'love' Tagged Posts (Page 8)
Daily Devotions
You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hidden… In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.” vss. 14, 16 Matthew 5:12-16 There is a power in these words from Jesus that goes beyond human understanding, and we can only begin to grasp their significance as we realize that Jesus is talking about the light…
Daily Devotions
Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of injustice, to undo the thongs of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke? Is it not to share your bread with the hungry, and bring the homeless poor into your house…?” vss. 6-7a Isaiah 58:5-9a In the last couple of weeks, authorities have been conducting homeless counts. Volunteers scatter across the Valley and seek out the people living in the streets,…
Daily Devotions
O Lord, who may abide in your tent? Who may dwell on your holy hill? Those who walk blamelessly, and do what is right, and speak the truth from their heart…” vss. 1-2 Psalm 15 In the psalmist’s world, there were standards that went beyond mere obedience to the law. Certainly the Torah was honored and people tried to live according to its precepts, but such behaviors didn’t even come close to what was expected of God’s holy people. It…
Daily Devotions
He has told you, O mortal, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” vs. 8 Micah 6:6-8 Sometimes folks act as though they’re confused about how they ought to live out their lives on this blue orb. On one hand this is understandable. There are a bunch of options out there, and it’s not always easy to choose among them. But…
Daily Devotions
And a voice from heaven said, ‘This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased.’” vs. 17 Matthew 3:16-17 Whatever reason Jesus might have had for seeking baptism at the hands of John, there is no doubt that the experience marked the beginning of his ministry. As he came up out of the water, Matthew says, the heavens were opened to him, the Spirit of God came near, and he heard the voice of God. It’s noteworthy…
Daily Devotions
Truly I tell you, among those born of women no one has arisen greater than John the Baptist; yet the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.” vs. 11 Matthew 11:7-11 Jesus had to be careful in talking about John the Baptist. He was a well-known radical preacher who had gained enormous popularity by speaking truth to power. Large numbers of people had become his disciples, and they had been deeply upset by his arrest and imprisonment.…
Daily Devotions
Be patient, therefore, beloved, until the coming of the Lord. The farmer waits for the precious crop from the earth, being patient with it until it receives the early and the late rains. You also must be patient.” vss. 7-8a James 5:7-8 Waiting for Christmas during Advent is not particularly difficult. Neighborhoods signal its nearness when the ladders come out and decorations go up. Even the smells around the household, cookies coming out of the oven and lefse hot off…
Daily Devotions
He himself is before all things, and in him all things hold together.” vs. 17 Colossians 1:17-20 Early Christians came to believe that the Christ who had been made visible in Jesus of Nazareth was the incarnate Word of God, described in the prologue to John’s gospel. Through the Christ, present in the Beginning, all things had come into existence, and the writer of Colossians adds that, “in him all things hold together.” In other words, Christ is the…
Daily Devotions
He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation…” vs. 15 Colossians 1:11-16 There is a solution for those who despair of ever knowing God or of having a sense of God’s presence in daily living. And it’s easier that we might ever suspect. All we need to do is focus on Jesus, the man from Nazareth, and we will be connected to the invisible God through whom the universe came into existence. At least that’s…
Daily Devotions
The Lord has made known his victory; he has revealed his vindication in the sight of the nations.” vs. 2 Psalm 98:1-6 Tonight, millions of households will be anxiously awaiting the results of this midterm election, and in the midst of the elation and disappointment there will be some who say that the Lord has given victory to the winners. They will sing praises and give glory to God for this very visible triumph over the forces of evil. We…
Daily Devotions
But I say to you that listen, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you.” vss. 27-28 Luke 6:27-31 In the gospel of Matthew, following the beatitudes, Jesus tells his disciples that they are the light of the world and the salt of the earth. Luke’s version of the beatitudes is similar, but here Jesus’ instructions to the disciples describe more fully what it means to be…
Daily Devotions
And he has put all things under his feet and has made him the head over all things for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.” vss. 22-23 Ephesians 1:15-23 From the beginning, the church formed by the followers of Jesus has been understood to be the Body of Christ. We’ve grown accustomed to that designation and have come to take it for granted, but it really is an audacious claim. We…