Daily Devotions For The Deaf

Do you ever feel that the world is getting worse and evil is winning over good? I think that is how the prophet Habakkuk felt. Israel’s enemy, Babylon, was increasing in power. Habakkuk asked God about all the evil things that were happening. In our Bible verses today, God spoke to Habakkuk. God told him that He had a greater plan. It may have looked like evil was winning, but God said that His judgment is always fair. The purpose of God’s message to Habakkuk was to remind him that He is always in control of the world and what happens. When we look at the world and see bad things, we should not feel depressed. We should remember that God has a plan for everything, and His plan will not fail. Be sure that you stand strong on God’s truth by reading the Bible, praying, caring for others and having fellowship with other Christians.

Every day when I get up, I drink a glass of water. As I drink the water, I thank God for making water to refresh me and keep me alive. In our Bible Reading today, Jesus talked with a woman from Samaria. Jesus told the woman that He could give her “living water.” What Jesus meant was that He will give eternal life to people who follow and obey Him. “But anyone who drinks the water I give will never be thirsty again. The water I give people will be like a spring flowing inside them. It will bring them eternal life” (verse 14). When we follow and obey Jesus, we accept His “living water.” We change and find a new purpose in life. God gives us His Holy Spirit to guide and comfort us. As we serve God every day, we are filled with His peace and look forward to living forever with Him! I hope that you have accepted Jesus’ living water and are serving Him every day!

Elijah was a prophet who shared God’s message with people. Some Israelites had stopped worshiping God. These people worshiped the false god, Baal. In our Bible Reading today, Elijah gave a challenge to the followers of Baal. Elijah wanted to prove that God was the only true God. Elijah told the people (verse 21), “You must decide what you are going to do. How long will you keep jumping from one side to the other? If the Lord is the true God, follow him. But if Baal is the true God, then follow him!” Both the followers of Baal and Elijah prepared a sacrifice. The followers of Baal prayed to their god to send fire to burn up the sacrifice, but nothing happened. But when Elijah prayed to God, “fire came down from the Lord and burned the sacrifice, the wood, the stones, and the ground around the altar” (verse 38a). This proved that God was the one true God! God is the only One we should worship. Follow and serve Him all your life!

Sometimes we may feel afraid and think someone wants to hurt us. During these times, it can be easy to tell a lie and avoid the danger. That’s what Peter did in our Bible Reading today. Jesus had been arrested and taken before the Jewish leaders. Peter was waiting outside the place where Jesus was. Three times people said that Peter knew Jesus. And three times Peter told a lie. He said that he did not know Jesus. Why did Peter lie and deny Jesus? Probably Peter was afraid that he would be arrested, too. We are like Peter sometimes. We may tell a friend that we are not a Christian so they will not tease us. Or we may disobey God to show other people that we are just like they are. Jesus forgave Peter, and He will forgive us, too. But first we need to repent and ask for forgiveness. Don’t deny Jesus today. Show other people that You love and serve Him.

It was very foggy this morning when I drove to Deaf Missions. Sometimes the fog would lift a little and I could see the road ahead. But other times I could only see a few feet ahead of the car. I don’t like driving in fog. It is scary, and it can be dangerous. There have been times in my life when I have felt like I was surrounded by fog. These were times when I faced problems and I wasn’t sure what God wanted me to do. All I could do was depend on Him to lead me and show me the right way. Maybe that is how Abraham felt in our Bible verses today. God told Abraham to take his family and possessions and move to a new home far away. Abraham did not know where he was going, but he trusted God to lead him every step of the way. Ask God to lead you today. Trust Him like Abraham did.

Yesterday we talked about the Jews disobeying God. Ezra was very sad about their sin. Verse 1 of our Bible Reading says, “Ezra was praying and confessing. He was crying and bowing down in front of God’s Temple.” Then one man, Shecaniah, was very brave. He confessed that the Jews had sinned. “We have not been faithful to our God. We have married the people living around us. But even though we have done this, there is still hope for Israel” (verse 2b). Then Ezra, the priests and the rest of the Jews promised to obey God. It is often hard to admit that we have sinned. But after we confess our sin, other Christians will support us and help us to stay away from temptation. Thank God today for His amazing forgiveness! Follow Him and obey His Word.

Our Bible Reading today tells us about a time when God’s people did not obey Him. God had told the Jews that they should not allow their sons and daughters to marry foreigners who did not worship God. But the Jews disobeyed God! Ezra loved and worshiped God. He bravely confronted the Jews and told them that they had sinned against God. In verse 12 he reminded the people about God’s commands. “Obey my commands so that you will be strong and enjoy the good things of the land. And then you can keep this land and give it to your children.” God’s people sinned, but Ezra encouraged them to confess their sin, repent and start obeying God. We are sometimes like the Jews. We sin and turn away from God. God wants us to return to Him. He wants to bless us and help us not sin again. Confess your sin, change your heart and follow God. He is ready to forgive and bless you.

Many people are concerned that things seem to be getting worse in the world. More people are rebelling against God. Some people do not go to church. And many people do not believe in God. This is not the first time in history that these things have happened. In the Old Testament, we learn that the nation of Israel rebelled against God. Our Bible Reading tells us that the Lord appeared to Solomon after he finished building the Lord’s Temple and his own palace. The Lord said to Solomon, “...if my people who are called by my name become humble and pray, and look for me, and turn away from their evil ways, then I will hear them from heaven. I will forgive their sins and heal their land” (verse 14). What will happen to us if people continue to rebel and sin against God? Some people think that God will not forgive us. But I believe that if we become humble, pray, seek God and turn away from sin, then God will forgive us and heal our land. Be humble before God today. Ask Him to forgive you.

In our Bible Reading for today, Paul is quite an encourager! He took time to write a letter to encourage the Christians in Philippi. Paul was thankful for them. He told them they were so close to his heart. Paul informed them that he was praying for them and shared one of the prayers he had prayed for them. Paul expressed confidence that God would continue to work through the Christians in Philippi. These verses in Philippians are some of my favorite verses because they motivate me to be like Paul. I hope I am an encouragement to others like Paul was. Paul’s example inspires me to pray for others. Also, Paul’s words remind me that God will work through me until Jesus comes again. Do you encourage other people around you? Perhaps you can send a card to encourage someone. Take time to pray for others today. And remember that God Who began a good work in you will continue it until Jesus comes again! Don’t give up! Remain faithful to Him!

There are times in my life that I feel like the Apostle Paul when he writes in 1 Timothy 1:15b, “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, and I am the worst of them.” When I feel like I am the worst of sinners, then I think about verse 9 of our Bible Reading today. John says, “But if we confess our sins, God will forgive us. We can trust God to do this. He always does what is right. He will make us clean from all the wrong things we have done.” Oh, how thankful I am that I can confess my sins to God. I am very thankful that God forgives me. And I am thankful that God makes me clean from all the wrong things I have done. It is important to confess your sins. Be honest with God. He will forgive you. Trust Him to make you clean from all the wrong things you have done.

Today and the next few days, I will share with you some of my favorite Bible verses. I will also share what I have learned from these verses and how I apply them to my own life as I follow Jesus. When I read Romans 12:1-2, I am reminded of God’s great mercy. He sent Jesus to die on a cross so that my sins can be forgiven. Because of God’s mercy and sacrifice for me, I am encouraged to be a living sacrifice for Him. Because of what He has done, I am led to worship Him in every area of my life. These verses also challenge me to not be like people of this world. Instead, I am learning to let God change me inside. I want to accept what God wants for me and my life. And when I follow Him, I will be able to know what is good and pleasing to Him. His plans are always perfect. Apply these verses to your life. Give your life fully to God. Follow Him. Trust God and His plans for you.

Yesterday we talked about praising God. Verse 1 of our Bible Reading tells us to “shout praises to the Rock who saves us.” “Rock” is another name for God that reminds us He is all-powerful. God always pays attention to our praises. It does not matter if we use our voices or our hands. It does not matter if we sing or sign well. My father did not sing well. But he really enjoyed singing songs of praise to God. God paid attention to his praise, not his unskilled voice. Verse 6 tells us another way we can praise God. “Come, let us bow down and worship him! Let us kneel before the Lord who made us.” We should be humble when we worship and praise God. Verse 7 reminds us that we are God’s people and that He takes care of us. That is the reason to give Him our praise. Think about all the wonderful things God has done for you. Talk to God and praise Him today.

I do not know how many times we find the words “praise the Lord” in the Bible. But praising God is mentioned many times in the book of Psalms. So it must be a very important thing for us to do! The people who wrote the book of Psalms praised God many times. And they listed many reasons for praising God. Verse 8a of our Bible reading says, “The Lord is kind and merciful. He is patient and full of love.” We should praise God for His compassion and mercy. Verse 12 gives us another reason we should praise God. “And he has taken our sins as far away from us as the east is from the west.” This verse tells us that when God forgives our sins, they are gone forever! Verse 14a tells us that God “knows all about us.” God knew us even before we were born. That is another wonderful reason for praising God. Look through the book of Psalms today. I am sure you will find many more reasons to praise the Lord!

John wrote the book of 1 John to encourage Christians. In our Bible Reading, John continues to talk about the good things that God gives to Christians. John encourages the people to keep believing what they were taught — that Jesus is truly the Son of God. Why? So they could stay close to God. In verse 25, John tells us what Jesus promised to Christians. “And this is what the Son promised us — eternal life.” This verse gives us hope to continue following Jesus. We will receive eternal life with God. Can you imagine how wonderful that will be? This promise is probably God’s greatest promise. That’s why God sent Jesus to the world. That’s why God planned a way to forgive our sins. That’s why God wants us to be strong Christians. He wants us to live with Him forever and ever! Spend some time today thinking about living forever with God. Thank Him for His promise of eternal life.

All of us face temptations. Then it is our choice to sin or not to sin. Even Jesus was tempted to sin. (You may read about Jesus’ temptation in Matthew 4:1-11.) But Jesus chose not to sin. Sometimes when we are tempted, we think we cannot say “no” to temptation. But that is not true! Verse 13 of our Bible Reading is another promise from God. This verse reminds us that all people face the same temptations. This verse also tells us that God “will not let you be tempted more than you can bear. But when you are tempted, God will also give you a way to escape that temptation. Then you will be able to endure it.” Wow! This verse gives us comfort and strength. No matter what temptations we face, God will help us say “no.” Maybe you have a problem with sin in your life, and you think that you can’t say “no” to some temptations. But you can say “no.” Trust God to help you turn away from sin. He will give you the strength that you need.