Memorizing Scripture
Read Psalm 37:30–31; 119:9–16; Matthew 4:1–10
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Insight for Today
Written by Chuck Swindoll, these encouraging devotional thoughts are published seven days per week.
Fighting Extremes
Read Matthew 11:28–30
Strange, isn’t it, how we tend toward extremes? What begins as self-improvement becomes self-enslavement. What starts as merely a mellow change of pace leads to a marathon of fanaticism. We’re nuts! Left to ourselves, we’ll opt for extremes almost every time. Which explains why God’s Book so often addresses moderation and self-control, softening our sharp-cornered lives with more curves that necessitate a slower speed.
The Value of Confidentiality
Read Proverbs 25:19
Can you keep a secret?
Can you? Be honest, now. When privileged information passes through one of the gates of your senses, does it remain within the walls of your mind? Or is it only a matter of time before a leak occurs? When the grapevine requests your attention from time to time, do you refuse to help it climb higher, or do you encourage its rapid growth, fertilizing it by your wagging, unguarded tongue? When someone says, “Now this is confidential,” do you respect their trust or ignore it...either instantly or ultimately?
The Power of Honesty
Read Ephesians 4:21–24
Gentlemen:
Enclosed you will find a check for $150. I cheated on my income tax return last year and have not been able to sleep ever since. If I still have trouble sleeping, I’ll send you the rest.
Sincerely,
______________
Feeling Apprehensive
Read Acts 20:22–24
The scene is familiar: a hospital lobby with all the expected surroundings...soft sofas and folded newspapers...matching carpets and drapes illumined by eerie lighting...a uniformed lady at the desk, weary from answering the same questions...strange smells...and lots of people.
Of Parrots and Eagles
Read Mark 6:18–20
Eagle thinkers ask the hard questions, take strategic risks, search hard for the whole truth, and soar high above mediocrity. Parrot people enjoy the predictable, routine, rehearsed words of others.
All Those Idols
Read Luke 12:34
Idols take many forms.
The Un-bliss of Ignorance
Read 2 Timothy 4:1–2
During my pastoring days in New England, I heard of a teacher who quizzed a group of high school students on the Bible. The quiz preceded a Bible-as-literature course he planned to teach at the Newton (Massachusetts) High School, generally considered one of the best public schools in the nation. Among the most astounding findings he got from the students:
Sodom and Gomorrah were lovers.
Jezebel was Ahab’s donkey.
The four horsemen appeared on the Acropolis.
The Balance of Life
Read Psalm 78:70–72
Both adversity and prominence confront our equilibrium, but prominence is perhaps the more challenging test. The classic example is David.
[God] chose his servant David, calling him from the sheep pens. He took David from tending the ewes and lambs and made him the shepherd of Jacob’s descendants—God’s own people, Israel. He cared for them with a true heart and led them with skillful hands. (Psalm 78:70–72)
The Sinking Sand of Superstition
Read Matthew 7:24–25
The great plague stretched across London like a thick, drab blanket. It came as a thief in the night. The mortality rate was astounding.
