Monday,
March 30, 2026
HAND
SURGERY INTERUPTION
Beginning
tomorrow, March 31,2026, there will be an interruption in these devotionals. Thank
you for your interest in them and for your prayers.
Also,
in another disclosure, many of you know that my wife has been diagnosed with
moderate to severe Alzheimer’s dementia. Sometimes this produces stress so, I
would appreciate prayer regarding this as well.
Ron
Abbott
Sunday,
March 29, 2026
Shouting Stones Day
Luke 19:37-40
37 And when he was come nigh, even now at the descent of the mount of
Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to rejoice and praise God
with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen;
38 Saying, Blessed be the King that cometh in the name of the Lord: peace
in heaven, and glory in the highest.
39 And some of the Pharisees from among the multitude said unto him,
Master, rebuke thy disciples.
40 And he answered and said unto them, I tell you that, if these should
hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out.
Today is Palm Sunday and palm branches are our focus but it might as easily be called
Shouting Stones Day. This was Christ’s appointed day of praise. The whole
creation was aware of the divinity of Messiah and humans mindlessly agreed.
Palm branches were regarded as tokens of joy and triumph and were customarily
used on festive occasions (Leviticus 23:40, Nehemiah 8:15). Kings and
conquerors were welcomed with palm branches being strewn before them and waved
in the air.
Additionally, Palm
Sunday is like the Tabernacle procession. The Feast of
Tabernacles or Sukkot is a seven-day celebration where the
Israelites (or Jewish people today) build a temporary shelter with a roof of
palm leaves or similar vegetation. They eat their meals in the temporary
shelter to help them remember that God protected and provided for them during
the exodus. On the seventh day of Tabernacles is the Hoshana Rabbah,
which includes circling the altar seven times, repeating a prayer that begins
and ends with the word hosha῾-na (meaning, “Save, please!”). The
last circling involves the bundle of willow branches.
The worshipping
rocks became the weeping earthquake in Matthew 27:51 as
Jesus died. Even Paul mentioned the groaning creation in Romans 8:22. But what
the creation knew and acknowledged; man seemed unaware.
Luke 19:41-42
41 And when he was come near, he beheld the city, and wept over it,
42 Saying, If thou hadst known, even thou, at least
in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace! but now they are hid
from thine eyes.
Dear Lord, I don’t want to be dumber than a box of rocks! Let me praise
and acknowledge you today. AMEN
Saturday,
March 28, 2026
1 John
5:14-15
14 And this is the confidence that we
have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us:
15 And if we know that he hear us,
whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.
God
always gives us enough evidence for belief while withholding just enough to
accommodate the doubter. A good case can usually be made in either direction so
faith must make up the difference.
Sometimes a light surprises –
William Cowper 1779
Sometimes a light surprises the
Christian while he sings;
It is the Lord, who rises with healing in His wings:
When comforts are declining, He grants the soul again
A season of clear shining, to cheer it after rain.
In holy contemplation we sweetly then
pursue
The theme of God’s salvation, and find it ever new.
Set free from present sorrow, we cheerfully can say,
Let the unknown tomorrow bring with it what it may.
It can bring with it nothing, but He
will bear us through;
Who gives the lilies clothing will clothe His people, too;
Beneath the spreading heavens, no creature but is fed;
And He Who feeds the ravens will give His children bread.
Though vine nor fig tree neither their
wonted fruit should bear,
Though all the field should wither, nor flocks nor herds be there;
Yet God the same abiding, His praise shall tune my voice,
For while in Him confiding, I cannot but rejoice.
Thank you, Lord, for surprising,
joyful answers to our prayers. AMEN
Friday,
March 27, 2026
Ps 7:1
7:1 Shig-ga'-ion of David, which he sang unto the Lord,
concerning the words of
O Lord my God, in thee do I put my trust: save me from all
them that persecute me, and deliver me:
The strange word at the very
beginning of this verse is from the Hebrew shaagah
which means “to wander.” So,
this is a wandering song, a song written and sung while David is on the run
from Saul. It is also a rambling song covering different subjects and made up
of different parts. As we read it, we have the sense of continual
interruption. David was always “bugging out!” It speaks of conflict. As
for Cush the Benjamite, this probably refers to Saul himself, the son of Kish
who was of the tribe of Benjamin.
David had a collection of
enemies, Saul, Goliath, Shimei and
even his very own son, Absalom provided constant conflict in his
life. For David, conflict was a way of life, and we are wise to pay attention
when he speaks of it. Notice what he says when he speaks of his enemies. He
pleads with the Lord to come and save him. He himself was a mighty warrior but
he cries out to God for rescue. He asks God to judge between him and his
enemies.
A war is never quite finished until there is a clear winner and a complete surrender.
So, it is with sinful us and a righteous God. Since we can’t hope to win in our
conflict with God it is wise for us to surrender early and completely.
Eph 2:13-17
13 But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off
are made nigh by the blood of Christ.
14 For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken
down the middle wall of partition between us;
15 Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even
the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of
twain one new man, so making peace;
16 And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by
the cross, having slain the enmity thereby:
17 And came and preached peace to you which were afar off,
and to them that were nigh.
Enmity is the Greek word echthra and literally means “the
reason for opposition.” We were afar off or estranged but now we are made near
because of the blood of Jesus. He has removed the very reason for
opposition. He has slain the enmity so that the warring parties can be at
peace.
Dear Lord, I sense enmity still in me. It takes me away
from you and causes a separation. It is painful and bitter for me and I’m sure
it is for you as well. Please come and destroy the enmity in me, the very
reason for opposition. I surrender, Lord. AMEN
Thursday,
March 26, 2026
HAUNTINGS!
2 Tim 4:14-15
14 Alexander
the coppersmith did me much evil: the Lord reward him according to his works:
15 Of
whom be thou ware also; for he hath greatly withstood our words.
This
is Paul’s second and final letter to young Timothy. It
is his final communiqué recorded for us before his execution. He is in prison
and making simple requests such as “please bring my coat and something to read
but especially my Bible.” He is uncomfortable and alone with his thoughts.
Those thoughts eventually bend toward haunting images of the past.
Alexander
was likely the man that the Paul was obliged to excommunicate in
First Timothy 1:19 and 20 where we read “Holding faith, and a good conscience;
which some having put away concerning faith have made shipwreck: Of whom is Hymenaeus and Alexander; whom I have delivered
unto Satan, that they may learn not to blaspheme.” The memory of difficult days
gone by still haunted Paul in his final days.
Scars
testify to us that wounds heal. Scars do not hurt us anymore
unless we sit quietly and remember the trauma that caused them. Paul urged us
to forget the past and focus on God’s present purpose and future blessings.
Phil 3:13-14
13 Brethren,
I count not myself to have apprehended: [I’ve not yet grasped what I’m reaching for]
but this one thing I do, forgetting [to lose out of mind; to neglect]
those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are
before,
14 I
press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
Are you haunted by past injuries that
keep you from today’s purposes and tarnish future blessings? Begin now to
intentionally “neglect” those thoughts and replace them with new ones. Paul’s
final focus was his meeting with the Lord.
2 Tim 4:8
8 Henceforth
there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous
judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also
that love his appearing.
Dear
Lord, replace the haunting of the past with the challenge of the present and
the joy of the future. AMEN
Wednesday,
March 25, 2026
SO HE MADE IT AGAIN
Jer 18:3-4
3 Then I went down to the potter's house, and, behold, he wrought a work
on the wheels.
4 And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the
potter: so he made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter
to make it.
1 Cor 12:14-18
14 For the body is not one member, but many.
15 If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the
body; is it therefore not of the body?
16 And if the ear shall say, Because I am not the eye, I am not of the
body; is it therefore not of the body?
17 If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole
were hearing, where were the smelling?
18 But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as
it hath pleased him.
The word “marred” in Jeremiah means “ruined or spoiled.” I have lived long enough to know many people who
thought their lives were spoiled by poor decisions. These people plod through
life thinking that they are having to settle for God’s second best for their
lives. But take a closer look at the portions of scripture selected for today.
The vessel in Jeremiah was marred “in” the potter’s hand but not necessarily “by”
the potter. I don’t want to press this point too much, but I think it is
significant. While being fashioned by the potter’s hand something happened that
caused the potter to change his mind about the design! It could
never be a bowl, so He made it a cup instead … “as it hath pleased him.”
As we jump to the New Testament, Paul reminds the Corinthians that there is not a favored part of
the body. It is foolish to imagine an argument between the various
parts as to which of them are the more important. The eye proudly states that
the body would stumble in the dark without the eye. The ear argues that he is
the most important because he makes it possible to hear fine music. Each part
makes similar arguments, but all are mistaken. None of them have had to settle
for second best. Each of them is exactly where God has placed them.
Handicaps and mishaps come in various shapes and colors. Each one forces us to make adjustments in our lives. Some of them cause
us to wonder if we have had to settle for God’s second best. Seriously flawed
decisions have produced deep scars in some and have ruined certain plans and
goals. Sometimes it is the evil actions of others that have
wounded us so that we are unfit for our dreams. We tend to live the rest of our
lives in disappointment.
Could it be that what we think is God’s second best might be God’s original plan for us? Fanny Crosby was blinded as an infant,
but she wrote hundreds of poems, songs and hymns. Joni Erickson Toda was
crippled by a dive into Chesapeake Bay as a teenager but her very handicap has
launched an international ministry. Our wounds define us! The potter has
made us “another vessel as it has pleased him.”
Dear Lord, I don’t want to live the rest of my life disappointed in what
I am not. I want to be glad for what you have made me. Thank you for making me
exactly as it pleased you. AMEN
Tuesday,
March 24, 2026
CHRIST RECEIVETH SINFUL MEN!
2 Cor 6:16-18
16 And
what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the
living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I
will be their God, and they shall be my people.
17 Wherefore
come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the
unclean thing; and I will receive you,
18 And
will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the
Lord Almighty.
Relationship
is established with God when we trust Christ as our Savior but the
blessings of fellowship rest upon the contingency of our obedience. We are, by
nature, sinful. We are like show-pigs that can be scrubbed clean and a fresh
curl put in our pink tail but when the show is over we return to roll in the
mud.
Paul
is not referring to strangers here but those who were “temples
of God.” He urges them to disavow, disagree with, and disassociate from the
idols of Belial. We no longer belong together. It is upon this disassociation
and separation that God’s riches blessings are promised.
The words to an old hymn, “Christ Receiveth Sinful Men” were
written by Erdmann Neumeister, Evangelischer Nachklang (Hamburg, Germany: 1718).
He based this hymn on his sermon which began “Jesus
nimmt die Sünder an! Saget doch dies Trostwort allen.” Emma F. Bevan translated
the hymn from German to English in her Songs of Eternal Life (London: 1858).
Sinners Jesus will receive;
Sound this word of grace to all
Who the heavenly pathway leave,
All who linger, all who fall.
Christ receiveth sinful men,
Even me with all my sin;
Purged from every spot and stain,
Heaven with Him I enter in.
Refrain
Sing it o’er and over again;
Christ receiveth sinful men;
Make the message clear and plain:
Christ receiveth sinful men.
Dear Lord, please receive us
and refresh us today. We found ourselves in the mud again. AMEN
Monday,
March 23, 2026
DO YOU NEED A REDUX?
Rev 2:4-5
4 Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy
first love. 5 Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and
do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will
remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.
The word redux
(pronounced re-ducks) is from the Latin and means “to lead
back.” The Roman Goddess, Fortuna Redux was "one who brings another safely
home." But it was the "brought back" meaning that made its way
into English.
The Ephesian church had forgotten and abandoned their first love of Jesus. This required
repentance and a redux! They needed to be led back again to a fresh start. The
consequence was the loss of their light or messenger. Perhaps we need a redux
as well.
Revivals have fallen
out of favor because they are viewed as moldy
tents hastily erected upon soggy soil with dim electric lights encircled by
bugs. The preaching is viewed as unlearned and harsh. Notwithstanding it is
revival that our churches and our culture needs.
Why, even our own government is long overdue for a redux. When Australia's
government shut down in 1975, Queen Elizabeth II's official representative in
Australia, Governor General Sir John Kerr, simply dismissed the prime minister.
He appointed a replacement, who immediately passed the spending bill to fund
the government. Three hours later, Kerr dismissed the rest of Parliament. Then
Australia held elections to restart from scratch. And they
haven't had another shutdown since.
When unredeemed
people assemble to worship a God with whom
they are unacquainted and unfamiliar, the result can only be hypocrisy. Shame
and sincere grief because of sin is conspicuously absent from modern worship.
King David, in sackcloth and ashes, would be a stranger.
Dear Lamb of God let me remember our first love and ever fan the flames
of it in my heart. AMEN
Sunday,
March 22, 2026
HE THAT HATH EARS TO
HEAR!
1 Sam 3:9-10
9 Therefore Eli said
unto Samuel, Go, lie down: and it shall be, if he call thee, that thou shalt
say, Speak, LORD; for thy servant heareth. So Samuel went and lay down in his
place.
10 And the LORD
came, and stood, and called as at other times, Samuel, Samuel.
If you travel north in this third chapter to verse eight you will note
that Samuel heard and misunderstood the voice of the lord three times! I wonder how many times every day that we hear His
voice from someone else? I am reminded of an old Simon & Garfunkle song
which contained these words: “the words of the prophets are written on
the subway walls – and tenement halls.” If we are to hear the voice of
God, we must listen carefully and sometimes pay attention to those whom the
rest of the world ignores.
Now our nation and our churches are stumbling in the darkness of
extravagance and wastefulness, in the relaxation of disciplined morals, and in
the widespread rebellion against God. At these times God calls not just for a
servant but for a prophet. The call often comes during ordinary days and
ordinary activities. He called Samuel while lying down to sleep. Peter, James,
and John were called while washing their fishing nets.
Chance encounters seldom are! We are encouraged in Hebrews 13:2 to
pay close attention to strangers because they may be unsuspected angels.
I think it would also be wise to listen to strangers and perhaps to children
for the voice of God.
Paul’s classic question, “who art thou Lord,” after being
blinded by God’s glory was to verify what he suspected. Who are
you? I suspect you may be the Lord! His next question changed his life. He
asked: “What wilt thou have me to do?”
Dear Lord, in the
midst of the noise of this day, please speak to me the words I need to hear.
Let me listen carefully so that I might hear your voice from unsuspected
places. AMEN
Saturday,
March 21, 2026
INTENSE MENTAL
SUFFERING!
Matt 26:37-38
37 And he took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began
to be sorrowful and very heavy.
38 Then saith he unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even
unto death: tarry ye here, and watch with me. KJV
It has been said that “nobody fakes depression but many fake being okay.” Jesus was not
okay! His complex union of deity and humanity suffered sorrow. Supper was over,
and all but Judas had resorted to a quiet garden. It was there that Jesus would
struggle with the weight of man’s sin and the knowledge of the high cost of
redemption.
Because words have
meaning, several of the words in our text
require our keen attention. The word began stands out as intentional.
It was a planned enterprise. Sorrow and heaviness were part of redemption. In
fact, the Greek confirms this saying that the word means something “rehearsed.”
Jesus was “exceeding
sorrowful.” The Greek word is perilupos
which means “grieved all around.” This tells me that there was no relief
from any quarter. He asked to be released from the contents of the cup he must
drink, and His Father did not answer. He came to His disciples and found them
asleep. Luke chapter 22 said they were “sleeping for sorrow.” The air
hung heavy with grief, and their only escape was to close their minds to it, and
sleep.
Jesus requested
their company while he agonized. He did not ask
them to share it but to simply be with Him while he suffered. I have learned
the “ministry of presence.” The Ministry of Presence is a ministry given to all
believers. We are all priests in service to God. We are a royal priesthood (1
Peter 2:9), and as priests we represent God's presence. When
Christians express their care and love for another by being present,
they are also expressing Jesus' loving concern. It is a gift of time.
Two important things can be gained from our brief study today. First, we need to remember the
depth of suffering given by Jesus on our behalf. Next, we need to be aware of
those suffering around us and be a companion of comfort to them. A visit or a
phone call may be the difference between courage and despair.
Dear Lord, thank you for your unspeakable suffering for me. Let me be a
comfort to someone today. AMEN
