Posts from 2018 (Page 19)
Daily Devotions: May 31, 2018
May 31, 2018 2 Corinthians 4:5-7…“But we have this treasure in clay jars, so that it may be made clear that this extraordinary power belongs to God and does not come from us.” vs. 7 Paul described the good news of Jesus Christ as a great treasure and he gladly proclaimed it in every circumstance and in every setting. In his estimation, it was more valuable than silver or gold and provided healing for the deepest human hurts. He also…
Daily Devotions: May 30, 2018
May 30, 2018 Psalm 81:6-10…“I am the Lord your God, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt. Open your mouth wide and I will fill it.” vs. 10 According to the book of Deuteronomy, the purpose of the sabbath commandment was to continually remind the people of Israel that God had led them up from the land of Egypt. The psalmist knew that and believed that, as that exodus story was remembered and retold, the Lord would…
Daily Devotions: May 29, 2018
May 29, 2018 Psalm 81:1-5…“Raise a song, sound the tambourine, the sweet lyre with the harp. Blow the trumpet at the new moon, at the full moon, on our festal day.” vss. 2-3 The psalmist gives us a glimpse of worship as it was practiced in the days of the Temple. It wasn’t all about bloody sacrifice and fiery altar offerings. A whole cadre of Levites were on hand to assist in making festival days times of joyful thanksgiving. Hymns…
Daily Devotions: May 28, 2018
May 28, 2018 Deuteronomy 5:12-15…“Observe the sabbath day and keep it holy, as the Lord your God commanded you.” vs. 12 Most folks are familiar with the concept of a sabbatical, a time of rest from regular labors or a time away from our job or profession. In some corporations, a sabbatical is considered one of the perks of employment. But many don’t know that this practice has deep roots in the Hebrew scriptures and that it stems from the…
Daily Devotions: May 27, 2018
May 27, 2018 John 3:11-17…“If I have told you about earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you about heavenly things?” vs. 12 There are times when we would like to share the good news of Jesus the Christ with our neighbors or even family members, and they have a dickens of a time trying to figure out what we’re talking about. Oh, they may know the story and be familiar with the…
Daily Devotions: May 26, 2018
May 26, 2018 John 3:1-10…“The wind blows where it chooses, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.” vs. 8 Nicodemus was a seeker and he sought out Jesus by night to get insights about the Kingdom of God. He was hoping for some clarifying word of wisdom, but, instead hears confusing words about being born of…
Daily Devotions: May 25, 2018
May 25, 2018 Romans 8:12-17…“For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God.” vs. 14 Paul believed that the Holy Spirit played a decisive role in the lives of those who wished to become followers of Jesus. It was by the Spirit that they would be transformed and made holy. Not only would they have faith, their entire lives would be different. Instead of having a narrow and small existence, they would produce bountiful fruits…
Daily Devotions: May 24, 2018
May 24, 2018 Psalm 29:8-15…May the Lord give strength to his people! May the Lord bless his people with peace!” vs. 11 The psalmist closes his hymn of praise to the majesty of the Lord with a special blessing for God’s people, namely that they be given strength and peace for daily living. Many centuries have passed since he prayed those words for the gathered community in Jerusalem, but they’re still remarkably fitting. Life–even at its best–is fraught with challenges…
Daily Devotions: May 23, 2018
May 23, 2018 Psalm 29:1-7…“Ascribe to the Lord, O heavenly beings, ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.” vs. 1 The psalmist didn’t have to tread carefully in his hymns of praise to God. He didn’t have people with a scientific bent parsing his words and looking for inadequate and primitive descriptions of the Lord. His God was as big as he could imagine and he didn’t hesitate to use his imagination in describing God’s glory and strength. For him,…
Daily Devotions: May 22, 2018
May 22, 2018 Isaiah 6:6-8…“Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, ‘Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?’ And I said, ‘Here am I; send me!’” vs. 8 When Isaiah felt the guilt erased and the burden of his sin removed, he was like an eager child waving his arm in the air even before the teacher’s question came. “I’ll do it! I’ll do it! Send me! Send me!” If he had any apprehension about…
Daily Devotions: May 21, 2018
May 21, 2018 Isaiah 6:1-5…“And I said: ‘Woe is me! I am lost, for I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips; yet my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!’” vs. 5 Isaiah’s vision of heaven was overwhelming, and at the center of it all was the Lord sitting on a throne with six-winged seraphs singing praises. The ground shook at their voices, the whole temple was filled with…
Daily Devotions: May 20, 2018
May 20, 2018 John 16:7-15…“Nevertheless I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you.” vs. 7 If the disciples’ fervent prayers had been granted and Jesus would have been able to escape the cross, return to Galilee, and continue his teaching and healing ministry, we would never have heard of him.…