16 Feb 2026
The Lord we worship is mighty. He deserves our adoration. We have read and seen what He has done and can do. We are privileged to have access to Him, but let us never forget how majestic He is. Revelation 4:1-11.
Empty!
What are you filling your tank with? This past week, a friend of mine – whose name I will not mention – had some car trouble more than 500 miles from his home. If you’ve ever been in that situation, it is certainly disconcerting to say the least. What do you do? Who do you call? How much will it cost? All these questions rush through your mind. In my friend’s case, it was just a matter of putting gas in the gas tank. Unfortunately he had already had to pay a tow truck – now do you see why he will remain nameless? In his defense, he ran out of gas while his gas gauge was showing that he still had a quarter of a tank of fuel remaining. Of course, I couldn’t help but see a spiritual application in this event. How many people do you suppose are trusting in a “fallible gauge”? How many people do you think are being told they’re alright, but their “spiritual tank” is actually empty? I do know that on the day of judgment that there will be some who stand before Christ who will be surprised that they are not saved. (Matthew 7:21-23) To avoid such a fate, we must trust in the only “gauge” that will never fail and never mislead us … the word of God. Friends, spend time in God’s word so that you can make your calling and election sure. So, dear brothers and sisters, work hard to prove that you really are among those God has called and chosen. Doing this, you will never stumble or fall away. For you know that God paid a ransom to save you from the empty life you inherited from your ancestors. And the ransom he paid was not mere gold or silver. He paid for you with the precious lifeblood of Christ, the sinless, spotless Lamb of God. (2 Peter 1:10; 1 Peter 1:18-19 NLT) About the author: Steve Higginbotham is a native of West Virginia. His father also preached. Steve serves the Karns Church of Christ in Knoxville, TN and is an instructor in the Southeast Institute of Biblical Studies and an editor for Think Magazine. Steve & Kim have four children, Kelli, Michael, Matthew, and Anne Marie.
Hope Does Not Disappoint Us
Can we keep from being disappointed by broken hopes? For good or bad, I’m going to share something of myself with you. I have to tell you right up front that I am not that deep when it comes to studious intellectual things. Not that I can’t study things out when it’s called for, but I’m more of an easy going guy who enjoys being laid back. Any day of the week, I would much rather read Lord of the Rings or Star Wars than some book on religious philosophy. Though obviously from my chosen vocation you can figure out that religion, philosophy, and the such-like are important to me. However, I do enjoy other less deep things, too. Having said that, one of my readers sent me a quote from Victor Hugo that got me to thinkin’ and studyin’ on something. Hugo wrote, “Hope is the word which God has written on the brow of every man.” Man, doesn’t that have the feel of deep religious philosophy to it? Not only does it sound deep, it also has the ring of truth to it because it is based upon the teachings we find in God’s word. Can’t you hear the words ring out in a deep vibrating baritone voice, “HOPE IS THE WORD WHICH GOD HAS WRITTEN ON THE BROW OF EVERY MAN!” It’s true isn’t it? I mean, which of us can go on for another day without some kind of hope? It is in our very nature to have hope – perhaps our genetic make up given to us by the Creator to “live in hope.” We hope for a better tomorrow.We hope for a better life.We hope for a raise at work.We hope for that special person to notice us.We hope for world peace and the end to all wars and killing. Hoping means that we think (maybe somewhere deep down inside of us) that these things will happen. That’s what gives us the motivation to go on day after day. Even at times when things look less hopeful, we still have that small spark of belief on which to hang our hopes. The apostle Paul shares these wonderful words of hope with us in 2 Corinthians 4:8-10 for times when we feel beaten down. He says, “We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed and broken. We are perplexed, but we don’t give up and quit. We are hunted down, but God never abandons us. We get knocked down, but we get up again and keep going. Through suffering, these bodies of ours constantly share in the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be seen in our bodies.” Paul also wrote in Romans 5:1-5, “Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.” I know that sometimes life gets tough for us. It is sometimes very difficult to see how we can possibly go on – that we almost reach the end of our hope. But if our hope is in God, the work of Jesus, and the power of the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts, this hope will never disappoint us. About the author: Russ Lawson is a former missionary to Africa and minister in Ohio. He now works with World Christian Literature Outreach and writes a weekly email devotional, Messages from the Heart. For more information about Russ, click here.
The Behinder I Get
How are you doing at keeping up with all your responsibilities? My mom grew up with a saying that she passed on to us. It goes something like this: “The harder I work, the behinder I get!” While it may not be correct grammar, it’s sure correct for many of our lives – or at least the way we feel about them. Many folks today find themselves behind, and the more they try to do to catch up, the “behinder” they find themselves. We can end up in this situation for many reasons. Some of us are procrastinators. Some of us over-schedule. Some of us are not disciplined with our time. Some of us waste a lot of time getting ready to do what we need to do. Some of us don’t work hard. Some of us have a lot of unexpected pressures and problems intruding into our lives. Some of us don’t prioritize the things we have to do. I’m sure we could list a bunch of other reasons why many of us find ourselves “behinder” even though we feel like we’re working hard on our “to do” lists. Unfortunately, one reason many of us are behind is very sad: we live like we’re too busy to pray. I’m afraid that many of us see prayer as something to work into our busy schedules if we have time. Others of us only see prayer as an emergency cry for help when we are in trouble and want God to bail us out. During the daily routine that burns most of our time and churns up most of our problems, we forget to take time to pray. In the process of neglecting prayer, we find ourselves getting “behinder.” Reuel Lemmons, a great Christian leader now gone to be with the Lord, used to say, “I only get done what I pray about.” He made prayer a top priority. Bill Hybels’ good little book on prayer has the convicting title, Too Busy Not to Pray. These leaders remind us what Jesus so powerfully demonstrated in his own life and ministry: prayer is the key to accomplishing the work God wants us to do through us. Early in the Lord’s ministry, he demonstrated the importance of prayer for those of us with busy lives. (Mark 1:35-45) After an incredibly hectic schedule on the previous day, Jesus rose early one morning and went off to a lonely place to pray. During his time of prayer, he re-centered his schedule in the mission God had called him to accomplish. Peter came looking for him and told him that many people were in need of his attention and were seeking to find him. Jesus replied that he needed to move on to other places – to the towns and villages – and preach the Gospel of the Kingdom there. Why would Jesus leave behind those wanting to be healed? Why move on to other places? Jesus’ answer was clear, “This is why I came.” Prayer re-centered Jesus on his mission. I don’t know about you, but I need to be reminded occasionally of several humbling truths I believe we can learn from Jesus’ actions: I can’t do everything, so I must do the most important things – the things God wants me to do. I can’t help everyone, so I must help those whom God leads me to help as I fulfill my mission. I won’t be able to distinguish the most important things that God wants me to do without spending time in God’s presence in prayer. The busier I am, the more important it is that I spend time in prayer. Even when I’m busy doing the Lord’s work, when he places someone in my path that has needs, I need to be compassionate and serve them. If you keep finding yourself “behinder” in life, look closely to see if you have left out the most important element of a busy and effective life: prayer! About the author: Phil Ware has authored 11 years of daily devotionals, including VerseoftheDay.com, read by 500,000 people a day. He works with churches in transition with Interim Ministry Partners and for the past 21+ years, he has been editor and president of HEARTLIGHT Magazine, author of VerseoftheDay.com, God’s Holy Fire (on the Holy Spirit), and aYearwithJesus.com. Phil has also authored four books, daily devotionals on each of the four gospels.
Daily Prayer for February 16
We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us. 1 Corinthians 2:12, NIV Dear Father in heaven, open the door for us, we pray. Grant that we may come to you in spirit. Grant that in you we may find peace and courage for our whole lives. Lead us always by your Spirit. Help us to find your will on earth and grant us access to your heavenly powers, for alone we can do nothing. Strengthen our faith so that we can always serve you. Bless your Word in us. May our hearts be opened, for we are your children, O Lord our God, through Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen. Recent articles on Plough Why God Doesn’t Need Psychedelics Joseph Murphy True communion with God doesn’t come with the popping of a pill. Read now A Revival of Courage Archbishop Angaelos The martyrdom of twenty-one Christians beheaded by ISIS militants on February 15, 2015 reverberated around the world. Read now Losing Faith, Finding Light Sharukh Bamboat After tragedy and grief shatter his childhood faith, a Zoroastrian finds his way back to God. Read now Raising Jewish Children in Northern England Atar Hadari An Orthodox rabbi sent his children to a Church of England school. Find out how it went. Read now Away from Compromise and Shadow Eberhard Arnold Following Jesus allows for no compromise with all that is loveless. Read now
Take Me Into Your Heart
Note from Jesus Dear Child of God, Don’t miss the heartbreak of the events described in the Scripture below. Despite all I had said and had done, people turned away from Me. As long as I would do miracles for them, they were quite happy to hang around with Me. But when I would not do their wish list miracles-on-demand and when I told them the truth about My divinity, they got testy with Me and My followers. In fact, many quit following Me. So here’s the challenge. You need to take Me — My truth, My power, and My words — into your heart. Some of the things I ask of you will be hard — some of them hard to do and some of them hard to understand. But here’s the point: to the best of your ability and empowered by the Holy Spirit within you, do what I ask, believe what I say, and live what I teach. My words are life-giving and life-preserving. The Holy Spirit is at work giving you guidance, using you in My service, and conforming you to My words. There will be times when you are confused. Some of that confusion will be because life is hard. Sometimes your confusion will come from your own selfishness and rebelliousness. Some of your confusion will be there because some of what I say can be hard to understand or you are not ready for it. But despite all the shortcomings you can find in Peter and My other apostles, please notice Peter’s words — spoken for all of the apostles. I asked if they would walk away from Me, too, and this is what Peter said: “Lord, if we were to go, whom would we follow? You speak the words that give everlasting life. We believe and recognize that You are the Holy One sent by God.” Verses to Live Notice all the back-and-forth below in John’s account. There is a lot of talk about faith. Bottom line: just TALK about faith really doesn’t mean much. What matters is what Peter and the apostles DO: they (except for Judas) risk all to follow Me because of their choice to believe in Me even when many are turning away from Me: Some of the Jews began to grumble quietly against Him [Jesus] because He said, “I am the bread that came down from heaven.” Crowd: Isn’t Jesus the son of Joseph? We know His parents! We know where He came from, so how can He claim to have “come down from heaven”? Jesus: Stop grumbling under your breaths. If the Father Who sent Me does not draw you, then there’s no way you can come to Me. But I will resurrect everyone who does come on the last day. Among the prophets, it’s written, “Everyone will be taught of God.” So everyone who has heard and learned from the Father finds Me. No one has seen the Father, except the One sent from God. He has seen the Father. I am telling you the truth: the one who accepts these things has eternal life. I am the bread that gives life. Your fathers ate manna in the wilderness, and they died as you know. But there is another bread that comes from heaven; if you eat this bread, you will not die. I am the living bread that has come down from heaven to rescue those who eat it. Anyone who eats this bread will live forever. The bread that I will give breathes life into the cosmos. This bread is My flesh. The low whispers of some of Jesus’ detractors turned into an out-and-out debate. Crowd: What is He talking about? How is He able to give us His flesh to eat? Jesus: I tell you the truth; unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you will not know life. If you eat My flesh and drink My blood, then you will have eternal life and I will raise you up at the end of time. My flesh and blood provide true nourishment. If you eat My flesh and drink My blood, you will abide in Me and I will abide in you. The Father of life Who sent Me has given life to Me; and as you eat My flesh, I will give life to you. This is bread that came down from heaven; I am not like the manna that your fathers ate and then died! If you eat this bread, your life will never end. He spoke these words in the synagogue as part of His teaching mission in Capernaum. Many disciples heard what He said, and they had questions of their own. Disciples: How are we supposed to understand all of this? It is a hard teaching. Jesus was aware that even His disciples were murmuring about this. Jesus: Has My teaching offended you? What if you were to see the Son of Man ascend to return to where He came from? The Spirit brings life. The flesh has nothing to offer. The words I have been teaching you are spirit and life, but some of you do not believe. From the first day Jesus began to call disciples, He knew those who did not have genuine faith. He knew, too, who would betray Him. Jesus: This is why I have been telling you that no one comes to Me without the Father’s blessing and guidance. After hearing these teachings, many of His disciples walked away and no longer followed Jesus. Jesus (to the twelve): Do you want to walk away too? Simon Peter: Lord, if we were to go, whom would we follow? You speak the words that give everlasting life. We believe and recognize that You are the Holy One sent by God. Jesus: I chose each one of you, the twelve, Myself. But one of you is a devil. This cryptic comment referred to Judas, the son of Simon
No Greater Love
Admit it! Accept it! Share it! My wife and I were recently in a setting with several long-time friends. We felt love. We felt fortunate. We felt the presence of God as we were in the presence of these friends. As we drove home from the event we talked of the blessing of being loved by so many for so long. As we celebrate another wedding anniversary, I wonder how many times we have expressed our love for one another through our thirty-six years. We have said it with cards, we have said it with gifts, we have said it with physical presence, and we have said it with words. Every time I communicate with one of my children, I realize what it means to be loved and to love. A text. An email. A conversation. A photograph. A visit. Each interaction is a reminder of what it means to love and be loved. When I think of one of my brothers, my sister, my parents, my grandparents, my cousins, my nephews and nieces, and my aunts and uncles, I am convinced all over again of what an amazing heritage of love has been bestowed upon me. At the end of a sermon, as I see a brother or sister moving toward the front of the assembly hall with tears in their eyes, then I see other brothers and sisters surround them, embrace them, and wrap their arms around as we pray for them, I am grateful for the fellowship of love with which I serve the Lord. Whether I write it in an article, preach it in a sermon, share it over coffee, discuss it in a class or a small group, I am convinced of the truth that our God is a God of love who has demonstrated His love for all people with the ultimate expression of love: He gave His life for us. This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth. This then is how we know that we belong to the truth, and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence whenever our hearts condemn us. For God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything (1 John 3:16-20 NIV). Jesus gave His life for us. He loves you. He loves me. Admit it. Accept it. Appreciate it. Share it. About the author: Tom Norvell is the author of “A Norvell Note” — Thoughts and reflections on God, life, people, and living as a follower of Jesus. He has ministered with followers of Jesus for four decades and loves Jesus, his family, and those seeking Jesus, passionately.
Forgotten Kindness, Forgotten Love?
When is the last time you let God know how much you love Him? I read Oswald Chambers devotional for January 21 in “My Utmost for His Highest.” It talked about being “kind to God.” That really got me thinking. I don’t know that I’ve ever considered that. This is what Oswald Chambers said: Am I as spontaneously kind to God as I used to be, or am I only expecting God to be kind to me? Am I full of the little things that cheer His heart over me, or am I whimpering because things are going hardly with me? There is no joy in the soul that has forgotten what God prizes. It is a great thing to think that Jesus Christ has need of me – “Give Me to drink.” How much kindness have I shown Him this past week? Have I been kind to His reputation in my life? We think of God as being the all powerful creator: and He is. We think of Him as knowing everything, judging, and disciplining: and He does. I guess we sometimes forget that the Father wants a personal relationship with us. When we say that God wants a personal relationship with us, I fear that we are just saying that He cares about each of us so much that He made a way for each of us to be saved. But I believe He wants more than that: He really does want a personal relationship with us – a relationship that includes us being kind to Him and telling Him that we love Him. Not that He needs us, but yes, actually He does desire this of us. Jesus told us: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.” This is the first and great commandment. (Matthew 22:37-38 NKJV). When was the last time you simply spoke to God like you would a good friend sitting next to you on a bench? When was the last time you told God you loved Him in a kind, sincere, and personal way? When we spend time with God, we must remember some basic needed elements in that time. Thanksgiving and praise are important. Confessing our sin and repentance are, too. Praying for others and ourselves, is something we should do. Waiting on Him to speak to our hearts, is something we should do – but often are in too big of a hurry to do. But today, let’s be reminded to never forget to be “kind to God.” He loves us, and enjoys our kind, sincere, and heartfelt words of affection. About the author: Mike is a pastor and writer for a number of online publications.
God at Our Feet
Here’s a place it’s hard to imagine God, but it is the place God often chose to be! Our friend had quadruple bypass surgery and his first hospital stay. Instead of parking in the ministers’ reserved area and visiting the sick, he lay in an airy hospital gown and received visitors. Later, his sweet wife listed the kindnesses extended from hospital staff, family, and friends because many rallied to “bless” this godly couple. Their helpers bowed their knees to them, not in worship but in service. When God called Abram, one of the promises he made was to “bless” him. The primary root for “bless” means “to kneel” or “to bow the knee”: [God said to Abram,] “I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you” (Genesis 12:2-3). Once source explains, “The idea of blessing may come from several factors including that of bending the knees to give or to receive.” Both elements of giving and receiving are present in God’s call to Abram. First, God bowed his knees and served Abram so Abram could accomplish God’s will for his life. Eventually through Abram’s lineage, God gifted the entire earth with Jesus Christ. Abram believed God’s promises, used God’s provisions, and bowed his knee in service to his family and foreigners. I easily imagine Abram bowing his knee to serve God and his contemporaries. However, I have difficulty when I picture God on his knees, serving Abram, not in worship but through the keeping of his promises to bless Abram. While the picture of God kneeling to serve might be difficult to visualize, testimonies of God’s gracious service appear all through scripture. From the earliest days, God has served his creation and expressed his all-out love through provisions and justice. The Creator seeded the earth and set up an atmosphere to support plant life and humans. He didn’t let Cain get away with murder. For thousands of years, God has nurtured humanity, yet we as humans have continued to ignore or bite the hand that feeds us. In addition, God planned a complete demonstration of his love through Jesus Christ – a demonstration of love that would impact us like nothing before or since. Ultimately, God let us view his servant heart through his Son Jesus, and his three year ministry held countless revelations of God’s truth and grace (John 1:14-18). On the evening before his crucifixion, Jesus assured his disciples, “Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father” (John 14:9). Earlier that night, Jesus had demonstrated God-as-servant, showing his disciples the “full extent of his love” (John 13:1). When the Master Teacher had gathered to dine with his disciples in the upper room, street grime had come along on their feet. That’s when the God of Abram, “found in appearance as a man” (Philippians 2:8), got up from the meal, took off his outer garment, and wrapped a towel around his waist. After pouring water into a basin, the God of Abram knelt, and one at a time he would lift and clean 24 dirty feet. Wash and dry. Wash and dry. Wash and dry. Thomas. John. Thaddeus. Andrew. James. Bartholomew. Peter. Judas. The cleansing wasn’t brief: The meal stopped. It took time. Minutes and more minutes ticked by as Jesus, found in appearance as a man, made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant (Philippians 2:6-8). Servant God knelt. Moved from man to man, foot to foot, and physically touched each disciple. Dipping water from a basin, scrubbing toes, toweling ankles, Jesus humbled himself one more time before he “became obedient unto death-even death on a cross!” (Philippians 2:8). When Jesus reached the reluctant Peter, we find these words in John’s story of Jesus: He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?” Jesus replied, “You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.” “No,” said Peter, “you shall never wash my feet.” Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no part with me” (John 13:6-8). Later… the disciples comprehended. They remembered the night Jesus made himself of no reputation and took upon the form of a servant – the night he declared most of them were clean and set in motion a perpetual cleansing. They learned from God “found in appearance as a man” that protocol couldn’t hinder lavish love. When Abram received his call, Servant God eventually furnished everything Abram needed to carry out the divine path for his life. Abram believed God and his belief equaled righteousness in God’s court (Genesis 15:6). I find it easy to picture looking up into the heavens and praying to God. I can even clearly picture God at my side walking in a garden as we talk about life. However, the image blurs when I look down into the eyes of the God of Abram fashioned as a man washing my feet. I’m ready for a new portrait. I’m praying that God will place in my mind and heart the knowledge of a towel-draped Savior at my feet who will equip me to bless – bow my knees to others. About the author: Author Cathy Messecar speaks at local and national women’s retreats, social clubs, and writing guilds. Her inspirational columns ran in Houston Community Newspapers for 11 years and over 600 columns. She wrote A Still and Quiet Soul: Embracing Contentment (2011) and other gift books cathymessecar.com.
Today’s Verse – John 13:34-35
A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another. —John 13:34-35 Thoughts on Today’s Verse… How do you recognize Jesus’ followers? How do you find true Christians? Many people claim to be followers of Jesus, but are they really? How do we know? In the Gospel of John, Jesus gives us three ways that show we are his true disciples: we abide in his word (John 8:31-32 ESV), we bear much fruit (John 15:8), and we love one another (John 13:35). Today, we focus on our love for one another as a mark of true discipleship. Jesus said his disciples would love each other just as he loved them. In the immediate context, this kind of love is defined: like Jesus, we are willing to love and serve each other selflessly and practically – just as he washed their feet and later went to the cross while protecting them. The LORDs ministry revealed he would do almost anything to demonstrate his love for his disciples, whether extravagant, simple, or something in between. Imagine if we all followed the LORD Jesus’ example and proved ourselves his disciples by loving each other in the same way Jesus demonstrated his love to them and to us! My Prayer… Father of Compassion and God of all grace, we thank you for teaching me to love through the example and commands of Jesus. May our words and actions reflect his love toward your people today, tomorrow, and until you bring us all home to you. In the name of Christ, our Great Example and LORD, we pray. Amen. All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House.