Posts from 2018 (Page 17)
Daily Devotions: June 23 , 2018
June 23, 2018 Mark 4:35-48…“But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; and they woke him up and said to him, ‘Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?’” vs. 38 Even though the Sea of Galilee wasn’t very large, barely four miles from one side to the other, it could be a scary place when the wind began to blow. Undoubtedly, those who lived in the little fishing villages along its shore had many stories of…
Daily Devotions: June 22 , 2018
June 22, 2018 2 Corinthians 6:4-13…“but as servants of God we have commended ourselves in every way: through great endurance, in afflictions, hardships, calamities, beatings, imprisonments, riots, labors, sleepless nights, hunger; by purity, knowledge, patience, kindness, holiness of spirit, genuine love, truthful speech, and the power of God…” vss. 4-7a We get a mini-memoir from Paul in this part of his second letter to the Corinthians. He’s gotten some negative news from Corinth; evidently some persons in the congregation have…
Daily Devotions: June 21 , 2018
June 21, 2018 2 Corinthians 6:1-3…“As we work together with him, we urge you also not to accept the grace of God in vain.” vs. 1 As Paul heard the news from Corinth, he realized that some of those who had received the good news of Jesus with enthusiasm were beginning to drift away. It seems that they didn’t understand that God’s grace was more than a theological prescription for salvation, that it was actually intended to make a difference…
Daily Devotions: June 20 , 2018
June 20, 2018 Psalm 107:23-32…“Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and he brought them out from their distress;” vs. 28 The psalmist had no difficulty thinking of times in Israel’s history when the people were facing calamity of one kind or another. In these verses, he’s recounting the stories of sailors who braved the unpredictable and dangerous seas and who turned to God when the winds blew and waves engulfed their boats. Of course many boats sank…
Daily Devotions: June 19 , 2018
June 19, 2018 Psalm 107:1-3…“Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, those he redeemed from trouble…” vs. 2 Sometimes Christians imply that the only redemption worth talking about is that which comes through Jesus, that only those “washed in the blood of the Lamb” have the salvation of God. Such talk would have certainly surprised the psalmist. In his estimation there were countless examples of redemption in Israel’s history. The people had often fallen away from God and then…
Daily Devotions: June 18 , 2018
June 18, 2018 Job 38:1-11…“Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell me, if you have understanding.” vs. 4 People have long asked, “Why do bad things happen to good people?”–and have struggled to find suitable answers. The writer of Job is certainly familiar with the question and has presented a long narrative exploring various answers. In the course of his story, he presents God’s response to Job’s laments in colorful and provocative ways. His images…
Daily Devotions: June 17 , 2018
June 17, 2018 Mark 4:30-34…“With many such parables he spoke the word to them, as they were able to hear it; he did not speak to them except in parables, but he explained everything in private to his disciples.” vss. 33-34 As a teacher, Jesus regularly used parables to pass on the great truths of the kingdom of God. For the most part they’re short and uncomplicated, and use familiar examples to give glimpses of God’s work. They’re similar to…
Daily Devotions: June 16 , 2018
June 16, 2018 Mark 4:26-29…“He also said, ‘The kingdom of God is as if someone would scatter seed on the ground, and would sleep and rise night and day, and the seed would sprout and grow, he does not know how.’” vss. 26-27 From ancient times, those who till the soil and plant crops have generally had a strong appreciation of God’s role in the whole process, and, at harvest time, have led the way in making sacrifices and giving…
Daily Devotions: June 15 , 2018
June 15, 2018 2 Corinthians 5:14-17…“So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new!” vs. 17 Insanity has been described in the AA program as doing the same thing over and over again, each time hoping for different results. It’s a good definition, one that most of us have had some experience with. In this view, real change can only happen when the old has passed away, and…
Daily Devotions: June 14 , 2018
June 14, 2018 Corinthians 5:6-10…“For all of us must appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each may receive recompense for what has been done in the body, whether good or evil.” vs. 10 As followers of Jesus pick and choose their favorite passages of scripture, they often skip over verses like this one from Paul. Those who bask in the grace freely offered by God are troubled by intimations that there might one day be a time…
Daily Devotions: June 13 , 2018
June 13, 2018 Psalm 92:12-15…“In old age they still produce fruit; they are always green and full of sap, showing that the Lord is upright; he is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in him.” vss. 14-15 The psalmist has noticed that the righteous will often seem to live forever. He compares them to a cedar or palm tree planted in the courts of God. They live on and on as faithful servants and continue to bear fruit even…
Daily Devotions: June 12 , 2018
June 12, 2018 Psalm 92:1-4…“For you, O Lord, have made me glad by your work; at the works of your hands I sing for joy.” vs. 4 There are some days that seem better than others. We wake in the morning with a smile on our faces, and through the day we are alert to the blessings of our lives and the pure wonder of being alive in this spectacular spot in the universe. The psalmist was having one of…