Posts from 2026
Daily Devotions
Philippians 1:21-26…“For to me, living is Christ and dying is gain. If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labour for me; and I do not know which I prefer.” vss. 21-22 Paul had reached an age, perhaps 55-60 years old, when he had begun to think of himself as aged. And since he was in prison, with plenty of time on his hand, he was considering his own mortality. He reported to the Philippians that he…
Daily Devotions
Psalm 145:1-8…“The LORD is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.” vs. 8 As we read through the Hebrew scriptures it is stunning to note how often the theme of God’s grace and mercy shows up. It seems that the psalmists and prophets never tired of reminding people that the Lord was slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. And from what we read about Jesus in the gospels it’s obvious that he had absorbed…
Daily Devotions
Jonah 4:5-11…“Then the LORD said, ‘You are concerned about the bush, for which you did not labor and which you did not grow; it came into being in a night and perished in a night.’” vs. 9 The truth came out in the end. Jonah didn’t really care about the people of Ninevah, what he got angry about was the death of the bush which had been giving him shade from the sun! And the Lord knew it! This story…
Daily Devotions
Jonah 3:10-4:4…“‘And now, O LORD, please take my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live.’ And the LORD said, ‘Is it right for you to be angry?’” vss. 3-4 The story of Jonah probably catches our attention because of the great swallowing fish that shows up to rescue Jonah from certain death, but to focus on that is to miss the conversation he has with the Lord about his anger. Jonah did not…
Daily Devotions
Matthew 18:28-35…“But that same slave, as he went out, came upon one of his fellow slaves who owed him a hundred denarii; and seizing him by the throat, he said, ‘Pay what you owe.’” vs. 28 When we read this parable about forgiveness that Jesus told we can’t help but be appalled at the behavior of the slave who had been forgiven all of his debt. Evidently his heart had been completely untouched by this incredible act of mercy that…
Daily Devotions
Matthew 18:21-27…“Then Peter came and said to him, ‘Lord, if another member of the church sins against me, how often should I forgive? As many as seven times?’ Jesus said to him, ‘Not seven times, but, I tell you, seventy-seven times.’” vss. 21- 22 People who live by faith have come to believe that their relationship to God is totally dependent on God’s unconditional love and never-ending mercy. Even though we live in a broken world, by God’s grace we…
Daily Devotions
Romans 14:7-12…“Why do you pass judgment on your brother or sister? Or you, why do you despise your brother or sister? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God.” vs. 10 Paul couldn’t understand how the faithful could harbor such hatred against other members of their community simply because they had different ways of practicing what they believed. It seemed bizarre to him that they would expend such energy in judging others–ultimately that wasn’t even their job!…
Daily Devotions
Romans 14:1-6…“Welcome those who are weak in faith, but not for the purpose of quarreling over opinions. Some believe in eating anything, while the weak eat only vegetables.” vs. 1 Congregations are full of people with varying opinions about any number of practices and beliefs. Paul had discovered that the Romans regularly got fired up about their diets. Some refused to eat meat because it came from pagan sacrifices. Others thought that was foolish. For them, eating meat wasn’t a faith…
Daily Devotions
Psalm 103:8-13..“As a father has compassion for his children, so the LORD has compassion for those who fear him.” vs. 13 Scripture regularly uses the metaphor “father” to describe the relationship of God to humanity. And because most people have extensive experience with fathers, the metaphor is useful. Here the psalm describes God’s compassion as being like that of a father for his children, and, because we may have experienced a father’s compassion, we have a general sense of what…
Daily Devotions
Genesis 50:19-21..““Even though you intended to do harm to me, God intended it for good, in order to preserve a numerous people, as he is doing today.” vs. 20 The whole cycle of the Hebrew ancestral stories comes to a warm and fuzzy end with Joseph’s words to his brothers. Not only does he offer them mercy and forgiveness, but he tells them that even the brokenness of their relationship has been used by God for good. Humans have long…
Daily Devotions
Genesis 50:15-18..“‘Say to Joseph: I beg you, forgive the crime of your brothers and the wrong they did in harming you.’ Now therefore please forgive the crime of the servants of the God of your father.” vs. 17 The brothers of Joseph were convinced that once their father died, they would lose their protection, so they made up a story about Jacob’s last wishes. They told Joseph that their father had begged him to forgive the crime of his brothers.…
Daily Devotions
Matthew 18:18-20..“Again, truly I tell you, if two of you agree on earth about anything you ask, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven.” vs. 19 Because some passages in the bible are obscure, they have been subject to a variety of interpretations. This verse, for example, has led to the belief that if two people agree completely on any prayer request, it’s going to happen! God will do it for them, no questions asked! It…