has also been translated, “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything.”

“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.”

Philippians 4:6

To remember Trade every worry for a prayer.

Moment 15

My Chart Is the Bible

On board a ship, a sailor asked a man, “How do you know your faith is right, when there are 1,500 religions in the world?” The man answered with a question: “How does the captain know we are on the right course?” “Oh, he has a chart and a compass.” The man said, “My chart is the Bible, and my compass is the Holy Spirit.”

“I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will guide you with My eye.”

Psalm 32:8

To remember God gives both the map and the Guide.

Moment 16

Termites in the Timbers

Termites live under the soil and cannot easily be seen, but they cause great damage. In the tropics where we served as missionaries, it was wise to have your house inspected often. Otherwise you might think all is well — until one day the doorpost totters and the rafters come down with a crash, the timbers hollowed out by termites. Secret sins are much like termites. They weaken our Christian character and testimony. The psalmist knew this problem in his own life, and he prayed.

“Who can understand his errors? Cleanse me from secret faults. … O Lord, my strength and my Redeemer.”

Psalm 19:12, 14

To remember Let God inspect your heart before hidden sin does its damage.

Moment 17

God of My Mother

Jay Kesler tells of a sailor who sinned while on leave in a port city. Later, lying on his bunk, he couldn’t sleep. His thoughts kept going to his godly mother and the warm, loving, pure life she had lived. Finally he got out of his bunk, knelt, and prayed, “God of my mother, forgive me.” Right there beside the bed he became a Christian, and he went on to serve the Lord.

“Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.”

Proverbs 22:6

To remember A faithful parent’s life keeps preaching long after the words stop.

Moment 18

His Hand Is Bigger Than Mine

In the days of the old country store, when raisins were sold loose, a storekeeper told a little boy he could have a handful. The boy hesitated, so the grocer reached into the box and gave him the handful himself. Later someone asked the boy why he was so slow to take them. His answer: “His hand is bigger than mine.” Not bad thinking! God always gives His best to those who leave the choice with Him.

“Before they call, I will answer; and while they are still speaking, I will hear.”

Isaiah 65:24

To remember Let God choose — His hand is bigger than ours.

Moment 19

When Children Wander

Did I hear you say, “I’ve tried to be a good parent, but my children have not followed in the ways of the Lord. What should my attitude be?” The Bible tells us to bring every care to God in prayer, and promises that His peace will guard our hearts and minds. It also tells us something about the Lord Himself: He is patient, not wanting anyone to perish.

“The Lord … is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.”

2 Peter 3:9 (see Philippians 4:6–7)

To remember Keep praying — God is more patient with our children than we are.

Moment 20

You Are Going to Live

A chaplain tells this story from World War II: “As they took off casualties, there was one young man, about six-foot-two, blond curly hair. He was dying. He whispered, ‘Chaplain, am I going to live?’ The doctor shook his head no. I said, ‘Son, how well do you know Jesus Christ?’ A smile came across his face. ‘The happiest day of my life was when I said yes to Jesus Christ.’ I said to him, ‘You are going to live.’” That young man had everlasting life.

“Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved.”

Acts 16:31

To remember Saying yes to Jesus is saying yes to life that never ends.

Moment 21

Short Sentences

A newspaper columnist offered a pocket guide to parenting: it’s a series of short sentences. “Wash your hands.” “Comb your hair.” “Get a haircut.” “Write to Grandma.” Sound familiar? The Apostle Paul, writing to one of the churches, used short sentences too.

“Rejoice always. Pray without ceasing. In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”

1 Thessalonians 5:16–18

To remember Some of God’s best instructions fit in a single breath.

Moment 22

Do They Turn It Off at Night?

A little boy, seeing Niagara Falls for the first time, asked, “Daddy, do they turn it off at night?” No, they don’t turn it off. It’s continual and overflowing — like God’s love. God knows all about us, and still He loves us. “God so loved the world” — that’s you and me and all the people in the world.

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”

John 3:16

To remember God’s love never shuts off.

Moment 23

Good News and Bad News

Author Gary Inrig tells of a man who complained to his psychiatrist about an inferiority complex. After a long session the doctor said, “The good news is that you don’t have a complex. The bad news is that you are inferior.” Come to think of it, we are all inferior in a sense — we have all sinned. But the good news is that God loves us, and by His help we can be all He wants us to be. Someone has well said, God’s resources are always equal to His requirements.

“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”

Romans 3:23

To remember We all fall short — and God’s grace is more than enough.

Moment 24

The Newest News

Visiting friends in England, the poet Tennyson asked a dear old lady, “Well, Mother, what is the news?” She replied, “Mr. Tennyson, haven’t you heard? Christ Jesus died for your sins.” “Oh, that’s old news,” he said. “No — that is new news, and it is good news!” The word gospel means good news. In a world full of bad news, how refreshing to hear the good news, as Paul described it.

“Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, … He was buried, and … He rose again the third day.”

1 Corinthians 15:3–4

To remember The gospel never grows old — it is always good news.

Moment 25

God Came in Person

A college professor received a grant to research abroad but couldn’t find a substitute, so she taped her lectures. Before leaving, she slipped into the classroom to see how things were going. To her surprise, there were no students — just eighteen tape recorders on the seats, taking down everything she said. God did not send us a tape recording when He had a message for us. He came in person.

“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.”

John 1:14

To remember God didn’t send a recording — He sent His Son.

Moment 26

The Sixty-Cent Diamond

A pawnbroker once put a sign in his window offering a five-hundred-dollar diamond ring for sixty cents. For five days the sign stayed there, and not one person came in to buy it. God’s great gift of salvation is offered free today. It cost the Lord Jesus His life on the cross — yet many pass it by with hardly a thought.

“The gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Romans 6:23

To remember Don’t walk past the greatest gift ever offered.

Moment 27

Love Is the Medicine

“Love is the medicine for the sickness of the world,” said Dr. Karl Menninger, founder of the famous Menninger Clinic. He told his whole staff — doctors, nurses, orderlies, and cleaning people — that the most important thing they could offer a patient was love. The Lord Jesus said, “These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full.”

“This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.”

John 15:12

To remember Love is God’s medicine — and we are called to give it.

Moment 28

A Bible Word: Backsliding

Backsliding—what does it mean? It’s not a new word. In fact, it’s a Bible word. We find it seventeen times in the Bible, mostly in the Book of Jeremiah. Our God is one who continues to call out to the sinner to repent, and to the backsliding believer to return. How about you? Have you heard and heeded His call? In the third chapter of Jeremiah we read:

“Return, ye backsliding children, and I will heal your backslidings.”

Jeremiah 3:22

To remember God still calls the wanderer home, and He heals.

Moment 29

What God Sees in Your Heart

If it were possible to look into your innermost heart, what would we find? Would we find a large part given to business and making money, another part to pleasure, and so on? What does God see when He looks into your heart? The Bible says, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked.” Not a very beautiful picture. Looks like a transplant is needed. But you can’t find a doctor on earth who will perform this operation. Only the Lord Jesus can give you that new heart. In the Bible we read:

“A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.”

Ezekiel 36:26

To remember Only the Lord Jesus can give you a new heart.

Moment 30

A Spiritual Heart Transplant

Every year thousands die of heart attacks. There’s also a spiritual heart condition that is serious. In fact, the Bible indicates that we all have that heart condition. We read in Jeremiah, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked.” We all need new hearts—heart transplants. The Great Physician, the Lord Jesus, is the only one who can give you this new heart. Listen:

“A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.”

Ezekiel 36:26

To remember Only the Great Physician can give you a new heart.

Moment 31

A Three-Page Biography

A certain man used to carry a little book with him. He called it his biography. It had just three pages, and there was not a word written on any of them. The first page was black. That, he said, was his sin, his condition by nature. The second page was red. This represented the blood of Christ shed for his sins. The third page was white. This final page stood for himself, washed in that blood and made whiter than snow. The Bible says, in First John chapter one:

“…and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.”

1 John 1:7

To remember Black with sin, red with His blood, white as snow.

Moment 32

Alive Forevermore

Jesus Christ is alive forevermore! That was the amazing news which captured the ancient world, and that is the message which has changed the lives of millions ever since. The resurrection message is one that can revolutionize your life. The living Christ promises us, in Romans:

“That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.”

Romans 10:9–10

To remember The risen Christ can revolutionize your life today.

Moment 33

Are You Ready for Judgment Day?

Friend, may I have a moment of your time? I have a very important, personal question I’d like to ask you. Are you ready for the judgment day? The Bible says we all die once. Certainly we know that’s true. But let’s read on: after death, the judgment. Yet the very next verse has the good news. Christ has paid the penalty for our sins. To anyone who will receive Him, He gives a pardon.

“And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: so Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.”

Hebrews 9:27–28

To remember Christ paid the penalty; His pardon is offered to you today.

Moment 34

Are You Really OK?

Let’s talk about the word “OK.” Those two letters were first used by the Democratic O.K. Club back in 1840. President Martin Van Buren was born in Kinderhook, New York, so people nicknamed him “Old Kinderhook.” His friends endorsed him for another four years, and “OK” came to mean “all right.” Today we use it every day. But let’s ask a more serious question: How about your spiritual life? You reply “OK,” but are you really OK? The Lord Jesus said, “I am come that they might have life.” In Ephesians chapter two we read:

“That at that time ye were without Christ… having no hope, and without God in the world: but now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.”

Ephesians 2:12–13

To remember Without Christ we are lost; in Him we are truly OK.

Moment 35

As Simple as A, B, C

Did I hear you say, “I don’t understand what it means to be a Christian”? It’s true there is a simplicity about salvation, and also a complexity. No one on earth understands it all. He gives us forgiveness, life eternal, a home in heaven. We can’t comprehend it all, but we can believe it all. And the simplicity? Think of the ABCs. A: “All have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.” B: “Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.” We look to the Lord Jesus Christ to take away all our sin. C: the decision is yours. Jesus said:

“Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”

Matthew 11:28

To remember We can’t comprehend it all, but we can believe it all.

Moment 36

Bread for the Soul

We all get hungry. Our bodies need food, but our souls need nourishment too. We can’t live on bread alone. The first step is to recognize that we have spiritual hunger. Our souls and inner lives need nourishment as well. We feed our bodies daily to keep them alive and satisfy the hunger. But what of the spiritual hunger we possess? The kind of life Jesus gives is life forever. Daily we can feed this life He gives us by reading His Word and talking to Him in prayer. Jesus said:

“I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.”

John 6:35

To remember Feed your soul daily on God’s Word and prayer.

Moment 37

Brought Near by His Blood

Remember that in those days you were living apart from Christ, lost, without God and without hope. But now you belong to Christ Jesus. Here are some verses from Ephesians chapter two:

“…ye were without Christ… having no hope, and without God in the world: but now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. For he is our peace…”

Ephesians 2:12–14

To remember Once far from God, we are brought near through Christ’s blood.

Moment 38

Buried in a Gold Cadillac

A certain wealthy man wanted to be buried in style. Following his death, the man’s will was read and the instructions followed. He was propped behind the wheel of a solid gold Cadillac, and the car was poised before a large grave dug on his ranch. On a signal the brakes were released, and the car rolled gently down the incline into the grave with its owner inside. As it came to a stop, one person commented, “Man, that’s living.” Well, of course it isn’t living, because the man was dead. Only the Lord Jesus has eternal life for you, and it’s life more abundant. He said:

“I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live.”

John 11:25

To remember Real life is found only in the Lord Jesus, not in riches.

Moment 39

Cleaners for the Inside

If you glance through today’s magazines, you can’t help but be impressed by the many methods of keeping clean. There are bath soaps, shampoos, laundry detergents, window cleaners. The list is long. But did you notice these cleaners are all for the outside, none for the inside of the person? And after all, the inside is the most important. We need to pray with David, “Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.” Listen to what the Bible says:

“…for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart.”

1 Samuel 16:7

To remember Only the Lord can make us clean on the inside.

Moment 40

Collision or Explosion?

Two boys were talking. Bobby said, “Jimmy, would you rather be in a collision or an explosion?” “I don’t know. Which would you?” Bobby had the answer: “An explosion. ’Cause in a collision, there you are. But in an explosion, where are you?” A good question, Bobby. Where are you? It was a good question for Adam and Eve. It’s a good question to ask ourselves: Where am I physically, mentally, and most important of all, where am I spiritually? God asked:

“And the LORD God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou?”

Genesis 3:9

To remember Ask yourself honestly: where am I spiritually?

Moment 41

Crusts for a T-Bone Steak

Excuses people make. It’s amazing the excuses people make for not becoming a Christian, a true believer. Some people say they’d have to give up so much, and this is true. It’s kind of like giving up some crusts of bread for a T-bone steak. What the Lord gives you in salvation is a million times the value of anything you might give up. God wants you to have the very best, in this life and in the life to come. The Lord Jesus said:

“I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.”

John 10:10

To remember What you give up is crumbs beside what Christ gives.

Moment 42

Do-It-Yourself Salvation

The sign in the plumber’s window read, “Do it yourself, then call us.” Confidentially, I just had that experience. Now there are some things around the house you can do yourself without calling in a professional, but when it comes to spiritual matters, you’d better call on the Lord. Do-it-yourself salvation always results in failure. When we as sinners call out to the Lord for salvation, He never turns us away. As He promised, “Him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.” In Romans chapter 10 we read:

“For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

Romans 10:13

To remember Don’t try to fix your soul yourself—call on the Lord.

Moment 43

Drawn to the Son

Have you ever noticed that plants are drawn to the sunshine? You can turn them around so they’re facing away from the sun, but in a short time they will again point toward it. In much the same way we are drawn to the Son—S-O-N—the Son of God. But many people resist this drawing. The next verse explains that He was speaking of how He would be lifted up from the earth on the cross. We urge you not to resist the Son of God, who wants to show the sunshine of His love to you. The Lord Jesus said:

“And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.”

John 12:32

To remember Don’t resist the Son; turn toward His love.

Moment 44

Every Knee Shall Bow

You say, “I’m not really interested in anything that has to do with God or the Lord Jesus Christ.” The Bible tells us that because the Lord Jesus went all the way to the cross for us, God has given Him the name above every name, and one day every knee will bow before Him. Maybe it’s time to re-examine the Bible. It’s the only book that tells us the outline of future events. Other books may interpret, but here’s what God says.

“Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow … and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

Philippians 2:9–11

To remember One day every knee will bow; better to bow to Him now.

Moment 45

Getting Along with Myself

I have a problem. My problem is not so much getting along in my environment, but getting along with myself. I think the Apostle Paul had that problem too. He wrote, “When I would do good, evil is present with me.” Now that’s discouraging, isn’t it? But he also found help. Read the whole story in the book of Romans. He closes that same seventh chapter with these tremendous words:

“O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord.”

Romans 7:24–25

To remember Christ can set me free from the struggle with myself.

Moment 46

God Gets an A

William Lyon Phelps taught English literature at Yale University for forty-one years. Grading examinations shortly before Christmas one year, he came across this answer: “God only knows the answer to this question. Merry Christmas.” Phelps returned the paper with this note attached: “God gets an A; you get an F. Happy New Year.” We may smile. It is true there are some things only God knows, but He does want us to know Him. That’s why He sent His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, to planet Earth. How well do you know the Lord Jesus? Do you know Him as personal Savior? John chapter one says of Him:

“He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not.”

John 1:10

To remember God sent His Son so that we could know Him personally.

Moment 47

Happiness Is Forgiveness

Someone has said, “Happiness is being understood. Happiness is having a home. Happiness is knowing someone cares. Happiness is forgiveness of sins.” I like that last one. Happiness is the forgiveness of sins. God can forgive our sins because Jesus Christ died on the cross for our sins. God tells us in the Bible:

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

1 John 1:9

To remember True happiness is knowing your sins are forgiven.

Moment 48

Have You Ever Thanked Him?

Jesus endured the cross for you and me. He went through agony and shame to bring salvation to us. They put a crown of thorns on His head. Through His hands they drove nails. Have you ever thanked Him? The Bible says:

“Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

Hebrews 12:2

To remember Jesus endured the cross for you; take time to thank Him.

Moment 49

He Never Fails

Someone said, “People are so dishonest today. You hardly know who to believe.” The Bible tells us whom to believe. People may fail, plans may fail, but He never fails. He has never failed anyone. He, the Lord Jesus Christ, will see you all the way to heaven. He said, “And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish.”

“Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.”

Acts 16:31

To remember People may fail you, but the Lord Jesus never will.

Moment 50

If This Book Is Right

A man began to read the Bible for the first time. After reading a while, he said to himself, “If this book is right, I am wrong.” He continued to read and said, “If this book is right, I am lost.” On he went, searching the Scriptures, until he said, “If this book is right, I can be saved.” As a sinner, he trusted the Lord Jesus as his personal Savior. Now he can say, “This book is right, and I am saved, born again, and on my way to heaven.” In the New Testament we read:

“This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.”

1 Timothy 1:15

To remember This Book is right, and it shows the way to be saved.

Moment 51

In the Yellow Leaf

Lord Byron was probably the most dashing figure of the English Romantic poets. He indulged in the pursuit of earthly pleasure, but not for long. When he was only thirty-six, in the closing year of his life, he wrote, “My days are in the yellow leaf; the flowers and fruits of love are gone; the worm, the canker, and the grief are mine alone!” How different the life and times of a believer, one who has trusted the Lord Jesus as personal Savior. Listen to this:

“But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day.”

Proverbs 4:18

To remember The believer’s path grows brighter, not dimmer, with the years.

Moment 52

Is Your Best Good Enough?

But someone says, “If I do the very best I can, won’t I go to heaven?” The best you can do is not good enough. But the finished work of Christ is enough. Trust in Him. God’s answer is found in the Bible, in John chapter 3:

“He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.”

John 3:36

To remember Our best is not enough, but Christ’s finished work is.

Moment 53

Is Your Life Insured?

Fire insurance can pay a sum of money in case of fire, but it can’t prevent the fire or put it out, or bring back the possessions or persons destroyed. So the Lord Jesus urges His followers not to lay up treasures on earth, where they can decay or be stolen, but in heaven, where they are safe. Even more valuable than your possessions is your life. Is your life insured with God? He has provided a way, the only way: by becoming a child of God. John’s Gospel gives the promise.

“But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name.”

John 1:12

To remember Receive Christ, and your life is safe with God forever.

Moment 54

Joy and Peace in My Heart

I have a joy in my heart, and with that joy I have a real peace. This joy and peace came when I accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as my personal Savior. I took God at His word. He took away all my sins and gave me life everlasting. He took me into the family of God to be a joint heir with Christ. It wasn’t through any merits of my own; I didn’t have any. I was a sinner before God. I came in simple faith, and He received me. It is my prayer that you will have that same joy too. He said:

“Him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.”

John 6:37

To remember Come in simple faith; He will receive you.

Moment 55

Just Suppose

The retiring organist looked at the keyboard for the last time. He bowed his head and wiped away a tear as he turned over the work of organist to an untried eighteen-year-old musician. A few weeks later he returned to the church and listened to the young organist give his first recital. It was soul-stirring. On his way home that afternoon, the older organist remarked to a friend, “Just suppose I hadn’t given the keys to Johann Sebastian Bach.” Someone has commented, just suppose we hadn’t given the keys of our lives to Jesus Christ. Just suppose. Praise God, we did. The Bible says that when someone becomes a Christian, he becomes a brand-new person inside:

“Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”

2 Corinthians 5:17

To remember Give the keys of your life to Jesus Christ.

Moment 56

Keeping Spiritually Fit

Do you enjoy physical exercise? Are you running, jogging, or maybe walking a certain distance each day? Or possibly you are into aerobics. Robert M. Hutchins said, “Whenever I feel like exercising, I lie down until the feeling passes.” Did you know that the Bible has some verses on exercising? The apostle Paul wrote these words to young Timothy, who was possibly an athlete:

“For bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come.”

1 Timothy 4:8

To remember Exercise your body, but exercise your soul even more.

Moment 57

Kidnapped by Aliens

Excuses. We are a people of excuses. One boy explained why he was late to school in these words: “I was kidnapped by aliens and interrogated for three hours.” That sounds like a tall tale. Excuses may sometimes work with our fellow man, but how about God? Will they work with Him? God is all-knowing; He knows everything, and our excuses will get us nowhere. But God has given us a book, the Bible, a book that has the answers—the answers to life eternal. The Bible says:

“And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment.”

Hebrews 9:27

To remember Excuses won’t work with God, but His Book has the answer.

Moment 58

Living with Yourself

Can you live with yourself? Living with ourselves requires that we live as in the presence of God. For in the light of His presence we see our sins and failings, but we also experience the joy of His forgiving love as we trust in Him. Real victory over the weaknesses and sins in ourselves is found only in Christ. Paul tells us in his letter to the Romans:

“Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.”

Romans 8:37

To remember Victory over our own sins and weaknesses is found in Christ.

Moment 59

Many Roads to God?

One of the greatest false teachings of our day is that there are many roads to God. If people are sincere, we’re told, it doesn’t matter which path they travel; in the end they will all reach the same destination, heaven. But that’s not what the Bible teaches. In the book of Acts, chapter 4 and verse 12, we read, “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.” The Lord Jesus is that name. He said:

“I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”

John 14:6

To remember There is only one way to the Father: Jesus.

Moment 60

Never Sorry They Were Saved

Someone has commented, “Before you set your heart on a thing, look around and ask yourself: Are those people happy who already have this thing?” What about money? Are rich people usually happy people? What about salvation? Have you ever met a born-again person who was sorry about the decision? There is no joy in the world like the joy of salvation, of knowing your sins are forgiven. The Bible says:

“For the joy of the LORD is your strength.”

Nehemiah 8:10

To remember No one is sorry they trusted Christ.

Moment 61

No Hope-So, No Guess-So

Listen to God’s eternal Word. The commandment: “This is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another.” The record: “This is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.” Talk about standing on the promises! These are words of assurance from the first letter of the Apostle John. There’s no “hope so” or “guess so” here. God wants us to know so. And here is the assurance:

“These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life…”

1 John 5:13

To remember God wants us to know—not guess—that we have eternal life.

Moment 62

Only Two Religions

Has it ever confused you that there are so many different religions, and they each claim to be the only true one? It’s been said that really there are only two. The one group includes all who expect salvation by their own doing; the other, all who expect salvation by Someone else doing it. But what about all the good works we’ve done? The Lord Jesus has done it all for you. Now receive Him by faith. In the Bible we read:

“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast.”

Ephesians 2:8–9

To remember Salvation rests on what Christ has done, not on our doing.

Moment 63

Paint or a Carpenter?

An old, rotten hulk of a vessel was given a shiny coat of paint that made her look like new. “She looks better now,” said one man to another. “Yes,” was the reply, “but she needed carpenters, not painters.” Taking his pocketknife, he easily ran it into the vessel’s side. “The rotten timber is still there,” he said. “Beneath the paint, she’s rotten still.” A coat of paint instead of a carpenter. It reminds me of the way some people get soul help. They get a little coat of religious paint, when in reality they need the Master Carpenter. When the Lord Jesus does a thing, He does it right. We read in Corinthians:

“Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”

2 Corinthians 5:17

To remember Don’t settle for religious paint; let the Master Carpenter make you new.

Moment 64

Papa Knows Everybody but God

The story is told of Mark Twain that when he was traveling in Europe with his daughter, it seemed to her that all the important people knew her father. Near the end of the journey she said, “Papa, you know everybody but God, don’t you?” We fear there are many people just like Mark Twain. They know so many people who are important in this life, but they do not know the most important Person in the life to come. The Bible says:

“And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.”

John 17:3

To remember Knowing important people matters little if we do not know God.

Moment 65

Restless Until It Rests in Thee

I’d like to read a few lines from a booklet that came to my desk. Some people feel that a happy and meaningful life consists of a good time, friends, lots of money, doing something worthwhile, getting to the top. But we all know people who have these things and are still empty. Why? They started at the wrong place. A happy and meaningful life begins with God. It was Augustine who observed, “Thou hast made us for Thyself, O God, and the heart of man is restless until it finds its rest in Thee.” The Lord Jesus said in the Bible:

“I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.”

John 10:10

To remember A meaningful life begins with God.

Moment 66

Someone Who Cares

From the booklet How to Have a Happy and Meaningful Life come these lines: “A happy and meaningful life begins with God, according to the Bible. Look what God offers you: love—someone who cares about you; security—someone who cares about what happens to you; peace—someone who cares about your problems; purpose—someone who cares whether your life counts; eternal destiny—someone who cares about your future.” That Someone is the Lord Jesus Christ.

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

John 3:16

To remember A happy, meaningful life begins with God.

Moment 67

Stained Within

Did I hear you say, “I feel so miserable. I feel stained within by my bad thoughts and words. Sometimes I feel very sinful. What should I do?” The Bible gives the answer in First John chapter one. It is perfectly proper for God to forgive us, because Christ died to wash away our sins. The blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin.

“If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

1 John 1:8–9

To remember Confess your sins; God is faithful to forgive and cleanse.

Moment 68

The Cat That Fell Thirty-Two Floors

According to the little paper Have a Good Day, a New York City house cat fell from the thirty-second floor of a building to a concrete sidewalk. The cat suffered only a chipped tooth and a minor chest injury. Experts have concluded that cats have a superb internal gyroscope that enables them to land on their feet. The more we learn about God’s creation, the more we marvel. And man is the crowning part of God’s creation. God has a wonderful plan for man on earth, and the best is still ahead in heaven. And yet men and women the world over ignore God and reject Him. These words from the Bible are about the Lord Jesus:

“He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. … But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name.”

John 1:10–12

To remember Marvel at creation, then receive the Creator Himself.

Moment 69

The Final Deadline

Are you troubled by deadlines? On a certain day that term paper is due. That bill has to be paid by the tenth of the month. What about that license that expired? Deadlines are a part of life. There is another kind of deadline, and the Bible tells us about it: “It is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment.” The Bible also has the answer. Those who are in Christ Jesus are those who have repented of their sins and put their trust in the Lord Jesus as personal Savior:

“There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.”

Romans 8:1

To remember Be ready for the one deadline no one can extend.

Moment 70

The Greatest Gift

God is the greatest giver, and He has given the greatest gift. We read in Romans, “The gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Can you think of a greater gift than that? I can’t. What do we do to get this gift? The answer is through faith, and notice it says, not of works. No amount of good works will open the gates of heaven for anyone. The only way is by coming to the Lord Jesus Christ in simple faith, believing. Here is the answer, friend, in the letter to the Ephesians:

“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast.”

Ephesians 2:8–9

To remember Eternal life is God’s gift, received by faith, not earned.

Moment 71

The Master Architect

Any builder will tell you that the secret of any successful building is a proper plan, a blueprint. An architect is required. There is a master Architect for life. Not only did He conceive, plan and build the world you and I live in, but He built you and me. He planned our future. He is God, Creator of the universe, Creator of man. The only way to have eternal life in the future, and abundant life right now, is by believing in Jesus Christ, accepting His plan for your life.

“Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”

John 14:6

To remember The One who built us has the best plan for our lives.

Moment 72

The Old Life and the New

Do you long for a different life? In the Bible we read about an old life and a new life. The old life is described as being dead in sin, going along with the crowd, just like all the others, obeying Satan, “the prince of the power of the air.” That’s a rough life. The new life the Lord Jesus gives to those who are willing to repent and trust in Him for salvation is just the opposite. Jesus Christ has a life of joy and peace for you: new life because of the new birth, the spiritual renewal that comes through faith in Christ; new life because you’re changed within.

“And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air…”

Ephesians 2:1–2

To remember Christ offers a new life of joy and peace to all who trust Him.

Moment 73

The Secret in the Gold Locket

William Drummond told of a young woman he knew whose face always seemed to radiate Christian joy. She always wore a little gold locket around her neck. These oval or heart-shaped cases usually held the picture of a loved one, but this girl never showed anyone what was inside hers. During a time of serious illness, one of her closest friends was allowed to open the locket. To her surprise, instead of a picture, she found these words inscribed: “Whom having not seen, I love.” The secret of her devoted Christian life was that the Lord Jesus was the lover of her soul.

“Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory.”

1 Peter 1:8

To remember Love for the unseen Christ brings joy that shows on the face.

Moment 74

The Two-Eraser Pencil

I have a pencil here before me. It’s a strange kind of pencil—it has an eraser on both ends. Let me read to you what it says on the side of this two-eraser pencil: “Life without Jesus Christ is like this pencil—no point to it.” Come to think of it, that’s right. There is no point to life unless we have the Lord Jesus Christ. When He is in our lives, we have a reason for living. Without Him we have nothing at all. The Apostle Paul put it this way when he wrote to the Philippians:

“For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.”

Philippians 1:21

To remember Without Jesus Christ, life has no point.

Moment 75

The Wonder of Re-Creation

The wonders of creation are awesome, but perhaps the greatest of God’s mysteries is the re-creation He offers the human race. Jesus said in His conversation with Nicodemus, “Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” The Bible tells us how God provided a way for man to be reborn spiritually:

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

John 3:16

To remember The God who created you can make you new.

Moment 76

What About the Heathen?

But you ask, “What about the heathen? What about the person who has never heard of Jesus Christ?” We may not know exactly how God is going to judge in such cases, but we do know this from the Bible: “The secret things belong unto the LORD our God: but those things which are revealed belong unto us.” Let’s be sure we know the things He has revealed to us in the Bible. And we can be assured that those who really seek God will find Him. The Lord tells us this:

“And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.”

Jeremiah 29:13

To remember Those who truly seek God with all their heart will find Him.

Moment 77

What’s in a Name?

What’s in a name? When you hear a certain name, your mind is flooded with certain feelings. The name of Herod stands for cruelty. The name of Beethoven stands for music. The name of Milton stands for poetry. The name of Hitler stands for treachery. But the name of Jesus stands for Savior. His name reminds us that He is Redeemer, Deliverer, Friend, and the list goes on. Let me ask you a personal question: how well do you know this One they call Jesus? The Bible says:

“And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.”

Matthew 1:21

To remember The name of Jesus means Savior; how well do you know Him?

Moment 78

You Don’t Have to Stay Down

Do you feel that you’re a loser? You want to be a winner, but you go on losing. Everything seems to fail. All efforts seem to fall to the ground. But the fantastic thing is that you don’t have to stay down. You don’t have to stay a loser—not if you really don’t want to. Jesus promises life that is full and meaningful. It means choosing Jesus Christ and beginning a new life for yourself. “If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”

“I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.”

John 10:10

To remember In Christ, no one has to stay a loser.

Moment 79

A Book That Brought Peace

Robert L. Ripley, of “Believe It or Not,” declared that General von Clausewitz caused more loss of life than any other man in history. His book Principles of War has been used by militarists as a textbook since its publication in 1810. There is another book in the world, a book that has brought peace. It also has a record: it has brought more peace to people’s hearts than any other book. That book is the Bible. The Lord Jesus said in John chapter fourteen:

“Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”

John 14:27

To remember The Bible has brought more peace than any other book.

Moment 80

A Flashlight for the Path

When it’s dark, you need a flashlight. We live in a dark world. The Bible has been compared to a light, or a flashlight. You need guidance along the pathway of life. Read the Bible. Read it every day. In Psalm 119 we read:

“Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.”

Psalm 119:105

To remember Read the Bible every day—it lights the way.

Moment 81

A Twisted View of God

A Life magazine reporter asked a little girl in the second grade, “Who is God?” She answered, “God makes the weather. He gives us gifts like trees and green grass. But sometimes God’s sort of not nice, because one time He made this machine where you try to get it to grab the stuffed animal. He didn’t give us luck on that, and we spent four dollars and we didn’t get any stuffed animals.” She had a twisted view of God—but so many see God in a wrong way. If you get your only view of God from TV, newspapers and magazines, how wrong you can be! If you want a correct view of God, open the Bible.

“O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!”

Romans 11:33

To remember For a true picture of God, open His Book.

Moment 82

Acres of Diamonds

Ali Hafed was a Persian farmer. He sold his fertile farm and searched the world over for diamonds, and finally died in poverty and despair in a distant land. In the meantime, the famous Golconda diamond beds were discovered on the very farm he had sold. All the time, the diamonds were right there on his farm. Are there treasures right at your fingertips? What about the Bible? On its pages is found the greatest of treasures, the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. The Apostle Peter said to Him:

“Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life.”

John 6:68

To remember The greatest treasure may be on your own shelf—open your Bible.

Moment 83

Beepers and the Still Small Voice

A government agency estimates that within ten years nearly three million people will be carrying beepers. These electronic paging systems are really small radio receivers. They beep when they receive a message from the transmitter. A beeper really gets your attention, and often many others hear it too. I wonder, what does it take for God to get our attention? Can we hear His still small voice in the noisy world in which we live? People in Bible times heard God speak to them. One way God speaks to us today is through His written Word, the Bible. Young Samuel answered God:

“Then Samuel answered, Speak; for thy servant heareth.”

1 Samuel 3:10

To remember Be still enough to hear God speak through His Word.

Moment 84

Bumper Stickers from Proverbs

Do you enjoy reading bumper stickers? I do. Listen to these: “I finally got it all together, but I forgot where I put it.” Or another: “I’m trying to lose weight, but it keeps finding me.” Did you know there’s a book in the Bible that contains some great ideas? It’s the book of Proverbs. Maybe King Solomon put some of these bumper stickers on his chariot. Listen to this one: Don’t talk so much—you keep putting your foot in your mouth. There are thirty-one chapters in the book of Proverbs, one for each day of the month. Look at the calendar, notice the date, and read that chapter of Proverbs today.

“In the multitude of words there wanteth not sin: but he that refraineth his lips is wise.”

Proverbs 10:19

To remember Read a chapter of Proverbs for each day of the month.

Moment 85

Can’t Understand the Bible?

Did you say, “I can’t understand the Bible”? The Apostle Paul answers this problem in his first letter to the Corinthians. The Holy Spirit is the author of the Bible, and only those who have the Holy Spirit within them can understand what the Holy Spirit means. If you can’t understand those writings, maybe you’re not a born-again Christian—and that’s a serious matter.

“But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.”

1 Corinthians 2:14

To remember The Holy Spirit opens the Bible to those He indwells.

Moment 86

Claim the Promises

Someone took the time to count the promises in the Bible. How many do you think there are? Over a hundred? Over a thousand? Seven thousand five hundred promises in the Bible! Let’s look at a couple. Let’s not just look at them—let’s claim them. “Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.” And this one from Isaiah:

“But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.”

Isaiah 40:31

To remember Don’t just read God’s promises—claim them.

Moment 87

Do You Have a Green Thumb?

Do you have a green thumb? That is, do you enjoy planting things, watering them, seeing them grow? God talks about sowing and reaping in the Bible. More important than what you sow in the field or the garden is what you sow in your life. Why not begin your day by reading the Bible? The good seed is the Word of God. In the book of Galatians we read:

“Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.”

Galatians 6:7

To remember Sow the good seed of God’s Word in your life each day.

Moment 88

Faith Comes by Hearing

Dwight L. Moody, a man of great yet simple faith and one of the most remarkable men who ever lived, said this: “I prayed for faith. I thought that some day faith would come down and strike me like lightning, but faith did not seem to come. One day I read in the tenth chapter of Romans that faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God. I had closed my Bible and prayed for faith. I now opened my Bible and began to study, and faith has been growing ever since.”

“So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”

Romans 10:17

To remember Open your Bible, and faith will grow.

Moment 89

I Happen to Know the Author

An older worker was resting during his lunch hour with a sandwich in one hand and a well-worn Bible in the other. His boss came by and remarked, “How can an old fellow like you understand the Bible?” With the grace of a Christian gentleman, the older man replied, “It would not be possible, sir, in the ordinary way. But you see, I happen to know the Author.” It does make a great deal of difference when you read a book if you personally know the author. And you can know the Author of the Bible; He wants you to know Him. The Bible says:

“All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.”

2 Timothy 3:16

To remember God wrote the Bible, and He wants you to know Him.

Moment 90

Information, Inspiration, Transformation

Some books are for our information, some for our inspiration, but the Bible is for our transformation. In the Old Testament a message came from the Lord: “I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within you; and I will take the stony heart out of their flesh.” And in the New Testament we read:

“Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”

2 Corinthians 5:17

To remember The Bible doesn’t just inform us; it transforms us.

Moment 91

Leading a Russian by the References

A young man, after trusting the Lord Jesus as personal Savior, began memorizing many Bible verses, and he memorized the references too. Later he had an opportunity to talk to a Russian man. Because he knew the references, the young man was able to go through the Russian Bible and point out the way of salvation, even though he knew hardly a word of Russian. He led the Russian to Christ using verses from the Russian Bible. In the Bible we read:

“All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.”

2 Timothy 3:16

To remember God’s Word, hidden in the heart, can speak in any language.

Moment 92

No Pilot, No Compass

A ship is crossing the ocean. It carries neither pilot nor compass. What would you say of the owner of a ship like that? A jet plane starts on a flight over the North Pole. There’s no navigator on board, nor any way to chart the course of the plane. We might question the sanity of the crew of a plane like that. Yet there are people who travel through life with very little thought about the only book, the Bible, that contains the chart and compass for living, and for dying. The writer of Psalm 119 said to the Lord:

“Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.”

Psalm 119:105

To remember Don’t travel through life without God’s chart and compass.

Moment 93

Open My Eyes

Do you find the Bible a hard book to understand? Do you find that some of the words puzzle you? The Bible is God’s Word, and the Author Himself can help you understand His Word. He wants you to understand it. A man in the Old Testament felt like a pilgrim here on earth, in need of a map, and he found God’s commands to be his chart and guide. When he was discouraged, he prayed, “Quicken thou me according to thy word.” And he prayed:

“Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law.”

Psalm 119:18

To remember The Author of the Bible will help you understand it—ask Him.

Moment 94

The Deed in the Bible

A woman opened a large Bible and found the deed to her family home. She had been searching for that valuable paper for years. It was just where she had left it—in the Bible. One of the writers of the Psalms said that God’s words were his only hope, and he wrote:

“Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.”

Psalm 119:11

To remember Treasures are waiting in the Bible—open it.

Moment 95

The Path of Life

Are you confused about life? Wondering why you are here? Where you are going? There is one book that can help you. It’s God’s book, the Bible—the world’s bestseller. The Bible will help you in this life and help you find the path to eternal life. A writer in the Bible says of the Lord:

“Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.”

Psalm 16:11

To remember God’s Book shows the way through this life and into the next.

Moment 96

What the Family Bible Held

A little girl once told her minister that she had finally learned everything that was in the Bible. In their family Bible she had found her sister’s boyfriend’s picture, her mother’s recipe for vanishing cream, a lock of her own hair from when she was a baby, and a ticket for her father’s watch, which was in for repair. We may smile, but there’s also a sad side to this. Their Bible had become a place to store things. Let me ask you: How are you using your Bible? Why did God give you His Word? One writer in the Bible expressed it this way:

“These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life…”

1 John 5:13

To remember The Bible is not for storing things but for knowing God.

Moment 97

Who Wrote the Multiplication Tables?

A man met a person who made fun of him for believing the Bible. “Why, we don’t even know who wrote some of the books of the Bible,” the other man laughed. “Wait a minute,” our friend replied. “Who wrote the multiplication tables?” “I don’t know,” the other fellow answered. “You don’t know who wrote the multiplication tables, and yet you use them every day.” “But they work,” said the skeptic. “So does the Bible,” returned the man of faith. The Bible says:

“All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.”

2 Timothy 3:16

To remember Like the multiplication tables, God’s Word works every day.

Moment 98

Written by Men, Given by God

You say, “But how can I believe the Bible? It was written by human beings, just like we are.” In the Bible we discover that God gave His Word in a very special way. It straightens us out and helps us do what is right. It is God’s way of making us well prepared at every point. We read in Second Timothy 3:16 and 17:

“All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: that the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.”

2 Timothy 3:16–17

To remember The Bible was written by men but given by God.

Moment 99

A Noisy World

We live in a noisy world. It just seems that some people can’t stand silence. They turn on the radio as soon as they get up or whenever they get in the car. They like the TV turned on full blast, or they have a boombox going. How can we hear the voice of God with all the other sound around us? No wonder the Lord says in the Bible:

“Be still, and know that I am God…”

Psalm 46:10

To remember Turn down the noise and listen for God’s voice.

Moment 100

A Prayer for Older Years

I’d like to read a little prayer to you. It’s the prayer of an older person, and it’s found in the Bible, in Psalm 71:

“O God, thou hast taught me from my youth: and hitherto have I declared thy wondrous works. Now also when I am old and greyheaded, O God, forsake me not; until I have shewed thy strength unto this generation…”

Psalm 71:17–18

To remember Ask God to keep using you, right to the end.

Moment 101

Bring a Bigger Jug

When Tom was a boy, he was very poor. Nearby was a shop where cold ham and beef were sold, and the shopkeeper used to give away the water in which the meat was boiled. One day Tom took a small jug and got it filled. He noticed another boy with a larger jug getting his filled. He asked the storekeeper, “Why didn’t you give me as much as you gave him?” The storekeeper wisely answered, “Why didn’t you bring as big a jug as he did?” Doesn’t that remind us of prayer? The Lord Jesus said:

“Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.”

Matthew 7:7

To remember Bring a bigger jug to God in prayer.

Moment 102

Check Your Diving Gear

The Christian has been likened to a diver. Every day he plunges into conditions that tend to crush out his spiritual life. His safety depends upon his connection with heaven. Every day before going out, the Christian should check his equipment and make sure he can safely dive into the day’s work with its problems and perplexities. Jesus set the perfect example. In the Bible we read:

“And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed.”

Mark 1:35

To remember Before diving into the day, check your connection with heaven.

Moment 103

Count Down Before Blasting Off

Someone has said, “Patience is the ability to count down before blasting off.” Most of us admit that we blast off too soon. Let me repeat that little saying: patience is the ability to count down before blasting off. There’s a verse in the book of Romans about being patient in trouble and prayerful always. I wonder if that verse doesn’t suggest that we pray before we blast off.

“Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer.”

Romans 12:12

To remember Count down in prayer before you blast off.

Moment 104

Five Months Out of Seventy Years

How will you have spent your time if you live to be seventy? They tell us the average person of seventy will have spent six years getting an education, eight years in recreation and relaxation, six years eating, four years talking—some people probably talk more than that—fourteen years working, three years reading, and twenty-four years sleeping. But what about God? How much time do we give to the Lord? Someone has figured that if we go to church once a week and pray five minutes each morning and evening, we would give the Lord only five months out of seventy years. The Bible says:

“So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.”

Psalm 90:12

To remember Count your days, and give the Lord a real share of them.

Moment 105

I Just Get Up

A young preacher asked an older minister how he was able to rise early in the morning. “Do you pray about getting up?” he asked. “No,” was the reply. “I just get up.” We read in Second Chronicles that Hezekiah the king rose early, gathered the rulers of the city, and went up to the house of the Lord. And we read of the Lord Jesus:

“And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed.”

Mark 1:35

To remember Rise early and meet with the Lord.

Moment 106

I Just Told God I Loved Him

A little boy knelt at his mother’s knee, saying his prayers. When he had finished, he continued to speak softly for a few more moments while still on his knees. “What did you ask for?” his mother questioned. “It isn’t nice to always ask for things,” replied the little fellow. “I just told God that I loved Him.” David wrote in the first verse of Psalm 18:

“I will love thee, O LORD, my strength.”

Psalm 18:1

To remember Prayer isn’t only asking; tell God you love Him.

Moment 107

Murphy’s Laws and God’s Promises

You’ve heard of Murphy’s laws. Here are three of them: Nothing is as easy as it looks. Everything takes longer than you think. If anything can go wrong, it will. We smile at these. Sometimes they’re true, and sometimes not. But the Bible is filled with promises, and you can count on every promise of God; they are true. Listen to this promise from the Lord in Psalm 34:

“The righteous cry, and the LORD heareth, and delivereth them out of all their troubles.”

Psalm 34:17

To remember Murphy’s laws may fail, but God’s promises never do.

Moment 108

Safe on Your Knees

A group of tourists were climbing the snow-covered Matterhorn. Coming to a very difficult part of the climb, where they might easily be blown off the side of the mountain, the guide shouted to them, “Get down on your knees! You’re only safe on your knees.” How true in life! There are many times when prayer is the only answer. We’re sent to our knees. The Lord says to us:

“Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.”

Jeremiah 33:3

To remember We are safest on our knees.

Moment 109

The Bookmark That Stayed Put

We find them everywhere these days: tiny colored sticky notes on envelopes, bulletin boards and files. How did it all begin? Art Fry sang in a church choir. He was irritated that the slips of paper he used as bookmarks kept falling out of the hymnals. He said, “What I need is a bookmark with some adhesive, so it will stay put but won’t damage the paper when I pull it off.” A fellow employee had developed just such an adhesive—one most thought wasn’t sticky enough. Today these notes are everywhere. Ideas! Did you ever think of asking the Lord for ideas, even ideas of ways to better serve Him? The Bible says:

“Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full.”

John 16:24

To remember Ask the Lord for ideas—even ways to serve Him better.

Moment 110

The Right of Any Sinner

In the Congress of the United States, before there was a permanent chaplain, various congressmen would open the sessions with prayer. Finally a permanent chaplain was appointed. One day he was late in arriving, so an older congressman stepped to the front to pray. The Speaker of the House hit the desk with his gavel and asked, “By what right does the gentleman pray?” The volunteer answered, “The right of any sinner, sir.” He was permitted to pray. That reminds me of the tax collector in the New Testament who, Jesus said, went home forgiven. He prayed:

“…God be merciful to me a sinner.”

Luke 18:13

To remember Any sinner may come to God in prayer.

Moment 111

Tips on Meditation

We hear a great deal about meditation these days, and the need to stop and meditate. The writer of the Psalms gives us some tips on meditation. He meditates on the work of the Lord and talks of His doings, and then he begins to talk to the Lord Himself. In Psalm 77 he wrote:

“I will meditate also of all thy work, and talk of thy doings. Thy way, O God, is in the sanctuary: who is so great a God as our God? Thou art the God that doest wonders: thou hast declared thy strength among the people.”

Psalm 77:12–14

To remember Think on what God has done, then talk to Him about it.

Moment 112

When Words Won’t Come

Do you sometimes have a difficult time expressing yourself in prayer? Are there problems or burdens you find hard to put into words? In Romans 8 the apostle Paul testifies that the Holy Spirit helps us with our daily problems and in our praying, and that the Father, who knows all hearts, knows what the Spirit is saying as He pleads for us:

“Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.”

Romans 8:26

To remember When you can’t find the words, the Holy Spirit prays for you.

Moment 113

A Guide You Can Depend On

With so many decisions in life to make and so many paths to choose from, it’s good to know that we can have a guide we can depend upon. We read more about this in the Bible, where the Lord says, “I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mine eye.” Further on, in the Proverbs, it says:

“Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.”

Proverbs 3:5–6

To remember Put God first, and He will direct your paths.

Moment 114

Before You Take a Journey

Did I hear you say, “I’m taking a trip. What should I read in the Bible before taking a journey?” Listen to these selected verses from Psalm 121.

“My help cometh from the LORD, which made heaven and earth. He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: he that keepeth thee will not slumber. … The LORD shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore.”

Psalm 121:2–3, 8

To remember Take the Lord along on every journey—He never sleeps.

Moment 115

Counterclockwise

Someone has asked the question, “How do you explain counterclockwise to a youngster with a digital watch?” We live in a day of great change. Even the faces of our watches have radically changed. Listen to this verse from the Bible, First John 2:17. Let me repeat it, too:

“And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.”

1 John 2:17

To remember The world keeps changing, but doing God’s will lasts forever.

Moment 116

Fruit in Old Age

George Müller tells of old Jimmy’s retirement. Someone asked him what he did all day. He replied, “I just sit and think, and sit and think, and sometimes I just sit.” History is filled with records of people who did their greatest work when they were past retirement age. The Earl of Halsbury was ninety years old when he began preparing a twenty-volume revision of English law. Caleb was eighty-five when he took the stronghold of the giants. The Bible promises in Psalm 92:

“They shall still bring forth fruit in old age; they shall be fat and flourishing.”

Psalm 92:14

To remember God can bring forth fruit from us at any age.

Moment 117

God Has a Plan for You

G. Christian Weiss asks these questions: “Can you think of a father who has no will or plan for his son? Can you imagine a mother who has no clear will or pattern or definite ambition for her daughter? If so, then you may also think that God does not have a plan for your life.” God our Father has a plan for the universe and a plan for your life. The Bible says He chose us in Christ before the creation of the world. That verse is found in Ephesians chapter 1.

“According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love.”

Ephesians 1:4

To remember Your heavenly Father has a plan for your life.

Moment 118

Grandma Still Got the Neck

At a birthday party for an older lady, the host asked her, “Which do you prefer, Grandma, light or dark meat?” She replied, “When I was young, the old folks got all the best meat, and I had to eat the neck. Now that I’m older, the young people get all the best parts, and I still get the neck.” Times and traditions change, but we’re thankful that, as we read in the Bible:

“Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.”

Hebrews 13:8

To remember Times and traditions change, but Jesus Christ stays the same.

Moment 119

Health and Vitality

“Not so good today.” “Better than yesterday.” The Bible has much to say about health. For instance, these verses from the book of Proverbs:

“Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil. It shall be health to thy navel, and marrow to thy bones.”

Proverbs 3:7–8

To remember Trusting and reverencing the Lord is good for body and soul.

Moment 120

He’s Up All Night Anyway

A camp counselor was recounting her experience at a kids’ summer camp. After rounding up the campers for the night, she told them, “Let’s go to sleep and put our cares in God’s hands.” One of the kids said, “He’s up all night anyway.” Now that’s good thinking, because the Bible says so. You’ll find these words in Psalm 121, verse 4.

“Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep.”

Psalm 121:4

To remember Sleep in peace—God is up all night anyway.

Moment 121

How Can I Know God Is Alive?

Someone has asked, “How can I know that God is alive?” Here’s God’s answer, right in the Bible, Romans chapter one. Since earliest times, men have seen the earth and sky and all the things God made. They knew about Him, but they glorified Him not as God, neither were thankful for all His daily care. So they have no excuse. God is alive, and very much in control.

“For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse.”

Romans 1:20

To remember Creation itself shows that God is alive.

Moment 122

How Can I Know God’s Will?

How can I know God’s will? Often I don’t know if it’s God’s will or my will. God’s Word gives us some guidelines in Proverbs three, verses five and six.

“Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.”

Proverbs 3:5–6

To remember Put God first, and He will direct your paths.

Moment 123

In the Beginning, God

You know the first four words in the Bible. That’s right: “In the beginning God,” Genesis one. Those words are very important. If you believe them, then you can move on. But if you question those first four words and come up with your own theories or man’s suppositions, then you may very well be in trouble as far as your faith is concerned. In the beginning, God. Put Him first, and other things fall into place. As the verse in Matthew says, “Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.”

“In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.”

Genesis 1:1

To remember Put God first, and everything else falls into place.

Moment 124

Mules on the Farm

When I was a boy, we had mules on the farm. They could pull heavy loads. It almost seemed cruel to put bits in their mouths, but sometimes they were stubborn, and you had to pull hard on the reins. Yet sometimes they would respond to just a spoken command. The Lord says He will guide us with His eye, and He tells us not to be like the horse or the mule. It is important that you be near a person if they are to guide you by the eye. Do you have that close a walk with the Lord?

“I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mine eye. Be ye not as the horse, or as the mule, which have no understanding…”

Psalm 32:8–9

To remember Walk close enough to the Lord to be guided by His eye.

Moment 125

No Ordinary People

C. S. Lewis has written, “There are no ordinary people. You have never talked to a mere mortal.” Ted Griffin expanded on this thought. It’s true. Each of us is a special creation of God. Believe it or not, no one else is just like you. Your physical appearance, your voice, your personality traits, your habits, intelligence and personal tastes all make you one of a kind. You are not the product of some cosmic assembly line. But the most important facet of your identity is that God created you in His own image. God knew you even before you were born. The psalmist wrote of God:

“I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.”

Psalm 139:14

To remember God made you one of a kind, in His own image.

Moment 126

Not a Lonesome Journey

F. Scott Fitzgerald, in one of his novels, wrote of Kathleen, one of his characters, that the realization came to her that the tracks of life led nowhere. They were like the tracks of an airplane; nobody knew the way, since there was no Daniel Boone to hack the trees. It was an awful lonesome journey. Many people look upon life as an awful lonesome journey. But that’s not the picture we get in the Bible. Listen to these words from God’s Word:

“I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mine eye.”

Psalm 32:8

To remember With God as guide, life is not a lonesome journey.

Moment 127

One Bite at a Time

A mountain climber had just become the first woman to reach the summit of a high, difficult mountain. “How did you do it?” asked a newspaper reporter. “How do you eat an elephant?” she asked in reply. Then she answered her own question: “One bite at a time.” Much of life is one bite at a time, one step at a time. We recall that the children of Israel were to claim the Promised Land one step at a time. There is a promise in the book of Proverbs that has been translated, “As you go step by step, I will open up the way before you.”

“When thou goest, thy steps shall not be straitened; and when thou runnest, thou shalt not stumble.”

Proverbs 4:12

To remember Take life one step at a time; God opens the way.

Moment 128

Promotion Comes from the Lord

Are you trying to get ahead in life? Are you concerned because you’re afraid someone will be promoted ahead of you? In Psalm 75 we read these helpful words from the Lord. Do your best work, work hard, and remember that promotion really comes from the Lord. You can trust Him for that promotion and better pay.

“For promotion cometh neither from the east, nor from the west, nor from the south. But God is the judge: he putteth down one, and setteth up another.”

Psalm 75:6–7

To remember Work hard, and trust the Lord with your promotion.

Moment 129

The Best of Times, the Worst of Times

It was Charles Dickens who wrote, “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times; it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness.” I suppose Dickens could write the same about today. There are some good things happening, and also some bad. The news comes to us like that: one day the media paint a very dark picture, and the very next day they may be very upbeat. This may be a problem for some people, but for the believer there is a verse in the Bible that’s very encouraging:

“And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.”

Romans 8:28

To remember In good times or bad, God works all things for good.

Moment 130

The Cosmonaut Who Didn’t See God

Some years ago a Russian cosmonaut returned from a flight into space and was asked if he saw God. He said he didn’t see God out there in space. Someone suggested that had he stepped out of his capsule without a support system, he would have seen God in a matter of seconds. God has spoken and revealed Himself in so many ways. The Bible says, in Romans 1:20:

“For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse.”

Romans 1:20

To remember Creation shows God’s power to all who look.

Moment 131

The One Who Never Changes

Did I hear you say, “I’m troubled by change”? Nothing ever stays the same. Prices change, people change. We live in a changing world, but there is One who never changes. Let me introduce you to Him. That’s right—it’s the Lord Jesus Christ. Read it in the book of Hebrews. Trust Him as your personal Saviour, and He will give you some things that never change, nor can anyone take them away.

“Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.”

Hebrews 13:8

To remember In a changing world, Jesus Christ never changes.

Moment 132

What People Want Most

Someone took a poll. They asked a cross section of people a question something like this: “What do you want most in life?” The answers came back: “We want love. We want peace. We want happiness, or joy.” Interestingly enough, that’s just what God wants to give us. Yes, these are the things God wants us to have, and He has other things for us too: patience, kindness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Read about them in the letter to the Galatians, chapter five:

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.”

Galatians 5:22–23

To remember The love, joy and peace people long for are God’s gifts.

Moment 133

When Plans Fall Through

Have you ever carefully made plans, only to find they didn’t work out the way you planned? Did you know there’s a reason for everything that happens, even disappointments and failures? We may make our plans, but as the Book of Proverbs tells us, “A man’s heart deviseth his way: but the LORD directeth his steps.” In God’s Word, the Bible, we read:

“And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.”

Romans 8:28

To remember Even disappointments work together for good in God’s hands.

Moment 134

Where Am I Going?

“I don’t know where I’m going or why.” Those words express the aimlessness and purposelessness that characterize our age and the feelings of many people today. When we follow the Lord, we discover purpose and direction in our lives, because we’re living in the light of God Himself and of His will for us. He leads us out of our confusion and uncertainty into His light. To this need, the Lord Jesus says:

“I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.”

John 8:12

To remember Follow Jesus, and you’ll walk in light, not confusion.

Moment 135

Who Created It?

A French novelist once made this comment: “The universe is indifferent. Who created it? Why are we here on this puny mud heap, spinning in infinite space? I have not the slightest idea.” If only he had opened his Bible! The very first verse says, “In the beginning God created.” God gives us the answers in His book, the Bible—the answers to life, the answers we need. And in the last book of the Bible we read:

“Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.”

Revelation 4:11

To remember God made us, and He made us for His pleasure.

Moment 136

Wonderfully Complex

Did you know that some of the body’s nerves send messages at approximately 400 miles per second? Did you know that more than a quarter of our bones are in our hands? The writer of one of the psalms put it this way, in addressing God, in Psalm 139:

“I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works… Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all my members were written…”

Psalm 139:14–16

To remember Your body is a marvel of God’s workmanship.

Moment 137

Worried About Plans

Do you worry about making plans? Do you worry when the plans have already been made and the time comes for them to be carried out? In the Bible we read that we can make our plans, but the final outcome is in God’s hands. We should make plans, counting on God to direct us. The Bible says:

“Commit thy works unto the LORD, and thy thoughts shall be established.”

Proverbs 16:3

To remember Make your plans, and commit them to the Lord.

Moment 138

A Security Blanket

Someone said we need security. We need it because money is unstable. We need it because the world is unsettled. Even the weather is unpredictable. Do we grab for a security blanket, like the boy in the Peanuts cartoon? Listen to these words of the Lord Jesus. Some have translated “tribulation” as “pressures”: in the world you will have pressures. But the Lord Jesus overcame the world, the flesh and the devil, even death itself. He said:

“These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.”

John 16:33

To remember Real security is found in Christ, who has overcome the world.

Moment 139

A Stronghold in the Day of Trouble

Trouble. No one likes to get caught in the middle of trouble. At times, however, these difficulties are good for us. Why? To teach us the Lord’s power, that He is able to deliver. He’s teaching us to trust Him. He is a strong God. He will care for us in and through the difficulty. “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore will not we fear.”

“The LORD is good, a strong hold in the day of trouble; and he knoweth them that trust in him.”

Nahum 1:7

To remember Trouble can teach us to trust the God who delivers.

Moment 140

Able to Keep You

You say, “I feel so insecure, and I’m afraid of many things. I’m afraid that I will fail and will not please the Lord.” The Bible says Jesus is able to keep you from falling. Jesus cares for you, and right now He’s reaching down to help you. “He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?”

“Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy…”

Jude 24

To remember Jesus is able to keep you from falling.

Moment 141

About to Throw in the Towel?

Are you tired? Are you discouraged? About to give up? About to throw in the towel? Listen to these verses from the Bible. This is what the Lord is able to do for you: “He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall.”

“But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.”

Isaiah 40:31

To remember Wait on the Lord, and He will renew your strength.

Moment 142

Afraid of Dying?

Did I hear you correctly? Did I hear you say that you’re afraid of dying? Do you really have a fear of the afterlife? Listen to these assuring words from the Bible. The man who wrote Psalm 34 said, “I sought the LORD, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears.” In Isaiah chapter 25 we read, “He will swallow up death in victory; and the Lord GOD will wipe away tears from off all faces.” And Paul wrote to Timothy:

“For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.”

2 Timothy 1:7

To remember In Christ, death is swallowed up in victory; we need not fear it.

Moment 143

Chico the Shaking Chihuahua

A man in Texas put this ad in the paper: “Lost or strayed: Chihuahua dog, answering to the name of Chico. Brilliant dog, acutely aware of national and world politics. He shakes all the time.” There are people like that, always shaking their heads and wringing their hands. The Lord says to us in the Bible:

“When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.”

Isaiah 43:2

To remember Whatever the news, the Lord walks with us through deep waters.

Moment 144

Does God Really Care?

Did I hear you say, “There’s so much trouble in the world—sin, sickness, suffering, and the list is long. Do you really think God cares?” In Isaiah chapter 55 the Lord says His plans are not what we would work out: “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.” And from the New Testament, in First John 4:

“In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.”

1 John 4:9

To remember God showed He cares by sending His Son.

Moment 145

Eighty Cuts of the Chisel

Henry Bosch reminds us that God calls His children jewels, and jewels need to be skillfully cut by a master craftsman. Two jewels may be alike and equally pure, yet one is dazzlingly brilliant and the other quite dull. The brilliant one has had eighty cuts from the jeweler’s chisel, and the other only eight. Often the cuts of trial in our lives make us shine for Christ.

“For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.”

2 Corinthians 4:17

To remember The cuts of trial can make us shine for Christ.

Moment 146

Everything but a Broken Heart

A large sign on the side of a fix-it shop in a small town read, “We can mend everything but a broken heart.” Surely you’ll agree there are a lot of brokenhearted people out there. But the question is, who can heal the brokenhearted? Let’s open our Bibles to Isaiah for the answer. The Lord Jesus, when here on earth, took these very words and applied them to Himself. He, and He alone, heals the brokenhearted:

“The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives…”

Isaiah 61:1

To remember Jesus alone can mend a broken heart.

Moment 147

Eyes on the Savior

Are you feeling depressed just now? A little discouraged with life? I was reading in the Gospel of Matthew and noticed that the Apostle Peter, when walking on the water, looked at the waves. Then he began to sink. He had taken his eyes off the Savior and was looking at circumstances. This often is our problem. We’re saved from sin as we look to the Savior. Then day by day we need to look to Him in prayer and look at Him in His Word. Don’t look so much at circumstances that you lose sight of the Savior. He can change your circumstances, and He never changes.

“Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.”

Hebrews 13:8

To remember Keep your eyes on the Savior, not the waves.

Moment 148

Facing into the Wind

It was Corrie ten Boom who once observed, “If a bird is flying for pleasure, it flies with the wind. But if it meets danger, it turns and faces the wind in order that it may rise higher.” Paul the apostle often faced danger, even death. But like the bird, he was driven to seek the higher places. Paul’s goal was to know Christ and to make Him known at any cost. He said:

“For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. But if I live in the flesh, this is the fruit of my labour: yet what I shall choose I wot not.”

Philippians 1:21–22

To remember Facing trouble can lift us higher toward Christ.

Moment 149

Five Baby Skunks

Mother stepped next door for a short visit. When she returned, her children were in a huddle on the floor. As she looked closer, she was horrified to see five baby skunks. She cried, “Children, run!” The children ran, but each clasped a skunk and carried it along. The startled animals did just what comes naturally to skunks. What do you do when you’re afraid? The mother feared and possibly overreacted, but don’t we all follow that same route sometimes? David, who had his problems, wrote in Psalm 56:

“What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee. In God I will praise his word, in God I have put my trust; I will not fear what flesh can do unto me.”

Psalm 56:3–4

To remember When I am afraid, I can put my trust in God.

Moment 150

Give Him All the Pieces

The sign on the bulletin board read, “God can mend a broken heart. Give Him all the pieces.” If your heart is broken today, you can be sure that the Lord is near and will hear your cry. David prayed in Psalm 51, “A broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.” The Bible says:

“The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.”

Psalm 34:18

To remember The Lord is near the brokenhearted—give Him all the pieces.

Moment 151

He Will Not Fail Thee

Are you fearful of the future? Afraid to step out into some new venture? As we walk with the Lord as our Saviour, following His guidelines, we can claim promises like this one in Deuteronomy chapter 31:

“Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the LORD thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.”

Deuteronomy 31:6

To remember Step out with courage; the Lord goes with you.

Moment 152

Here by God’s Appointment

Are you going through times of trouble? Do you have many discouragements? How are you responding to these difficulties? The one who knows the Lord in a personal way, as personal Savior, can say in time of trouble, “I am here by God’s appointment, in His care, under His training, and for His time. In His good time He can bring me out again. How and when, He knows.” A man in the Bible learned this from the Lord:

“Offer unto God thanksgiving; and pay thy vows unto the most High: and call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me.”

Psalm 50:14–15

To remember In trouble, trust God; you are in His care and on His time.

Moment 153

Hope Is a Sure Thing

Did I hear you say, “I have no hope for the future”? Many people are talking like that these days. The word hope in the Bible is not a guess; it is a sure thing. If we hope in God, we have eternal life. The apostle Paul wrote to Titus, “That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.” And to the Thessalonians he wrote:

“Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God, even our Father, which hath loved us, and hath given us everlasting consolation and good hope through grace, comfort your hearts, and stablish you in every good word and work.”

2 Thessalonians 2:16–17

To remember Bible hope is not a guess; it is a sure thing.

Moment 154

How Will I Get Out of This One?

Someone said, “I wonder how I’m ever going to get out of this one.” In the Bible God tells us, “I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go.” And the psalmist wrote, “When my father and my mother forsake me, then the LORD will take me up.” Also in Psalm 27 we read:

“Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD.”

Psalm 27:14

To remember When you can’t see a way out, wait on the Lord.

Moment 155

I Will Praise the Lord

Let all who are discouraged take heart. Here are some verses from Psalm 34, words to praise the Lord no matter what happens.

“I will bless the LORD at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth. … O magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name together. I sought the LORD, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears.”

Psalm 34:1–4

To remember Praise the Lord at all times—He delivers from fear.

Moment 156

New Strength and Vitality

Do you feel weak today and just about ready to give up? Here are some encouraging words from the Apostle Paul to the Romans. The Spirit that raised up Jesus from the dead brings new strength and vitality to the one in whom He lives. New strength and vitality—that’s what God wants you to have.

“But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.”

Romans 8:11

To remember The Spirit who raised Jesus gives us new strength.

Moment 157

Perfect Peace in a World of Need

We live in a world of need. Around us are people who need food, clothing, sometimes shelter. There are also people who have all of these things, but they have a need within for peace. They need the Lord Jesus Christ in their lives. They need to know Him in a personal way, not just to know about Him as a man in history. They need to trust Him. The Bible says of the Lord:

“Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee. Trust ye in the LORD for ever: for in the LORD JEHOVAH is everlasting strength.”

Isaiah 26:3–4

To remember Peace within comes from trusting Jesus personally.

Moment 158

Rest in the Lord

Here are some verses from Psalm 37. Don’t fret or worry; it only leads to harm. The psalmist goes on to say that in only a little while the wicked will disappear, but those who humble themselves before the Lord shall be given every blessing and shall have wonderful peace.

“Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way… Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil.”

Psalm 37:7–8

To remember Rest in the Lord and stop fretting; He gives peace.

Moment 159

Sleeping in Troubled Times

Insomnia. Do you have trouble getting to sleep at night? An old woman who was a believer in the Lord Jesus as her Savior was asked how she could sleep in troubled times. She answered, “God is always watching, so there’s no point in two of us staying awake.” David knew how to lie down at night and not be afraid. He wrote these words when he was fleeing and in a dangerous situation. He could still lie down in peace because the Lord was watching over him:

“I laid me down and slept; I awaked; for the LORD sustained me.”

Psalm 3:5

To remember God never sleeps, so you can rest in peace.

Moment 160

Songs in the Night

Charles Spurgeon once vacationed in an isolated place in England where, he was told, there were many nightingales. But when he got there it began to rain and was unseasonably cold, and he feared he would not hear a single nightingale. Then, as he sat by his open window, a nightingale perched just outside and began to sing. Spurgeon wrote, “I do not expect to listen to anything so sweet and thrilling again until I hear the angels singing glory.” The God of that nightingale is the same loving Savior I serve. He always provides some ray of light and gives songs in the night. In Psalm 42 we read:

“Yet the LORD will command his lovingkindness in the daytime, and in the night his song shall be with me, and my prayer unto the God of my life.”

Psalm 42:8

To remember In the darkest night, God still gives a song.

Moment 161

The Way of Escape

Were you just tempted to do something that was wrong, and you didn’t know where to turn for help? Listen to these words from the Bible, and remember: the wrong desires that come into your life aren’t anything new and different. Many others have faced exactly the same problems before you. Turn to the Lord Jesus in time of temptation; He will show you the way of escape.

“There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape…”

1 Corinthians 10:13

To remember In temptation, God always provides a way of escape.

Moment 162

The Wednesday Worry Box

The story is told of a man who had a special way of handling his anxieties. He set aside one day each week to do all his worrying. When something came up during the week that disturbed him, he wrote it down and put it in what he called his Wednesday worry box. When Wednesday came, he found to his great surprise that most of his problems had already been solved. The Lord Jesus said in Matthew 6:

“Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?”

Matthew 6:25

To remember Most worries solve themselves; leave them with the Lord.

Moment 163

Troubles Come in Bunches

Have you noticed that troubles seem to come in bunches? You wake up with a cold. Because your alarm clock failed to go off, you’re late for work. At work, everything seems to go wrong. Isaiah knew where to turn for help. He tells us, “Trust ye in the LORD for ever: for in the LORD JEHOVAH is everlasting strength.” Yes, in the Bible we read:

“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.”

Psalm 46:1

To remember When troubles come in bunches, God is a very present help.

Moment 164

Up Against a Discovery

Lord Kelvin, the famous British mathematician and physicist, once tried an experiment before his students in the classroom, and it did not work. When he saw it had failed, he said to his students, “When you are faced with a difficulty, you are up against a discovery.” Are you going through a time of great testing, as in a furnace? Take heart. You may be just ready to make a discovery. The Bible says:

“That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ.”

1 Peter 1:7

To remember Your hardest trial may be the edge of a new discovery.

Moment 165

What’s the Use?

What’s the use? Are you asking that question? Many people are. It expresses the deep sense of frustration that we feel. Is there a solution? God says in His Word that the solution to your failure, frustration and fear is Jesus Christ. He solved life. He solved death. He solved the sin problem by dying on the cross. He wants you to live a happy, useful life. The Lord Jesus said:

“I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.”

John 10:10

To remember Jesus is the answer to frustration, failure and fear.

Moment 166

When I Feel Insecure

Did I hear you say, “I feel so insecure”? The Bible reminds me that the Lord Jesus is able to keep me from falling, and to bring me faultless into His glorious presence. Yes, we need not fear, even if the world blows up and the mountains crumble into the sea. Let the oceans roar and foam; let the mountains tremble. God is my refuge and strength.

“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea.”

Psalm 46:1–2

To remember God is my refuge when I feel unsure.

Moment 167

When the Load Is Too Heavy

The loads of life just seem too heavy. “I can’t take it much longer.” I opened my Bible and read, “Cast thy burden upon the LORD, and he shall sustain thee.” And again:

“But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.”

Isaiah 40:31

To remember Give your burdens to the Lord, and He will renew your strength.

Moment 168

When the Storms Come

I must confess that my reaction to the storms of life is too often like that of Jesus’ disciples on the storm-tossed Sea of Galilee. They were scared to death. They saw that the situation was beyond their control, and they feared for their lives. As believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, why do we become so fearful? How is it that we cannot trust Him when the storms of life come our way? He is the same yesterday, today and forever. One of the writers of the Psalms knew about fear, and he knew where to find shelter. He wrote:

“What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee.”

Psalm 56:3

To remember When storms rise, trust the One who stilled the sea.

Moment 169

A Place Prepared for You

Sometimes it seems like everything goes wrong. It’s almost as though trouble comes in bunches. The Lord Jesus encouraged His disciples with words that may help you too. He promised to prepare a place for them and come again for them. A little later He also said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” Here is what He told them:

“Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.”

John 14:1–2

To remember When troubles pile up, trust Jesus, who is preparing a home for you.

Moment 170

When Will Wars Cease?

Did I hear you say, “Why is there so much strife and war in the world today? Why doesn’t God do something?” The Bible says those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion, which cannot be moved. And again, “Be not afraid nor dismayed … for the battle is not yours, but God’s.” Then, regarding a future day, we read in Isaiah that the Lord will settle the disputes of the nations. Then, at last, all wars will stop, and all military training will end.

“And he shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people: and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.”

Isaiah 2:4

To remember The battle is the Lord’s, and one day He will end all wars.

Moment 171

When You Feel Like a Doormat

You say, “I feel like a doormat. People just seem to walk all over me. What should I do?” Listen to these words from God’s Word, Psalm 138: “In the day when I cried thou answeredst me, and strengthenedst me with strength in my soul.” The apostle Paul, writing to the Corinthians, tells how the Lord answered him in regard to a weakness:

“My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.”

2 Corinthians 12:9

To remember When we are weak, Christ’s strength rests upon us.

Moment 172

Will There Ever Be Peace?

Peace. Will there ever be peace? Peace between nations? Peace between racial groups? Peace between two individuals? And what about peace with myself? Can I have true inner peace? Jesus promises peace. Real peace comes through the Lord Jesus Christ being in your life. Read about it in the Bible. In John’s Gospel He says:

“Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”

John 14:27

To remember True peace comes with Jesus in your life.

Moment 173

Alone in a Crowd

Planet Earth is a busy planet, full of people rushing from place to place. Many of the songs of today reflect the thoughts of the psalmist when he wrote, “No man cared for my soul.” There are those who feel alone in the midst of a throng of people. One of the most powerful means of overcoming the feeling of aloneness is to practice the companionship of God. Cultivate a living, personal friendship with the Friend of sinners, and you will always have a friend. There is a cure for loneliness in Christ. When you find Him, you’ll never walk alone, not even in the valley of the shadow of death. Jesus promises:

“For he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.”

Hebrews 13:5

To remember In Christ you will never walk alone.

Moment 174

Because You Love a Fellow

Years ago, a poorly dressed boy walked several miles through the snow to attend a Bible class taught by D. L. Moody. When asked why he walked so far to come to Sunday school, he answered, “Because it’s important to me, and I want to be with you, because you love a fellow over here.” The Lord Jesus said:

“A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.”

John 13:34–35

To remember Love draws people more than anything else we can offer.

Moment 175

Five Dollars to Listen

Some time ago a person placed this ad in a newspaper: “I will listen to you talk for thirty minutes without comment for five dollars.” Does that sound like a hoax? This person was serious. Did anyone answer the ad? Yes. Before long this individual was receiving ten to twenty calls a day. People out there are lonely. They need someone who will listen to them. The Bible speaks of a friend who sticks closer than a brother. We know that Friend to be the Lord Jesus Christ. You can talk to Him today in prayer, and you are not limited to thirty minutes.

“A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.”

Proverbs 18:24

To remember Jesus is a Friend who always listens, with no time limit.

Moment 176

Split My Personality

Have you heard the story of the man who went to his doctor and asked, “Doctor, could you split my personality for me?” The doctor replied, “Split your personality? What on earth for?” The man squirmed and said, “Oh, Doctor, I am so lonesome.” Yes, there are many lonely people. In the book of Proverbs we read, “There is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.” We know that Friend to be the Lord Jesus Christ. In the Gospel of John He said:

“Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you.”

John 15:15

To remember The lonely can find a true Friend in Jesus.

Moment 177

The Need to Belong

Psychologists tell us that the third most basic need is the need to belong. Yet modern man is a lonely, solitary figure, an individual in a strange and hostile world. And so we join clubs, lodges, societies, organizations and other groups—and still we don’t find fulfillment. We need to belong because God made us that way. When we say that our society is sick with loneliness, we’re simply saying that man has separated himself from God. What’s the answer? God has bridged the gap between Himself and man by sending His Son, Jesus Christ. In the Bible we read:

“For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; who gave himself a ransom for all.”

1 Timothy 2:5–6

To remember Our deepest loneliness is healed when Christ brings us to God.

Moment 178

Tired of Pretending

John D. Jess tells this little story. The small daughter of a missionary in Africa lived at a station where there were no other children. So, as some lonely children do, she made up a pretend playmate to talk and play with. One day she said to her mother, “Mamma, I’m tired of pretending. I want a real playmate.” Almost all of us know something of being lonely. You can be lonely in a crowd of people. The Lord Jesus is the great Friend of the lonely. When you’re awake at night and can’t sleep, you can talk to Him in prayer. In the Bible He’s spoken of as the Friend that sticketh closer than a brother:

“A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.”

Proverbs 18:24

To remember Jesus is a real Friend, never a make-believe one.

Moment 179

When I Am Alone

Someone said, “I just cannot go alone. It’s no fun when you have to go alone. What can I do? Where can I go when I am alone?” In the Bible we read these words from the Lord. Remember, He’s the same Friend yesterday, today and forever.

“And, behold, I am with thee, and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest … for I will not leave thee.”

Genesis 28:15

To remember You never go alone when the Lord goes with you.

Moment 180

Why Am I So Lonely?

Did I hear you say, “Hasn’t God promised to always be with me? Then why am I so lonely?” The Bible says, “Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near.” And again:

“The LORD is righteous in all his ways, and holy in all his works. The LORD is nigh unto all them that call upon him, to all that call upon him in truth.”

Psalm 145:17–18

To remember The Lord is near to all who call on Him.

Moment 181

A Prayer for Home

Here are two verses from Psalm 101. Let us make this psalm our prayer: “Lord, how I need your help, especially in my own home, where I long to act as I should.” The Lord is able to help us act as we should at home.

“I will sing of mercy and judgment: unto thee, O LORD, will I sing. I will behave myself wisely in a perfect way. O when wilt thou come unto me? I will walk within my house with a perfect heart.”

Psalm 101:1–2

To remember Ask the Lord to help you live well at home.

Moment 182

A Quiver Full

George Washington was one of ten children. John Wesley was born into a family where he was one of twenty-one children. Lyman Beecher, father of Harriet Beecher Stowe, was one of thirteen children and was the puny one in the family. What does the Bible say about families? Psalm 127:

“Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD… As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth. Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them…”

Psalm 127:3–5

To remember Children are a gift from the Lord.

Moment 183

Every Word She Is Not Saying

Someone has said, “No man understands his wife until he understands every word she is not saying.” Communication is so important in marriage. A look, a touch, may speak volumes. In a recent political encounter, it is said, one wife pulled on her husband’s coattails when she thought he had said enough on a subject. The Bible has a great deal to say to husbands and wives. Since we’ve especially commented on husbands and their communication, let’s look at a verse addressed to them.

“Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it.”

Ephesians 5:25

To remember Husbands, love your wives as Christ loved the church.

Moment 184

God’s Guidelines for Parents and Teens

Dad, Mother, you say you’re having problems with your teenagers? Here are some of God’s guidelines from the Bible. First, a word to children: obey your parents. This is the right thing to do, because God has placed them in authority over you, and honoring them carries a promise of a long life full of blessing. And now a word to you parents: don’t keep on scolding and nagging your children, making them angry and resentful. Rather, bring them up with the loving discipline the Lord Himself approves, with suggestions and godly advice.

“Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right. … And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.”

Ephesians 6:1–4

To remember God gives guidance both to children and to parents.

Moment 185

How Much Father Learned

Mark Twain once said, “When I was fourteen years old, my father was so ignorant I hated to have the old man around. But when I was twenty-one, I was astonished to see how much my father had learned in only seven years.” I’m sure Mark Twain was not alone in this kind of thinking. The Bible calls honoring your father and mother the first commandment with promise. In the Bible, there is a definite connection between long life and honoring your parents.

“Honour thy father and mother; which is the first commandment with promise; that it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth.”

Ephesians 6:2–3

To remember Honor your parents—they may know more than you think.

Moment 186

Instructions for the Home

You say you’re having trouble in your home? The Bible is the best book of instructions for the home. Let’s look at a few in Ephesians chapter five. Always give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. Wives, submit to your own husbands as unto the Lord, for the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church and the Savior of the body. And to husbands the Bible says:

“Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it.”

Ephesians 5:25

To remember A home goes well when husband and wife follow God’s instructions.

Moment 187

Matched by a Computer

I once heard of a young couple who got married after being introduced by a computer. They had joined a computer dating service which matched their physical and mental characteristics, personality traits and backgrounds. It seems to me it’s pretty scary to find your mate that way. The Bible speaks a lot about marriage. If you study all the verses in the Bible about marriage, you will have the best guidelines for finding a life’s partner. In fact, one of the verses reads like this:

“Whoso findeth a wife findeth a good thing, and obtaineth favour of the LORD.”

Proverbs 18:22

To remember God’s Word is the best guide for finding a life’s partner.

Moment 188

Prayer in the Schools—and at Home

Richard Halverson tells this story. A senator was speaking at a men’s dinner held in a local church building, with several hundred men present. During the meal, the subject of prayer in the schools was discussed. The senator began his remarks with this question: “How many of you believe in prayer in the public schools?” Nearly every hand was raised. Then he asked a second question: “How many of you pray daily with your children in the home?” Only a few hands were raised. The Bible says:

“And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.”

Ephesians 6:4

To remember Prayer for our children begins at home.

Moment 189

Shall We Ignore Our Children?

Some parents say we should not influence our children in regard to their faith or beliefs. We ask these parents, “Why not?” TV and radio will influence your children. Your neighbors will. You use your influence over flowers, vegetables and dogs. Shall we ignore our children? The Bible says in Proverbs twenty-two, verse six:

“Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.”

Proverbs 22:6

To remember If we don’t influence our children, someone else will.

Moment 190

Six Hundred Teenagers in Prison

Here is a quote: six hundred teenagers found in prisons gave these startling facts as to why they were there. Six out of ten had fathers who drank to excess, and many had mothers in the same condition. Three out of four were permitted by their parents to come and go from the house as they pleased. Seven out of ten had homes where no group or family activities were enjoyed, and not one of them attended Sunday school. The Bible says:

“And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.”

Deuteronomy 6:7

To remember Teach God’s Word to your children at home, every day.

Moment 191

This Generation Dropped It

A little boy asked his mother, “Mother, do you remember that vase that has been handed down from generation to generation in our family?” She answered, “Why, yes, dear. I know that vase.” The little boy said, “Well, this generation dropped it.” Come to think of it, we have dropped some very important things handed down to us through the generations. It’s said that when the Eisenhower family gathered for Bible reading, each boy would read until he made a mistake, and then another boy would read. How long has it been since you read the Bible together as a family? From Psalm 119:

“Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word.”

Psalm 119:9

To remember Don’t let your generation drop the family Bible.

Moment 192

Unless the Lord Builds the House

Are you building a house, building a home? Listen to the wise man Solomon and his advice in Psalm 127. Good advice in a day when there’s so much tearing down and building up, with people rushing from one project to another. We need the Lord’s help, whether building a house, a home, or a life.

“Except the LORD build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the LORD keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain. … for so he giveth his beloved sleep.”

Psalm 127:1–2

To remember Build your house, your home and your life with the Lord.

Moment 193

What a Family Is

A family has been described as a place of warmth when the world is cold, a place of safety when the world is hostile, a place of light when the world is dark. A family is many things. A family is love around the dinner table, friendly laughter under the same roof. A family is mother singing in the kitchen, father whistling around the house, children playing in the yard. A family is a cheering section when a victory is won, and a place to come home to when you’ve lost. No person is ever alone when he’s a member of a family. And in the Bible we read:

“And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him.”

Genesis 2:18

To remember A family means no one has to be alone.

Moment 194

What Dad Knows

From an article in a Dutch magazine, translated into English, come these lines evaluating Dad. Four years old: “My dad can do anything.” Seven: “My dad knows a lot, a whole lot.” Eight: “Dad doesn’t know quite everything.” Fourteen: “Fathers are hopelessly old-fashioned.” Twenty-one: “That man is out of date.” Twenty-five: “He comes up with a good idea now and then.” Thirty-five: “Must find out what Dad thinks about it.” Fifty: “I wish I could talk it over with Dad once more.” What does the Bible say about dads?

“Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.”

Exodus 20:12

To remember Honor your dad while you can still talk it over.

Moment 195

117 Killings in 114 Hours

In the state of Virginia, a group of members of a parent-teachers association kept their eyes fixed on TV during the hours children would be viewing. They observed 185 programs in 114½ hours. They saw 117 killings, 19 robberies, 16 kidnappings, three jailbreaks and one suicide, to name a few of the crimes. The Bible tells us what to put our minds on:

“Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.”

Philippians 4:8

To remember Guard what fills your mind; think on what is pure and lovely.

Moment 196

A Book of Thirty Thousand Words

They tell us that the average person says thirty thousand words a day. If those words were put in a book, you would have quite a book at the end of the day. I’m sure if we were required to read that book before going to sleep, each one of us would use fewer words and choose them more carefully the next day. The Bible says that if anyone can control his tongue, it proves he has control over himself in every way. No human being can tame the tongue—but God can. The Bible says:

“Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth!”

James 3:5

To remember Choose your words carefully—God can tame the tongue.

Moment 197

A Careless Word, a Gracious Word

Someone has said: “A careless word may kindle strife; a cruel word may wreck a life; a bitter word may hate instill; a brutal word may smite and kill. A gracious word may smooth the way; a joyous word may light the day; a timely word may lessen stress; a loving word may heal and bless.” Sometimes the tongue praises our heavenly Father, and sometimes it breaks out into curses against men. No human being can tame the tongue—but God can. The Bible says:

“But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.”

James 3:8

To remember No one can tame the tongue—but God can.

Moment 198

A Good Forgetter

There are times when it’s good to have a good forgetter. Once a friend was talking to Clara Barton about a cruel act that had once been done toward her. The friend asked, “Don’t you remember?” Clara Barton answered, “I not only don’t remember, I distinctly remember forgetting that.” The Bible says to be gentle and ready to forgive, never holding grudges.

“Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.”

Colossians 3:13

To remember Remember to forget the wrongs done to you.

Moment 199

A Merry Heart

It has been said that our physical being is controlled to a large extent by our emotional state, whether it be at peace or in turmoil. The Bible says, “A merry heart maketh a cheerful countenance: but by sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken.” What effect does this have on us physically? Further on in the book of Proverbs we read:

“A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones.”

Proverbs 17:22

To remember A merry heart is good medicine.

Moment 200

A Sharp Tongue

Washington Irving once said, “A sharp tongue is the only edged tool that grows keener with constant use.” Someone else has said, “The only person who should run people down is the elevator boy.” Let us pray like the man in Psalm 19. Here are the words of his prayer:

“Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer.”

Psalm 19:14

To remember Pray that your words please the Lord.

Moment 201

Does Your Life Need a Label?

Mr. Spurgeon wrote some years ago, “When I went to school, we drew such things as houses, horses and trees, and used to write the word ‘house’ under the picture of the house, and the word ‘horse’ under the picture of the horse; otherwise some people might have mistaken the house for a horse.” He went on to say, “There are some people who need to wear a label around their necks to show they are Christians.” How about you? Would anyone guess you are a Christian if you did not tell them? The Bible says:

“By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.”

John 13:35

To remember Let your love show you belong to Christ—no label needed.

Moment 202

Every Idle Word

Are the words we speak important in God’s eyes? The Lord Jesus said, “Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things.” It does matter what comes out of our mouths. The Lord Jesus says further in Matthew chapter 12:

“But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment.”

Matthew 12:36

To remember Our words matter to God—every one of them.

Moment 203

Everybody Act Medium

Two children built a clubhouse in their yard. On the wall, in childish lettering, was a list of club rules. Rule number one read: “Nobody act big. Nobody act small. Everybody act medium.” Pretty good rules, even for older people. Listen to Psalm two:

“Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing? … He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision.”

Psalm 2:1, 4

To remember Nobody act big, nobody act small—everybody act medium.

Moment 204

For Those Who Love

It has been said that time is too slow for those who wait, too swift for those who fear, too long for those who grieve, and too short for those who rejoice. But for those who love, time is not. In John’s Gospel, Jesus gave His disciples a new commandment. The message of the Lord Jesus is a message of love in a world of hate. God so loved that He gave.

“A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.”

John 13:34–35

To remember Love one another as Christ has loved us.

Moment 205

Into God’s Sanctuary

Do you envy? Are you envious of someone right now? A man in the Bible had that problem. He wrote, “I was envious at the foolish, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.” Then one day he went into God’s sanctuary to meditate, and thought about the future of these evil men. Later he comments, “So foolish was I.” As he meditates on the Lord, he comes to this conclusion:

“Whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is none upon earth that I desire beside thee. My flesh and my heart faileth: but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever.”

Psalm 73:25–26

To remember Envy fades when we see that God Himself is our portion.

Moment 206

Responsible for His Face

It is reported that one of President Lincoln’s advisers recommended a certain man for his cabinet. Lincoln turned him down. When the aide asked why, the president replied, “I don’t like his face.” His adviser countered, “But the poor fellow isn’t responsible for his face.” Lincoln said, “Every man over forty is responsible for his face.” There’s a gospel song that goes something like this: “Let the beauty of Jesus be seen in me.” And in Psalm 90 we read:

“And let the beauty of the LORD our God be upon us: and establish thou the work of our hands upon us…”

Psalm 90:17

To remember Let the beauty of Jesus be seen in your face.

Moment 207

The Beginning of Greatness

D. L. Moody said, “The beginning of greatness is to be little; the increase of greatness is to be less; and the perfection of greatness is to be nothing.” Paul tells us in his letter to the Philippians that our attitude should be the kind shown us by Jesus Christ, who, though He was God, laid aside His glory, took the form of a servant, and became like men. And He humbled Himself even further, going so far as to die a criminal’s death on a cross.

“Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: … he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.”

Philippians 2:5, 8

To remember True greatness begins with humility, like Jesus.

Moment 208

The Family of Success

Someone has well said, “The father of success is work. The mother of success is ambition. The oldest son is common sense. Some of the boys are honesty, thoroughness and enthusiasm. The oldest daughter is character. Some of the sisters are cheerfulness, loyalty and harmony.” Get acquainted with the father, remember his name—work—and you will get along well with the rest of the family. The Bible says, in the book of Proverbs:

“In all labour there is profit: but the talk of the lips tendeth only to penury.”

Proverbs 14:23

To remember Get to know hard work, and success’s whole family follows.

Moment 209

The Fruit of Your Life

What is the fruit of your life? Just as a growing tree produces fruit, there are certain characteristics which should be evident in our lives if we belong to the Lord Jesus Christ. When the Holy Spirit controls our lives, He produces this kind of fruit in us. When others see these things in our lives, they’re actually seeing the product of God’s workmanship within us, making us more and more like Christ. The Bible says:

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.”

Galatians 5:22–23

To remember When the Spirit is in control, others see Christ’s fruit in us.

Moment 210

The Memory of the Heart

Someone has written, “Gratitude is the memory of the heart.” It is a song of the soul in the presence of the goodness of God. Little people are rarely thankful; grateful people are never small. In the Old Testament we read of Daniel praying and giving thanks to God three times a day. A question: Are you a thankful person? In the New Testament the Apostle Paul wrote to the Corinthians these words:

“I thank my God always on your behalf, for the grace of God which is given you by Jesus Christ.”

1 Corinthians 1:4

To remember Grateful people are never small.

Moment 211

The Weight of a Single Word

Wilfred Funk, the dictionary publisher, suggested some of the most impressive words in the English language. Here are some of them: alone, the bitterest word; mother, the most revered; forgotten, the saddest; faith, the word that brings the greatest comfort; love, the most beautiful; revenge, the cruelest; no, the coldest word. You can probably think of some more. We should use great care in our use of words, even single words. Our prayer should be like the one in the Bible:

“Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer.”

Psalm 19:14

To remember Choose your words with care; even one word carries weight.

Moment 212

The Whole Truth About Sugar

Here’s a story that comes out of World War II and sugar rationing. A woman went to the ration board for extra sugar stamps. She said, “All the sugar we have in the house is what’s on the kitchen table.” The official asked, “Well, how much is that?” The little one at her side gave the answer: “Two hundred pounds.” She didn’t tell the rest of the story, did she? What she said was true, but it was not the whole truth. The Bible says, in the letter to the Colossians:

“Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds.”

Colossians 3:9

To remember A half-truth can still be a lie; tell the whole truth.

Moment 213

Then Came Television

Have you heard this saying? “Most of man’s inventions have been time-savers. Then came television.” It is true that time is like money; it can be wasted or invested. Let us pray like the man in the Bible, in Psalm 90:

“So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.”

Psalm 90:12

To remember Time, like money, can be wasted or invested—invest it well.

Moment 214

Thinking of My Sister

A mother said to her son, “Why, Bobby, you ate all of that cake without thinking of your sister!” “Oh, I was thinking of her all the time,” said Bobby. “I was afraid she would come before I finished it.” Certainly children are not the only ones who think only of themselves. Someone has commented, “A person wrapped up in himself makes a very small package.” The Bible says:

“Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.”

Philippians 2:4

To remember Don’t be wrapped up in yourself—think of others.

Moment 215

We’ve Read the Last Chapter

Someone has said that an optimist is a person who believes that a housefly is looking for a way out. I assume this means that this person will not use a flyswatter. You’ve all heard that an optimist sees the glass as half full, while the pessimist sees it as half empty. A Christian has the right to be an optimist. In the Bible we get to read the last chapter. We know about the future because God has told us about it in His Word. Listen to this verse:

“But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day.”

Proverbs 4:18

To remember A Christian can be an optimist—we know how the story ends.

Moment 216

What Success Really Is

Someone has defined success as being able to carry money without spending it, to keep on a job until it’s finished, to do one’s duty even when one is not watched, and to bear an injustice without retaliating. This is success. The Lord Jesus said:

“Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven.”

Matthew 5:11–12

To remember True success includes bearing injustice without striking back.

Moment 217

When Jealousy Rots Away

Did I hear you say, “I have so many jealous thoughts. I really want things that other people have. I’m so miserable. What should I do?” The Bible says never envy the wicked; trust in the Lord instead, and be kind and good to others. In Proverbs we read that a relaxed attitude lengthens a man’s life, but jealousy rots it away. Those verses were from the Old Testament. From the New: love is patient and kind, and love envieth not.

“Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity. For they shall soon be cut down like the grass … Trust in the LORD, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed.”

Psalm 37:1–3

To remember Trust the Lord instead of envying others.

Moment 218

When People Talk About You

What is your response when people talk about you? What do you do when others gossip about you and your family, or when someone lies about you? Do you immediately defend yourself? One of the writers of the Psalms must have had that problem. God gave him the answer, and he passes it on to us in Psalm 37: don’t fret because of the wicked; trust in the Lord, and do good. And then:

“Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass. And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noonday.”

Psalm 37:5–6

To remember Commit your way to the Lord, and let Him clear your name.

Moment 219

Winners and Losers

Here are some definitions of winners and losers. A winner says, “Let’s find out.” A loser says, “Nobody knows.” When a winner makes a mistake, he says, “I was wrong.” When a loser makes a mistake, he says, “It wasn’t my fault.” A winner tries to learn from those who are superior to him. A loser tries to tear down those who are superior to him. In the book of Proverbs we have many good verses for winners and losers. Here’s one in Proverbs chapter eighteen:

“A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.”

Proverbs 18:24

To remember Winners make friends by being friendly.

Moment 220

Words You May Have to Eat

There’s a bit of poetry with some good advice in it: “Be careful of the words you speak; make them soft and sweet. You never know from day to day which ones you’ll have to eat.” The world’s record for nonstop speaking is 144 hours, held by a man in Minnesota. A woman from New York holds the women’s record. She started talking in Buffalo, New York, and didn’t stop until she was in Tulsa, Oklahoma—a total of 110 hours and 30 minutes. We need to use care in the words we speak. Here’s a good prayer for each one of us, from Psalm 141:

“Set a watch, O LORD, before my mouth; keep the door of my lips.”

Psalm 141:3

To remember Speak soft, sweet words; you may have to eat them.

Moment 221

A Page from Paul’s Notebook

It’s been said the reason so many people don’t live within their income is that they don’t consider that living. Making a budget, balancing the family budget—all of these seem hard to do in the day in which we live. Wouldn’t it be wise to take a page out of the Apostle Paul’s notebook? In the same chapter of Philippians he also wrote, “But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” Note: He did not promise to supply all our wants. Here is what Paul wrote to the Philippians:

“Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.”

Philippians 4:11

To remember Contentment is learned, and God supplies every real need.

Moment 222

If You Won a Million

In this day of lotteries and sweepstakes, you name it, we sometimes hear the question: If you won a million, or several million, what would you do with the money? People come up with many answers. In fact, some people probably lie awake at night figuring out what they would do with all that money. The Bible has a verse on that subject. Let me read it to you from Mark chapter eight:

“For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?”

Mark 8:36

To remember Gain the whole world and lose your soul, and you lose it all.

Moment 223

In Times of Shortage

We sometimes hear the word “shortage” these days. Sometimes it’s a shortage of oil or gasoline. For someone else it’s a shortage of money. Are you in need today? Many people are. In Bible times we read of famines. Sometimes the Apostle Paul had difficult times. Listen as he writes about them:

“…I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound… I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.”

Philippians 4:11–13

To remember In want or plenty, Christ gives strength and contentment.

Moment 224

Needs, Not Wants

Do you ever worry about whether you and your family will survive in this world of rising prices and increased unemployment? Though a man spends a lifetime trying to gain financial security, there is none, even for the rich. We hear of rich people losing all they have and more. Yet the Bible speaks a great deal about security. This promise is written to believers, born-again ones. Study the background in the Book of Philippians, chapter four, and obey the Lord. Claim His promise, but note carefully—He promises to meet our needs, not our wants.

“But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.”

Philippians 4:19

To remember God promises to meet our needs, not every want.

Moment 225

Thankful Though Robbed

Matthew Henry, who wrote a Bible commentary, was once stopped by thieves and robbed of his money. He wrote these words in his diary: “Let me be thankful, first, because I was never robbed before; second, because although they took my purse, they did not take my life; third, because although they took my all, it was not much; and fourth, because it was I who was robbed, and not I who robbed.” The Bible says:

“Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven…”

Matthew 6:19–20

To remember Treasure in heaven can never be stolen.

Moment 226

The Jonker Diamond

Have you ever heard the name Jacobus Jonker? He and his family lived near Pretoria, South Africa. He was a poor prospector, but on a rainy day in 1934, Jacobus stumbled onto an unusual, muddy stone about the size of a hen’s egg. It became known as the Jonker Diamond. It was white, tinged with blue, and weighed 726 carats in its rough form. He received $350,000 for that stone. Did you know that there’s treasure to be found in the Bible? Not dollars and cents—treasure. Yes, in the Bible you’ll find instructions on how to lay up treasures in heaven.

“But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal.”

Matthew 6:20

To remember The Bible shows us treasure no diamond can match.

Moment 227

The Most Miserable Man on Earth

You say, “If I had lots of money, I’d be happy.” Would you? Jay Gould was worth approximately seventy-two million dollars. When dying, he declared, “I suppose I am the most miserable devil on earth.” Where is true happiness to be found? The answer is in Christ alone. One of the writers of the Psalms declared, “He satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness.” And Jesus said:

“I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.”

John 6:35

To remember Money can’t satisfy the soul; only Christ can.

Moment 228

Treasures That Stay on Earth

Security—safety, certainty and enjoyment. What is the basis of your security? Do you depend on a bank account, on insurance, on a job, on friends or relatives, or on your health? All of these can be lost. In the Bible there’s a short story about a man who had everything and thought he had all he needed, but God said to him, “Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be?” Yes, the treasures on earth must stay on earth. The Lord Jesus said:

“Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven… For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.”

Matthew 6:19–21

To remember Earthly treasure stays behind; treasure in heaven is safe forever.

Moment 229

What Money Cannot Buy

Money will buy a bed, but not sleep. Money will buy a book, but not brains. Money will buy a house, but not a home. Money will buy medicine, but not health. There are so many things that money cannot buy. When we have the Lord Jesus Christ and have trusted Him as Savior, we have all we need. In Christ we have life—everlasting life, life more abundant. He said in John chapter 10:

“I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.”

John 10:10

To remember Money buys many things, but only Christ gives life.

Moment 230

Where Do You Think You Are?

The story is told of a man who could have anything he wanted by only wishing for it. He wished for a mansion, servants, an expensive sports car, a yacht—and presto, they were his. At first it was exciting. Then it became boring. Finally he said, “I want to get out of here. I want to create something, to suffer something. I’d rather be in hell than here.” Someone beside him answered, “Where do you think you are?” The Bible warns over and over again against covetousness. Luke 12:15:

“Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.”

Luke 12:15

To remember Real living does not depend on how much we have.

Moment 231

A New Year, a New Life

Do you ever make New Year’s resolutions? Many people do. Sometimes they break them right away, but they try anyway. Have you ever asked God to help you with your life? You should begin by asking Him to take away your sins. Ask the Lord Jesus into your heart and life. He will take away your load of sin and give you a new life—life with a capital L, life eternal. A new year and a new life begin when you make that decision. Here’s the way the Lord Jesus describes that new life:

“And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.”

John 10:28

To remember Begin the new year with new life in Jesus Christ.

Moment 232

Stones of Remembrance

Some thoughts about Memorial Day. For me it brings back memories of walking through the Newbern Cemetery and the Mount Pleasant Cemetery, where many relatives are buried. Overseas, gazing at the many white crosses in the United States military cemetery near Manila, Philippines, the largest of the overseas cemeteries—seventeen thousand who didn’t come back from the war. And so we remember. In the Bible we read of Joshua setting up memorial stones after Israel passed through the Jordan River on dry ground. And so today we set up stones in cemeteries to remember loved ones. I’m also reminded of another memorial, the Lord’s Supper. We remember Him each time we break the bread and drink the cup.

“And these stones shall be for a memorial unto the children of Israel for ever.”

Joshua 4:7

To remember Remember loved ones—and remember the Lord who gave Himself for us.

Moment 233

Thank God for People

Some thoughts for Thanksgiving. Someone has said God intends that we love people and use things, but we often love things and use people. A newspaper ad illustrates this: “Farmer wants to marry woman, 35, with tractor. Send picture of tractor.” We smile, but are we not in danger of placing too much value on things? One man said he thanked God for tea; he was glad he was not born before tea. But more important, we should thank God for people. Name them—the list is long. And have you ever thanked God for the Lord Jesus Christ, for His dying on the cross of Calvary for your sins?

“Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift.”

2 Corinthians 9:15

To remember Thank God for things, more for people, most for Jesus.

Moment 234

Thank You on His Palm

James Stewart of Hull, England, was described as a professional beggar. Stewart had “Thank You” tattooed on the palm of his hand. As we think of being thankful, someone has said the hardest arithmetic to master is that which enables us to count our blessings. The Bible says in Psalm 95:

“O come, let us sing unto the LORD: let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation. Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise unto him with psalms.”

Psalm 95:1–2

To remember Learn the hard arithmetic of counting your blessings.

Moment 235

The Greatest Christmas Gift

A Christmas question: Why did the Lord Jesus come to planet Earth? We have the answer over and over in the sacred Scriptures. In the Gospel according to John we read:

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

John 3:16

To remember Eternal life is the greatest Christmas gift—have you received it?

Moment 236

Why Jesus Came

A Christmas question: Why did the Lord Jesus come to this planet Earth? He answered this Himself. If you are lost in sin—yes, a sinner—then you qualify for His salvation. Ask Him to be your personal Savior, and you’ll receive the greatest gift this Christmas: new life through Jesus Christ. He said:

“For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.”

Luke 19:10

To remember Jesus came at Christmas to seek and save the lost.

The Philippines Messengers 60 Project

Messenger 8 Quick Start Guide (PDF) ↗ · Full User Guide (PDF) ↗ · Sa Tagalog (PDF) ↗

Hide God’s Word in Your Heart

The work my father began continues through the Kenneth Ercil Engle Philippines Messengers 60 Project.

Through a local church, participants memorize 60 Bible verses. When they finish, they earn a solar-powered audio Bible with the complete Scriptures in English and Tagalog, 60 gospel messages, a flashlight and an AM radio. God’s Word in their own hands, wherever they live.

You can start today with the verses in this book.

“Your word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against You.”

Psalm 119:11

keepm.org

The Plaque on Dad’s Wall

The plaque Dad hung in every office he ever had, Colossians 1:28, beside his photo from the memorial service. The work goes on.

Colossians 1:28

Every Man Perfect in Christ

The wooden plaque on Dad’s wall carried Colossians 1:28 in J. B. Phillips’ translation. Wherever he worked, it was in front of him. Here is the same verse in the King James Version:

“Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus.”

Colossians 1:28, KJV

That verse was in front of Dad through his twenty-four years in the Philippines. Through keepm.org, the work goes on.