'hope' Tagged Posts (Page 3)
Daily Devotions
Let your steadfast love, O Lord, be upon us, even as we hope in you.” vs. 22 Psalm 33:17-22 There is a lot of talk about love among people of faith. After all Jesus commanded his disciples to love both God and neighbor, and from the beginning his followers have done their best to do just that. And even John Lennon jumped on the bandwagon with his hit single, “All We Need Is Love.” There’s probably not a sermon that…
Daily Devotions
Why should I fear in times of trouble, when the iniquity of my persecutors surrounds me, those who trust in their wealth and boast of the abundance of their riches?” vss. 5-6 Psalm 49:1-12 The psalmist was feeling persecuted by rich folks, those who trust in their wealth and in the abundance of their riches. We know what such people are like. Their names are always before us and we can’t escape the reports of their profligate spending and ostentatious…
Daily Devotions
Then one said, “I will surely return to you in due season, and your wife Sarah shall have a son. And Sarah was listening at the tent entrance behind him.” vs. 10 Genesis 18:8-10a Once Abraham and Sarah take over the pages of Genesis her barrenness quickly becomes an issue. How could all the promises made to Abraham be fulfilled if the two of them have no son? The text implies that the problem is Sarah’s. Abraham seems to have…
Daily Devotions
Daily Devotions
Daily Devotions
In the last days it will be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams.” vs. 17 Acts 2:14-21 Luke decided that the best way to describe the explosion of Holy Spirit power that had occurred in Jerusalem after Jesus’ resurrection was to go back to the Hebrew scriptures and the words of the…
Daily Devotions
When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting.” vss. 1-2 Acts 2:1-13 It’s not surprising that John and Luke would describe the coming of the Holy Spirit in different ways. If accounts of such a mysterious and wondrous event written down decades apart were identical, we’d likely be suspicious.…
Daily Devotions
I made your name known to them, and I will make it known, so that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them.” vs. 26 John 16:24-26 From the time of his baptism Jesus was convinced that God loved him, and he described that love in very personal terms. It was like the love of a father for an only son, and he spent the rest of his life exploring the extent…
Daily Devotions
I ask not only on behalf of these, but also on behalf of those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one.” vs. 20-21a John 17:20-23 Unity was one of the biggest challenges for the early Christian community, and John addresses that issue as he recounts what is known as Jesus’ “high priestly prayer” for his disciples. These words reflect Jesus’ deepest desires for all who would one day believe in him. Simply put,…
Daily Devotions
The Spirit and the bride say, ‘Come.’ And let everyone who hears say, ‘Come.’ And let everyone who is thirsty come. Let anyone who wishes take the water of life as a gift.” vs. 17 Revelation 22:12-14, 16-17, 20-21 The book of Revelation ends with a warning and an invitation. Typically, the warning, found in verse 18 of chapter 22, is not included when this lesson is read in our congregations. It’s a kind of boiler plate warning that most…
Daily Devotions
Light dawns for the righteous, and joy for the upright in heart. Rejoice in the Lord, O you righteous, and give thanks to his holy name!” vss. 11-12 Psalm 97:8-12 Jesus wasn’t comfortable with people being labelled as being either “sinners” or “righteous.” In fact, when people insisted on using those terms, he showed by his actions that he preferred the company of sinners, which is one of the reasons people of faith really love Jesus. But even if we…
Daily Devotions
The Lord is king! Let the earth rejoice; let the many coastlands be glad! Clouds and thick darkness are all around him; righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne.” vss. 1-2 Psalm 97:1-9 Our experience of kings is very different from that of the psalmist. We think of them mainly in the context of wealthy and scandal-ridden royal families. For the psalmist kings were the most powerful people on earth, mortals who commanded single-minded devotion and loyalty. So,…
Daily Devotions
Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid.” vs. 27 John 14:27-29 We all have friends and family members who rise to the top of our prayer lists at various times in their lives. And when we’re done praying that they receive healing, reconciliation, or forgiveness, we close with a deep and profound…