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Lessons On Living Devotional
Dr. Woodrow Kroll served as President and Senior Bible Teacher at Back to the Bible from 1990-2013. Author of more than 50 books, Dr. Kroll's passion is to increase Bible literacy in America by engaging people in the Bible and connecting them with the Author. His clear, incisive teaching of the Word keeps him in demand as a speaker all over the world.
The Bible is filled with heroes of the faith—ordinary and extraordinary men and women who teach us the virtues of courage, commitment, loyalty, and honor.
Giving Good for Evil
Read 1 Samuel 24:17-18 Then [Saul] said to David: "You are more righteous than I; for you have rewarded me with good, whereas I have rewarded you with evil. And you have shown this day how you have dealt well with me; for when the Lord delivered me into your hand, you did not kill me." A gentleman who had held many important positions in public life went to a friend in great anger over a real injury he had received from a prominent politician. He was considering how to react
Rolled Away
Joshua 5:9 Then the Lord said to Joshua, "This day I have rolled away the reproach of Egypt from you." Therefore the name of the place is called Gilgal to this day. Rolled Away According to one source, Americans spend $50 million a year on subliminal message tapes designed to help them do everything from improve their self-image to learn a foreign language. Unfortunately, the National Research Council has concluded that subliminal messages simply don't work. Despite all the h
The Tragedy of Division
1 Kings 11:31-32 And he said to Jeroboam, "Take for yourself ten pieces, for thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: 'Behold, I will tear the kingdom out of the hand of Solomon and will give ten tribes to you (but he shall have one tribe for the sake of My servant David, and for the sake of Jerusalem, the city which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel).'" The Tragedy of Division The pastor of a small church was on his way home when he met an acquaintance from town.
What Are You Doing Here?
1 Kings 19:9 And there he went into a cave, and spent the night in that place; and behold, the word of the Lord came to him, and He said to him, "What are you doing here, Elijah?" What Are You Doing Here? A woman named Maria stopped by Back to the Bible and asked for a tour. While she was waiting in the lobby, she spoke with a member of our staff for a few minutes. She shared that she used to be a power broker on Wall Street and mingled with Donald Trump and Ronald Reagan and
Pass It Along
Joshua 23:6-8 Therefore be very courageous to keep and to do all that is written in the Book of the Law of Moses, lest you turn aside from it to the right hand or to the left, and lest you go among these nations, these who remain among you. You shall not make mention of the name of their gods, nor cause anyone to swear by them; you shall not serve them nor bow down to them, but you shall hold fast to the Lord your God, as you have done to this day. Pass It Along Sometimes we
Beloved Betrayer
2 Samuel 15:13-14 And a messenger came to David, saying, "The hearts of the men of Israel are with Absalom." So David said to all his servants who were with him at Jerusalem, "Arise, and let us flee; or else we shall not escape from Absalom. Make haste to depart, lest he overtake us suddenly and bring disaster upon us, and strike the city with the edge of the sword." Beloved Betrayer Betrayal is difficult to accept. Benedict Arnold betrayed his friend George Washington and hi
Address Unknown
Job 1:1 There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was blameless and upright, and one who feared God and shunned evil. Address Unknown Someone once suggested that when many Christians flee from evil, they leave a forwarding address. They may not want to be immersed in sin, but they do want to stay in touch. Job, on the other hand, was blameless and upright. How could he maintain such a spotless reputation? Because he did more than fear God; he also sh
Rest for the Weary
Joshua 22:4 And now the Lord your God has given rest to your brethren, as He promised them; now therefore, return and go to your tents and to the land of your possession, which Moses the servant of the Lord gave you on the other side of the Jordan. Rest for the Weary William Booth, the founder of the Salvation Army, received a letter from his wife while he was on a long trip. She wrote in part, "Your Tuesday's notes arrived safe, and I was rejoiced to hear of the continued pr
Blessed Promises
Genesis 13:1-2 Then Abram went up from Egypt, he and his wife and all that he had, and Lot with him, to the South. Abram was very rich in livestock, in silver, and in gold. Blessed Promises William Penn, the founder of the commonwealth of Pennsylvania, was well liked by the Indians. Once they told him he could have as much of their land as he could encompass on foot in a single day. So early the next morning, he started out and walked until late that night. When he finally we
The Ultimate Sacrifice
Genesis 22:1-2 Now it came to pass after these things that God tested Abraham, and said to him, "Abraham!" And he said, "Here I am." And He said, "Take now your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you." The Ultimate Sacrifice C. S. Lewis said, "To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything, and your heart will certainly be wrung and possibly be broken."
The Sins of the Father
2 Samuel 12:18 Then on the seventh day it came to pass that the child died. And the servants of David were afraid to tell him that the child was dead. For they said, "Indeed, while the child was still alive, we spoke to him, and he would not heed our voice. How can we tell him that the child is dead? He may do some harm!" The Sins of the Father The consequences of sin frequently affect more than just the one who is sinning. Unfortunately, children are often the victims. Some
Joy to the World
Genesis 21:1-3 And the Lord visited Sarah as He had said, and the Lord did for Sarah as He had spoken. For Sarah conceived and bore Abraham a son in his old age, at the set time of which God had spoken to him. And Abraham called the name of his son who was born to him--whom Sarah bore to him--Isaac. Joy to the World Someone asked Joseph Haydn, the famous composer, why his music was so cheerful. He replied, "I cannot make it otherwise. When I think upon God, my heart is so ful
A Place Called Home
Genesis 13:14-15 And the Lord said to Abram, after Lot had separated from him: "Lift your eyes now and look from the place where you are--northward, southward, eastward, and westward; for all the land which you see I give to you and your descendants forever." A Place Called Home In late summer the migration of the monarch butterfly occurs. If you're in the right place at the right time, you can see hundreds of them clinging to tree limbs and shrubbery as the flock journeys to
The Promise Maker
2 Chronicles 6:10 "So the Lord has fulfilled His word which He spoke, and I have filled the position of my father David, and sit on the throne of Israel, as the Lord promised; and I have built the temple for the name of the Lord God of Israel." The Promise Maker Clarence McCartney, a pastor during the first half of the 20th century, used to tell the story of a man who appeared daily outside the Brooklyn city hall. He had been a man of some influence in the city. In a time of
Keeping Your Balance
Job 2:10 But he said to her, "You speak as one of the foolish women speaks. Shall we indeed accept good from God, and shall we not accept adversity?" In all this Job did not sin with his lips. Keeping Your Balance An old Arab proverb says, "All sun and no rain makes a desert." Even nature demonstrates the importance of dark clouds and wet days. Without them, life not only fails to grow but totally dries up and blows away. Nothing but sunshine would make for a barren and uninh
The Deceitful Heart
Jeremiah 17:9-10 "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it? I, the Lord, search the heart, I test the mind, even to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his doings." The Deceitful Heart One summer the State of Delaware experimented with the honor system for 20 days on its turnpike. Motorists without exact change at the automatic tollbooths were allowed to take return envelopes and mail the money later. The Ass
A Family Memorial
Joshua 4:1-3 And it came to pass, when all the people had completely crossed over the Jordan, that the Lord spoke to Joshua, saying: "Take for yourselves twelve men from the people, one man from every tribe, and command them, saying, 'Take for yourselves twelve stones from here, out of the midst of the Jordan, from the place where the priests' feet stood firm. You shall carry them over with you and leave them in the lodging place where you lodge tonight.'" A Family Memorial T
The Power of Silence
Job 2:11 , 13 Now when Job's three friends heard of all this adversity that had come upon him, each one came from his own place--Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite. For they had made an appointment together to come and mourn with him, and to comfort him. So they sat down with him on the ground seven days and seven nights, and no one spoke a word to him, for they saw that his grief was very great. The Power of Silence We are a chatty society. I
Trust in the Lord
Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths. Trust in the Lord Everyone should know that human wisdom is very fallible. In spite of that, a woman in Haifa, Israel, is suing a television weatherman in small claims court for $1,000 after he predicted sunshine for a day that turned out to be stormy. The woman claims the forecast caused her to leave home lightly dres
A Gentle Spirit
1 Kings 1:33 The king also said to them, "Take with you the servants of your lord, and have Solomon my son ride on my own mule, and take him down to Gihon." A Gentle Spirit Richard Weaver earned his living in the mines, but his higher priority was bringing others to Christ. One day a fellow said to Weaver, "I'm sick of your constant preaching. I've a good mind to smack you in the face!" "Go ahead if it will make you feel better," Weaver replied. The man struck him. The Christ
Giving Our Best
2 Samuel 23:16-17 So the three mighty men broke through the camp of the Philistines, drew water from the well of Bethlehem that was by the gate, and took it and brought it to David. Nevertheless he would not drink it, but poured it out to the Lord. And he said, "Far be it from me, O Lord, that I should do this! Is this not the blood of the men who went in jeopardy of their lives?" Therefore he would not drink it. These things were done by the three mighty men. Giving Our Best
Get Even
2 Samuel 19:31-33 And Barzillai the Gileadite came down from Rogelim and went across the Jordan with the king, to escort him across the Jordan. Now Barzillai was a very aged man, eighty years old. And he had provided the king with supplies while he stayed at Mahanaim, for he was a very rich man. And the king said to Barzillai, "Come across with me, and I will provide for you while you are with me in Jerusalem." Get Even There are times when it's entirely appropriate to get ev
Judgment with Mercy
1 Kings 11:11-12 Therefore the Lord said to Solomon, "Because you have done this, and have not kept My covenant and My statutes, which I have commanded you, I will surely tear the kingdom away from you and give it to your servant. Nevertheless I will not do it in your days, for the sake of your father David; but I will tear it out of the hand of your son." Judgment With Mercy A young employee misappropriated several hundred dollars. When his theft was discovered he was told
To Whom Credit Is Due
Esther 5:11 "Then Haman told them of his great riches, the multitude of his children, all the ways in which the king had promoted him, and how he had advanced him above the officials and servants of the king." To Whom Credit Is Due A proud woodpecker was tapping away at a dead tree when the sky unexpectedly turned black and the thunder began to roll. Undaunted, the woodpecker went right on working. Suddenly a bolt of lightning struck the old tree, splintering it into hundred
Does Jesus Care?
Exodus 15:27 Then they came to Elim, where there were twelve wells of water and seventy palm trees; so they camped there by the waters. Does Jesus Care? Almost a hundred years ago, a minister was plagued with ongoing trials and discouragements. When he thought he no longer could stand it, Rev. Frank Graeff remembered 1 Peter 5:7 , which says, "casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you." A new joy and peace encouraged his soul and he penned a song in which every sta
I Wonder
Genesis 15:2-4 But Abram said, "Lord God, what will You give me, seeing I go childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?" Then Abram said, "Look, You have given me no offspring; indeed one born in my house is my heir!" And behold, the word of the Lord came to him, saying, "This one shall not be your heir, but one who will come from your own body shall be your heir." I Wonder Henry Drummond, a 19th-century Scottish evangelist, observed, "Christ never failed to
Blessed Adversary
1 Kings 11:14 , 23 Now the Lord raised up an adversary against Solomon, Hadad the Edomite; he was a descendant of the king in Edom. And God raised up another adversary against him, Rezon the son of Eliadah, who had fled from his lord, Hadadezer king of Zobah. Blessed Adversary In his book Pain: The Tool of the Wounded Surgeon, Philip Yancey reminds us that pain can serve a definite purpose in our lives. He cites Dr. Paul Brand, one of the world's foremost experts on leprosy,
Superabundant Blessings
1 Kings 3:12-13 " Behold, I have done according to your words; see, I have given you a wise and understanding heart, so that there has not been anyone like you before you, nor shall any like you arise after you. And I have also given you what you have not asked: both riches and honor, so that there shall not be anyone like you among the kings all your days." Superabundant Blessings Howard Hendricks, professor emeritus at Dallas Theological Seminary, told a story about a coupl
Making Sense
Genesis 22:9-10 Then they came to the place of which God had told him. And Abraham built an altar there and placed the wood in order; and he bound Isaac his son and laid him on the altar, upon the wood. And Abraham stretched out his hand and took the knife to slay his son. Making Sense Pablo Picasso was the most famous painter of the 20th century. His paintings often broke with the traditional notion of beauty and harmony. When questioned about his unusual artistic style, the
Fulfilling Our Responsibilities
Read Numbers 13:1-2 , 16 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, "Send men to spy out the land of Canaan, which I am giving to the children of Israel; from each tribe of their fathers you shall send a man, every one a leader among them. These are the names of the men whom Moses sent to spy out the land. And Moses called Hoshea the son of Nun, Joshua. The British naval hero Lord Nelson took his responsibilities very seriously. During his life he conscientiously served his nation
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