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Daily Devotions
John 14:1-7…“Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” vs. 6 Thomas was confused about Jesus’ words. Jesus had said that he was going away but that he would come again and take them to himself, and that the disciples knew the way to where he was going. But Thomas didn’t know where Jesus was going, and he didn’t know the way. So Jesus makes…
Daily Devotions
1 Peter 2:4-10…“Come to him, a living stone, though rejected by mortals yet chosen and precious in God’s sight, and like living stones, let yourselves be built into a spiritual house…” vss. 4-5a A verse in Psalm 118, “the stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone,” is quoted in each of the gospels as referring to Jesus. It was considered the perfect metaphor to describe what had happened to him in his death and resurrection. Peter too,…
Daily Devotions
1 Peter 2:1-3…“Like newborn infants, long for the pure, spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow into salvation—if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good.” vss. 2-3 Like the people that Peter was writing to, we live in a world that is awash with folks spouting malice, guile, insincerity, envy, and slander. It’s what we see on news clips and videos every day, and it corrupts our spirits and threatens our serenity. Fortunately there is another…
Daily Devotions
Psalm 31:15-16…“Let your face shine upon your servant; save me in your steadfast love.” vs. 16 It’s very likely that the psalmist, in the course of temple worship, had heard the Aaronic Benediction many times. It was the blessing that, according to the scriptures, had first been pronounced over the Israelites by Aaron, the brother of Moses and the first high priest. “The LORD bless you and keep you; the LORD make his face to shine upon you, and be…
Daily Devotions
Psalm 31:1-5…“Into your hand I commit my spirit; you have redeemed me, O LORD, faithful God.” vs. 5 Last words have significance. There are many occasions where the dying words of people have been particularly memorable. The gospel writer Luke believed that they were important and faithfully reported the last words of both Jesus and Stephen, words which seem to have been a quotation from Psalm 31, “Into your hand I commit my spirit.” In both instances the quote is…
Daily Devotions
Acts 7:55-60…“While they were stoning Stephen, he prayed, ‘Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.’ Then he knelt down and cried out in a loud voice, ‘Lord, do not hold this sin against them.’ When he had said this, he died.” vss. 59-60 Stephen, one of the seven persons chosen by the apostles to help with the distribution of goods to the needy, was eloquent and full of the Spirit. When challenged by Jewish opponents he preached a long sermon, recounting the…
Daily Devotions
John 10:6-10…“I am the gate. Whoever enters by me will be saved, and will come in and go out and find pasture.” vs. 9 In the Roman catacombs the earliest artistic rendering of Jesus is as the Good Shepherd. And in the gospel of John this is how Jesus spoke of himself–it’s a familiar image. But John also reports that Jesus called himself the gate of the sheep, and this depiction can be helpful in understanding just who Jesus is…
Daily Devotions
John 10:1-5…“Very truly, I tell you, anyone who does not enter the sheepfold by the gate but climbs in by another way is a thief and a bandit. The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep.” vss. 1-2 Shepherds were a staple of the Hebrew scriptures. Both David and Moses herded sheep before they began leading people, and the prophets graded the kings according to their shepherding skill. So it’s no surprise to discover that…
Daily Devotions
1 Peter 2:22-25…“For you were going astray like sheep, but now you have returned to the shepherd and guardian of your souls.” vs. 25 According to the gospel of John the resurrected Jesus had told Peter three times, in a touching scene of love and restoration by the Sea of Galilee, to feed and care for his sheep. And three times Peter responds with a passionate “yes.” And that’s what Peter did! As he writes he tells his readers that,…
Daily Devotions
1 Peter 2:19-21…“If you endure when you are beaten for doing wrong, what credit is that? But if you endure when you do right and suffer for it, you have God’s approval.” vs. 20 Slavery was firmly entrenched in the Roman Empire during the first and second centuries, and as the gospel was proclaimed many slaves were baptized and became part of faith community. Peter addresses them in this letter, advising them to accept the authority of their masters, even…
Daily Devotions
Psalm 23…“Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD my whole life long.” vs. 6 The psalmist believed that there were benefits in having the Lord as his shepherd. It wasn’t that he was any better than anyone else. He was just one of many sheep in the flock. But there was such a blessing in living without anxiety and worry. There was always enough…
Daily Devotions
Acts 2:46-47…“Day by day, as they spent much time together in the temple, they broke bread at home and ate their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having the goodwill of all the people.” vss. 46-47a Luke notes that the church in Jerusalem had the good will of all the people and that really shouldn’t surprise us. The believers were engaging in unconditional love and sacrificial service and it’s under those conditions that humans flourish in every…