'blessings' Tagged Posts (Page 4)

'blessings' Tagged Posts (Page 4)

Daily Devotions

Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited, but emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, being born in human likeness.” vss. 5-7a Philippians 2:4-11 In the first creation narrative of Genesis the writer noted that humans were created in the image and likeness of God–they were wired through their DNA to be connected to…

Daily Devotions

If anyone else has reason to be confident in the flesh, I have more…Yet whatever gains I had, these I have come to regard as loss because of Christ.” vss. 4b, 7 Philippians 3:4b-7 It’s no accident that Paul was a recognized leader in the early Church–he had exceptional qualifications and was brimming with confidence. And he certainly had no ego issues–he was proud of his ancestry and never backed away from controversy. Yet as he sat in prison, thinking…

Daily Devotions

Then he looked up at his disciples and said: ‘Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you will be filled.’” vss. 20-21b Luke 6:20-26 As Luke recounts Jesus’ Sermon on the Plain we hear echoes of Matthew’s Sermon on the Mount, with one major difference. In Matthew Jesus’ words are directed to souls, e.g. blessed are the poor in spirit, while in Luke they are aimed…

Daily Devotions

Psalm 80:1-7, 15-17 “O Lord God of hosts, how long will you be angry with your people’s prayers? You have fed them with the bread of tears, and given them tears to drink in full measure.” vss. 4-5 Tomorrow is Thanksgiving and because family gatherings have been shown to be “superspreaders” in the COVID pandemic, many are choosing to forego traditional celebratory dinners with friends and relatives. For them it’s one more negative effect of these last nine months of…

Daily Devotions

Psalm 34:1-6 “I will bless the Lord at all times; his praise shall continually be in my mouth. O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together.” vss. 1, 3 Sometimes we have so much on our minds and are so troubled by events in our country and in the world that we forget how wonderful it is to have life and be surrounded by the presence of God. All of the most precious things in…

Daily Devotions: March 17, 2020

March 17, 2020                                                                                                          Psalm 23 … “You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.” vs. 5 Often we think of the Lord as our place of refuge in tough times and our comforter when things get dark, and that’s appropriate, because that’s what shepherds do. And, as the children of God, we are well taken care of in every circumstance. The Psalmist knew that, but he…

Daily Devotions: February 5, 2020

February 5, 2020 For full passage click:  Psalm 112:1-7 … “Praise the Lord! Happy are those who fear the Lord, who greatly delight in his commandments…Wealth and riches are in their houses, and their righteousness endures forever.” vss. 1, 3 Our Scriptures offer a broad range of perspectives on the God-pleasing life and the blessings that come to the faithful. Often we’re told that riches are deceptive and that the treasures of this world are ephemeral and dangerous. We’re used…

Daily Devotions: November 16, 2019

November 16, 2019 For full passage click: Luke 21:5-9 … “As for these things that you see, the days will come when not one stone will be left upon another; all will be thrown down.” vs. 6 When Jesus visited the temple during his lifetime, most of the restoration work begun by Herod the Great would have been completed. His builders had completely remodeled and redone the temple built by the returning exiles from Babylon. Modeled after Roman buildings, it…

Daily Devotions: November 12, 2019

November 12, 2019 For full passage click: Psalm 98:1-5 … “O sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvelous things. His right hand and his holy arm have gotten him victory.” vs. 1 The people of Israel regularly offered praise and thanksgiving to the Lord as they traveled to worship in the temple. Special songs were composed by the Levites and if the country had been enjoying success on the battlefield, the rituals were particularly festive.…

Daily Devotions: June 18, 2019

June 18, 2019 For full passage click: Psalm 22:19-23 …“I will tell of your name to my brothers and sisters; in the midst of the congregation I will praise you:” vs. 22 Many of us are reluctant to do much faith sharing with our friends, and we wouldn’t think of doing it with strangers. It could be our introverted personalities, or maybe we’ve been turned off by encounters with rabid evangelicals of one stripe or another. Whatever the reason, we…

Daily Devotions: February 23, 2019

February 23, 2019 For full passage click: Luke 6:27-31 …“But I say to you that listen, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you… Do to others as you would have them do to you.” vs. 27, 31 In Luke’s Sermon on the Plain, Jesus gives his followers their marching orders in words that we regularly quote but seldom take to heart. It’s just too hard to love enemies and practice the golden rule. It flies in the…

Daily Devotions: February 11, 2019

February 11, 2019                                                                                               To read full passage click: Jeremiah 17:5-10 …“Blessed are those who trust in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord. They shall be like a tree planted by water, sending out its roots by the stream.” vss. 7-8a Jeremiah understood that faith is trust and more particularly, trust in the Lord. He based his declaration on his observation of the people he was encountering in his ministry. Those whose trust was in the Lord and not…