Blog (Page 205)
Daily Devotions: September 1, 2017
Romans 12:16-21 “Live in harmony with one another; do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly; do not claim to be wiser than you are. If it is possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.” vss. 16, 18 Paul continues his description of life in the Body of Christ with a plea to the Romans to live in harmony with one another. “If it is possible,” he says, “so far as it depends on…
Daily Devotions: August 31, 2017
Romans 12:9-15 “Do not lag in zeal, be ardent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in suffering, persevere in prayer.” vss. 11-12 Having shared some difficult theological insights with the Romans, Paul moves on to a series of imperatives that he believes will guide that community’s life together. Those recommendations seem routine to us…there’s nothing out of the ordinary about any of them…but taken together they are a good description of a vibrant congregation. Imagine a…
Daily Devotions: August 30, 2017
Psalm 26:1-8 “Vindicate me, O Lord, for I have walked in my integrity, and I have trusted in the Lord without wavering.” vs. 1 The psalmist has lived an exemplary life, full of integrity and faithfulness, and now he would like some recognition. There’s no reason to doubt his words. Even though there’s a lot of talk about sinners and sin in the world, there are also many people who live with integrity and decency. Some of us are blessed…
Daily Devotions: August 29, 2017
Jeremiah 15:18-21 “Why is my pain unceasing, my wound incurable, refusing to be healed? Truly, you are to me like a deceitful brook, like waters that fail.” vs. 18 Jeremiah had been thrilled to be chosen as a mouthpiece for the Lord but his joy and delight quickly faded. People paid no attention to his words and it becomes apparent that the Lord’s judgment will fall on him as well as his country. In pain he cries out, accusing the…
Daily Devotions: August 28, 2017
Jeremiah 15:15-17 “Your words were found, and I ate them, and your words became to me a joy and the delight of my heart; for I am called by your name, O Lord, God of hosts.” vs. 16 Not only did Jeremiah have a special name (in Hebrew Jeremiah means “Yahweh exults”), but he had a special calling: he ate the words of the Lord and proclaimed them to the people. Strangely, given the content of his message and the…
Daily Devotions: August 27, 2017
Matthew 16:17-20 “I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” vs. 19 Jesus’ promise to give the keys of the kingdom of heaven to Peter has had enormous consequence in the history of the Church. Since popes have considered themselves to be the successors of Peter, many believe that they have inherited the keys, and…
Daily Devotions: August 26, 2017
Matthew 16:13-16 “He said to them, ‘But who do you say that I am?’” vs 15 The question that Jesus asked his disciples as they walked through the region of Caesarea Philippi was important…and it’s one that continues to capture our attention. They had an answer, one that Peter put forward as their natural leader. “You are the Messiah,” he said, probably more out of hope than certainty. We tend to struggle as we respond, trying to remember what the…
Daily Devotions: August 25, 2017
Romans 12:3-8 “For as in one body we have many members, and not all the members have the same function, so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually we are members one of another.” vs. 4-5 Paul’s vision of the church is familiar to us, but imagine how revolutionary this image would have been to those who were hearing it for the first time! Using the human body as a metaphor, he tells his readers that…
Daily Devotions: August 24, 2017
Romans 12:1-2 “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God—what is good and acceptable and perfect.” vs. 2 As Paul comes to the end of his letter to the Romans he has some words of insight and advice about how they should live in their challenging, rapidly changing environment. “Do not be conformed to this world,” he says, and the reminder…
Daily Devotions: August 23, 2017
Psalm 138 “On the day I called, you answered me, you increased my strength of soul.” vs. 3 The psalmist is overjoyed and filled with thanksgiving. He can’t think of anything else but to bow down and worship the Lord, the One who is mighty among the nations. And what is it that the Lord has done? In the psalmist’s own words, “On the day I called, you answered me, you increased my strength of soul.” Obviously this is an…
Daily Devotions: August 22, 2017
Isaiah 51:4-6 “Listen to me, my people, and give heed to me, my nation; for a teaching will go out from me, and my justice for a light to the peoples.” vs. 4 The prophet believed with all of his heart that Israel had been given a singular teaching, a message that deserved all the attention of the people and could be transformative for all who heard it. And it wasn’t just because the Lord wanted the nation to be…
Daily Devotions: August 21, 2017
Isaiah 51:1-3 “Listen to me, you that pursue righteousness, you that seek the Lord. Look to the rock from which you were hewn, and to the quarry from which you were dug.” vs. 1 Even in our entertainment driven, sports crazed, celebrity worshipping culture, people will–from time to time–turn their thoughts to God and try to figure out whether there is some meaning in life beyond drugs, alcohol, and sex. In other words, they start thinking about spiritual things and…