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DAVID'S DAILY
DEVOTIONAL
Photo by Andrik Langfield on Unsplash
WELCOME!
This devotional blog is a weekday "non-fluffy" devotional in the Word based on the two greatest commandments: "Love the Lord, love your neighbor." Each devotion will answer these three questions: What does the message speak to me (the author) today? What is it saying to you (the reader)? And what are we going to do about it? The Bible will speak to us every day if we will let it. So what is it saying today?
You can just come to this page every morning to see the latest blog post, but if you prefer email, subscribe below to have the link to the daily devotion dropped in your email inbox every morning.
What The Checklist Never Could
Read Matthew 22:37-40 (ESV) And he said to him, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets." What it is speaking to me: If you didn't keep up with this series of devotionals on the Ten Commandments, it seemed fitting to summarize the overarching point
David Ayres
Sep 303 min read
Does this dress make me look bad?
Read Exodus 20:16 (ESV) "You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor." What it is speaking to me: "Does this dress make me look bad?" Married guys, you know this question. I don't know why they do it to us, they have to know already right? You're standing at the bottom of the stairs, you're probably already running late, and she's wearing that one dress you've never really been a fan of. What do you say? Lie straight up? Change the subject? Fake a sudden coughing f
David Ayres
Sep 282 min read
Stealin' 8th
Read Exodus 20:15 (NIV) You shall not steal. What it is speaking to me: Stealing is fun...right? From the medieval legend of Robin Hood to the Ocean's Eleven trilogy of movies, stealing has been glorified for hundreds of years now. As long as it's someone else doing the stealing, and they are stealing from "bad" people, we are okay with it. But we would never do it...right? Of course we wouldn't. We wouldn't steal time from our employers because we deserve a raise and haven't
David Ayres
Sep 252 min read
A Murdering Ox
Read Exodus 20:13 (NLT) You must not murder. What it is speaking to me: This devotional should be as short as the verse (our shortest yet!) right? I mean...don't murder. Got it? Got it. Good. End of devotional. But there is a little bit more going on here. The Hebrew word for "murder" is not talking about self-defense, war, or capital punishment. It is talking about intentional killing. But it also applies to UN-intentional killing, what we would call manslaughter or negligen
David Ayres
Sep 232 min read
The One With the Promise
Read Exodus 20:12 (KJV) Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee. What it is speaking to me Growing up, I read this commandment the way most kids do, simply as a rule for kids...that the Sunday school teacher seemed to bring up more than the other ones for some reason....hmm... "Don't talk back. Do what you're told." Fine, I got it, next commandment. In my childhood brain I doubt it sat in my head on pretty m
David Ayres
Sep 222 min read
Room for Rejoicing
Read Romans 12:14–16 (KJV) Bless them which persecute you: bless, and curse not. Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep. Be of the same mind one toward another. Mind not high things, but condescend to men of low estate. Be not wise in your own conceits. What It Is Speaking to Me "Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with them that weep." Maybe you find one of those easier than the other. It is easier for me to rejoice with others than to weep with
David Ayres
Sep 82 min read
Empty Voice
Read 1 Timothy 6:20–21 (NKJV) O Timothy! Guard what was committed to your trust, avoiding the profane and idle babblings and contradictions of what is falsely called knowledge by professing it some have strayed concerning the faith. Grace be with you. Amen. What it is speaking to me The greek word for "idle babblings" is two words slammed together: empty and voice. It only appears twice in the whole Bible, once here and once more in Paul's other letter to Timothy. He may have
David Ayres
Aug 282 min read
Text: Kind — Ephesians 4:32
Read: Ephesians 4:32 (NKJV) And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you. What it is speaking to me "Be kind to one another, tenderhearted." I've read that verse many times and usually feel like "check, got that one." I file it under things I basically already do. I'm not generally rude to people. I hold doors open. I say please and thank you, I tip well, are friendly with waiters and grocery clerks. Kindness felt like a
David Ayres
Aug 242 min read
Hammer Tongue
Read James 3:5–10 (NKJV) See how great a forest a little fire kindles! And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity. The tongue is so set among our members that it defiles the whole body, and sets on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire by hell. For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and creature of the sea, is tamed and has been tamed by mankind. But no man can tame the tongue. It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. With it we bless our God and Fathe
David Ayres
Aug 123 min read
Spouting Off First
Read Proverbs 18:13 (NLT) Spouting off before listening to the facts is both shameful and foolish. Proverbs 18:17 (ESV) The one who states his case first seems right, until the other comes and examines him. What it is speaking to me: Picture this: A friend comes to you upset about a falling out of some kind with someone else you know, and by the time they finish talking, you've decided who's right and who's wrong. You haven't heard the other person's side. Most of you thinks
David Ayres
Aug 112 min read
Needle Love — Proverbs 27:6
Read *Proverbs 27:6 (NKJV) Faithful are the wounds of a friend, but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful.* What it is speaking to me: "Faithful are the wounds of a friend." There is a kindness that tells the truth even when it's uncomfortable. It reminds me of splinters. Did you ever get a splinter in your foot as a kid? Like a good, deep splinter? When I would get one, you would hope that there was enough still sticking out of your foot that Mom or Dad could get it out with
David Ayres
Aug 32 min read
Fine — Ephesians 4:15-16
A daily devotional on Ephesians 4:15-16 (NIV): Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ. From him the whole body,...
David Ayres
Jul 272 min read
The Unfixables — 1 Peter 4:8
A daily devotional on 1 Peter 4:8 (NIV): — Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.
David Ayres
Jul 172 min read
Joy in the Morning — Psalm 30:4-5
A daily devotional on Psalm 30:4-5: Sing praise to the Lord, you saints of His, And give thanks at the remembrance of His holy name. For His anger is but for a...
David Ayres
Jul 92 min read
Gentle Take — Philippians 4:4-5
A daily devotional on Philippians 4:4-5 (NIV): Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near.
David Ayres
Jul 82 min read
"Passing" Good — Luke 10:25-37
A daily devotional on Luke 10:25-37: And behold, a certain lawyer stood up and tested Him, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” He said...
David Ayres
Jun 263 min read
Argument Pool — Proverbs 18:17
A daily devotional on Proverbs 18:17: — The one who states his case first seems right, until the other comes and examines him.
David Ayres
Jun 252 min read
Prayers for the Worst — Matthew 5:43-48
A daily devotional on Matthew 5:43-48: "You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I say to you, love your...
David Ayres
Jun 12 min read
Mind Your "Because" — 1 Corinthians 4:3-5
A daily devotional on 1 Corinthians 4:3-5 (NIV): I care very little if I am judged by you or by any human court; indeed, I do not even judge myself. My conscience is clear, but that does not make me innocent....
David Ayres
May 153 min read
All You Need Is Love... — 1 Corinthians 13:4–7
A daily devotional on 1 Corinthians 13:4–7 (NASB): Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked,...
David Ayres
May 83 min read
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