Posts from 2026
Daily Devotions
Matthew 9:18-26…“Jesus turned, and seeing her he said, ‘Take heart, daughter; your faith has made you well.’ And instantly the woman was made well.” vs. 22 As Jesus had traveled through Galilee’s villages and towns in the course of his ministry he had developed a reputation as a healer. When word went out that he was in the area large crowds gathered, often to hear him speak, but also for the ill to receive his healing touch. And when that…
Daily Devotions
Matthew 9:9-13…“As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax booth; and he said to him, ‘Follow me.’ And he got up and followed him.” vs. 9 There is a painting in the Contarelli Chapel in Rome by the Italian master, Caravaggio, called “The Calling of St Matthew.” It shows Jesus, having entered a room, standing and pointing with an outstretched arm at one of five shadowy figures sitting at a table counting money.…
Daily Devotions
Romans 4:18-25…“It will be reckoned to us who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead, who was handed over to death for our trespasses and was raised for our justification.” vss. 24-25 For Paul, Abraham and Sarah’s faith experience wasn’t just a bit of Israel’s history, it actually demonstrated the nature of God’s gracious love. Paul told the Romans that the old story was for them too, and that it showed the blessings that came with…
Daily Devotions
Romans 4:13-17…“For the promise that he would inherit the world did not come to Abraham or to his descendants through the law but through the righteousness of faith.” vs. 13 Paul loved the story of Abraham and Sarah, the two old folks who had been promised an impossible son. In his understanding this tale turned the message of the Torah upside down and opened the way for a revolutionary understanding of God’s grace. Humanity’s relationship to God was not dependent…
Daily Devotions
Psalms 50:7-15…“Call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you and you shall honour me.” vs. 15 This psalmist, like a prophet, has a word from the Lord for the people of Israel. They had believed that their sacrifices and burnt offerings would make their needs known to the Lord, that the rituals were the key to their divine relationship. But the psalmist tells them that since all things already belong to God, the Lord has no…
Daily Devotions
Hosea 5:15-6:3…“Come, let us return to the LORD; for it is he who has torn, and he will heal us; he has struck down, and he will bind us up.” vs. 1 Hosea was a prophet in the Northern Kingdom of Israel during the 8th century B.C.E. It was a time of turmoil and intrigue, with Israel having allied itself with Syria against Judah. While both Israel and Judah claimed a connection to the Lord, neither seems to have taken…
Daily Devotions
Hosea 5:15-6:3…“Come, let us return to the LORD; for it is he who has torn, and he will heal us; he has struck down, and he will bind us up.” vs. 1 Hosea was a prophet in the Northern Kingdom of Israel during the 8th century B.C.E. It was a time of turmoil and intrigue, with Israel having allied itself with Syria against Judah. While both Israel and Judah claimed a connection to the Lord, neither seems to have taken…
Daily Devotions
Matthew 28:19-20…“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you.” vss. 19-20a Each of the gospels, with the exception of Mark, have a closing statement by Jesus about their call to continue his mission in all the world. Matthew’s final word from Jesus is called the Great Commission, and leaves no doubt about…
Daily Devotions
Matthew 28:16-17…“When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted.” vs. 17 According to Matthew Jesus had instructed Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to tell the disciples that he had risen and would meet them in Galilee. And even though it’s likely that the disciples were skeptical of the women’s story, Matthew tells us they did go. And sure enough Jesus met them on the mountain just as he said he would. They responded by worshipping him, probably…
Daily Devotions
2 Corinthians 13:11-13…“The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with all of you.” vs. 13 The closing of Paul’s second letter to the Corinthians is familiar to many of us, even if we didn’t know that it was a bible verse. We hear these words frequently in worship, and they’re a reminder of the Trinitarian emphasis that has been a part of the Church’s teaching from the beginning.…
Daily Devotions
Psalm 8:5-9…“You have given them dominion over the works of your hands; you have put all things under their feet…” vs. 6 The psalmist was mindful of the ultimate insignificance of humans in the universe, yet he also believed that they had a significant place among created beings. They had been given the responsibility of dominion over the beasts of the field, the birds of the air, and the fish of the sea. In other words, the stewardship of the…
Daily Devotions
Psalm 8:1-4…“When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained; What is man, that thou art mindful of him?” Vss. 3-4a The psalmist had been contemplating the heavens and marveling at the wonder of it all. Because in those days there was no light pollution it’s likely that every night he was treated to a show, the likes of which few of us have seen. The night sky would have…