Posts from 2020 (Page 2)

Posts from 2020 (Page 2)

Daily Devotions

Luke 1:30-33 “The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus.” vss. 30-31    As Luke began to put together his account of the life of Jesus he discovered that people were curious about his origins. All agreed that he was a Jew but little was known about his heritage, except that he was from…

Daily Devotions

Luke 1:26-29 “And (the angel Gabriel) came to her and said, ‘Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.’ But she was much perplexed by his words and pondered what sort of greeting this might be.” vss. 28-29 The artists of the Renaissance were much taken by Luke’s account of the Annunciation and almost all of them painted one or more versions of the angelic appearance. Many show Mary in what the artists presume to be a perplexed state with…

Daily Devotions

Romans 16:25-27 “Now to God who is able to strengthen you according to my gospel and the proclamation of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery that was kept secret for long ages but is now disclosed…” vss. 25-26a There are a lot of secrets floating around at this time of year. Gifts are being purchased, buyers hoping that their choices match the secret desires of those they love. Children are wondering what’s in the packages that are…

Daily Devotions

Psalm 89:19-24 “Happy are the people who know the festal shout, who walk, O Lord, in the light of your countenance;” vs. 15 Only a week or so until Christmas–three candles are lit on our Advent wreaths and final plans are being made. For some the cancelling of family gatherings will accent the already present pandemic loneliness. Others will find it strange not to be able to sing carols in a crowded sanctuary on Christmas Eve. Nominal churchgoers are being…

Daily Devotions

Psalm 89:1-4 “I declare that your steadfast love is established for ever; your faithfulness is as firm as the heavens.” vs 2 Tradition ascribes this psalm to Ethan the Ezrahite, and calls it a maskil, a didactic poem, one that is used as a teaching tool. Ethan’s intention is clear, he wants all of Israel to know that God is faithful and that David was God’s chosen one, the founder of a dynasty that would last forever. For centuries Ethan’s…

Daily Devotions

2 Samuel 7:1-11, 16 “Nathan said to the king, ‘Go, do all that you have in mind; for the Lord is with you.’” vs. 3 King David, having defeated his enemies, has settled down in Jerusalem in a fine house. In thanksgiving he decides to build an even bigger house for the Lord and the palace prophet Nathan told him to do whatever he wanted. Later Nathan has a change of heart and tells his king the Lord really doesn’t…

Daily Devotions

John 1:19-28 “John answered them, ‘I baptize with water. Among you stands one whom you do not know, the one who is coming after me; I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandal.’” vss. 26-27 John was a person of some notoriety. King Herod knew who he was; the religious leaders in Jerusalem were aware of his ministry; he was attracting thousands of followers from all over Judea. Rumors about his identity were spreading even without social…

Daily Devotions

John 1:6-8 “He came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him.” vs. 7 On the surface John’s mission seems strange! He was sent to testify to the light…but why would light need anyone to testify to it? Shouldn’t everyone just be able to see it and know that it was light? Light is self-evident–when it’s present everyone knows it, or so it would seem! But the Gospel is giving us a deeper…

Daily Devotions

1 Thessalonians 5:16-24 “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” vss. 16-18 Some of us wonder about the will of God in our lives, just what it is that God wants us to do or be, and in those moments our minds go wild with various possibilities. Perhaps we should change jobs or careers, or volunteer for a mission service project, something more in line…

Daily Devotions

1 Thessalonians 5:6-15 “Therefore encourage one another and build up each other, as indeed you are doing.” vs. 11 As we move through these shortening days of December, in reality time seems to be stretching out. We’re tired of travel restrictions and bothered by the continued spread of the virus in our country. So many have been worn down by the isolation and daily conflicting reports about vaccines and quarantine. And since we can’t seem to get words of encouragement…

Daily Devotions

Psalm 126 “Those who go out weeping, bearing the seed for sowing, shall come home with shouts of joy, carrying their sheaves.” vs. 6 It’s hard to know sometimes just what it is that triggers the growth of the spiritual fruits that have been sown in our hearts by our Creator. The psalmist has a suggestion that may bear some consideration. He links weeping to the whole cycle of planting and harvesting, and the connection is intriguing. We learn from…

Daily Devotions

Isaiah 61:8-11 “For as the earth brings forth its shoots, and as a garden causes what is sown in it to spring up, so the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise to spring up before all the nations.” vs. 11 For years believers have confessed in worship, “We are by nature sinful and unclean,” not realizing what an affront that statement is to our Creator. Do we really believe that the Lord of the Universe created us to be…