'decisions' Tagged Posts
Daily Devotions
Immediately he called them; and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men, and followed him.” vs. 20 Mark 1:19-20 Mark frequently uses the word “immediately” as he describes the beginning of Jesus’ ministry in Galilee. Jesus felt a sense of urgency in his work; it’s as though he didn’t have much time to waste as he called his disciples. And what amazes us is how quickly they responded! They may have been familiar with him,…
Daily Devotions
“The Lord watches over all who love him, but all the wicked he will destroy.” vs. 20 Psalm 145:14-21 When we read our scriptures we are tempted to take to heart the verses that we agree with and totally discount those with which we have issues. And we’re not alone. Nearly all people are adept at cherry picking as they study the bible, loving the parts that support positions they already hold, and ignoring those that don’t. The psalmist who…
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
Let the floods clap their hands; let the hills sing together for joy at the presence of the Lord, for he is coming to judge the earth. He will judge the world with righteousness, and the peoples with equity.” vss. 8-9 Psalm 98:8-9 Many have been waiting for this day for weeks. They’re tired of looking at all the campaign signs and being besieged by unwelcome television ads and unsolicited text messages on their phones. It’s a relief that the…
Daily Devotions
Do not be like a horse or a mule, without understanding, whose temper must be curbed with bit and bridle, else it will not stay near you.” vs. 9 Psalm 32:6-11 In recent months many have marveled at the divergent thinking that can emerge in times of crisis. Because all have access to multiple news and information sources, we have the opportunity to consider opposite points of view on just about every subject. And because some have declared that all…
Daily Devotions
Lead me in your truth, and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation; for you I wait all day long.” vs. 5 Psalm 25:1-5 We live in an information glut! Everyday we read and hear of new discoveries, new crises, new books and movies, and there are even daily updates for our smartphones. Just when we figure something out it becomes obsolete and we have to start learning a new jargon. And all the new technologies and…
Daily Devotions
He asked them, ‘But who do you say that I am?’ Peter answered him, ‘You are the Messiah.’” vs. 29 Mark 8:27-33 There is little doubt that Jesus of Nazareth existed. Only die-hard skeptics continue to say that there never was such a person, that all reports of his existence are only fabrications. Even if we doubt the accuracy of some gospel accounts it seems obvious that he preached and taught in Galilee and Judea at some point in the…
Daily Devotions
Be careful then how you live, not as unwise people but as wise, making the most of the time, because the days are evil.” vs. 15-16 Ephesians 5:15-17 We regularly see and hear television and radio pundits talking about our dangerous times and implying that profound evil is at hand. Paul had the same perspective about the city of Ephesus over 2000 years ago. He advised that followers of Jesus should live with care, not as unwise people but as…
Daily Devotions
Then they prayed and said, ‘Lord, you know everyone’s heart. Show us which one of these two you have chosen…’ And they cast lots for them, and the lot fell on Matthias; and he was added to the eleven apostles.” vss. 24, 26 Acts 1:15-17, 21-26 When the disciples wanted to add a person to their ranks to replace Judas, they had two candidates, each with the necessary credentials, so they cast lots, the first century equivalent of flipping a…
Daily Devotions: February 10, 2020
February 10, 2020 For full passage click: Deuteronomy 30:15-20 … “I call heaven and earth to witness against you today that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Choose life so that you and your descendants may live…” vs. 19 Toward the conclusion of Deuteronomy, at the point of Israel’s entry into the land of the Canaanites, Moses challenges the people to live according to the law. They have a clear choice, they can either obey…
Daily Devotions: September 7, 2019
September 7, 2019 For full passage click: Luke 14:25-30 … “Whoever comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and even life itself, cannot be my disciple.” vs. 26 Sometimes Jesus’ words are harsh and difficult to understand. We wonder if he could possibly mean what he seems to be saying and search for ways to make his hard statements palatable. Or maybe there’s another way to translate Luke’s Greek—perhaps an…
Daily Devotions: May 9, 2018
May 9, 2018 Psalm 1:4-6…“for the Lord watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.” vs. 6 The psalmist’s world was a bit more black and white than we’re sometimes comfortable with. We tend to see people as more of a gray, a mixture between good and bad, and when our scripture paints a more decisive picture we want to protest. Some solve the issue by ignoring the passages in question and focusing…