'mercy' Tagged Posts
Daily Devotions
Matthew 14:13-14…“Now when Jesus heard this, he withdrew from there in a boat to a deserted place by himself. But when the crowds heard it, they followed him on foot from the towns.” vs. 13 When Jesus heard that John the Baptist had been killed, he withdrew to a deserted place where he could be alone. He needed time for reflection and prayer. But when the crowds had heard the news of John’s death, they wanted to be with Jesus,…
Daily Devotions
Isaiah 55:1-5…“Ho, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and you that have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.” vs. 1 It’s hard to believe but our scriptures consistently teach that all the best things about life in this world are available to us free of charge. Nowhere are we told that it is a good thing to store up riches for ourselves and build our retirement portfolios. As the…
Daily Devotions
Psalm 119:129-132…“The unfolding of your words gives light; it imparts understanding to the simple. With open mouth I pant, because I long for your commandments.” vss. 130-131 Psalm 119 is the longest of the psalms and is devoted to lifting up the law as God’s most loving gift to Israel. Today’s chosen verses call to mind an image of little birds opening up their mouths to receive food brought by a parent. They crowd the nest, their little beaks open…
Daily Devotions
Psalm 86:14-17…“But you, O Lord, are a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness.” vs.15 Sometimes it’s hard to know how we could get so messed up in the way we think about God. Admittedly there are some verses in our scriptures that can be misleading or easily misinterpreted, but for the most part the testimony of the prophets and of Jesus echoes the teaching of this anonymous psalmist. Troubled and paranoid as…
Daily Devotions
Matthew 10:42…“and whoever gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones in the name of a disciple—truly I tell you, none of these will lose their reward.” vs. 42 Often when we take Jesus’ call to reach out to the helpless and the harassed seriously by offering them shelter, clothing, water, or food, we discover that they want to help us too. They will offer hospitality in whatever way that they can, and they’ll do it…
Daily Devotions
Psalm 69:16-18…“Do not hide your face from your servant, for I am in distress—make haste to answer me.” vs. 17 This psalmist seems to have run out of patience with the Lord. His passion for the temple has gotten him a boatload of enemies, and they never tire of tormenting him. Through it all the psalmist has continued to trust in the Lord as a source of mercy and steadfast love! But at this moment he’s just not feeling it!…
Daily Devotions
Matthew 9:35-37…“When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.” vs. 36 Sometimes when we hear the stories of refugees and asylum seekers trying to enter our country we get angry. Some wonder why these people don’t just stay in their own countries. And we have even less patience for the homeless people squatting wherever they can in all of our major cities. Our primary concern seems to…
Daily Devotions
Romans 5:6-8…“But God proves his love for us in that while we still were sinners Christ died for us.” vs. 8 Some folks struggle with the meaning of the cross, especially as it relates to a satisfaction theory of the atonement. We can’t get our heads around the notion that the death of one person could atone for the sins of all humanity. And that’s okay! All those theories were developed by early Christians as they tried to make sense…
Daily Devotions
John 9:28-38…“They answered him, ‘You were born entirely in sins, and are you trying to teach us?’ And they drove him out.” vs. 34 It’s hard for educated and highly trained professionals to listen to the ramblings of the illiterate and unlearned. The religious leaders had zero respect for the insights of a beggar or his parents. And when the man claimed that Jesus had come from God they silenced him. He had no credentials! The standards have not changed…
Daily Devotions
I call heaven and earth to witness against you today that I have set before your life and death, blessings and curses. Choose life so that you and your descendants may live…” vs. 19 Deuteronomy 30:17-20 Deuteronomy tells us that obedience for the Israelites was a binary choice: there were only two options regarding the Law. The people could either obey or not obey. Obedience would bring them life and disobedience meant death. Now it’s certainly true that choices are…
Daily Devotions
If you obey the commandments of the Lord your God that I am commanding you today… then you shall live and become numerous, and the Lord your God will bless you in the land that you are entering to possess.” vs. 16 Deuteronomy 30:15-20 The Law of Moses was foundational for Judaism. Throughout the history of Israel people were taught that everything hinged on their obedience to the commandments of God as revealed in their scriptures. If they loved the…
Daily Devotions
And what more should I say? For time would fail me to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets—who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, obtained promises…” vss. 32-33 Hebrews 11:29-40 The writer of Hebrews believed that all the heroes and heroines of Israel had lived by faith, just as had the ancestors of them all, Abraham and Sarah. It was a proud history. Yet even though those people had been commended for their…