Blog (Page 62)
Daily Devotions
For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return there until they have watered the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth…” vss. 10-11a Isaiah 55:10-11 The prophet had made some bold promises to the exiles in Babylon. Speaking for the Lord, he tells them that they will return to their native land…
Daily Devotions
Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” vss. 28-29 Matthew 11:25-30 Let’s face it! There are times when life is not easy! We all know the symptoms and the feelings! Our bodies fail, cracks appear in foundational relationships, dread diseases stalk us, employment…
Daily Devotions
But to what will I compare this generation? It is like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling to one another, ‘We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we wailed, and you did not mourn.’” vss. 16-17 Matthew 11:16-19 Jesus makes several references to children in his teaching ministry, having obviously observed them at their best and at their worst. He rightly holds them up as a model of faithfulness and welcomes their presence in the…
Daily Devotions
Wretched man that I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, with my mind I am a slave to the law of God, but with my flesh I am a slave to the law of sin.” vss. 24-25 Romans 7:21-25 Like one of the psalmists of old, Paul lifts up his voice in a painful lament. Sounding like a golfer who has just ripped his first…
Daily Devotions
I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate.” vs. 15 Romans 7:15-20 There’s probably not a person on the planet who could not identify with what Paul says here, particularly if they’ve ever had a golfing experience! In that particular sport, athletes approach each shot with definite expectations, and again and again they are horribly disappointed. No matter how much they might want to make…
Daily Devotions
Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and your dominion endures throughout all generations. The Lord is faithful in all his words, and gracious in all his deeds.” vs. 13 Psalm 145:11-14 The psalmist uses royal imagery in talking about God, and his metaphors seem inadequate to people of our day. But for him they worked just fine. The Lord was like the most wonderful king who could ever be imagined, and his kingdom would endure forever. And while we may…
Daily Devotions
The Lord is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. The Lord is good to all, and his compassion is over all that he has made.” vss. 8-9 Psalm 145:8-10 For many in the United States the Fourth of July is a time for speeches, flag waving, and family gatherings–a festive day, often capped off in the evening with concerts and fireworks. Some will recall the Revolutionary War and the Declaration of Independence, and there will…
Daily Devotions
He will cut off the chariot from Ephraim and the war horse from Jerusalem; and the battle bow shall be cut off, and he shall command peace to the nations…” vs. 10a Zechariah 9:9-12 After their return from captivity, the returning Jews devoted their energy to rebuilding the temple and the walls of Jerusalem. The prophet Zechariah encouraged them with a vision of restoration: a new king would come and reign victoriously, not with arrogance, but with a humility that…
Daily Devotions
Whoever welcomes you welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me.” vs. 40 Matthew 10:40-42 When Jesus sent out his disciples to expand his ministry to the towns and villages of Galilee, he warned them that there would be suffering involved. But he also let them know that there would be blessings for those who welcomed them. Through them, people would experience the Divine Presence; through them they would be welcoming Jesus. Those encounters still take…
Daily Devotions
But now that you have been freed from sin and enslaved to God, the advantage you get is sanctification. The end is eternal life.” vs. 22 Romans 6:17-23 One of the peculiarities of life in Christ is that after years and years of choosing the good in the course of daily living, we become virtually incapable of being anything but good. To use Paul’s words, we have been freed from sin and enslaved to God. At times, because the changing…
Daily Devotions
No longer present your members to sin as instruments of wickedness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and present your members to God as instruments of righteousness.” vs. 13 Romans 6:12-16 Paul implies here that the folks in Rome had an option to present themselves either to sin as instruments of wickedness or to God as instruments of righteousness. His words resonate with our own observations of the world and our…
Daily Devotions
Happy are the people who know the festal shout, who walk, O Lord, in the light of your countenance…” vs. 15 Psalm 89:15-18 There’s something to be said for familiarity in worship. While it is true that the old hymns can seem boring and often lack the spirited tempo of contemporary music, simply dropping traditional liturgies in favor of those that change from week to week doesn’t always make our hearts sing. The psalmist knew from experience the joy that…