What we crave might be our undoing. We were made to crave and worship our Creator, not the creation.

Bible Reading: Psalms 105-107

Verse of the day: Psalm 106:14, "They craved intensely in the wilderness and tested God in the desert."

Word of the day: Craved. It is the Hebrew word: אָוָה (aw-vaw').

Pride is esteemed by our culture, but not by God. God is able to humble all who are prideful.

Bible Reading: Obadiah

Verse of the day: Obadiah 1:3, "The arrogance of your heart has deceived you, You who live in the clefts of the rock, In the loftiness of your dwelling place, Who say in your heart, 'Who will bring me down to earth?'

Word of the day: Arrogance. It is the Hebrew word: זָדוֹן (zaw-done').

What legacy are you leaving your children? The best legacy is to live a vibrant faith and to encourage our children to be Whole-hearted and Holy in their worship and service of God.

Bible Reading: 1 Chr. 26-29

Verse of the day: 1 Chronicles 28:9, "And you, Solomon my son, know the God of your father and serve him with a whole heart and with a willing mind, for the LORD searches all hearts and understands every plan and thought. If you seek him, he will be found by you, but if you forsake him, he will cast you off forever."

Word of the day: Whole. It is the Hebrew word: שָׁלֵם (shaw-lame').

We don't have to be in a literal wilderness to be in a wilderness in our own mind. When we feel dry and far away from God, sometimes doing the next best right thing can help to pull us out of the wilderness into God's abundance for us.

Bible Reading: Num. 25-28

Verse of the day: Numbers 27:14, "For when the community rebelled at the waters in the Desert of Zin, both of you disobeyed my command to honor me as holy before their eyes . . ."

Word of the day: Wilderness. It is the Hebrew word: מִדְבָּר (mid-bawr').

I grew up hearing that "cleanliness was next to godliness", as if that phrase was a Scripture. And while being clean is certainly a great goal, it does not represent godliness as much as exhibiting grace under pressure does.

Bible Reading: 2 Tim. 3-4

Verse of the day: 2 Timothy 3:5, "Having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people."

Word of the day: Godliness. It is the Greek word: εὐσέβεια (yoo-seb'-i-ah).

Our flesh can make it difficult to walk faithfully with Christ, yet Christ chose to set His love on us, and He prays for us.

Bible Reading: John 17-18

Verse of the day: John 17:2, "Since you have given him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him."

Word of the day: Flesh. It is the Greek word: σάρξ (sarx).

What we do with what we have been given is the proof of our character. Skills do not just happen. They are developed.

Bible Reading: Proverbs 22-23

Verse of the day: Proverbs 22:29, "Do you see a person skilled in his work? He will stand before kings; He will not stand before obscure people."

Word of the day: Skilled. It is the Hebrew word: מָהִיר (maw-here').

Sometimes we don't recognize the benefits of belonging to God. But remembering the benefits is a motivation to be faithful.

Bible Reading: Psalms 102-104

Verse of the day: Psalm 103:2, "Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget none of His benefits."

Word of the day: Benefit. It is the Hebrew word: גְּמוּל (ghem-ool').

Remembering the LORD and Who He is in our daily lives helps us to number our days aright.

Bible Reading: Amos 5-9

Verse of the day: Amos 5:8, "It is the LORD who created the stars, the Pleiades and Orion. He turns darkness into morning and day into night. He draws up water from the oceans and pours it down as rain on the land. The LORD is his name!"

Word of the day: LORD. It is the Hebrew word: יְהֹוָה (yeh-ho-vaw').

Sin costs. Jesus offered Himself to pay for our sins. So, too, when we sin, we should be mindful of the cost.

Bible Reading: 1 Chr. 21-25

Verse of the day: 1 Chronicles 21:24, "But King David replied to Araunah, "No, I insist on paying the full price. I will not take for the LORD what is yours, or sacrifice a burnt offering that costs me nothing.""

Word of the day: Nothing. It is the Hebrew word: חִנָּם (khin-nawm').