Posts from 2026
Daily Devotions
Isaiah 58:6-9a… “Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of injustice, to undo the thongs of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke?” vs.6 Since Lent is approaching quickly, some are likely beginning to consider fasting as a possible discipline for those days of reflection. And that would not be a bad choice! People of faith in every generation have chosen fasting as a mark of spiritual discipline, and…
Isaiah 58:1-5… “Yet day after day they seek me and delight to know my ways, as if they were a nation that practiced righteousness and did not forsake the ordinance of their God; they ask of me righteous judgements, they delight to draw near to God.” vs. 2 As the prophet describes the nation of Israel his words are dripping with sarcasm. He notes that day after day they maintain a facade, practicing the externals of religion by drawing near…
Daily Devotions
Matthew 5:10-12… “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account.” vss. 11-12 As the disciples heard the blessings which would be a part of their lives they were likely pleased. It feels good to know that we will be comforted, receive mercy, and be called children of God. That sounds…
Daily Devotions
John 1:37-42… “He said to them, ‘Come and see.’ They came and saw where he was staying, and they remained with him that day. It was about four o’clock in the afternoon.” According to John’s gospel, after John the Baptizer pointed out Jesus to a couple of his disciples, they decided to check him out by spending some time with him in the place where he was staying. One of those disciples was Andrew, and he was blown away by…
Daily Devotions
Matthew 5:1-6… “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.” Whenever we encounter greatness there is a tendency to compare that person to some great person of the past. We see it in the sports world as we continually evaluate the heroes of the present in our desire to find the GOAT, or the Greatest…
Daily Devotions
1 Corinthians 1:26-31… “Consider your own call, brothers and sisters: not many of you were wise by human standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong;” vss. 26-27 By the time Paul wrote this letter he’d had time to assess what was happening in the congregations that had sprung up all over…
Daily Devotions
1 Corinthians 1:18-25… “For Jews demand signs and Greeks desire wisdom, but we proclaim Christ crucified, a stumbling-block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles,” vss. 22-23 When we proclaim what we believe and who it is that we follow, we would like very much to be perceived as showing wisdom in what we say and do. It’s a natural human desire, and we care what others think of us. But what many discover is that the world is not impressed—we…
Daily Devotions
Psalm 35:11-25… “They repay me evil for good; my soul is forlorn. But as for me, when they were sick, I wore sackcloth; I afflicted myself with fasting. prayed with head bowed on my bosom, as though I grieved for a friend or a brother;” vss. 12-14a While the psalmist had never heard of Jesus these words could well have been a part of the Sermon on the Mount. He knows that it is the will of the Lord that…
Daily Devotions
Micah 6:1-8… “He has told you, O mortal, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” vs. 8 Micah imagines a controversy between Israel and the Lord which has come to trial. In spite of all the Lord had done for Israel, the people had been faithless and wearisome in return. After hearing the charges, Israel wonders what should have been done…
Daily Devotions
Matthew 4:18-23 …“Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and curing every disease and every sickness among the people.” vs. 23 Since Jesus’ ministry did not focus on baptism, he concentrated on a teaching, preaching, and healing ministry that brought him to many villages in Galilee and beyond. It was obviously the kind of mission that was more than he could handle by himself; and from the beginning he gathered a…
Daily Devotions
Matthew 4:12-17… “Now when Jesus heard that John had been arrested, he withdrew to Galilee…From that time Jesus began to proclaim, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.’” John the Baptizer had a significant following in the area of Judea, a part of King Herod’s territory, and because John had been critical, Herod had been keeping an eye on him for a long time. Jesus had been hanging out with John’s disciples, and had likely been listening to…
Daily Devotions
1 Corinthians 1:14-1… “For Christ did not send me to baptize but to proclaim the gospel, and not with eloquent wisdom, so that the cross of Christ might not be emptied of its power.” vs. 17 We’re not used to hearing words like this from preachers in our times. In our congregations it’s all about eloquence and wisdom, and people are likely to leave if that’s not what they’re getting in sermons. But Paul had an entirely different perspective. He…