Frank Baum’s classic book, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz was the basis for the Oscar-winning film of 1939, “The Wizard of Oz.” My guess is that, just like me, you have viewed it many times.

Dave DeSelmMarch 10, 2021devotionals, devotional, Wizard of Oz, The Wizard of Oz, Frank Baum, agnostic, behind the curtain, throne, Throne of God, God is in controlComment

No Guts, No Glory

Recently, I’ve been reading a powerfully motivating book by best-selling author Mark Batterson. It’s titled Chase the Lion, with the subtitle, If Your Dream Doesn’t Scare You, It’s Too Small. Consider these excerpts.

Dave DeSelmMarch 3, 2021devotionals, devotional, big dreams, dream big, dreams, faith, no guts, no glory, Ephesians 3:20-21, Mark Batterson, God-sized dreamsComment

Easing Your Anxiety

Recently I read an insightful comment on the difference between fear and anxiety. “Fear is the emotional response to what threatens me while anxiety is rooted in imagination.”

Dave DeSelmFebruary 24, 2021devotionals, devotional, anxiety, anxious, don't be anxious, cast your anxiety, calm your body, calm down, quiet your body, take thoughts captive, taking thoughts captive, peace, gratitude, thanksgiving, pray about everything, pray about itComment

Appointed by God

We read in I Chronicles 9:29 about the role of the Levites in the Temple: “Some of them also were appointed over the vessels and over all the instruments of the sanctuary…” These individuals appointed by God were ordained for the fulfilling of His sacred purposes.

Dave DeSelmFebruary 17, 2021devotionals, devotional, Jonah, appointed, appointed by God, fish, whale, plant, winid, wind, worm, problems, problems are God's ministers Comments

The Invisible Gorilla

More than a decade ago Christopher Chabris and Daniel Simons conducted an experiment at Harvard University that became famous in psychology circles. Their book The Invisible Gorilla popularized it.

Dave DeSelmFebruary 10, 2021devotionals, devotional, The Good Samaritan, invisible gorilla, Selective Attention Test, selective attention test, missed the gorilla, the gorilla in the room, inattention, inattentiveness, blindness, spiritual blindnessComment

The Unfolding of Your Life

In this text, the psalmist makes an amazing observation about the days of our lives. That, in God’s foreknowledge, all of them were recorded in God’s book before any of them came to pass.

Dave DeSelmFebruary 3, 2021devotionals, devotional, Scroll of Days, God's book, one day at a time, God's plan, God's plans, God's plans for my life, God's will, God's plans revealed, destiny, your destiny, my destinyComment

Blessed are the Peacemakers

It’s been called “The Greatest Sermon Ever Preached.” And rightly so. The content of the teaching Jesus delivered “on the mount” is not only timeless – appropriate for every generation – but timely – uniquely valuable for our generation.

Dave DeSelmJanuary 27, 2021devotionals, devotional, peace, peacemaker, blessed are the peacemakers, children of God, Beatitudes, Sermon on the Mount, St. Francis of Assisi, make me an instrument of your peaceComment

Praying for Our Leaders

As we all know, January 20th is Inauguration Day. In many ways, it’s the climax to arguably the most divisive and rancorous election ever.

Dave DeSelmJanuary 20, 2021devotionals, devotional, Inauguration Day, pray for leaders, pray for kings, pray for those in authority, 1 Timothy 2:1-2, Nero, pray for wisdom, pray for godly character, character, godly characterComment

A Really Smart Guy

Many who live in the 21st-century picture Jesus as a well-meaning but naïve 1st-century guru who wandered around tossing off catchy sayings of simple folk wisdom. But no one who actually knew Him thought that.

Dave DeSelmJanuary 13, 2021devotionals, devotional, Colossians 2:2-3, treasures of wisdom, wisdom, knowledge, really smart guy, Jesus' wisdom, Jesus' intelligence, treasures of wisdom and knowledge, Dallas Willard, bow the knee, hearers and doers, reading the Bible, studying the Bible, study the BibleComment

Hidden With Christ

Imputed righteousness. You may never have heard the term before, but it’s one of the most foundational doctrines of our faith. In essence, it means that through our faith in Christ, His righteousness is put to our account. The Chinese language has a great symbol for this truth.

Dave DeSelmJanuary 6, 2021righteousness, hidden with Christ, hidden in Christ, Colossians 3:3, Chinese character, lamb over me, how God sees me, how God sees us, imputed righteousness, the lamb over me, guilt, identity, identity in Christ, God's acceptance, shameComment

God of the Past, the Present, and the Future

Psalm 90 is a perfect psalm for the end of the year. For one thing, this psalm includes the word “year” more than any other. In the Hebrew text of Psalm 90, the word translated as “year” (shena) appears seven times.

Dave DeSelmDecember 30, 2020devotionals, devotional, New Year, New Years, Psalm 90, wisdom, future, past, present, time, God's presence, purpose in life, life's purpose, relationship with GodComment

A Season of Snow

Bing Crosby’s rendition of “White Christmas” isn’t merely one of my seasonal favorites, it is in fact the best-selling single of all time. There’s something about snow on Christmas that resonates with nearly everyone.

Dave DeSelmDecember 23, 2020gratitude, devotionals, devotional, snow, white as snow, forgiveness, forgiven, sins covered, Isaiah 1:18, Roy Lessin, our greatest need, poem, our greatest need poem, salvation, not guilty, Christmas, White ChristmasComment

All is Well

One of my favorite holiday albums is Michael W. Smith’s 1989 masterpiece, Christmas. And one of my favorite songs on the album is “All Is Well.”

Dave DeSelmDecember 16, 2020Christmas, Immanuel, Emmanuel, Michael W. Smith, Michael W Smith, All is well, All is Well, discouragement, despair, unemployment, illness, loneliness, God with us, Mary, Joseph, God's presence, John Greenleaf WhittierComment

The Choreographer of Christmas

With these familiar words the gospel writer, Luke, begins his narrative of the Christmas story: And it came to pass in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered.

Dave DeSelmDecember 9, 2020devotionals, devotional, Christmas, Christmas devotional, Luke 2, birth of Jesus, Mary and Joseph, Bethlehem, Caesar Augustus, God's purposes, God's plans, God is in control Comments

A Love Story

In the church I first attended after coming to faith in Christ, people often spoke of the Bible as a kind of instruction manual for life. Something to consult for advice. Yet, while the Bible does provide insight and wisdom, what if it was more than that?

Dave DeSelmDecember 2, 2020devotionals, devotional, Christmas, God's love, incarnation, Kierkegaard, John 1:14, Jesus' love, king's love for maiden, king who left his throneComment

Great Things

This is such a brief verse, yet it arrested my attention when I read it recently. The Lord has done great things for us. Great things. As I reflected on this verse, I began to consider all the great things God has done for me in my 50 years of walking with Him.

Dave DeSelmNovember 25, 2020gratitude, devotionals, devotional, giving thanks, thankful, thanksgiving, Thanksgiving, appreciation, appreciation memories, Marcus Warner, Building Bounce, brain science, joy, capacity, Psalm 126:3, filled with joy, memories Comment

God's Fleas

Corrie and Betsie ten Boom were courageous, compassionate Dutch Christians who helped harbor Jews from the Nazis during World War 2. After the sisters were arrested for doing so, they were imprisoned at Ravensbruck, a German concentration camp.

Dave DeSelmNovember 18, 2020gratitude, devotionals, devotional, fleas, The Hiding Place, Corrie ten Boom, Corrie Ten Boom, Betsie ten Boom, Ravensbruck, concentration camp, giving thanks in all circumstances, giving thanks, thankful, thanksgiving, Thanksgiving, 1 Thessalonians 5:18, blessings in disguiseComment

Honor Owed

It was the eleventh hour of the eleventh day in the eleventh month of 1918 when the world wildly celebrated as an armistice was declared ending what was to be "the war to end all wars" - World War I.

Dave DeSelmNovember 11, 2020Veteran's Day, veterans, veteran, military, Armistice Day, honor, respect, gratitude, honoring veterans, devotionals, devotional, history of Veteran's Day, pray for vets, pray for veteransComment

Prophetic Perspective for Tremulous Times

We’re coming out of one of the most contentious elections of our lifetimes. As I write this a couple of weeks before the polls close, I have no idea what the outcome will be. However, based upon what I’ve seen and heard so far, it’s not likely to be pretty.

Dave DeSelmNovember 4, 2020Isaiah 40, God's sovereignty, God as Creator, sovereignty, God is in control, God is Creator, Creator, creation, faith, hope, election, post election, election responseComment

Fools For God

Research has demonstrated that the number one fear for people is speaking in public. Interestingly, the fear of death ranks number 2. (Which indicates that some folks would rather die than give a speech!)

Dave DeSelmOctober 28, 2020faith, risk, fools, foolish, 1 Corinthians 1:27, Mark Batterson, Noah, Sarah, Peter, David, Goliath, David and Goliath, Magi, Wisemen, Jesus, flood, ark, Jericho, Isaac, walk on waterComment

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