Blog (Page 216)

Romans 6:16-23 “But thanks be to God that you, having once been slaves of sin, have become obedient from the heart to the form of teaching to which you were entrusted,” vs. 17 Those who wish to live as free men and women quickly discover that it’s not as easy as they might think. It’s not a matter of declaring ourselves free from bondage to sin and then doing whatever we please. That kind of thinking quickly leads back into…

Romans 6:12-16 “Therefore, do not let sin exercise dominion in your mortal bodies, to make you obey their passions.” vs. 12 As humans we have enormous potential for good as we live and work in our world. We have been created to have compassion for others and to engage in wonderfully fruitful loving relationships. But it doesn’t just happen! In fact, too often our desires and passions get the best of us and we end up living for self and…

Psalm 89:15-18 “Happy are the people who know the festal shout, who walk, O Lord, in the light of your countenance;” vs. 15 After proclaiming his confidence in God’s faithful, steadfast love the psalmist goes on to describe what a blessing it is for the people to walk in the light of that love. “Happy are the people,” he says, “who know the festal shout.” Now that’s not familiar language for us, and we might wonder what he’s getting at.…

Psalm 89:1-4 “I will sing of your steadfast love, O Lord, forever; with my mouth I will proclaim your faithfulness to all generations.” vs. 1 No matter what the psalmist was thinking about life; no matter what the challenges and obstacles, he was always glad to sing of the Lord’s steadfast love and never-ending faithfulness. This was love unlike any other and was certainly different from the fickle romantic love that brings such pain to human relationships. God’s love is…

Jeremiah 28:6-7 “As for the prophet who prophesies peace, when the word of that prophet comes true, then it will be known that the Lord has truly sent the prophet.” vs. 9 It would be nice if we could listen to a prophet and immediately know if that prophet is speaking the truth or only blowing smoke. That would make it a lot easier to make a decision about getting on the bandwagon or not. That was the problem folks…

Jeremiah 28:5-6 “And the prophet Jeremiah said, ‘Amen! May the Lord do so; may the Lord fulfill the words that you have prophesied, and bring back to this place from Babylon the vessels of the house of the Lord, and all the exiles.’” vs 6 The country of Judah had been invaded by Babylon and had become a vassal state. Jeremiah–who loved his people dearly–was a prophet of peace and had advised against foreign entanglements even before the invasion. But…

Matthew 10:32-39 “Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth; I have not come to bring peace, but a sword.” vs. 34         Religious warmongers delight in this little verse from Matthew. “See,” they chortle in the face of those who devote their lives to the peace effort, “even Jesus advises his followers to take up the sword against their enemies.” They then go on to support increased military spending and the development of even more…

Matthew 10: 24-31 “Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. And even the hairs of your head are all counted. So do not be afraid; you are of more value than many sparrows.” vss.29-31 As Jesus sent his disciples out on their mission he offered comfort by assuring them of God’s constant attention. Nothing that happened in their lives would be beyond God’s notice. If…

Romans 6:1b-11 “Should we continue in sin in order that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin go on living in it?” vss. 1b-2 Wherever people have heard the good news of God’s steadfast love and abundant grace, some have reacted by assuming that they were now free to do whatever they please, that there are no limitations for behavior. That attitude drove Paul to distraction and he took pains to remind his readers…

Psalm 69:16-18 “Answer me, O Lord, for your steadfast love is good; according to your abundant mercy, turn to me.” vs. 16 The psalmist didn’t know everything about God. His knowledge–like ours–was certainly limited, but he did believe that when things got tough God would deliver him from his adversaries. For faithful Israelites that was a given. From their perspective, they simply would not have survived as a people if God had not acted as their rescuer and redeemer. But…

Psalm 69:7-10 “It is zeal for your house that has consumed me; the insults of those who insult you have fallen on me.” vs. 9 We can’t possibly know the particular reasons for the psalmist’s lament, but it seems evident that a controversy has arisen and he is being persecuted for standing with the Lord. He believes that he’s being insulted as the Lord’s surrogate, and it’s almost more than he can endure. That kind of treatment can come as…

Jeremiah 20:10-13 “O Lord of hosts, you test the righteous, you see the heart and the mind; let me see your retribution upon them, for to you I have committed my cause.” vs. 12 There is much to admire in the prophet Jeremiah. He was a man of conviction and courage, and dared to speak the truth to power–even when it made enemies of his friends. Many of us can even resonate with his desire to see the Lord’s retribution…