'obedience' Tagged Posts
Daily Devotions
And the Lord changed his mind about the disaster that he planned to bring on his people.” vs. 14 Exodus 32:11-14 According to this story recounted in Exodus, Moses was able to convince the Lord to change his mind and abandon his plan to destroy the Hebrews at Mount Sinai. All it took was a reminder that such an action would diminish the Lord’s reputation among the Egyptians. People have wondered about these verses through the centuries. Is it true…
Daily Devotions
I have a baptism with which to be baptized, and what stress I am under until it is completed! Do you think that I have come to bring peace to the earth? No, I tell you, but rather division!” vss. 50-51 Luke 12:49-53 Often, we imagine that Jesus was a man of infinite patience and deep serenity. Today’s text presents a different picture, one that may surprise us. Jesus told his disciples that he was having enormous stress as he…
Daily Devotions
By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to set out for a place that he was to receive as an inheritance; and he set out, not knowing where he was going.” vs. 8 Hebrews 11:8-16 Since Abraham and Sarah are mentioned first among the patriarchs and matriarchs of the Hebrew people, it’s not strange that the writer of Hebrew makes them prime models of faithfulness for his readers. In fact, they get top billing! But as he refers to…
Daily Devotions
Lead me in your truth, and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation; for you I wait all day long.” vs. 5 Psalm 25:1-5 Humans have always had a sense that there is a way to live that is particularly pleasing to God and that will be of benefit to them. In fact, the great religions of the world have been planted by those who had a sense of what such a life might be like and…
Daily Devotions
Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus…” vs. 5 Philippians 2:5-8 The Philippians hadn’t gone through confirmation or participated in new member classes. Some of them were Jews, many were Gentiles, and they had no common traditions or doctrines. So it’s not strange that there was confusion in their community about their new life in Christ and what that meant for daily living. Paul wasn’t living with them any longer and he didn’t know if…
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 The question asked by the psalmist was enormously important for the religious leaders in Jerusalem. They revered the Law of Moses and believed wholeheartedly that only those who were perfectly obedient were welcome in the temple of the Lord. The righteous were those who walked…
Daily Devotions
For there is no distinction, since all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God; they are now justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus…” vss. 22b-24 Romans 3:19-24 For Paul it was obvious. Since we’re all sinners no person could ever be made righteous by obedience to the law. At its best all the law can do is make us aware of our sin–so if we truly want to…
Daily Devotions
For just as by the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous.” vs. 19 Romans 5:12-19 Paul had loved the ancient stories of the Hebrews and had tucked them away in his memory bank. And now as he attempted to explain the righteousness of God to the Romans, he drew on one of those stories to make sense of his message. He explained that the disease of…
Daily Devotions
Choose life so that you and your descendants may live, loving the Lord your God, obeying him, and holding fast to him…” vss. 19b-20a Deuteronomy 30:19-20 Our decision to respond to the love of God with obedience is a turning point in our lives, and is probably the most important choice we will ever make. It has a profound effect on all that we say or do for the rest of our lives. And not only will it touch our…
Daily Devotions
When Joseph awoke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him; he took her as his wife…” vs. 24 Matthew 1:21-25 Joseph took dreams seriously! Four different times, Matthew tells us Joseph woke up in the morning and did whatever he had been commanded to do during the night. His obedience was impeccable! Sometimes that’s how it works for us too. We might have been wrestling with a decision for some time, unable to make up…
Daily Devotions
…through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith among all the Gentiles for the sake of his name…” vs. 5 Romans 1:5-7 With the gift of grace, Paul had also received what might be called a “calling.” He had been made an apostle, one who is sent as an emissary, in order that Gentiles might also become believers. Essentially, Gentiles were outsiders, anyone who was not a Jew, and it was a big…
Daily Devotions
For the Lord will again take delight in prospering you, just as he delighted in prospering your ancestors, when you obey the Lord your God by observing his commandments and decrees…” vss. 9b-10a Deuteronomy 30:9-10 The scribes of Israel believed that if the people obeyed the Lord by observing the Lord’s commandments and decrees, the Lord would take delight in bringing prosperity to the nation. The Lord would make Israel great again! We can understand why this was such a…
- 1
- 2