Diana's Devotional Corner

Matthew 23:23-24 Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites!  You give a tenth of your spices - mint, dill and cummin.  But you have neglected the more important matter of the law - justice, mercy and faithfulness.  You should have...

Job 12:7-10 But ask the animals, and they will teach you, or the birds in the sky, and they will tell you; Or speak to the earth, and it will teach you, or let the fish in the sea inform you.  Which of these does not know that the hand of the Lord has done this?...

Hebrews 11:1 - Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. (King James Version) Hebrews 11:1  - Now faith is the assurance that what we hope for will come about and the certainty that what we cannot see exists....

He could have called 10,00 angels To destroy the world and set him free He could have called 10,000 angels But he died alone for you and me This is the chorus to a hymn, by Ray Overholt, that I sang often in my childhood church. I haven’t heard it in years, but it...

Proverbs 19:21 - Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.  “Man plans; God laughs”.  Many years ago I read an article that contained this Jewish proverb. It jarred me, as my first thoughts were, “Well, that isn’t very...

Matthew 5:9, 10 - Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called the children of God.  Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.  Being a peacemaker is a wonderful attribute. Nobody likes a “pot-stirrer”...

Matthew 5:8 - Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. (NIV) Have you ever met anyone who just seemed to be genuinely kind in the midst of evil?  These individuals come across almost as other-worldly. Where we cynically view the world in all its...

Matthew 5:7  Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.  7  This is another part of the Beatitudes that puzzles me to some degree. Mercy is certainly a good attribute to possess, and we all need to be shown mercy at times!  But having mercy shown...

Matthew 5:6  Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.  Merriam-Webster dictionary defines righteousness as acting in accordance with divine or moral law. Simply put, a righteous person will...

Matthew 5:5  Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.  My first response to Jesus’ words in this portion of the Beatitudes is to say “what”???  This earth seems driven by those who are the most bombastic and bellicose. The voices of the meek seem...

Matthew 5:4  Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. According to the Oxford dictionary, the word mourn means deep sorrow or regret.  Unlike the other Beatitudes, I’ve really struggled with this one. Who comforts those who...

Matthew 5:3 Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. What does it mean to be poor in spirit?  I have often thought this first verse of the Beatitudes speaks of someone who is “down in the dumps” and chronically...