'faith' Tagged Posts (Page 7)
Daily Devotions
But I trust in you, O Lord; I say, ‘You are my God.’ My times are in your hand; deliver me from the hand of my enemies and persecutors.” vss. 14-15 Psalm 31:9-16 The psalmist doesn’t specify which terrors were plaguing him at this period of his life. It could have been almost anything: illness, persecution, depression, aging. The list of those things which bring us to our knees in the course of a lifetime is endless. But we do know that he…
Daily Devotions
I do not want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters, that our ancestors were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea … Nevertheless, God was not pleased with most of them…” vss. 1, 5 1 Corinthians 10:1-5 Paul certainly was no Pollyanna. He knew from Hebrew history that most of the people of Israel, rescued from slavery in Egypt, had fallen away from the faith by the time they left the wilderness. Therefore he does not…
Daily Devotions
Because your steadfast love is better than life, my lips will praise you. So I will bless you as long as I live; I will lift up my hands and call on your name.” vss. 3-4 Psalm 63 In recent years the writers of praise songs have discovered the richness of the psalms and have used their lyrics in hundreds of their hymns. These two verses from Psalm 63 make up the entirety of the praise song, Thy Loving Kindness, and…
Daily Devotions
If for this life only we have hoped in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied. But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have died.” vss. 19-20 1 Corinthians 15:12-20 Believers have always been fans of Valentine’s Day. Way back in the third century there was a St. Valentine who performed works of love and service in the area of Rome. As the years passed, stories and myths…
Daily Devotions
If I speak in the tongues of mortals and of angels, but do not have love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.” vs. 1 1 Corinthians 13:1-3 Paul concluded his lesson on spiritual gifts for the Corinthians by introducing what he called “a more excellent way,” the passage we have come to know as the “Love Chapter” of the bible. He begins with a critique of the practice that had begun to divide the congregation. Some in…
Daily Devotions
And Nehemiah…and Ezra the priest and scribe,… said to all the people, “This day is holy to the Lord your God; do not mourn or weep.” For all the people wept when they heard the words of the law.” vs. 9 Nehemiah 8:8-10 When the words of the long-forgotten law were read to the Jews of Jerusalem their initial reaction was one of deep sadness—and they began to weep. We can only guess that their sadness came with the recognition…
Daily Devotions
To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.” vs. 7 1 Corinthians 11:7-11 From the beginning it has been enormously difficult for humans to recognize that life is communal, particularly when the culture has been taken captive by the curse of individualism. Some actually begin to believe that everything is up to them, and that any talk of the common good is misguided. Our spiritual ancestors would have found such notions ridiculous. For them it…
Daily Devotions
Because you are precious in my sight, and honored, and I love you, I give people in return for you, nations in exchange for your life.” vs. 4 Isaiah 43:4-7 Even though the people of Israel had regularly engaged in idolatry and their kings had been inept, in their captivity the prophet brought them words of encouragement and hope. In their brokenness he tells them they are precious in the sight of the Lord and that they are loved. That…
Daily Devotions
But now thus says the Lord, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine.” vs. 1 Isaiah 43:1-7 Through the centuries Israelites had come to believe that they had a special relationship with God. They weren’t just a scattered group of people, free to do as they pleased with life, they actually belonged to God. They were God’s own…
Daily Devotions
When they had heard the king, they set out; and there, ahead of them, went the star that they had seen at its rising, until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy.” vss. 9-10 Matthew 2:1-12 In Luke’s gospel an angel appears to shepherds outside of Bethlehem to announce the birth of the Messiah, but in Matthew’ gospel it’s a star that gets central billing.…
Daily Devotions
No one has ever seen God. It is God the only Son, who is close to the Father’s heart, who has made him known.” vs. 18 John 1:15-18 From the beginning humans have engaged in speculation about the nature of God, with many religious leaders claiming to have special insights or inside information. Sometimes their descriptions have been compelling enough to gain massive numbers of adherents for their movements. But ultimately, John is right! No one has even seen God!…
Daily Devotions
In him you also, when you had heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and had believed in him, were marked with the seal of the promised Holy Spirit;” vs. 13 Ephesians 1:11-14 Paul recognized that as people came to faith in Christ there would be a two step process. First they would hear the word of truth, what he called the gospel of salvation. And then, having heard, they would respond by believing; they would trust…