'obedience' Tagged Posts
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…
Daily Devotions
Now before faith came, we were imprisoned and guarded under the law until faith would be revealed.” vs. 23 Galatians 3:23-26 Looking back, Paul now sees that his life before Christ, under the law, was like a rigid imprisonment. Strict adherence to the commandments and the ordinances kept him on the straight and narrow, but at a cost. He never experienced the freedom that comes with faith and grace. In this letter to the Galatians, he explores that new life…
Daily Devotions
Then he went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was obedient to them. His mother treasured all these things in her heart. And Jesus increased in wisdom and in years, and in divine and human favor.” vss. 51-52 Luke 2:41-52 The four gospels found in our scriptures say virtually nothing about Jesus’ life before his baptism. Essentially he came out of nowhere and changed the world! But we do have one little story, one that Luke discovered and…
Daily Devotions
Although he was a Son, he learned obedience through what he suffered; and having been made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him…” vss. 8-9 Hebrews 5:5-10 For pious Jews who became followers of Jesus after his resurrection it was natural to connect him with cherished temple practices, and many began to think of him in high priestly terms. The writer of Hebrews picks up on those themes and shows how it was that…
Daily Devotions: May 17, 2020
May 17, 2020 John 14:18-21 … “They who have my commandments and keep them are those who love me; and those who love me will be loved by my Father, and I will love them and reveal myself to them.” vs. 21 John’s powerful and affirming words of love in this portion of his Gospel have lifted the hearts of Christians for centuries. It just feels so good to know that Christ dwells in us and that love is the…
Daily Devotions: February 11, 2020
February 11, 2020 For full passage click: Psalm 119:1-4 … “Happy are those whose way is blameless, who walk in the law of the Lord.” vs. 1 Psalm 119 is a carefully composed poem of 22 stanzas, each of which begins with a different letter of the Hebrew alphabet. Its 176 verses are intended to glorify the law and encourage readers to obey its commandments and ordinances. The Psalmist begins by observing that the reward for blamelessly walking in…
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