Daily Devotionals

He was the doctor who never turned away a patient—even if some couldn’t pay him and even though he himself had experienced rejection from society. In spite of Harold’s outstanding record in his medical studies, no hospital in London hired him because of the color of his skin. So in 1913 he opened his own practice in his home, often treating the poor for free.

The movie Sully depicts the heroic landing of a stalled passenger plane on New York’s Hudson River. As Captain “Sully” strode off the rescue ferry, he told an official, “I need to know who’s hurt and how badly and I need a count.

Captain Tim Mullane diligently worked at sinking the SS United States—a massive ocean liner. In fact, he was paid to send it down to the depths. Mullane repurposes ships from sailing the seven seas to serving as instant artificial reefs on the ocean floor.

Like all early departures from this life, Joe’s death shocked those who knew him. Just before he died, he’d begun making poor decisions. Now this husband, father, coach, and youth leader would no longer be there for those who’d relied on him.

As I sat in a Bible class at the age of twenty-six, I was baffled. Some of my classmates’ comments were discouraging. They seemed to have so many problems.

The call from my mother came around 9 p.m. “It’s about your dad,” she said.

When I was a child, I gladly accompanied my family to church every Sunday morning and evening. Our pastor exuded joy and always included the children in the service—and even encouraged my writing. My Sunday school teachers and pastor instilled in me a love for Scripture.

On a teaching trip to Moscow, I decided to take the subway to get lunch. Standing in the subway car, I started whistling simply because I felt good after an enjoyable morning teaching and the day was pleasant. The passengers stared at me like I was insane.

One of my favorite books of optical illusions always astounds me as the pictures deceive my eyes—like one with two lines of the same length appearing to be different sizes, or the famous “impossible staircase” in which four flights of stairs seem to link in a continuous loop. It can also be a little disconcerting to realize we don’t always see things as they truly are.