Blog (Page 115)
Daily Devotions
Jonah 4:4-11 … “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.10 The parable of Jonah continues with a conversation between Lord and Jonah about the loss of Jonah’s shade tree, an event that has made Jonah very angry. A contrast is then made between Jonah’s concern for his tree and the Lord’s concern…
Daily Devotions
Jonah 3:10-4:3 … “When God saw what they did, how they turned from their evil ways, God changed his mind about the calamity that he had said he would bring upon them; and he did not do it. But this was very displeasing to Jonah, and he became angry.” vss. 3:10-4:1 Most folks associate Jonah with the great fish, and many find the story hard to swallow, which is regrettable, because the book of Jonah is an amazing parable of…
Daily Devotions
Matthew 18:23-35 … “And in anger his lord handed him over to be tortured until he would pay his entire debt. So my heavenly Father will also do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother or sister from your heart.” vss. 34-35 The parable of the unforgiving servant hits us squarely in the middle of our righteous indignation! The point is so clear. This rascal of a man had been forgiven a great debt and…
Daily Devotions
Matthew 18:21-22 … “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?’” vs. 21 Peter has had some ups and downs in his role as messianic advisor and wants Jesus to know that he has been paying attention. Following a conversation about forgiveness, he posits a plausible question, along with what he considers to be a generous possible answer. Poor guy! He…
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?” v. 10 The issue Paul was addressing had to do with choices people were making about being vegetarians–such persons were disparaged as being weak in faith. Paul may have felt that way himself but he tells others to refrain from passing judgment. It should be possible for people of varying convictions to be a part of the…
Daily Devotions
Romans 14:1-6 … “Some believe in eating anything, while the weak eat only vegetables. Those who eat must not despise those who abstain, and those who abstain must not pass judgment on those who eat; for God has welcomed them.” vss. 2-3 There had been a controversy among believers about the propriety of eating meat that had been offered to idols. (It was readily available in the markets.) Some felt that followers of Jesus should abstain from such food–Paul didn’t…
Daily Devotions
Psalm 103:8-13 … “He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities.” vs. 10 Probably each of us have heard someone say these words: “The Lord is going to get you for that!” More often than not such things are said in jest, and are meant as a joke, but occasionally they’re said in dead seriousness. The speaker sincerely wants the hearer to know that whatever has been said or done is…
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 Joseph’s brothers had initially intended to kill him, but at the last minute sold him into slavery, and then lied to their father, saying wild beasts had taken their beloved younger brother. After Jacob’s death, they conjure up one more lie, saying that their father’s dying wish was for…
Daily Devotions
Genesis 50:15-18 … “Realizing that their father was dead, Joseph’s brothers said, ‘What if Joseph still bears a grudge against us and pays us back in full for all the wrong that we did to him?’” vs. 15 The death of a matriarch or patriarch often provokes interesting reactions among family members. Sometimes there are disputes about the will that cause deep ruptures and unending strife. Often there is a deep sense of loss–mothers and fathers are hubs that hold…
Daily Devotions
Matthew 18:18-20 … “Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” vs. 18 As the early Christian communities began to deal with internal disputes, Matthew laid out some guidelines based on his remembrance of Jesus’ teachings. They followed a logical progression, beginning with one on one conversations and ending with possible dismissal from the community. In other words, this was no small matter,…
Daily Devotions
Matthew 18:15-17 … “If another member of the church sins against you, go and point out the fault when the two of you are alone. If the member listens to you, you have regained that one.” vs. 15 By the time Matthew wrote his gospel the community of believers was pretty well established in the larger cities of the Roman Empire. Congregations weren’t large and there were no church buildings as we know them. Rather, believers would meet in homes,…
Daily Devotions
Romans 13:11-14 … “The night is far gone, the day is near. Let us then lay aside the works of darkness and put on the armor of light;” vs. 12 There are some who believe that we are drawing near to the apocalypse, that humanity is teetering on the edge of calamity and that destruction awaits. It would seem that Paul was looking toward the same end, that the day of reckoning was near. But gloom was not what he…