'humility' Tagged Posts (Page 9)
Daily Devotions: September 18, 2018
September 18, 2018 Psalm 34:1-10 …“O taste and see that the Lord is good; happy are those who take refuge in him.” vs. 8 It’s not unexpected when children balk at the sight of some new food that has been placed on their plate. They’re reluctant to even try something whose color and texture is not familiar. Parents often respond with encouragement that could have been paraphrased from this psalm, “Just taste it, and you’ll see how good it is!”…
Daily Devotions: August 31, 2018
August 31, 2018 James 1:22-27 …“But be doers of the word, and not merely hearers who deceive themselves.” vs. 22 Surveys in recent years have shown that many people regularly associate the word “Christian” with the word “hypocrite.” Reasons for such an association might vary, but it’s certainly not something for Christians to be proud of. Some might say this has happened because the popular culture is at war with our faith and has plotted to ruin its reputation. Others…
Daily Devotions: August 2, 2018
August 2, 2018 Ephesians 4:1-10…“I therefore, the prisoner in the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love…” vss. 1-2 As holy and called followers of Jesus, we are to lead lives that reflect our calling. Of course we are saved by grace, but that can never be an excuse for careless and shameful living. There are standards…
Daily Devotions: July 16 , 2018
July 16, 2018 Jeremiah 23:1-3…“Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture! says the Lord.” vs. 1 When Jeremiah speaks of shepherds, he has in mind the corrupt and power hungry kings of his nation. Their leadership had meant the dissolution and scattering of the people; already many had been led away into exile. He himself would soon be taken against his will to Egypt. It was a terrible time. Leaders bore the blame and…
Daily Devotions: July 2 , 2018
July 2, 2018 Ezekiel 2:1-5…“The descendants are impudent and stubborn. I am sending you to them, and you shall say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God.’” vs. 4 Ezekiel was minding his own business when God told him to get up on his feet and go as a prophet to the people of Israel, a nation of rebels who had rebelled against God. There is no promise that anyone will listen, but at least they would have heard a…
Daily Devotions: April 17, 2018
April 17, 2018 Acts 4:8-12…“There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among mortals by which we must be saved.” vs. 12 The disciples were ecstatic! They had such good news for their leaders…and for the entire world. Through the Holy Spirit they had come to believe that Jesus was the Christ and that through him God’s salvation had come to humanity. As they traveled about proclaiming that audacious message it seemed…
Daily Devotions: April 16, 2018
April 16, 2018 Acts 4:5-7…“When they had made the prisoners stand in their midst, they inquired, ‘By what power or by what name did you do this?’” vs. 7 When the religious authorities in Jerusalem heard that the disciples were preaching that Jesus had been raised from the dead and were actually healing the sick, they ordered them to be arrested. They weren’t an impressive group–just a few Galilean fishermen and some hangers-on. When the wealthy, well-educated priestly types saw…
Daily Devotions: April 15, 2018
April 15, 2018 Luke 24:44-48…“Then he opened their minds to understand the scriptures,” vs. 45 Being familiar with the scriptures wasn’t enough for the disciples to have a clue about what had happened in Jesus. Nowhere was there a straightforward indication that the promised messiah would suffer, be crucified as a criminal, and then die. One option would have been for them to completely abandon the Hebrew scriptures and focus on building a new faith tradition–something no one ever seriously…
Daily Devotions: April 14, 2018
April 14, 2018 Luke 24:36b-43…“While in their joy they were disbelieving and still wondering, he said to them, ‘Have you anything here to eat?’” vs 41 While the experience of resurrection had galvanized the disciples of Jesus, there were plenty of questions remaining. In Luke’s story, multiple appearances weren’t enough to convince them and they needed further proof that he was really alive. Two thousand years later we’re still dealing with those same feelings! It’s wonderful to be able to…
Daily Devotions: April 13, 2018
April 13, 2018 1 John 3:4-7…“No one who abides in him sins; no one who sins has either seen him or known him.” vs. 6 Those who earnestly try to live by scriptural teachings can get tied in knots by what seem to be contrary messages. On the one hand we are told that all are sinners, and if we say we have no sin, we are liars. But the same writer then turns around and tells us that no…
Daily Devotions: April 12, 2018
April 12, 2018 1 John 3:1-3…“And all who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure.” vs. 3 John is happy to tell his readers that God loves them and that they are God’s children. He writes, “See what love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God; and that is what we are.” What a powerful affirmation! This really is the core of the good news. Just think of it,…
Daily Devotions: April 11, 2018
April 11, 2018 Psalm 4…“When you are disturbed, do not sin; ponder it on your beds, and be silent.” Vs. 4 It’s impossible to live without becoming disturbed about some encounter or experience, and we can never predict what sort of thing might set us off. It could be some major calamity or just some small thing, a conversation or maybe a text that provokes our anxiety receptors. In these moments our minds go wild, blood pressure may increase, and…