Blog (Page 146)
Daily Devotions: July 10, 2019
July 10, 2019 Psalm 25:6-10 …“Be mindful of your mercy, O Lord, and of your steadfast love, for they have been from of old.” vs. 6 The psalmist has a close relationship with the Lord and knows very well that mercy and steadfast love have been attributes of God from the beginning. Like us however there were times when, because of external circumstances, he felt a need to remind the Lord that he needed a hug. That’s how it is…
Daily Devotions: July 9, 2019
July 9, 2019 Psalm 25:1-5 …“Lead me in your truth, and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation; for you I wait all day long.” vs. 5 This computer age that has come upon us without our permission or asking has done a number on our patience. Waiting for anything has gotten more and more difficult, e.g. when internet connections are slow we are driven to distraction…even a few seconds can seem like an eternity. That impatience…
Daily Devotions: July 8, 2019
July 8, 2019 For full passage click: Deuteronomy 30:9-14 …“No, the word is very near to you; it is in your mouth and in your heart for you to observe.” vs. 14 The people of Israel were told by Moses that there was a correlation between their prosperity and their obedience to the law. What’s amazing about his instruction is that he believed that the word of the law had been written in their mouths and hearts. They didn’t need…
Daily Devotions: July 7, 2019
July 7, 2019 For full passage click: Luke 10:16-20 …“The seventy returned with joy, saying, ‘Lord, in your name even the demons submit to us!’ He said to them, ‘I watched Satan fall from heaven like a flash of lightning.’” vss. 17-18 The mission was a success! The seventy were not rejected. They’d been welcomed and the forces of darkness had been defeated. It was a good day for Jesus and those sent out to heal and proclaim the coming…
Daily Devotions: July 6, 2019
July 6, 2019 For full passage click: Luke 10:1-11 …“Whenever you enter a town and its people welcome you, eat what is set before you; cure the sick who are there, and say to them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’” vss. 8-9 It didn’t take long for Jesus to realize that the work of proclaiming the kingdom was too much for one person. He needed an army of disciples to meet the needs of the needy…
Daily Devotions: July 5, 2019
July 5, 2019 For full passage click: Galatians 6:11-18 …“For neither circumcision nor uncircumcision is anything; but a new creation is everything!” vs. 15 Paul had gotten caught up in the circumcision controversy and there’s no doubt where his convictions lie. He was adamant! Those who wished to become followers of Jesus did not first need to be circumcised and those who insisted otherwise should go the whole way and castrate themselves. He wasn’t one to mince his words! But…
Daily Devotions: July 4, 2019
July 4, 2019 – Independence Day For full passage click: Galatians 6:7-10 …“If you sow to your own flesh, you will reap corruption from the flesh; but if you sow to the Spirit, you will reap eternal life from the Spirit.” vs. 8 Most world religions subscribe to a principle similar to that laid out by Paul in his letter to the Galatians. Human beings reap whatever they sow! Whether as nations or as individuals, there are always consequences for…
Daily Devotions: July 3, 2019
July 3, 2019 For full passage click: Psalm 66:6-9 …“Bless our God, O peoples, let the sound of his praise be heard, who has kept us among the living, and has not let our feet slip.” vss. 8-9 Life at its best can be precarious; we never know when our footing will be lost and our dreams dashed. Even when we live prudentially and carefully, we can’t control everything; the unexpected is always close at hand. Natural disasters, accidents, shootings,…
Daily Devotions: July 2, 2019
July 2, 2019 For full passage click: Psalm 66:1-5 …“Make a joyful noise to God, all the earth; sing the glory of his name; give to him glorious praise.” vs. 1-2 The psalmist was calling together a praise choir, one that could make a joyful noise to God and properly glorify God’s name. And he wasn’t just calling on human voices! He believed that all the noise of the earth could be construed as a praise song to God. When…
Daily Devotions: July 1, 2019
July 1, 2019 For full passage click: Isaiah 66:10-14 …“Rejoice with Jerusalem, and be glad for her, all you who love her; rejoice with her in joy, all you who mourn over her—that you may nurse and be satisfied from her consoling breast; that you may drink deeply with delight from her glorious bosom.” vss. 10-11 Even the prophet knew that patriarchal language was not sufficient in describing the bounty of the Lord’s goodness. He’d seen children drinking from their…
Daily Devotions: June 30, 2019
June 30, 2019 For full passage click: Luke 9:57-62 …“Jesus said to him, ‘No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.’” vs. 62 Sometimes the things that Jesus told his disciples were clear and concise and we have no difficulty understanding what he had in mind. But not always! His comments to prospective followers in these verses fall into more of a cryptic category. People are interested in joining…