Posts from July 2026
Daily Devotions
Psalm 119:129-132…“The unfolding of your words gives light; it imparts understanding to the simple. With open mouth I pant, because I long for your commandments.” vss. 130-131 Psalm 119 is the longest of the psalms and is devoted to lifting up the law as God’s most loving gift to Israel. Today’s chosen verses call to mind an image of little birds opening up their mouths to receive food brought by a parent. They crowd the nest, their little beaks open…
Daily Devotions
1 Kings 3:5-12…“Give your servant therefore an understanding mind to govern your people, able to discern between good and evil; for who can govern this your great people?” vs. 9 The second book of Samuel gives a lengthy account of how Solomon, with the help of his mother, Bathsheba, outmaneuvered his older brothers to ascend to the throne of David. As the story continues in the book of 1 Kings we read how Solomon went to one of the hill…
Daily Devotions
Matthew 13:36-43…“Just as the weeds are collected and burned up with fire, so will it be at the end of the age.” vs. 40 While the parable of the weeds and the wheat could be considered difficult and problematic, the interpretation offered later in the chapter is even more challenging. The dualism is unmistakable and a strong distinction is made between righteous and wicked people. The righteous will shine in the kingdom of their father and the wicked will be…
Daily Devotions
Matthew 13:24-30…“But he replied, ‘No; for in gathering the weeds you would uproot the wheat along with them. Let both of them grow together until the harvest;’” vss. 29-30a Those who believe that God is going to deal with the problem of wickedness in the world by gathering the wicked on the last day and casting them into the flames of hell, love this parable. Since they presumably assume that they are the good seed, it must give them some…
Daily Devotions
Romans 8:18-25…“For in hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what is seen? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.” vss. 24-25 The longer we live the more likely it is that we will experience the deaths of friends and family members. And when that happens we are always grateful to be able to offer words of comfort to those who grieve.…
Daily Devotions
Romans 8:12-17…“For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received a spirit of adoption.” vs. 15 When Jesus spoke to his disciples after his resurrection, the first words out of his mouth were, “Do not be afraid.” In fact they’d heard that phrase regularly from him throughout his ministry. Whatever situation they were in he wanted them to know that everything was going to be okay, that all would be well.…
Daily Devotions
Psalm 86:14-17…“But you, O Lord, are a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness.” vs.15 Sometimes it’s hard to know how we could get so messed up in the way we think about God. Admittedly there are some verses in our scriptures that can be misleading or easily misinterpreted, but for the most part the testimony of the prophets and of Jesus echoes the teaching of this anonymous psalmist. Troubled and paranoid as…
Daily Devotions
Psalm 86:11-13…“Teach me your way, O LORD, that I may walk in your truth; give me an undivided heart to revere your name.” vs. 11 The psalmist was aware that there was a way to live and that it was connected to God’s truth. The trick was to figure out exactly what that truth was. Indeed, that’s been the mystery of the ages, and humans have concocted a multitude of religions that purport to shine light on that path. Even…
Daily Devotions
Isaiah 44:6-8…“Thus says the LORD, the King of Israel and his Redeemer, the LORD of hosts: I am the first and I am the last; besides me there is no god.” vs. 6 As the prophet brought the word of the Lord to the exiles in Babylon, he was well aware that there was an abundance of visible gods for the people to choose among. There was a well established pantheon of deities with Marduk as their chief. Temples for…
Daily Devotions
Matthew 13:18-23…“But as for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty.” vs. 23 We don’t know if Jesus was thinking of himself as he told the parable of the sower, but it is likely that the story reflected his experience in the course of his teaching ministry. And his point in telling…
Daily Devotions
Matthew 13:1-9…“And he told them many things in parables, saying: ‘Listen! A sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seeds fell on the path, and the birds came and ate them up…’” vss. 3-4 Jesus didn’t lack for crowds in the course of his Galilean ministry. Wherever he went people gathered, and he taught them many things, often in the form of parables. The one about the sower is familiar and shows how he felt about those…
Daily Devotions
Romans 8:9-11…“But if Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness.” vs. 10 Just because we are believers doesn’t mean that life is going to be a bed of roses for us. In fact some of the most faithful people are also subject to regular battles with depression. They do their best to cope and paste smiles on their faces to show others that they are just fine, but…
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