'blessings' Tagged Posts (Page 2)
Daily Devotions
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 Isaiah 56:1, 6-8 As the prophet revisited God’s plans for Israel after the return from exile in Babylon, he realized that the old exclusive vision had to be revamped. Israel’s God had been too small. Now the prophet looked toward a new Israel that…
Daily Devotions
Then he ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven, and blessed and broke the loaves, and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds.” vs. 19 Matthew 14:18-21 The miracle of Jesus feeding the multitude with a few loaves of bread was a favorite of the gospel writers, appearing six times in all, twice in Matthew and Mark. And while…
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
Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit … To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.” vss. 4, 7 1 Corinthians 12:3-10 We don’t hear much talk of the “common good” in this competitive and acquisitive culture that now dominates our country. Rather than working for the benefit of the community, politicians and influencers alike have become fixated on those things which bring prosperity to their particular parties, especially when their efforts…
Daily Devotions
When you send forth your spirit, they are created; and you renew the face of the ground.” vs. 30 Psalm 104:24-30 The psalmist likely had a different worldview than most of us, but he believed with all his heart that the fingerprints of the Lord were everywhere and were quite obvious to discerning eyes. All things from great sea monsters to tiny hummingbirds owed their existence to the breath of God. And year after year, as one season rolled into…
Daily Devotions
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord my whole life long.” vs. 6 Psalm 23:4-6 Many in Israel claimed to belong to the house of David–it was the most prestigious lineage that anyone could hope to have. But this psalmist believed that he was of the house of the Lord, and he would be a resident in that house for as long as he…
Daily Devotions
The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; I have a goodly heritage.” vs. 6 Psalm 16:1-6 The psalmist didn’t have anything to complain about as he sang praises to God. Life had been going pretty well, and his inheritance included properties that insured a prosperous life. There are many in our time who find themselves in similar situations. While some have accumulated goods and material wealth through hard labor and wise investments, others find themselves living the…
Daily Devotions
But when Jesus heard it, he said, ‘This illness does not lead to death; rather it is for God’s glory, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.’” vs. 4 John 11:1-15 In the Gospel of John, nothing seems to trouble Jesus. Every time a difficult situation came up, e.g. no wine, no bread, no water, paralysis, blindness, fatal illness, he saw it as an opportunity and believed that these were times when the glory of God…
Daily Devotions
And not only that, but we also boast in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope…” vss. 3-4 Romans 5:1-5 Paul relished the gift of faith that he had been given in Christ Jesus, but he never imagined that his faith would make him immune to suffering. In fact, we could even say that he relished the suffering that had come his way as a servant of the Lord. That’s why he…
Daily Devotions
Ash Wednesday Beware of practicing your piety before others in order to be seen by them; for then you have no reward from your Father in heaven.” vs. 1 Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21 For some believers, the season of Lent is a time for serious reflection on faith and its implications for daily living. They cherish the opportunity to retreat from some of their usual distracting activities by adopting one or more disciplines. Often thought of as “giving something up for…
Daily Devotions
You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hidden… In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.” vss. 14, 16 Matthew 5:12-16 There is a power in these words from Jesus that goes beyond human understanding, and we can only begin to grasp their significance as we realize that Jesus is talking about the light…
Daily Devotions
Then Jesus said to them, ‘Very truly, I tell you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven.’” vs. 32 John 6:25-35 As the years pass each major holiday seems to acquire a unique identity, and that’s certainly true for Thanksgiving. For most Americans this is a day for coming together as families, maybe watching a little football, and then gorging on a multi-course…