Blog (Page 197)
Daily Devotions: January 30, 2018
Isaiah 40:27-31 “Even youths will faint and be weary, and the young will fall exhausted; but those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.” vss. 30-31 Sometimes it seems as though the young have a leg up on the rest of us in today’s tech dependent world. They’re the ones who have grown up with computers and who…
Daily Devotions: January 29, 2018
Isaiah 40:21-26 “It is he who sits above the circle of the earth, and its inhabitants are like grasshoppers; who stretches out the heavens like a curtain, and spreads them like a tent to live in; who brings princes to naught, and makes the rulers of the earth as nothing.” vs. 22-23 For a thousand years or more the people of Israel had had a ringside seat as they watched a whole string of great powers flex their muscles, exercise…
Daily Devotions: January 28, 2018
Mark 1:25-28 “They were all amazed, and they kept on asking one another, ‘What is this? A new teaching—with authority! He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey him.’” vs. 27 Occasionally we hear people talk of their inner demons, those voices that speak from our dark side, and that seek to divert us from our intended goodness. For some those spirits are uncontrollable and cause every manner of difficulty. Our experiences with such persons are usually uncomfortable…and we…
Daily Devotions: January 27, 2018
Mark 1:21-24 “They were astounded at his teaching, for he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.” vs. 22 The scribes were the guardians of the Jewish law and for centuries had dedicated themselves to preserving and passing on the ancient texts. We might call them legal experts or lawyers, important leaders whose opinions mattered and who could be trusted to teach with integrity. Many of them were Pharisees and adhered to a strict observance of…
Daily Devotions: January 26, 2018
1 Corinthians 8:1-13 “But take care that this liberty of yours does not somehow become a stumbling block to the weak.” vs. 9 Some of us grew up in rather legalistic faith communities with many restrictions with regard to Christian behavior. In such environments, failure to comply with the rules meant quick censure and sometimes severe punishment. Believers learn quickly to be careful about what they say and do. Many times those who have grown up in a rule-based church…
Daily Devotions: January 25, 2018
Psalm 111:6-10 “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all those who practice it have a good understanding. His praise endures forever.” vs. 10 There is at the core of our DNA a strong desire for wisdom. As a consequence, we’ve developed amazing systems of education so our children can grow up to be savvy, well-formed, and lovers of knowledge. In our schools, young boys and girls are encouraged to learn to the limits of their abilities…and…
Daily Devotions: January 24, 2018
Psalm 111:1-5 “Praise the Lord! I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart, in the company of the upright, in the congregation.” vs. 1 With the exception of a few hermits through the centuries, the people of God have always enjoyed coming together for worship. While it’s possible to serve God in isolation, being part of a congregation provides a huge benefit for the faithful. Often we don’t notice how precious those times together really are, but…
Daily Devotions: January 23, 2018
Deuteronomy 18:17-20 “But any prophet who speaks in the name of other gods, or who presumes to speak in my name a word that I have not commanded the prophet to speak—that prophet shall die.” vs. 20 When the Israelites began to review their history and write it down they recognized how important it was have leaders who brought them genuine words from the Lord. They needed prophets with integrity, not charlatans who spoke to enrich themselves or to ingratiate…
Daily Devotions: January 22, 2018
Deuteronomy 18:15-16 “The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your own people; you shall heed such a prophet.” vs. 15 The people of Israel remembered Moses with fondness. According to their tradition it was he who had given them the Deuteronomic laws that had cemented their identity. And he was the one who had promised that God would raise up prophets like himself to bring them new marching orders in times of…
Daily Devotions: January 21, 2018
Mark 1:17-20 “And Jesus said to them, ‘Follow me and I will make you fish for people.’ And immediately they left their nets and followed him.” vss. 17-18 Jesus doesn’t seem to have done any background check before calling his first disciples…and they didn’t ask for a job description before they responded. There’s a sense of urgency in Mark’s account, both in the invitation and in the response. The kingdom of God is at hand and Jesus needs help in…
Daily Devotions: January 20, 2018
Mark 1:14-16 “Now after John was arrested, Jesus came to Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news.’” vss. 14-15 It’s almost as though John’s arrest was a signal for Jesus, a sign that it was time for his ministry to begin, and he comes back from the Jordan to his home territory to begin preaching in earnest. The core…
Daily Devotions: January 19, 2018
1 Corinthians 7:29-31 “I mean, brothers and sisters, the appointed time has grown short; from now on, let even those who have wives be as though they had none,” vs. 29 Paul probably never dreamed that he’d be getting questions about sex from the congregation in Corinth…but that’s what had happened and now he struggles to answer. We have to give him credit…at least he tries, even though in our context his advice seems hopelessly outdated. We can only pity…