Daily Devotions For The Deaf

Verse 33 of our Bible Reading says, “Lord, teach me your laws, and I will always follow them.” If we want God to teach us His laws, we must pay attention. A good place to learn God’s laws is at church. When we are at church we should pay attention to our teachers and pastors. God’s Word is very important, and we should be excited to learn. Sometimes at church it is hard to pay attention. We may be distracted by other people or by thinking about what we will do after church. Here are a few ways to help you stay focused on a lesson or sermon. First, think about God before you go to church. This helps you prepare your mind to pay attention. Second, when the teacher or pastor reads Bible verses, try to follow along in your own Bible. Third, take notes so you will remember what was taught. Studying God’s Word will help you stay spiritually strong. I hope you will try some of these ideas so you can pay attention and grow in your faith.

When you bake something, you need to follow the instructions carefully so it will turn out right. When I was young, I tried to make banana bread by myself. I glanced at the recipe and thought I knew what I was doing. When it was done, it tasted awful. Then I realized I had added soda pop instead of baking soda! The Bible is our instruction book for life. We need to read and study it carefully and then obey it. If we do that, we will learn more about God and what He wants us to do. When we learn something from the Bible, we need to apply that to our everyday lives. In our Bible Reading today, John tells us that “when we obey God’s teaching, his love is truly working in us” (verse 5a). When we know God’s Word and obey it, we will be able to love God more and to share that love with other people. Are you reading and studying God’s Word every day? Read from the Bible today and obey what God says. Then share God’s love with people around you.

Yesterday we talked about feeling like you are in a desert place in your life. I felt like that when my boys were young. My husband and I tried to earn money to pay our bills. But it seemed that we never had enough money. One morning I woke up feeling worried and nervous about our financial situation. I sat down at our piano and started playing hymns. I relaxed as I thought about the words that praised God. Suddenly I realized that I could give piano lessons to earn some money. I started teaching piano lessons, and the extra money was just what we needed. In our Bible verses, Moses was in a dry desert place. God told Moses to go to Egypt and free the Israelites from slavery. Moses didn’t think he could do this. But God told Moses, “You can do it because I will be with you” (verse 12b). God was with Moses and helped him lead the Israelites out of Egypt. God helped Moses, and He helped my family. Turn to God today and let Him help you, too.

Sometimes people say that they feel like they are in the desert. That doesn’t mean that they are in a dry place on earth. It means that they are confused and don’t know what to do in life. In our Bible Reading, a woman named Hagar was in a dry desert place. Abraham had sent her and her son, Ishmael, away. Soon Hagar ran out of water. She and Ishmael started to cry. Verse 17a says, “God heard the boy crying, and God’s angel called to Hagar from heaven. He said, ‘What is wrong, Hagar? Don’t be afraid!’” Then God allowed Hagar to see a well, and she was able to get some water to drink. God continued to take care of Hagar and Ishmael as they lived in the desert. When we face a difficult situation or we are confused about what we should do, we can always ask God for help. He will help us through our bad times and continue to lead us every day. Maybe you feel like you are in the desert today. You are not alone. God is with you. Ask Him to help you!

I love to see things that people create. Some people can make fancy wedding cakes. Others can sign beautiful poems. And some people can write and direct an emotional Christmas play. In our Bible Reading, Paul tells us that God has given us different gifts. Some Christians are gifted with teaching, preaching or encouraging. Others can interpret or build a beautiful church building. Some people can prepare a nourishing meal or welcome guests into their home. But Paul reminds us not to become proud of the gifts that God gives us. “Don’t think that you are better than you really are. You must see yourself just as you are. Decide what you are by the faith God has given each of us” (verse 3b). Paul also says that we have these gifts because of God’s grace (verse 6). Whatever gift God has given you, be sure to do your best to use it for God’s kingdom. Find a way to use your gift as you serve God.

Firemen have special clothing and equipment to protect them when they are fighting a fire. These things are helpful, but sometimes firemen must do something special to keep safe. My husband used to drive a fire truck. One time a fireman was 40 feet up on a ladder. Suddenly, the wall of the building started to fall. My husband quickly swung the ladder away from the wall just in time. However, my husband didn’t notice that the back of his coat was smoking. Another fireman turned a hose on him and put out the fire. That is how the firemen saved each other from injury. In our Bible Reading today, Isaiah talks about how God loves His people and takes care of them. God loves us so much that He was willing to send His only Son to die for our sins. Just as firemen work hard to keep each other safe from the fire, God has saved us from eternal punishment. Praise and thank God for salvation through Jesus.

I taught math for 35 years. Because I had a job, I didn’t have much free time. But four years ago, my life changed. I retired! Now I have plenty of free time. One of the many things that I now enjoy doing in my free time is gardening. Gardening is a perfect example of one of the promises God made to Noah and his family. In verse 22 of today’s Bible Reading, God said, “As long as the earth continues, there will always be a time for planting and a time for harvest. There will always be cold and hot, summer and winter, day and night on earth.” God promised Noah and his family that there would always be seasons in their lives. This promise is for us today, too. Sometimes we make promises and we break them. But God never breaks His promises. The best promise from God is that Jesus will come again and take us to live forever with Him. Because God always keeps His promises, we can know for sure that Jesus will return. Praise God that we can always depend on His promises!

Today is our last devotion about children. The Bible shows us that adults can learn important lessons about praise by watching children. Most children are not afraid to worship God in front of other people. I have worked in childcare ministries and Vacation Bible Schools where children sang loudly to God. They prayed and repeated Bible verses. They are excited about what God has done for them. In our Bible verses for today, Jesus healed blind and crippled people in the temple area. The children that were there praised God. “The children were shouting, ‘Praise to the Son of David’” (verse 15b). This made the Jewish leaders angry. But Jesus reminded them that they should be praising God, too. The next time God does something wonderful for you, take time to praise Him. Tell other people what God has done for you. Sing a song. Write a poem. Don’t be ashamed to thank and praise God for what He has done for you!

My church has an outreach to families who are expecting the birth of a baby. After the baby is born, the pastor encourages the parents to dedicate their child to God. A baby’s dedication service is a time for worship, thanksgiving and celebration. Our pastor encourages the new parents to raise their child to love and follow God. Our pastor also gives the parents a tiny rosebud in a vase. Later, the rosebud opens and becomes a flower. This is a symbol of how a child should grow and mature in Christ. Our Bible Reading today tells us that some people brought their children to Jesus. He blessed the children and prayed for them. It is never too early to start teaching children about God and Jesus. Sing about God’s love as you rock a baby to sleep. Repeat Bible verses as you travel in the car with young children. Be sure to pray for the children in your life, and show them how to grow and live for Jesus.

We will continue today to talk about children.Some people in Bible times thought that children were not very important. But in our Bible Reading today, Jesus used a little child to teach His followers about God’s kingdom. Verses 2 and 3 tell us that “Jesus called a little child to come to him. He stood the child in front of the followers. Then he said, ‘The truth is, you must change your thinking and become like little children. If you don’t do this, you will never enter God’s kingdom.’” Children are good examples for Christians. Why? Because children are humble, loving and trusting. Jesus knew the hearts of His followers. Some of them were not humble and loving. They were filled with pride and hate. Jesus wanted His followers to understand that they needed to change so they could be part of God’s kingdom. I hope you will be humble, loving and trusting like a child today.

I grew up in a family of five children. Our neighbors across the street had six children. The family who lived on the corner of our block had twelve children! Today large families are not as common as they used to be. But in the past, families needed lots of children to help with the family farm and their home. People thought that large families were a blessing from God. Verse 3 of our Bible Reading today tells us, “Children are a gift from the Lord, a reward from a mother’s womb.” Think about a newborn baby. A baby is a special gift from God. Even a stubborn toddler or a rebellious teenager is a gift from God! Children are wonderful, but we need to remember that God has given us the great responsibility of teaching them about Him. Thank God today for the precious children in your life. And don’t forget to teach them about their loving heavenly Father.

What are you afraid of? Maybe you are afraid of fire, the dark, being alone or spiders. Even Jesus’ disciples were afraid sometimes. They were afraid when they were in the storm on Lake Galilee (Matthew 8:23-27). They thought they would drown. But Jesus calmed the wind and the waves. Verse 1a of our Bible Reading says, “Great blessings belong to those who fear and respect the Lord.” What does this mean? Should we fear God like we fear the dark or spiders? Fearing God means that we love God and are totally devoted to Him. It means that we want to do things that please and honor Him instead of things that He does not like. There will be times in life when we may be afraid of something. That’s when we need to depend on the peace that Jesus gives us. But we also need to fear and respect God and His awesome power. God loves you and wants you to trust and honor Him.

I did not sleep well last night. We had a bad thunderstorm, and there was lots of thunder. Even if you are deaf and have never heard thunder, you have probably felt the vibrations that thunder produces. Thunder has always been a symbol of great power. Our Bible verses today tell us about the time when Moses met God on Mount Sinai. It was at this time that God gave Moses His commands for the Israelites. “On the morning of the third day, a thick cloud came down onto the mountain. There was thunder and lightning and a very loud sound from a trumpet” (verse 16). Then verse 19b says, “Every time Moses spoke to God, God answered him with a voice like thunder.” God is very loving and kind. But He is also great and powerful. We can read about His great power in the Bible. And we can see God’s power today through creation. Take time today to look at the world. Think about God’s power and thank Him for His goodness.

I used to live on a hill out in the country. It seemed that the wind was always blowing there. Sometimes I got tired of the wind and wished that it would stop blowing. But the wind is a very important part of our weather here on earth. The wind produces clouds and moves precipitation from place to place. Our Bible Reading today tells us about a time when the wind was blowing very hard on Lake Galilee. Jesus’ disciples were in a boat. It was nighttime, and the wind was blowing and making waves on the lake. Suddenly these disciples saw Jesus “walking on the water, coming to the boat” (verse 19). The disciples were afraid! But Jesus told them, “Don’t be afraid. It’s me” (verse 20b). This was a miracle — something that could only happen by God’s power. Jesus did many miracles to help people and to show them that He was truly God’s Son. We can read about Jesus’ miracles in the Bible. These help us know for sure that Jesus is the only way we can be saved and live forever with Him.

The sun gives light and heat to the earth. The sun gives us just the right amount of heat and light to help us live on our planet. Genesis, chapter 1, tells us that God made the sun. Genesis 1:16 calls the sun “the larger light.” The “smaller light” is the moon. We see the sun and what it does every day. In our Bible verses we learn about the New Jerusalem, the place where God will live forever with His followers. These verses describe a place where there “will be no more death, sadness, crying, or pain” (verse 4b). Verse 23 tells us that this city will not “need the sun or the moon to shine on it.” The glory of God will give the city light, and the Lamb (Jesus) will be the “city’s lamp” (verse 23b). I am excited to think about living forever with God in such a beautiful place. Have you given your life to God? Are you obeying Him and His Word every day? If you are obeying God, then you can look forward to this wonderful place and eternal life with Him.