Posts from October 2022 (Page 3)
Daily Devotions
Remind them of this, and warn them before God that they are to avoid wrangling over words, which does no good but only ruins those who are listening.” vs. 14 2 Timothy 2:14-15 Religious folks love to wrangle over words, especially if they have been educated beyond their intelligence. We see it regularly in our congregations as people engage in ferocious debates over the different nuances of meaning in biblical verses. It would just be silliness if the results weren’t…
Daily Devotions
The saying is sure: ‘If we have died with him, we will also live with him; if we endure, we will also reign with him; if we deny him, he will also deny us; if we are faithless, he remains faithful—for he cannot deny himself.’” vss. 11-13 2 Timothy 2:8-13 Being a Christian in the first century was a dicey experience. To be a believer was often dangerous. Persecutions and imprisonments were common. Leaders like Paul and others faced an…
Daily Devotions
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all those who practice it have a good understanding. His praise endures forever.” vs. 10 Psalm 111 For centuries there wasn’t much question about the primacy of the Lord. Pretty much everyone, at least in the Judeo-Christian heritage, would have agreed with the psalmist–the Lord was in control and showered blessings over the entire earth. Our awesome God had power and might and was also gracious and merciful. But somewhere…
Daily Devotions
So Naaman came with his horses and chariots, and halted at the entrance of Elisha’s house. Elisha sent a messenger to him, saying, ‘Go, wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh shall be restored and you shall be clean.’” vss. 9-10 2 Kings 5:9-15c When the people of Nazareth rejected Jesus in their synagogue, he reminded them that even though there were many lepers in Israel at the time of Elisha, none were healed except Naaman the Syrian.…
Daily Devotions
Naaman, commander of the army of the king of Aram, was a great man and in high favor with his master, because by him the Lord had given victory to Aram. The man, though a mighty warrior, suffered from leprosy.” vs. 1 2 Kings 5:1-3, 7-8 Aram was a neighboring kingdom to Israel, and the two countries were combative rivals for many years. Around the time of Elisha, Aram had an especially effective commander for its army and had won…
Daily Devotions
So you also, when you have done all that you were ordered to do, say, ‘We are worthless slaves; we have done only what we ought to have done!’” vs. 10 Luke 17:7-10 Most people love affirmation and appreciate thanksgiving for the work that they have done, but sometimes that doesn’t happen. Many times, followers of Jesus discover that there’s not much reward in their labors of love. They give themselves heart and soul to a good cause and no…
Daily Devotions
The apostles said to the Lord, ‘Increase our faith!’ The Lord replied, ‘If you had faith the size of a mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, “Be uprooted and planted in the sea,” and it would obey you.’” vss. 5-6 Luke 17:5-6 On the surface the demand sounds reasonable. It’s the sort of thing we might have said to Jesus–it might even be the core of our daily prayers: “Lord, increase our faith!” Often we imagine that…