Posts from November 2020

Posts from November 2020

Daily Devotions

Isaiah 40:1-5 “Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and cry to her that she has served her term, that her penalty is paid, that she has received from the Lord’s hand double for all her sins.” vs. 1, 2 As the people of Judah and Jerusalem sat huddled in exile, the prophet had words of comfort for them. Their sins had been many and their suffering great, but now all of that was history–their future was bright. They had not been forgotten…

Daily Devotions

Mark 13:32-37 “But about that day or hour no one knows, neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. Beware, keep alert; for you do not know when the time will come.” vss. 32-33 There’s just so much that we don’t know about the future. Oh, we can be pretty confident that the earth will continue to spin at least for the next day or so, and we’ll get to see at least a few more…

Daily Devotions

Mark 13:24-31 “But in those days, after that suffering…Then they will see ‘the Son of Man coming in clouds’ with great power and glory.” vss. 24a, 26 It’s hard to believe that Advent is upon us. Four Sundays of preparing and then comes Christmas! And somehow Mark’s words seem particularly appropriate this year. They’re a part of Jesus’ apocalyptic message, and most years we don’t know quite what to do with them. All the symbolism seems dated, and besides, most…

Daily Devotions

1 Corinthians 1:3-9 “for in every way you have been enriched in him, in speech and knowledge of every kind…so that you are not lacking in any spiritual gift as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ.” vss. 5, 7 Paul begins his letter to the church at Corinth with glowing words of affirmation. From his perspective, since they live under grace, they lack nothing–there is no need for them to worry about their salvation. We should…

Daily Devotions

Luke 17:11-19 “As he entered a village, ten lepers approached him. Keeping their distance, they called out, saying, ‘Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!’” vss. 12-13 Some of us may feel like lepers this Thanksgiving Day. Because of COVID we’ve been told that it would be best if we limited our contacts and continue to keep our distance, even in our own homes. Naturally we’ve seen this as a huge bummer. Thanksgiving is a time for gathering as friends and…

Daily Devotions

Psalm 80:1-7, 15-17 “O Lord God of hosts, how long will you be angry with your people’s prayers? You have fed them with the bread of tears, and given them tears to drink in full measure.” vss. 4-5 Tomorrow is Thanksgiving and because family gatherings have been shown to be “superspreaders” in the COVID pandemic, many are choosing to forego traditional celebratory dinners with friends and relatives. For them it’s one more negative effect of these last nine months of…

Daily Devotions

Isaiah 64:6-9 “Yet, O Lord, you are our Father; we are the clay, and you are our potter; we are all the work of your hand.” vs. 8 The prophet was confident of two things: first, he believed that humans were pretty much hopelessly corrupt; in his words, even our righteous deeds are like filthy rags. And second, he knew that all people are the work of God’s hand, as he puts it, “We are the clay, and you are…

Daily Devotions

Isaiah 64:1-5 “O that you would tear open the heavens and come down, so that the mountains would quake at your presence…to make your name known to your adversaries, so that the nations might tremble at your presence!” vs. 1 The prophet was impatient with the hiddenness of God! He had a deep and abiding faith; he was convinced that God had acted in mighty ways in Israel’s past. But now there was no sign of God’s presence, at least…

Daily Devotions

Matthew 25:37-47 “And the king will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.’” vs 40 It’s amazing to see how people are drawn to those who are the rich and the powerful! When presidents and billionaires beckon, even cardinals and preachers pay attention and then vie with one another for a chance to break bread or have a…

Daily Devotions

Matthew 25:31-36 “Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me…” vss. 35b-36 The will of Jesus for those who follow him and walk according to his teachings could not be more clearly stated than here in Matthew’s gospel. It’s his last…

Daily Devotions

Ephesians 1:18-23 “God put this power to work in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places…” vs. 20 Some people point to verses like this to show that the Risen Christ has been elevated to a position in the universe that is beyond our reach or understanding. If that’s what we believe, we’re really on our own in the world now, left to work things out as best…

Daily Devotions

Ephesians 1:15-17 “I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, and for this reason I do not cease to give thanks for you as I remember you in my prayers.” vss. 15-16 The reputation of the congregation at Ephesus had spread among the little house churches that sprang up all over the eastern Mediterranean as apostles had proclaimed the good news of Jesus. According to the writer of this letter two…