Good morning, everyone,   Our theme for this month: “You are not alone”   Our Bible verse for today: “Lord, You have been our refuge in every generation. Before the mountains were born, before You gave birth to the earth and the world, from eternity to eternity, You are God.” Psalm 90:1-2 (CSB)   Our thought for today: “Thank God for the old folks”   There’s a lot of emphasis these days on new forms of church. Contemporary worship, new Bible translations, congregations meeting in converted supermarkets and theater buildings, are just a few examples. We even have Internet churches now. While I do like contemporary praise music, and I appreciate the importance of contextualizing our approach so we can more effectively reach people within the cultures they live in, I’m also a big fan of the old. In fact, I believe we can learn a lot from the past.   Personally, I like old hymns and old books. The songs of the church from generations past are theologically rich, and some of the greatest Christian authors of all time have lived and written in past generations. I also believe it’s important for us to pay attention to, and learn from, the older folks in our churches.   In my early years as the Pastor of Oak Hill Baptist there was a woman in our church by the name of Mary E. Henry. “Mary E”, as we knew her, was one of the last remaining founding members of Oak Hill Baptist. At that point she had been a member for over 70 years. She had also served as the church pianist that whole time. She played the piano at the very first meeting of that church, and she was still playing it when I got there 70 years later!   Mary E. was also the best local church historian I have ever known. I spent hours sitting at her kitchen table looking through the numerous photo albums and scrapbooks she had compiled over the years to document and catalogue the history of Oak Hill Baptist Church. She had photos, newspaper clippings, flyers, and all sorts of memorabilia.   But the best memories came from the stories she told. Mary E. could sit for hours and tell one story after another about God’s faithfulness over the years and of how He touched lives, provided for people, and preserved and protected the church. It was a rich education for me, and I’m convinced that my time spent with Mary E. made me a better pastor for the people of Oak Hill Baptist.   There’s a lot we can learn about God’s faithfulness, about His protection and provision, and about His abiding and continuous presence with us, from the older generations. As you gather with your church family this weekend, I encourage you to seek out some of the older folks who have been there for years, or decades. Thank them for their faithfulness and then spend some time listening to them. Like me, I’ll bet you’ll find it to be a rich and enlightening education about God’s faithfulness. He never forsakes us, He never abandons us, and the older generations are proof of that.   God bless, Pastor Jim   (If you like what you are reading in these daily devotionals and if you would like more content from Oak Hill Baptist Church, join us on Sundays at 10:00 – in-person if you are nearby or, if you are geographically distant or if you just can’t make it, online at www.YouTube.com/@oakhillbaptistcrossville

Copyright © 2026 Oak Hill Baptist Church, All rights reserved. Our mailing address is: Oak Hill Baptist Church 3036 Genesis Road Crossville, TN 38571

Good morning, everyone,   Our theme for this month: “You are not alone”   Our Bible verse for today: “You are My friends if you do what I command you. I do not call you slaves anymore, because a slave doesn’t know what his master is doing. I have called you friends, because I have made known to you everything I have heard from the Father. You did not choose Me, but I chose you. I appointed you that you should go out and produce fruit and that your fruit should remain, so that whatever you ask the Father in My name, He will give you.” John 15:14-16 (CSB)   Our thought for today: “Are you a “friend” of Jesus?”   In John 20:21 Jesus gave us an excellent summary statement of how God the Father goes about accomplishing His mission here on earth. There Jesus said, “As the Father has sent Me, I also send you.” God the Father sent His Son Jesus into the world to pay the penalty for the sins of mankind and to get the ball rolling to spread God’s Kingdom on earth. Once Jesus had accomplished His part, He then handed it off to His followers to continue the work. We read about that hand-off in John 20:21, Matthew 28:18-20, and Acts 1:8, among other passages.   In John 15:14-16 (above) Jesus explained that if we will accept the task and join Him in His work, He considers us to be His friends. Not a slave serving a Master, but a friend working together to achieve a common goal. Now, I do look upon Jesus as my Master. But He chooses to see me as His friend. Not a slave obeying out of compulsion, and not even just a follower seeking to please a leader, but a friend! The dictionary says that a friend is “One you know, like, and trust. One towards whom you are favorably disposed; someone you are comfortable with; someone you have warm and loving feelings for.” Wow! What a privilege to be thought of in that way by Jesus.   But please don’t miss the point that that friendship is not automatic, it’s conditional. Jesus said you are my friends “if” you do what I command you. That friendship – that close relationship that is warm, loving, comfortable, and trusting – is reserved for those who are intentional about actively joining Him in His mission.   As Christians we have been called to be “on-mission” with Jesus. We are to be actively involved in helping to build and spread His kingdom on earth. Our greatest sense of identity as Christians, our deepest point of connection with our Lord, and our most heightened state of being aware of His presence with us, comes when we are walking side-by-side with Him helping to accomplish His mission here on earth.   The more we join Jesus in His work, the better we will know Him and the closer our relationship with Him will be. That’s true of relationships in general. One of the reasons I love church workdays and group projects is because when church members work together side-by-side to accomplish a task, they get to know each other better and they grow closer.   Very often, people who had simply been members of the same church end up developing close friendships because they worked together on a church project. It’s the same with Jesus. When we join Him in His work, we come to know Him better. So much so, that He considers you to be His friend. I encourage you to join Jesus in His work today!   God bless, Pastor Jim   (If you like what you are reading in these daily devotionals and if you would like more content from Oak Hill Baptist Church, join us on Sundays at 10:00 – in-person if you are nearby or, if you are geographically distant or if you just can’t make it, online at www.YouTube.com/@oakhillbaptistcrossville

Copyright © 2026 Oak Hill Baptist Church, All rights reserved. Our mailing address is: Oak Hill Baptist Church 3036 Genesis Road Crossville, TN 38571

Good morning, everyone,   Our theme for this month: “You are not alone”   Our Bible verse for today: “Better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere; I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked.” Psalm 84:10 (NIV)   Our thought for today: “A feeling of security and contentment”      This morning in my Bible reading I came to Psalm 84:10 and as this verse always does, it reminded me of my old friend Dick DeGrow. Dick was a retired pastor who was a member of the first church I was the pastor of. He served as a deacon and Sunday school teacher. Dick and I used to have lunch together every Tuesday. At that time, I thought it was because I was such an interesting guy that Dick seemed to enjoy spending time with me. I later realized that in his quiet and subtle way, the old retired pastor was mentoring the young new pastor.   Dick also served as the church custodian. Not because he needed the money, but just because he liked being at the church and he loved being useful in the Lord’s work. There was one morning I was in my office working on a sermon and Dick was there to clean the church. He came by, stuck his head in the office door and asked, “How’s my Pastor this morning? Is there anything I can do for you?” I looked at him and asked, “Dick, why do you do this janitorial work? At your age you don’t need to be doing this.” A soft smile slowly formed on his face and he said “Pastor, I would rather clean the toilets in the house of the Lord than to be the CEO of a Fortune 500 company.” Then he smiled again and said, “You have a nice day” as he shuffled off to clean the restrooms.   That scene has stuck with me for all these many years. What I saw was a man who had found his peace and happiness, his sense of fulfillment and satisfaction, in a deep relationship with God. Dick didn’t need a lofty title, a big salary, or an important position to feel as if he was involved in something meaningful and significant. All he needed was to walk quietly and humbly with his God – serving Him well and being a blessing to others. For Dick that was a life well spent. I don’t think I have ever known anyone who had a greater sense of the Lord’s presence, or a greater sense of peace, contentment, and security, than Dick DeGrow.  He was a man who walked closely with the Lord, and it showed.   Contentment, fulfillment, a sense of security, and an awareness that the Lord is always with you and will never abandon you, it all grows from a deep relationship with Him.   May your goal in life be to simply walk quietly and humbly with your God, to serve Him well, and to bless others in His name. If you do that, over time you will develop a deep awareness of His presence and you will feel secure and content.   God bless, Pastor Jim   (If you like what you are reading in these daily devotionals and if you would like more content from Oak Hill Baptist Church, join us on Sundays at 10:00 – in-person if you are nearby or, if you are geographically distant or if you just can’t make it, online at www.YouTube.com/@oakhillbaptistcrossville

Copyright © 2026 Oak Hill Baptist Church, All rights reserved. Our mailing address is: Oak Hill Baptist Church 3036 Genesis Road Crossville, TN 38571

Good morning, everyone,   Our theme for this month: “You are not alone”   Our Bible verse for today: “We are pressured in every way but not crushed; we are perplexed but not in despair; we are persecuted but not abandoned; we are struck down but not destroyed.” 2 Corinthians 4:8-9 (CSB)   Our thought for today: “Adversity can bring us closer to God”   When we say that God is “Sovereign” we mean that He reigns and rules over all creation. He has absolute power over every person and over every situation. He has a comprehensive plan for world history, and He rules the destiny of both men and nations. Since He has the power to intervene at will and put a stop to anything at any time, everything that happens is either caused directly by Him, or in His divine wisdom He chooses to allow it to happen.   That being the case, we can wonder why God allows bad things to happen to good people. The Apostle Paul is a case in point. Few people have suffered more for the cause of Christ than Paul did. He gave up his profession, his income, his home, and his friends to be obedient to the call of God. He then suffered non-stop opposition, was criticized constantly, he was chased, arrested, beaten, left for dead, shipwrecked, bitten by a snake, and much more.   Why did God allow those things to happen to Paul? Why does He allow things like that to happen to any of us? Well, if you know Paul’s story, then you know that everything Paul suffered was used by God to make him even more effective for the cause of Christ. Paul’s perseverance, tenacity, and faithfulness made his message even more powerful.   I once had a close friend who was fighting cancer. At one point, she endured a rather radical surgery to cut the cancer out and she then went through extensive radiation treatments. But through it all she was bright and perky, smiling and positive. When you were with her, she wanted to talk about you and others, not about herself. And through it all she praised God.   She was an inspiration. God used her sickness for His purposes – and He did so in a powerful and memorable way. (By the way, that was years ago and today my friend remains cancer free, but her faith is much stronger because of her ordeal, and she has a powerful testimony as well.)   Another reason God allows us to experience suffering and challenges is to remind us that this world is not our home. In this world there is sickness and suffering, but in heaven there will be none of that. When we experience trials and sufferings now, they simply serve to direct our thoughts to our God and to our future home. God will get us through this current situation, and eventually there will be no more “current situations.” In heaven, where this is all leading us, everything will be perfect. That’s what is waiting for us.   Adversity can serve to draw us closer to God and strengthen our faith as well. When that happens, it reminds us that we are never forsaken by God and His plan is good and perfect.   God bless, Pastor Jim   (If you like what you are reading in these daily devotionals and if you would like more content from Oak Hill Baptist Church, join us on Sundays at 10:00 – in-person if you are nearby or, if you are geographically distant or if you just can’t make it, online at www.YouTube.com/@oakhillbaptistcrossville

Copyright © 2026 Oak Hill Baptist Church, All rights reserved. Our mailing address is: Oak Hill Baptist Church 3036 Genesis Road Crossville, TN 38571

Good morning, everyone,   Our theme for this month: “You are not alone”   Our Bible verse for today: “The mountains may move and the hills may disappear, but even then, my faithful love for you will remain.” Isaiah 54:10 (NLT)   Our thought for today: “God said, “It is not good”   Do you remember back in the early chapters of the book of Genesis as God was viewing His creation and He declared it all to be good? It reads like this: “God saw all that He had made, and it was very good.” Genesis 1:31. Earth, sky, sun, moon, plants, trees, fish, animals, and man – God created it all and declared it all to be “good”. Do you know what was the very first thing in the Bible that God declared to be “not good”? It was loneliness. In Genesis 2:18 it says, “Then the Lord God said, ‘It is not good for the man to be alone.”   Psychologists tell us that lonely people are less happy, less healthy, and they die younger than those who are not lonely. And here’s the really sad part – it’s not necessary for anyone to be lonely. Just because a person doesn’t have a spouse – or even a boyfriend or girlfriend, there is still no reason for that person to be lonely. First and foremost, God Himself is willing and able to provide a relationship that is closer, more intimate, and more deeply fulfilling than any relationship any of us will ever have with another person. In Hebrews 13:5, when the writer quoted God, “I will never leave you or forsake you“, he was simply repeating a truth that God had already expressed in multiple ways through numerous writers all throughout the Old and New Testaments.   There is no better antidote for loneliness than a close relationship with God, and one of the primary ways God manifests His love and His presence to us, and a way in which He counteracts the loneliness we might otherwise experience, is by placing us in a good church family. A healthy and close church family is the perfect place for an otherwise lonely person to find people who love and care about them and who are eager to spend time with them.   At Oak Hill Baptist there are a lot of things we don’t have. We don’t have big crowds, and we don’t have a fleet of church vans; we don’t have multi-million-dollar buildings, and we don’t have a preacher with big hair and a television show. But we do have something else that matters even more – we have a close-knit church family who truly loves and cares for one another. We have an entire church of people who are involved in each other’s lives, who spend time together, who help each other, who carry one another’s burdens, and they truly enjoy being together. I can’t count the number of times a church member has told me that this is the one feature of our church that matters most to them and for which they are most grateful.   As we learned in Genesis chapter two, it’s not good for us to be alone. If you are lonely, I want to encourage you to find companionship first in a close relationship with God and second, in a good church family. God’s love never fails and the place you should experience that love, caring, and companionship the most, is in a good church.   God bless, Pastor Jim   (If you like what you are reading in these daily devotionals and if you would like more content from Oak Hill Baptist Church, join us on Sundays at 10:00 – in-person if you are nearby or, if you are geographically distant or if you just can’t make it, online at www.YouTube.com/@oakhillbaptistcrossville

Copyright © 2026 Oak Hill Baptist Church, All rights reserved. Our mailing address is: Oak Hill Baptist Church 3036 Genesis Road Crossville, TN 38571

Good morning, everyone,   Our theme for this month: “You are not alone”   Our Bible verse for today: “The Lord is with you when you are with Him, He will be found by you, but if you abandon Him, He will abandon you. For many years Israel has been without the true God, without a teaching priest, and without instruction, but when they turned to the Lord God of Israel in their distress and sought Him, He was found by them.” 2 Chronicles 15:2-4 (CSB)   Our thought for today: “You moved, God didn’t”   The passage above reminds me of a man I used to know. The guy was struggling in many areas of his life and was extremely unhappy. He had been raised as a Christian but in his late teens and early twenties had drifted away from the church and from the Lord. He considered himself to be a Christian but admitted that he seldom prayed and he hadn’t been in church in years.   As I said, the man’s life was a mess, and he was angry with God about it. He demanded to know why, if God really did love Him and care about Him, then why wasn’t God more active in his life and meeting some of his desperate needs? I challenged the man to consider if he was really living the kind of life that God could bless. I told him, “God didn’t walk away from you, you walked away from God. By choice you are living outside of His will and outside of His blessing. I promise you that if you return to God, He will return to you.”   God didn’t move away from Him – He moved away from God. That’s the kind of situation the writer of 2 Chronicles was describing in 15:2-4. The entire nation of Israel had strayed from obedience to God. They were chasing after the gods of the world and consequently, they had taken themselves outside of the realm of God’s blessings. But when they finally woke up and began once again placing themselves in a position before God where He could bless them, there was God, waiting and eager to bless their lives once again.   This is a common theme throughout both the Old and New Testaments. God doesn’t force us to come to Him. Instead, He invites us to come to Him- He even sends His prophets and priests and preachers to proclaim His message of forgiveness and reconciliation and blessing to us, but we must respond to the invitation and come to Him. Listen to Jesus in Matthew 11:28-30:   “Come to Me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. All of you, take up My yoke and learn from Me, because I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for yourselves. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”   Jesus doesn’t chase us down and force us to hold still while He attempts to bless us. Instead, He invites us to “come to Him”. The responsibility is on us. But once we do come to Him, then we find ourselves in a position whereby He can and will bless us.   While it’s true that God will never forsake you and He will not abandon you, it is possible for you to forsake Him and to abandon Him. When you do that, you have made a choice to live without His blessings. Return to God and you will find that He is there for you.   God bless, Pastor Jim   (If you like what you are reading in these daily devotionals and if you would like more content from Oak Hill Baptist Church, join us on Sundays at 10:00 – in-person if you are nearby or, if you are geographically distant or if you just can’t make it, online at www.YouTube.com/@oakhillbaptistcrossville

Copyright © 2026 Oak Hill Baptist Church, All rights reserved. Our mailing address is: Oak Hill Baptist Church 3036 Genesis Road Crossville, TN 38571

Good morning,   Our theme for this month: “You are not alone”   Our Bible verse for today: “God is indeed good to Israel, to the pure in heart. But as for me, my feet almost slipped; my steps nearly went astray. For I envied the arrogant; I saw the prosperity of the wicked.” Psalm 73:1-3 (CSB)   Our thought for today: “God will provide”   Doesn’t it just make you crazy to see wicked people prospering? Here you are trying to live a good life, working hard, paying your bills, you don’t cheat on your taxes, you save your nickels and dimes, you give to charity, but you’re just barely making ends meet. But then you see others all around you who couldn’t care less about God and His commands – people who engage in dishonest and unethical behavior, businessmen who exploit their workers and take advantage of their customers, Wall Street investors who game the system and make huge dishonest profits, and it just seems so unfair!   That’s what Asaph saw too when he wrote Psalm 73. He viewed the world around him, saw the wicked obviously prospering by worldly standards, and it made him mad. In verse three he admitted to being envious. In verses 4-12 he ruminated on their opulent lifestyles and their arrogant disregard for others. In verses 13-16 he wondered if perhaps his efforts to live righteously had been a waste of time.   But then beginning in verse 17 he writes of how he entered God’s sanctuary, took his feelings about this issue to the Lord, and he began to see things a little more clearly. The riches of this world are temporary. The people who depend on them for their happiness and security are ultimately brought to ruin. And beginning with verse 21 he writes of how his envy of them almost resulted in his own ruin – his thoughts were poison and bitterness was taking root in his heart.   Finally, beginning in verse 23, he writes of how he came to realize that God was there for Him. The Lord is his provider and all he really needed to experience joy and contentment was a close relationship with the God. Also, whatever material possessions the Lord decided were right for him would be sufficient.   If you’re struggling financially and perhaps feeling a little envious of those who are not struggling, I encourage you to spend some time today with Matthew 6:25-33. It’s a wonderful passage about the promise of God to provide for your needs. God knows exactly what your needs are and He will provide for you – at the right time and in the right way. He is your provider and you can rely on Him.   God bless, Pastor Jim   (If you like what you are reading in these daily devotionals and if you would like more content from Oak Hill Baptist Church, join us on Sundays at 10:00 – in-person if you are nearby or, if you are geographically distant or if you just can’t make it, online at www.YouTube.com/@oakhillbaptistcrossville

Copyright © 2026 Oak Hill Baptist Church, All rights reserved. Our mailing address is: Oak Hill Baptist Church 3036 Genesis Road Crossville, TN 38571

Good morning,   Our theme for this month: “You are not alone”   Our Bible verse for today: “Give thanks to the lord, for He is good; His faithful love endures forever.” 1 Chronicles 16:34 (CSB)   Our thought for today: “Don’t forget to praise God”   How quick we are to ask for God’s help when we’re faced with trials and tribulations (and that is a good thing). We should call out to God and ask for His help. But are we equally quick to thank Him and praise Him after the fact? Do we remember to give Him credit and thanks once He has delivered us?   In the early chapters of 1 Chronicles, King David and the entire nation of Israel had gone through a dark and troubling time. Old King Saul had become paranoid and psychotic. In his delusional state he had slaughtered priests, attempted to kill his own son, accused his closest followers of betraying him, and he had marked David for assassination. On several occasions Saul even took his army on expeditions into the wilderness to hunt for David so they could kill him. It was a turbulent and troubling time for the entire nation.   Ultimately Saul was killed in battle and the people made David their new king. It took a little while to get everything sorted out and settled down but finally, in 1 Chronicles 15, we read that the nation was united, David was in place in Jerusalem as the King, and the Ark of God was finally returned to its rightful place in the city of God.   So, in chapter 16 David declared a day of thanksgiving. There was a huge parade, there was singing and dancing and feasting, and David led the people in a wonderful prayer of praise and thanksgiving as they rejoiced and gave thanks for what the Lord had done. They realized that through all those darks days they were never alone – even in the worst of times God was there with them and He was working behind the scenes to deliver them.   There’s a lesson in that for us. When God brings us through our own dark and troubling times we should make it a point, after the fact, to thank and praise Him for it. I know that in my own life I am often guilty of making a very big deal on the frontend of how much I need God’s help, but then I make a much smaller deal, or forget altogether, about thanking and praising Him once he has delivered me.   Our God is faithful. He is always with us, and He does come through for us. We need to be sure we don’t forget to praise and thank Him once He has.   God bless, Pastor Jim   (If you like what you are reading in these daily devotionals and if you would like more content from Oak Hill Baptist Church, join us on Sundays at 10:00 – in-person if you are nearby or, if you are geographically distant or if you just can’t make it, online at www.YouTube.com/@oakhillbaptistcrossville

Copyright © 2026 Oak Hill Baptist Church, All rights reserved. Our mailing address is: Oak Hill Baptist Church 3036 Genesis Road Crossville, TN 38571

Good morning, everyone,   Our theme for this month: “You are not alone”   Our Bible verse for today: “Be strong and courageous and do the work. Don’t be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord God, my God, is with you. He won’t leave you or forsake you until all the work for the service of the Lord’s house is finished.” 1 Chronicles 28:20 (CSB)   Our thought for today: “God will enable you”     Young King Solomon was faced with a huge assignment. It fell to him to lead the nation of Israel to build a temple for the honor and glory of the Lord God. This was no small job. God is awesome and majestic, and His temple needed to be too. In 1 Chronicles chapter twenty-eight King David, nearing the end of his life, has handed off the kingship to his son Solomon and David is now in the process of describing Solomon’s first, and most important assignment from the Lord – build a temple fitting and appropriate for the God of the Universe.   Do you think Solomon might have felt a little over-whelmed and underqualified? I sure would have. To David’s credit he did get his son off to a good start. He gave him some instructions, and he made a substantial donation of gold and silver and other building supplies out of his own resources to help get it started.   But probably the best thing David did for Solomon occurred in verse twenty of chapter twenty-eight. There he reminded Solomon that there was no need to be afraid or discouraged. David said that Solomon could approach this monumental task with strength and courage. Why? Because the Lord God was with him. The Lord God would prepare and provide and direct as necessary to enable Solomon to accomplish this daunting task. In verse twenty-one David even assured him that God would bring other capable people to assist him: “Here are the divisions of the priests and the Levites for all the service of God’s house. Every willing person of any skill will be at your disposal for the work, and the leaders and all the people are at your every command.”   Can you see the practical application of this lesson for our lives? We are often faced with difficult tasks that at first seem like “Mission Impossible”. Or we have problems that are so complicated, so frustrating, and even so painful that we wonder how in the world we can ever successfully navigate our way through such a mess.   The words David spoke to his son Solomon are true for us too. “Be strong and courageous and do the work.” That’s right, just put one foot in front of the other, start walking it out, and do what you know you need to do. Because: “The Lord God, my God, is with you“. He won’t leave you or forsake you. He will hang in there with you, and He will get you through it. He will provide and guide and abide with you until He brings you to the achievement of what He has called you to. God will enable you to accomplish what He calls you to do.   God bless, Pastor Jim   (If you like what you are reading in these daily devotionals and if you would like more content from Oak Hill Baptist Church, join us on Sundays at 10:00 – in-person if you are nearby or, if you are geographically distant or if you just can’t make it, online at www.YouTube.com/@oakhillbaptistcrossville

Copyright © 2026 Oak Hill Baptist Church, All rights reserved. Our mailing address is: Oak Hill Baptist Church 3036 Genesis Road Crossville, TN 38571

Good morning, everyone,   Our theme for this month: “You are not alone”   Our Bible verse for today: “Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom; Your rule is for all generations. The Lord is faithful in all His words and gracious in all His actions. The Lord helps all who fall; he raises up all who are oppressed.” Psalm 145:13-14 (CSB)   Our thought for today: “Remember God’s past faithfulness”   We’ve all had plenty of times in life when our circumstances were such that the present was difficult and the future was uncertain. Sometimes those circumstances are so bad that they shake our faith. We find ourselves wondering where God is in the middle of it all, and if He will deliver us from our trial. At times like that we need to remember His faithfulness to us in the past.   Psalm 145 is called a “Davidic Hymn”. The purpose of the writer was to remind the reader of God’s greatness, but also of His past faithfulness. He writes of how he (the writer) and the people of Israel have a long history of experiencing God’s goodness and grace (v 7-9); His compassion and mercy (v 9, 15); His strength for the weak (v 14); His help for those in distress (v 19); and His provisions for those in need (v 15).  He also writes about the actions God takes against the wicked (v 20).   Reminding God’s people of God’s past faithfulness is a common theme among the Biblical writers. Moses, David, and all the prophets did it. So did Paul, Peter, and Jesus. The writings of Moses – and the Psalms especially, go to great lengths to review and celebrate God’s past acts of deliverance, provision, protection, and answered prayers.   Why so much emphasis on what is essentially history? It’s because we learn from the past. The Bible provides us a record of what God has done among, and in, and through, and for, His people in the past. But it is also a model – an example for us, designed to help us understand how God deals with His people in all ages of history. God is still at work among us today and He will be tomorrow too, and the day after that, and the day after that.   Never forget what God has done for you in the past. The past can provide comfort for the present and hope for the future. You are never forsaken; you are never alone. God is faithful. He will bless you, provide for you, protect you, and guide you in the present and in the future just as He has in the past.   God bless, Pastor Jim   (If you like what you are reading in these daily devotionals and if you would like more content from Oak Hill Baptist Church, join us on Sundays at 10:00 – in-person if you are nearby or, if you are geographically distant or if you just can’t make it, online at www.YouTube.com/@oakhillbaptistcrossville

Copyright © 2026 Oak Hill Baptist Church, All rights reserved. Our mailing address is: Oak Hill Baptist Church 3036 Genesis Road Crossville, TN 38571