Blog (Page 212)
Daily Devotions: August 18, 2017
Romans 11:29-32 “For God has imprisoned all in disobedience so that he may be merciful to all.” vs. 32 Many times it’s not easy to figure out what Paul is up to in his letter to the Romans, particularly because the topics that were of intense interest to him seem insignificant to us. In this chapter, for instance, he wants to show that the Jews are not out of the picture as far as God is concerned since the gifts…
Daily Devotions: August 17, 2017
Romans 11:1-2a “I ask, then, has God rejected his people? By no means! I myself am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, a member of the tribe of Benjamin.” vs. 1 Some folks in the early church had come to the conclusion that because Jesus had been rejected by his own people, God had in return rejected them. They believed that Israel had lost its unique status and been replaced by the Church of Christ. Paul argues against such a…
Daily Devotions: August 16, 2017
Psalm 67 “May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face to shine upon us, that your way may be known upon earth, your saving power among all nations.” vss. 1-2 We typically end worship services with some sort of benediction, a prayer that God’s blessings of grace and peace would rest upon us as we go out into the world. It’s an old tradition, one that stretches back to the very beginning of our life…
Daily Devotions: August 15, 2017
Isaiah 56:6-8 “for my house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples. Thus says the Lord God, who gathers the outcasts of Israel, I will gather others to them besides those already gathered.” vss. 7b-8 In the prophetic vision, Israel had been set aside by God to be a gift to all nations. One day the prophet believed the doors of exclusivity in the house of God would be thrown open and people from all over the…
Daily Devotions: August 14, 2017
Isaiah 56:1 “Thus says the Lord: Maintain justice, and do what is right, for soon my salvation will come, and my deliverance be revealed.” vs. 1 Against all the odds, the nation of Judah had gotten a reboot; it was the biggest mulligan in history, and a chance to start again. Admittedly all power and influence was gone. The royal family had disappeared and folks were struggling to get temple worship going again…but it was a new beginning and this…
Daily Devotions: August 13, 2017
Matthew 14:27-33 “Jesus immediately reached out his hand and caught him, saying to him, ‘You of little faith, why did you doubt?’” vs. 31 Like us, Peter was one of those little-faith folks. He just couldn’t help it…doubts would creep into his mind without his bidding, not because he didn’t think Jesus was powerful and mighty, he knew Jesus could do spectacular things, but his doubts originated completely between his own ears. He didn’t believe that he could do the…
Daily Devotions: August 12, 2017
Matthew 14:22-26 “And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone,” vs. 23 Jesus had been trying to get away from the crowds for several days, but had been unable to escape them. When he went in a boat across the lake, the people simply followed along the shore to find him. The lake isn’t that big and folks could easily see where he was going.…
Daily Devotions: August 11, 2017
Romans 10:12-15 “And how are they to proclaim him unless they are sent? As it is written, ‘How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!’” vs. 15 Paul had a passion for proclaiming the good news to the Gentiles, to those that were outside the boundaries of Israel. He believed that all people were included in God’s big tent of salvation and he thought it a pity that so very few knew the gift of inclusion that…
Daily Devotions: August 10, 2017
Romans 10:5-11 “because if you confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” vs. 9 It is such good news to know that salvation comes through faith and not through works of the law. We’ve all known stories of people who have resisted the gospel through their entire lives, then on their deathbeds have confessed Jesus as Lord and have then found peace. Such…
Daily Devotions: August 9, 2017
Psalm 85:8-13 “Steadfast love and faithfulness will meet; righteousness and peace will kiss each other.” vs, 10 Some of those who wrote the psalms were poets of the highest quality and their images stand the test of time in magnificent fashion. In this verse, we see a picture of God’s saving grace that captures the essence of our salvation. Steadfast love, faithfulness, righteousness, and peace are the essential attributes of God and the psalmist describes beautifully what happens as they…
Daily Devotions: August 8, 2017
1 Kings 19:11-18 “and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a sound of sheer silence.” vs. 12 There was violent wind, an earthquake, and fire, and the Lord was not there. But then came silence, sheer silence, and Elijah heard the Lord clearly. This magnificent, ancient story has touched hearts and minds both inside and outside the church as it speaks to the human experience of the Divine Presence.…
Daily Devotions: August 7, 2017
1 Kings 19:9-10 “At that place he came to a cave, and spent the night there. Then the word of the Lord came to him, saying, “What are you doing here, Elijah?’” vs. 9 Elijah was running for his life. He had been called as a prophet of the Lord and had served as diligently as he possibly could, even using force and violence to destroy the prophets of Baal and tear down their altars. But his enemies were not…