Blog (Page 13)
Daily Devotions
The Lord created me at the beginning of his work, the first of his acts of long ago.” vs. 22 Proverbs 8:21-31 No wonder humans have valued wisdom since the beginning. According to the book of Proverbs she was the Lord’s first creation! And as the Lord then brought the universe into existence, Wisdom was put in charge of construction, giving shape to suns and moons and their orbits, even molding the earth with all its land and oceans, mountains…
Daily Devotions
Does not wisdom call, and does not understanding raise her voice?… ‘To you, O people, I call, and my cry is to all that live.” vss. 1, 4 Proverbs 8:1-4 Wisdom has been valued from the beginning by every tribe and nation, and the Hebrews were no exception. That wisdom took the shape of proverbs, teachings, and stories that were passed from generation to generation. We can see samples of this wisdom literature in our scriptures in the books of…
Daily Devotions
I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If in my name you ask me for anything, I will do it.” vss. 13-14 John 14:12-17 Though these words from John’s gospel are used regularly by prosperity preachers as part of their health and wealth message, many others read them with a strong dose of healthy skepticism. They’ve had too many experiences with unanswered prayer and have come to know…
Daily Devotions
Philip said to him, ‘Lord, show us the father, and we will be satisfied.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Have I been with you all this time, Philip, and you still do not know me? Whoever has seen me has seen the father.” vss. 8-9 John 14:8-11 The end was approaching, and Philip was beginning to panic. He’d been following Jesus for some time, at least a year, and he’d evidently been thinking that soon Jesus was going to reveal God…
Daily Devotions
For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God.” vs. 14 Romans 8:14-17 When we read Paul’s letter to the Romans it’s not easy to understand his carefully reasoned arguments and admonitions. Even when we engage in serious study there are some things that we miss–the words he uses are not familiar to us and we may not even care much about the things he’s passionate about. In general, what he wanted his readers to…
Daily Devotions
When you send forth your spirit, they are created; and you renew the face of the ground.” vs. 30 Psalm 104:27-34, 35b From the beginning believers have associated the gift of life with the breath of God. Certainly, that’s the central theme of the creation story in Genesis 2, where the Lord, having formed the man from the dust of the earth, breathed into his nostrils the breath of life. The psalmist goes further and credits that same breath or…
Daily Devotions
O Lord, how manifold are your works! In wisdom you have made them all, the earth is full of your creatures. Yonder is the sea, great and wide, creeping things innumerable are there, living things both small and great.” vss. 24-26 Psalm 104:24-26 The psalmist believed that he could glimpse the Divine Presence by observing the creation and he’s right. Even the most jaded among us can’t help but be amazed at the variety and surprises the earth offers every…
Daily Devotions
In the last days it will be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams.” vs. 17 Acts 2:14-21 Luke decided that the best way to describe the explosion of Holy Spirit power that had occurred in Jerusalem after Jesus’ resurrection was to go back to the Hebrew scriptures and the words of the…
Daily Devotions
When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting.” vss. 1-2 Acts 2:1-13 It’s not surprising that John and Luke would describe the coming of the Holy Spirit in different ways. If accounts of such a mysterious and wondrous event written down decades apart were identical, we’d likely be suspicious.…
Daily Devotions
I made your name known to them, and I will make it known, so that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them.” vs. 26 John 16:24-26 From the time of his baptism Jesus was convinced that God loved him, and he described that love in very personal terms. It was like the love of a father for an only son, and he spent the rest of his life exploring the extent…
Daily Devotions
I ask not only on behalf of these, but also on behalf of those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one.” vs. 20-21a John 17:20-23 Unity was one of the biggest challenges for the early Christian community, and John addresses that issue as he recounts what is known as Jesus’ “high priestly prayer” for his disciples. These words reflect Jesus’ deepest desires for all who would one day believe in him. Simply put,…
Daily Devotions
The Spirit and the bride say, ‘Come.’ And let everyone who hears say, ‘Come.’ And let everyone who is thirsty come. Let anyone who wishes take the water of life as a gift.” vs. 17 Revelation 22:12-14, 16-17, 20-21 The book of Revelation ends with a warning and an invitation. Typically, the warning, found in verse 18 of chapter 22, is not included when this lesson is read in our congregations. It’s a kind of boiler plate warning that most…