Looking for a specific topic or Scripture? Try the search feature:

Looking for a specific devotion? Try the archive:

Devotions Archive
Relationships, Judgment, Spiritual Growth, Spiritual Warfare Dana Rongione Relationships, Judgment, Spiritual Growth, Spiritual Warfare Dana Rongione

When Judgment Clouds Our Vision

Have you ever been quick to judge someone, only to later discover a whole backstory you never knew? I've been guilty of this too often. This tendency of the human heart recently hit me afresh when I re-examined the story of Moses striking the rock at Kadesh.

Like many believers, I've often viewed this account through a simplistic lens. God said, "Speak to the rock," but Moses struck it instead, and punishment ensued. An open-and-shut case of disobedience, right?

However, as I dug a little deeper into the passage this morning, something was revealed. Standing once again at Kadesh after forty years of wilderness wandering, Moses wasn't merely facing another water crisis; he was standing at the epicenter of Israel's greatest failure.

Imagine what must have raced through Moses' 120-year-old mind. Here he was, back at the scene of the crime, so to speak.

Read More
Spiritual Growth, Spiritual Warfare, spiritual housecleaning Dana Rongione Spiritual Growth, Spiritual Warfare, spiritual housecleaning Dana Rongione

The Great Tissue Disaster

The moment I opened the dryer door, I knew I was in for a big mess. Someone (and I won't say who to protect the guilty party) left tissues in the pocket of his jeans...again. I stood there, mouth agape, staring at what looked like a winter wonderland inside my dryer. Only this wasn't the magical kind of snow that brings joy and merriment. This was the "I-now-have-to-spend-an-hour-picking-tiny-bits-of-tissue-from-every-single-item-of-clothing" kind.

I don't know when you last ran a load of laundry that contained tissues, but the result is quite a mess. It's truly amazing how a few small tissues can affect every single garment in that load of laundry. Not a single item came away without at least some bits of tissue clinging to them. T-shirts, jeans, socks? Yup, it was all decorated with white specks that resembled dandruff gone wild. Obviously, I was not pleased.

Read More
Comfort, Encouragement, Determination, Spiritual Growth, Spiritual Warfare Dana Rongione Comfort, Encouragement, Determination, Spiritual Growth, Spiritual Warfare Dana Rongione

When Giants Block Your Promised Land

Have you ever felt utterly deflated when facing an impossible situation? I admit I've felt that way numerous times. I know God is good. I know He can handle every problem. Yet, when negative circumstances surround me and deadlines loom before me, my faith grows weak, and my mind begins to doubt. When that happens, I often open my Bible to Numbers 13.

"And Caleb stilled the people before Moses, and said, Let us go up at once, and possess it; for we are well able to overcome it" (Numbers 13:30).

What courage! While ten spies spread fear about giants and walled cities, Joshua and Caleb saw the same challenges but reached a dramatically different conclusion. The Bible specifically mentions they had "another spirit" (Numbers 14:24). In modern terms, they had a different attitude, a different perspective.

What about you? What giants are you facing today?

Read More
Spiritual Growth, Spiritual Warfare, weariness, Ministry Dana Rongione Spiritual Growth, Spiritual Warfare, weariness, Ministry Dana Rongione

Finding God’s Rhythm in Ministry

I sat on the edge of my bed this morning, staring at my planner with its mile-long to-do list. Bible study to prepare, blog posts to write, ladies' retreat sessions to plan, Holiday Bible Club to coordinate, missionary reports due... My heart ached with the weight of it all while my body protested with its usual chorus of pain.

"Lord," I whispered, "I don't think I can do this anymore."

Have you felt caught between these two realities? On one side, there's the undeniable truth that souls hang in the balance—real people who will spend eternity somewhere. On the other, there are the physical, emotional, and spiritual limitations of our humanity.

This tension is as old as ministry itself.

Read More
Life's Journey, Reaching Out To Others, Spiritual Growth, Spiritual Warfare Dana Rongione Life's Journey, Reaching Out To Others, Spiritual Growth, Spiritual Warfare Dana Rongione

When Change Seems Impossible

Have you ever heard the story of the frog in the kettle? Place a frog in boiling water, and it will immediately jump out. But place it in room-temperature water and gradually increase the heat, and the frog will stay put until it's too late. While this analogy may be more folklore than science, it illustrates a profound truth about human nature.

In Jesus' day, the religious system had gradually shifted from God's original intent. Like that proverbial frog, the people didn't notice the slow drift from true worship to ritualistic religion. The Pharisees had added layer upon layer of rules and traditions until the heart of God's law was nearly unrecognizable. As Jesus said, "Making the word of God of none effect through your tradition, which ye have delivered" (Mark 7:13).

I wonder how many of those sincere worshippers realized something was amiss?

Read More