Amazing Facts. Daily Devotionals Sheep Farmer Endurance. August 4th, 2026 In 1983, a 61-year-old sheep farmer named Cliff Young decided to participate in the world’s toughest race, a 544-mile ultra-marathon from Melbourne to Sydney, Australia. When the 150 world-class athletes gathered at the starting line they were amused to see old Cliff enter the race wearing overalls with galoshes over his work boots. As soon as the race started, the pros quickly left Cliff shuffling behind. Spectators were hoping someone would stop the crazy old man before he hurt himself, but he kept plodding along. Normally the contenders run about 18 hours and sleep 6 hours during the seven-day race. But no one told Cliff he was supposed to sleep! So while the other runners slept he kept running, gaining on the pack a little more each day. By the last night, he passed all of the world-class athletes. By the last day, he was way in front of them. Incredibly, not only did Cliff run the Melbourne to Sydney race at age 61 without dying, he won first place, breaking the race record by 9 hours and becoming a national hero! When asked how he could run all night, Cliff said. “See, I grew up on a farm where we couldn’t afford horses, and whenever the storms would roll in, I’d have to go out on foot and round up the sheep. We had 2,000 head, and sometimes I would have to run those sheep for two or three days nonstop.” Throughout the race, he just imagined he was chasing sheep. When Cliff was awarded the first prize of $10,000, he said he didn’t know there was a prize and insisted they split it among the other lead runners. The nation fell in love with the 61-year-old vegetarian who came out of nowhere to defeat the world’s best long-distance runners. Cliff Young, because of his upbringing, had incredible endurance. The Bible says we also must have endurance for “the race that is set before us.” But where do we get the strength and stamina we need? The Psalms tell us that God is “He who gives strength and power to His people,” and “It is God who arms me with strength” (Psalm 68:35; 18:32). The strength and endurance we need come only from Him. Key Bible Texts Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, (Hebrews 12:1 KJV)

Good evening, brethren. 1. Evening devotion for today. ED.i. *DAILY WALK WITH CHRIST* (COCIN DEVOTIONAL) *DATE:* WEDNESDAY 27TH MAY, 2026. *SUB-THEME:* RESPONSE TO GRACE. *TOPIC:* OBEYING GOD'S COMMANDS. *TEXT:* 1 SAMUEL 15:22-23. 22 But Samuel declared: “Does the LORD delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obedience to His voice? Behold, obedience is better than sacrifice, and attentiveness is better than the fat of rams. Pro 4:17 Hos 6:6 Mat 9:13 Mat 12:7 [Pro 21:3] [Mat 23:23] [Luk 11:42] 23 For rebellion is like the sin of divination, and arrogance is like the wickedness of idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the LORD, He has rejected you as king.” [Hos 13:11] *TOPIC:* OBEYING GOD'S COMMANDS. *THE MESSAGE:* God commanded King Saul to destroy everything that belonged to the Amalekites, but he did not obey. His excuse for sparing Agag and some animals was not acceptable to God. Today's text makes it clear that religious ceremonies, rituals, or activities are empty unless they are performed with an attitude of love and reverence. Disobedience to God's commands is likened to witchcraft and idol worship. These are grave sins that attract the death penalty. Disobedience to God is rampant among Christians today. Religiosity has taken over spirituality and total submission to God's instructions. The good singer, instrumentalist, or preacher may be guilty of sexual immorality or idolatry, which God forbids. Remember, Saul disobeyed God; he was rejected, and his kingdom was taken away from him. Do not be like him. *REFLECTION:* Disobedience attracts God's punishment. *PRAYER:* Lord, help me to always obey Your commands. Amen. *MEMORY VERSE FOR THE MONTH:* TITUS 2:12. It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in this present age. *TODAY'S BIBLE READING PLAN:* JOB 28-30. ED.ii. Skip to content Dalily Devotional by Elizabeth Haworth Posted onMay 27, 2026 by Editor Warning Words Christian Applications Store:: Christian devotional App Store; Explore Recommended Christian Books and Devotionals Therefore, be ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.” Matthew 24:44 Godly Instruction It is through God’s word that the Creator of the universe communicates to us. It is through the Word of God that the Saviour of our soul speaks to His own. The need for readiness and preparedness is a Bible theme that frequently surfaces, and the many instructions to be ready and prepared are given to saved believers. Wise Preparation Noah heeded the word of the Lord and made ready an ark of salvation for his family. Israel were ready to move camp in the wilderness, as soon as God’s pillars appeared. The prudence of wise preparation is a repeated warning in the book of Proverbs. Peter reminds of the necessity to be prepared to give an answer for what we believe. John encourages us to abide in Christ so we will be spiritually ready to meet Him, and Christ’s warning of the 10 virgins rings loud and clear- to His own followers: be ready, be prepared – your Lord comes at a time you think not. Armour of Light Paul warns us to cast off the works of darkness put on the armour of light, for he knows the night is far gone and the day is at hand for the Lord’s return, The need to be ready and prepared is a theme that frequently surfaces in Scripture. The time for readiness and preparedness is not a future issue, but necessary now! Accepted Time Now is the accepted time, now is the day of salvation 2Cor.6:2. Now is time to be ready – not in 20 years, 20 months; 20 days or 20 hours… So why is it important to be ready and prepared and watchful? What is the reason for this oft-repeated exhortation in the pages of scripture? Why is this warning to be ready given to believers in so many places? Spiritual Readiness Being unprepared does NOT mean that a believer loses eternal life – that’s finished. The work on the cross was a ‘done deal’ forever, when you were washed in His blood. God would deny His very essence were He to change His mind on that aspect. No, the problem of unpreparedness in a believer – it is a lack of spiritual reserves. Danger of Unpreparedness Lack of spiritual readiness can hit doctrinally sound saints and godliest of men alike. Lack of spiritual preparedness can creep up on the most ardent believer. Lives thrown into confusion by this or that – is a result 0f being unprepared, Ill-prepared believers can be torn apart by grief, loss; need or calamity. Careless Unpreparedness But this is not the only sphere of life that can catch a Christian unaware. Lives that are comfortable, clean and plodding carelessly along may be unprepared. Lives that have left their first love or lost their focus on Christ will not be ready. Lives that enjoy a surfeit of worldliness are lives that fall foul of Satan’s ploys. Lives that give up on patient endurance have left the Spirit’s training program. Lives that treat other believers carelessly may be in danger of not being ready. Lives that have removed their eyes from the goal of their calling will not be ready. Lack of Reserves These are believers that have no reserves and they are the ones that are ‘foolish’ These believers are born of God, saved by His blood – but just not ready. These are the ones in Whom the Holy Spirit resides – but are not prepared. These may be deeply involved in the interests of Christ’s work and yet be unprepared. Bible Theme It is through God’s word that the Creator of the universe communicates to us. It is through the Word of God that the Saviour of our soul speaks to His own. The need for readiness and preparedness is a Bible theme that frequently surfaces, and many instructions to be ready and prepared are given to saved believers. Being Ready The warning to be ready should rejoice our hearts and be an encouragement, for God has outlined in His Word all we need to ensure we are ready and prepared – and loving Jesus and trusting His word is the most important step in being ready. Post navigation Previous Post Previous Abide With Me Proudly powered by WordPress. 2. Evening Prayer for today. EP.i. Evening Prayer Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, [therewith] to be content. ⏤ Philippians 4:11 Prayer is not so much an act as it is an attitude—an attitude of dependency, dependency upon God. ⏤ Arthur Pink Almighty God, who has ordered our lives and appointed the place where we live—grant us the grace to accept cheerfully and to occupy contentedly the station in life that You, in Your providence, have assigned to us. Help us to see its sacredness because it is Your fatherly choice for us and Your gift to us. Surely, the place You have prepared for us, and where You have set us, must be the best place for us—the place where we can best grow as Christians, where the atmosphere is most healthy for us, and where the experiences are best suited to develop our character. It must also be the place where we can do the best service for You. Help us to accept it with confidence and to live in it without discontent. Sometimes we are tempted to complain. We think others are more favored, have easier lives, less care and toil, and more ease and comfort. We imagine that if we could trade places with others, we could live more sweetly and make more of our lives. Forgive us for this sin of discontentment with our place in life. You know what is best for us. You know where we can be of the most use to You and others, where the work is that You have for us to do. So, we earnestly pray, our Father, for the spirit of cheerful acceptance of Your plan and Your way for us. Help us to accept Your guidance and to do the things that come to us day by day from Your hand. Then, at the end, we can rejoice in the blessing of those who have done Your will and served our generation. We ask all this through Jesus Christ. Amen. https://www.youdevotion.com/daily-prayer/miller/52/evening #taptapstudio #youdevotion.

Good evening, brethren. 1. Evening devotion for today. ED.i. *DAILY WALK WITH CHRIST* (COCIN DEVOTIONAL) *DATE:* WEDNESDAY 27TH MAY, 2026. *SUB-THEME:* RESPONSE TO GRACE. *TOPIC:* OBEYING GOD'S COMMANDS. *TEXT:* 1 SAMUEL 15:22-23. 22 But Samuel declared: “Does the LORD delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obedience to His voice? Behold, obedience is better than sacrifice, and attentiveness is better than the fat of rams. Pro 4:17 Hos 6:6 Mat 9:13 Mat 12:7 [Pro 21:3] [Mat 23:23] [Luk 11:42] 23 For rebellion is like the sin of divination, and arrogance is like the wickedness of idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the LORD, He has rejected you as king.” [Hos 13:11] *TOPIC:* OBEYING GOD'S COMMANDS. *THE MESSAGE:* God commanded King Saul to destroy everything that belonged to the Amalekites, but he did not obey. His excuse for sparing Agag and some animals was not acceptable to God. Today's text makes it clear that religious ceremonies, rituals, or activities are empty unless they are performed with an attitude of love and reverence. Disobedience to God's commands is likened to witchcraft and idol worship. These are grave sins that attract the death penalty. Disobedience to God is rampant among Christians today. Religiosity has taken over spirituality and total submission to God's instructions. The good singer, instrumentalist, or preacher may be guilty of sexual immorality or idolatry, which God forbids. Remember, Saul disobeyed God; he was rejected, and his kingdom was taken away from him. Do not be like him. *REFLECTION:* Disobedience attracts God's punishment. *PRAYER:* Lord, help me to always obey Your commands. Amen. *MEMORY VERSE FOR THE MONTH:* TITUS 2:12. It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in this present age. *TODAY'S BIBLE READING PLAN:* JOB 28-30. ED.ii. Skip to content Dalily Devotional by Elizabeth Haworth Posted onMay 27, 2026 by Editor Warning Words Christian Applications Store:: Christian devotional App Store; Explore Recommended Christian Books and Devotionals Therefore, be ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.” Matthew 24:44 Godly Instruction It is through God’s word that the Creator of the universe communicates to us. It is through the Word of God that the Saviour of our soul speaks to His own. The need for readiness and preparedness is a Bible theme that frequently surfaces, and the many instructions to be ready and prepared are given to saved believers. Wise Preparation Noah heeded the word of the Lord and made ready an ark of salvation for his family. Israel were ready to move camp in the wilderness, as soon as God’s pillars appeared. The prudence of wise preparation is a repeated warning in the book of Proverbs. Peter reminds of the necessity to be prepared to give an answer for what we believe. John encourages us to abide in Christ so we will be spiritually ready to meet Him, and Christ’s warning of the 10 virgins rings loud and clear- to His own followers: be ready, be prepared – your Lord comes at a time you think not. Armour of Light Paul warns us to cast off the works of darkness put on the armour of light, for he knows the night is far gone and the day is at hand for the Lord’s return, The need to be ready and prepared is a theme that frequently surfaces in Scripture. The time for readiness and preparedness is not a future issue, but necessary now! Accepted Time Now is the accepted time, now is the day of salvation 2Cor.6:2. Now is time to be ready – not in 20 years, 20 months; 20 days or 20 hours… So why is it important to be ready and prepared and watchful? What is the reason for this oft-repeated exhortation in the pages of scripture? Why is this warning to be ready given to believers in so many places? Spiritual Readiness Being unprepared does NOT mean that a believer loses eternal life – that’s finished. The work on the cross was a ‘done deal’ forever, when you were washed in His blood. God would deny His very essence were He to change His mind on that aspect. No, the problem of unpreparedness in a believer – it is a lack of spiritual reserves. Danger of Unpreparedness Lack of spiritual readiness can hit doctrinally sound saints and godliest of men alike. Lack of spiritual preparedness can creep up on the most ardent believer. Lives thrown into confusion by this or that – is a result 0f being unprepared, Ill-prepared believers can be torn apart by grief, loss; need or calamity. Careless Unpreparedness But this is not the only sphere of life that can catch a Christian unaware. Lives that are comfortable, clean and plodding carelessly along may be unprepared. Lives that have left their first love or lost their focus on Christ will not be ready. Lives that enjoy a surfeit of worldliness are lives that fall foul of Satan’s ploys. Lives that give up on patient endurance have left the Spirit’s training program. Lives that treat other believers carelessly may be in danger of not being ready. Lives that have removed their eyes from the goal of their calling will not be ready. Lack of Reserves These are believers that have no reserves and they are the ones that are ‘foolish’ These believers are born of God, saved by His blood – but just not ready. These are the ones in Whom the Holy Spirit resides – but are not prepared. These may be deeply involved in the interests of Christ’s work and yet be unprepared. Bible Theme It is through God’s word that the Creator of the universe communicates to us. It is through the Word of God that the Saviour of our soul speaks to His own. The need for readiness and preparedness is a Bible theme that frequently surfaces, and many instructions to be ready and prepared are given to saved believers. Being Ready The warning to be ready should rejoice our hearts and be an encouragement, for God has outlined in His Word all we need to ensure we are ready and prepared – and loving Jesus and trusting His word is the most important step in being ready. Post navigation Previous Post Previous Abide With Me Proudly powered by WordPress. 2. Evening Prayer for today. EP.i. Evening Prayer Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, [therewith] to be content. ⏤ Philippians 4:11 Prayer is not so much an act as it is an attitude—an attitude of dependency, dependency upon God. ⏤ Arthur Pink Almighty God, who has ordered our lives and appointed the place where we live—grant us the grace to accept cheerfully and to occupy contentedly the station in life that You, in Your providence, have assigned to us. Help us to see its sacredness because it is Your fatherly choice for us and Your gift to us. Surely, the place You have prepared for us, and where You have set us, must be the best place for us—the place where we can best grow as Christians, where the atmosphere is most healthy for us, and where the experiences are best suited to develop our character. It must also be the place where we can do the best service for You. Help us to accept it with confidence and to live in it without discontent. Sometimes we are tempted to complain. We think others are more favored, have easier lives, less care and toil, and more ease and comfort. We imagine that if we could trade places with others, we could live more sweetly and make more of our lives. Forgive us for this sin of discontentment with our place in life. You know what is best for us. You know where we can be of the most use to You and others, where the work is that You have for us to do. So, we earnestly pray, our Father, for the spirit of cheerful acceptance of Your plan and Your way for us. Help us to accept Your guidance and to do the things that come to us day by day from Your hand. Then, at the end, we can rejoice in the blessing of those who have done Your will and served our generation. We ask all this through Jesus Christ. Amen. https://www.youdevotion.com/daily-prayer/miller/52/evening #taptapstudio #youdevotion.

GUIDELINES FOR LIVING February 11th, 2026 Are You Ready to Give Up on God? “I was young and now I am old, yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging bread.” Psalm 37:25 David, the shepherd who became the King of Israel, once wrote, “I was young and now I am old, yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging bread” (Psalm 37:25). Was David ever tempted to give up on the Lord? For seven long years he lived in exile, fearing that Saul or one of his zealous soldiers would take his life. He lived as a fugitive, often in desolate uncertain situations, uncertain that he would live to see the light of another day. Once he feigned mental illness, escaping his captor as a madman. On another occasion, the enemy raided his home, taking his wives and children. David had every right to grow discouraged, yet instead of turning away from the Lord, blaming God for his problems, David turned to the Lord as a refuge and a help to whom he could run in times of trouble. John was the son of a missionary who taught at a Christian university for many years, yet when four children came in about as many years and John was struggling to keep out of debt, he was ready to give up on God. He came to me and said, “I’m ready to walk out on God. This whole business just doesn’t work for me. I pray and nothing happens. I’m ready to quit.” “John,” I countered. “Hey, the game’s not over. You’ve decided to quit too soon.” Now, the good news is that he didn’t give up or quit, and eventually he discovered what David did, that God is seldom early but He is never late. The fact of the matter is that God operates on a different timetable than you do. In our impatience and our lack of understanding the whole picture, we often think that God has ignored us or else he’s just too weak to give us what we’ve asked for—not understanding that God is fully aware, fully understanding, and He works out the whole situation according to His timetable, not ours. “I have not seen the righteous forsaken, or His seed begging bread,” said David. Four hundred years is a long time to wait for God to do something, but that was the period of time that elapsed from the long march into Canaan out of Egypt, when the Amalekites harassed and killed the weakened stragglers in the desert until God finally said, “Okay, Saul, go get them!” So, why so long for God to right a wrong? Possibly because the hatred and the anger had to first dissipate, then God said, “The time has come to deal with this wrong.” If you really believe that God has His payday someday, it relieves you of the responsibility of exacting vengeance on your enemies, allowing God, in His time, to deal with the wrong. “I have not seen the righteous forsaken,” says David. Have you? The perspective of years can only be gained by not quitting, by plodding on, by realizing that whether or not you ever see it, you can be sure God takes note of the wrongs that people do to you, and ultimately, He will deal with it. John, the one who was tempted to quit, didn’t. He now serves as a deacon in his church, and He smiles when I remind him of our conversation. When you are tempted to give up on God, you need to take a long view of God’s justice and hold on. When he was distressed, David said, “I wait for you, O LORD; you will answer, O Lord my God. O LORD, don’t forsake me; [don’t be] … far from me” (Psalm 38:15,21). And eventually, you too will be able to say, “Once I was young; now I’m old, but I’ve never seen God’s people forsaken or my children having to beg bread.” It is just as true today as it was in David’s day. God’s promises never grow old. Resource reading: Psalm 37:1-40

Guidelines for living November 10, 2025 ​ Why Should I Ask God for Direction? The men of Israel sampled their provisions but did not inquire of the LORD. Joshua 9:14 ​ “Heaven is full of answers to prayers for which no one ever bothered to ask,” so said the venerable Billy Graham. How often do we go plodding on, sometimes blundering, often getting ourselves into situations which turn into nightmares because we never bother to stop long enough to say, “God, what do you want me to do? Is this Your will, or does it simply look pretty good to me?” Answers to prayers that were never prayed could save you from all kinds of headaches. Long ago Joshua and his staff could have saved themselves all kinds of heartache and headaches had they only stopped long enough to ask for God’s guidance. Here’s how they got themselves into trouble. After God gave them two great victories—one at Jericho, another at Ai—they met together and renewed their commitment to serve God. The law was read and the people nodded their heads in agreement. But shortly after that, the Gibeonites, having heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and Ai, decided they had better sue for peace. Here’s what Scripture says: “They resorted to a ruse: They went as a delegation whose donkeys were loaded with worn-out sacks and old wineskins, cracked and mended. The men put worn and patched sandals on their feet and wore old clothes. All of the bread of their food supply was dry and moldy…. ‘We’ve come from a distant country, make a treaty with us,’” they said. Even Joshua was fooled as they told him how the bread that was now dry and moldy had been soft and fresh when they started their trip. Yes, of course, they lied. But they were convincing. And Joshua signed a treaty with them, agreeing to conditions whereby they would be servants to the Israelites but never would they be killed. The key to their failure is summed up in a few words which Joshua himself later wrote, “The men of Israel sampled their provisions but did not inquire of the LORD” (Joshua 9:14). In other words, they sniffed the moldy bread, and ran their fingers through the worn out and ragged garments, and bought into their lies which had been told with consummate skill. Do you know, friend, the problem that confronted them is still with us today? Nobody is so smart, so savvy, so discerning that he can’t be deceived by the enemies in life, to say nothing of the devil who is a master of deception. That’s why bringing God into your life—into your negotiations—asking Him for direction and guidance, is so critical. Answers to prayers you never prayed can keep you from entering into a marriage which turns into a nightmare, or from living with that person whom you want to believe loves you so much and fully intends to marry you after he makes enough money, or from signing on the dotted line, committing yourself to something you will later regret. James, the half-brother of Jesus, gave us a powerful promise when he wrote, “If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him” (James 1:5). It’s OK to acknowledge that you don’t know what to do, and ask God for wisdom. Someone wisely said that he who knows not and knows not that he knows not is a fool, but he who knows not and knows that he knows not is a wise man. He’s right. Are you in need of an answer to prayer that you have not yet prayed? God won’t thump you over the head to get your attention, but He will respond to your simple cry of, “Lord, I need your help. What should I do?” If you’re married, make it a practice to join hands with your husband or wife and pray together every day. If you’re single, start every day asking for guidance and direction. We have not, because we ask not. ​Resource reading: Joshua 9:1-21.

Fear of Holy Enthusiasm         There also seems to be a chilling fear of holy enthusiasm among the people of God. We try to tell how happy we are—but we remain so well-controlled that there are very few waves of glory experienced in our midst.       Some of you go to the ball game, and you come back whispering because you are hoarse from shouting and cheering. But no one in our day ever goes home from church with a voice hoarse from shouts brought about by a manifestation of the glory of God among us.       Actually our apathy about praise in worship is like an inward chill in our beings. We are under a shadow, and we are still wearing the grave clothes. You can sense this in much of our singing in the contemporary church. Perhaps you will agree that in most cases it is a kind of plodding along, without the inward life of blessing and victory and resurrection joy and overcoming in Jesus’ name.       Why is this? It is largely because we are looking at what we are, rather than responding to who Jesus Christ is! We have often failed and have not been overcomers because our trying and striving have been in our own strength. That leaves us very little to sing about!       Dr. A.B. Simpson wrote:               Fainting soldier of the Lord,           Hear His sweet, inspiring word;       “I have conquered all thy foes,           I have suffered all thy woes.       Struggling soldier, trust in Me,           I have overcome for thee!”               This has to be the secret of our praise and enthusiasm—Jesus Christ is our Overcomer! In our own strength we cannot overcome anyone or anything.               Fear not though thy foes be strong,           Fear not though the strife be long;       Trust thy glorious Captain’s power,           Watch with Him one little hour.       Hear Him calling, “Follow Me,           I have overcome for thee!”               Brethren, human activity and human sweat and tears work not the victory of Christ! It took the sweat and tears and blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. It took the painful dying and the victorious resurrection and ascension to bring us the victory!

The REWARDS and the BLESSiNGS of Obedience to God's Voice in Ministry, in Career, Business, or whatever is our endeavor, don't always show initially when you step out to do His Will As you keep #plodding, faithfully doing what you know to do, and has been instructed to do, by and by, the DOORS TO GREATER SERViCE will fling open for you! All God requires of us is #faithfulness to His Will, even when we seem to be in #obscurity, and we're relatively #unknown. #everyoneシ゚ #followersシ゚ #faithfulness