Daily Devotions For The Deaf

Although lightning can sometimes be scary, I love to watch lightning steak across the sky. Often the colors in lightning are amazing. A lightning bolt moves at 3,700 miles per second. That is very fast! In our Bible Reading, Jesus compares His return to earth with lightning. “When the Son of Man comes again, you will know it. On that day he will shine like lightning flashes across the sky” (verse 24). This verse tells me that when Jesus comes again, all people will be able to see Him. And, it will happen very fast. Jesus also talked about that day in Mark 13:32: “No one knows when that day or time will be. The Son and the angels in heaven don’t know when that day or time will be . Only the Father knows.” Because Jesus’ coming will happen very fast, we need to always be ready. The Bible teaches us how to have a right relationship with God. Study and obey God’s Word. Then you will be ready to meet Jesus!

One of the most destructive weather events that can happen to a farm crop is hail. I have seen entire fields of corn ripped apart by a hailstorm. Our Bible Reading today tells us about one of the ten terrible happenings that God sent on the land of Egypt. God sent hail, thunder and lightning. That must have been an awful storm! “It was the worst hailstorm that had ever hit Egypt since it had become a nation. The storm destroyed everything in the fields in Egypt. The hail destroyed people, animals, and plants. The hail also broke all the trees in the field” (verses 24b-25). These verses show us two things about God. First, God is all-powerful. Second, they show us that God takes care of His people. Verse 26 tells us the only place that did not get hail was Goshen, the area where the Israelites lived. God took care of the Israelites, and He takes care of Christians today. Depend on God every day. He will never fail you!

When my children were little, we liked to look at clouds. Some looked like an elephant or a crocodile. Others looked like the face of a person or a flower. I have seen some awesome clouds in my life. But I think nothing can compare with the cloud talked about in our Bible Reading today. These verses tell us that God visibly led the Israelites out of Egypt on their journey to a new land. “During the day, he used a tall cloud to lead the people. And during the night, he used a tall column of fire to lead the way” (verse 21b). That cloud must have been very large and very special. It would have been easy for the Israelites to follow it. Sometimes I wish that God would use a special cloud to help me know which way I should go in life. But He doesn’t do that! Instead, I have God’s Word, the Bible, to be my guide through life. Follow the Bible today. God’s Word will help you stay on the right path.

Some mornings when I drive to Deaf Missions, it is foggy outside. I may drive through dense fog for miles. Then suddenly the fog is completely gone and I can see the sun shining. In our Bible Reading today, James talked about fog. In verse 14 he said, “You don’t know what will happen tomorrow. Your life is like a fog. You can see it for a short time, but then it goes away.” James is talking about the shortness of life. When compared to eternity, our lives on earth are very short. Because our lives are short, we should use our time wisely. We should not waste our time worrying about getting more money or possessions or fame. Instead, we should think about obeying God and teaching other people about Jesus and His plan of salvation. God has given you this day. You don’t know what may happen tomorrow. Use today to serve and glorify God!

We had an early morning rain shower this week. While I was driving to work, I saw a double rainbow. I think rainbows are some of the most beautiful things in nature. An Irish legend says that a pot of gold is hidden at the end of a rainbow. But our Bible verses for today tell us that God’s rainbow is far more important than a pot of gold. Noah obeyed God by building a big boat to save his family and some animals from the flood. After Noah came out of the boat, God told him, “When I see this rainbow, I will remember the agreement between me and you and every living thing on the earth. This agreement says that a flood will never again destroy all life on earth” (verse 15). Rainbows remind me that God always keeps His promises. God has promised that Jesus will come and take His followers to live with Him. God promised that — so we can know for sure that it will happen!

I used to live in upstate New York where we would get about 100 inches of snow in winter. It was exciting to wake up in the morning and see the ground covered with pure white snow! In our Bible Reading today, the prophet Isaiah gave the Israelites a message from God. In the first part of this chapter, Isaiah warned them about the bad things they had been doing. But in verse 16 he told them what they should do: “Stop doing the evil things I see you do. Stop doing wrong.” Sometimes it is hard for us to be close to God. We think that our sins are so bad that God could never forgive us. But here is what God told the Israelites:“Even if your sins are as dark as red dye, that stain can be removed and you will be as pure as wool that is as white as snow” (verse 18b). When we ask God to forgive us and we follow His plan, He removes our sins and makes us “white as snow.” Ask God to forgive you and help you obey Him today.

There are many Bible verses that talk about weather. All of these verses show us that God is in control of our weather. Today and for the next nine days, we will look at Bible verses about weather. God promised that He would take care of the Israelites. But God expected the Israelites to obey His commands. In verse 13 God said, “You must listen carefully to the commands I give you today: You must love the Lord your God, and serve him with all your heart and all your soul.” Then God told the Israelites that if they would do that, He would send rain for their land at the right time (verse 14a). The Israelites needed rain so they could grow food for themselves and their animals. God said that if they would obey His commands, He would provide them with rain. God expects us to obey Him, too. When we do, God will provide for us and bless us. Do you have a right relationship with God? Are you obeying His commands today?

When a farm animal dies while giving birth, the farmer must find a way to keep the baby animal alive. Sometimes another mother animal will accept the baby as her own. She will feed the baby and take care of it just like it was her own. Before we know Jesus, we live in sin. We are separated from God. But when we follow and obey Jesus, He forgives our sins. Then God accepts us and makes us His children and gives us His spiritual blessings. Verse 5 of our Bible Reading says, “And before the world was made, God decided to make us his own children through Jesus Christ. That was what God wanted, and it pleased him to do it.” Isn’t that wonderful? God wants us to be His children. He wants to give us good things. God wants us to call Him “Father.” Even if you do not have a good relationship with your earthly family, you can have an eternal relationship with God. I am one of God’s children. I hope that you are, too.

My grandson is a missionary in Africa. I talk with him through e-mail and Facebook. One day I asked him some questions. I waited for his answers, but his e-mail was down. He was not able to answer my questions for several days. I waited and waited. I did not like waiting for his answers. I was not very patient. The time when Jesus comes back will be an exciting day. Our Bible verses today tell us about the hope that we have in Jesus. Therefore, we should be willing to wait patiently for Him. 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 tells us, “The Lord himself will come down from heaven with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God…We will be taken up in the clouds and meet the Lord in the air. And we will be with the Lord forever.” It will be so wonderful when Jesus returns and takes His followers to live with Him forever. We should wait patiently for that time. Thank God today for helping you wait patiently for Jesus.

I have a terrible sense of direction, so I have a GPS (Global Positioning System) in my car. It is wonderful! I follow the directions given by the GPS. If I make a mistake, it recalculates and gets me back on the right road again. One time I was in a different state. My GPS broke when I was between the airport and my hotel. I had no idea what to do. I did not want to make any turns because I was afraid of being even more lost! That’s how it is with people who want to follow God but do not read and study the Bible. Our Bible verses remind us how important it is to study God’s Word. Verse 11 says, “I study your teaching very carefully so that I will not sin against you.” When we follow the Bible, we can know that we are on the way that leads to God. Then we don’t have to worry. We can concentrate on doing things that please God. You can have a life of peace and confidence when you follow God’s Word.

Many people are very skilled at using a computer program called Photoshop. I use that program almost every day, but I am not skilled in using it. I love to use calligraphy, too. But I don’t have the ability to create masterpieces like some people do. I am not skilled in Photoshop or calligraphy because I have not practiced enough. It takes time and effort to become skilled at these things. In our Bible verses today, Jesus told His apostles that He was sharing some special wisdom with them. Why did Jesus do this? Because these twelve men gave up their families and jobs to follow Him. These men were willing to give up their lives for Jesus. It takes time and effort for us to become skilled at learning from the Bible. But when we are willing to read God’s Word every day and study it carefully, God will help us understand more about Him and His plan for our lives. Take time to read the Bible and search for God’s wisdom.

Many years ago, something bad happened to me in my house. I had so many bad memories that I didn’t want to even be in my house. On Sundays I went to a friend’s house after church. She cooked dinner for me, and we laughed and talked. But when it became dark she said, “I know you don’t want to go home, but you’ve got to go.” A few months later a hurricane destroyed my house, and I had to rebuild. I felt like all my bad memories were washed away when my home was destroyed. Our Bible verses talk about our eternal home with God. One day everything here on earth will be destroyed, even our physical bodies. “But when that happens, God will have a home for us to live in. It will not be the kind of home people build here. It will be a home in heaven that will continue forever” (verse 1b). I obey and follow Jesus every day. Now I can’t wait to go to my heavenly home and live forever with God.

We are all sinners. When we decide to make Jesus our Lord and Savior, He forgives our sins and makes us pure. Then we try to follow and obey Jesus every day. When we do that, other people will see Jesus living in us. I work with many people who are not Christians. I try to live so that my co-workers will see that I am different than they are. When I act differently, they ask me why I don’t do certain things or say certain words. Then I am able to tell them about Jesus and how He has changed me. In our Bible Reading today, Paul lists many things that we should not do. Then he includes a list of characteristics that the Holy Spirit helps us develop in our lives. “But the fruit that the Spirit produces in a person’s life is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control” (verses 22-23a). Think about your life. Do other people see Jesus living in you?

In the Bible God gives us special instructions. He tells us what He wants us to do and what He does not want us to do. God expects us to obey His instructions. Why? Because God knows what is best for us. His instructions help us live the best life we can. 1 John 5:17a says, “Doing wrong is always sin.” This verse means three things. First, sin is doing something that God says is wrong. Second, sin is also not doing what God says we should do. And third, sin is living as if God isn’t real or isn’t important. None of us can perfectly obey all of God’s instructions all the time. No matter how hard we try, we all sin. Verse 23 of our Bible Reading today tells us, “All have sinned and are not good enough to share God’s divine greatness.” That is why we need Jesus. Jesus never sinned. He died on the cross to take the punishment we deserve for our sins. Ask God to forgive you when you sin. Then let Him help you obey His instructions every day.

The other day I realized I had forgotten to water my favorite plant that week. I quickly got a cup of water and poured it on the plant. Soon the plant started to come back to life. This plant helps me remember that I need good Christian friends to help me stay spiritually strong. Just as a plant needs water, I need friends who will help me live close to God. When I have a bad day or I am depressed, I need Christian friends to help me remember the joys and blessings that God has given to me. In our Bible verses today, the writer tells us several things that will help us as we try to live for God every day. Verse 26a says, “Good people are careful about choosing their friends.” You should not choose bad people to be your close friends. Instead you should choose Christians to be your best friends. They will help you guard your heart against the devil’s attacks. Thank your Christian friends today for helping you stay on the way that leads to God.