'Peace' Tagged Posts
Daily Devotions
But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.” vs. 33 Jeremiah 31:31-34 During the first part of his ministry Jeremiah had a message of doom for the rulers of Judah, saying that if they continued the course they were following, destruction…
Daily Devotions
Look at the proud! Their spirit is not right in them, but the righteous live by their faith.” vs. 4 Habakkuk 2:1-4 Habakkuk has filed a complaint with the Lord and then settles back to wait for a reply. When he reports the answer, it seems cryptic, which is, from our own experiences with prayer, not all that unusual. But Habakkuk does receive some measure of assurance. God has not abandoned Judea, despite the external appearances. The key to an…
Daily Devotions
Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions.” vs. 1 Psalm 51:1-10 As the various psalms were collected and made available for temple and liturgical use, Psalm 51 became known as a psalm of David, and it’s not hard to understand why. The scriptural accounts of David’s life paint a picture of a man with powerful passions. Not only did he lead the rebellion against King Saul, Israel’s…
Daily Devotions
They have distributed freely; they have given to the poor; their righteousness endures forever; their horn is exalted in honor.” vs. 9 Psalm 112:6-10 The psalmist is effusive in his praise of the righteous, those believers who walk in the way of obedience, and it’s interesting to see what attributes he holds up as deserving of special honor. He doesn’t mention a thing about their grand houses or estates, nor does he note their exploits on the battlefield. Instead, he…
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
Then he said, “Oh do not let the Lord be angry if I speak just once more. Suppose ten are found there.” He answered, “For the sake of ten I will not destroy it.” vs. 32 Genesis 18:27-32 A lot of people have bargained with God through the centuries, but it’s doubtful that any could match Abraham’s success. Bit by bit he chipped away at God’s intentions until he got the deal he was looking for. And of course, as…
Daily Devotions
And Jesus said to him, ‘You have given the right answer; do this, and you will live.’” vs. 28 Luke 10:25-28 The lawyer’s question had been, “Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” And as he frequently did, Jesus answered the question with a question, “What is written in the law?” And to his credit the lawyer gives the right answer, quoting what is known as the Great Commandment of love from Deuteronomy and even adding its corollary…
Daily Devotions
Daily Devotions
Daily Devotions
I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If in my name you ask me for anything, I will do it.” vss. 13-14 John 14:12-17 Though these words from John’s gospel are used regularly by prosperity preachers as part of their health and wealth message, many others read them with a strong dose of healthy skepticism. They’ve had too many experiences with unanswered prayer and have come to know…
Daily Devotions
Philip said to him, ‘Lord, show us the father, and we will be satisfied.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Have I been with you all this time, Philip, and you still do not know me? Whoever has seen me has seen the father.” vss. 8-9 John 14:8-11 The end was approaching, and Philip was beginning to panic. He’d been following Jesus for some time, at least a year, and he’d evidently been thinking that soon Jesus was going to reveal God…
Daily Devotions
At the same hour of the night he took them and washed their wounds; then he and his entire family were baptized without delay.” vs. 33 Acts 16:25-34 There’s a freedom that flows through Luke’s account of the acts of the Apostle’s. The principal actors haven’t been trained in mission development, and they don’t seem to know the rituals that are so significant in our congregations. Paul doesn’t distinguish between infant and adult baptisms, and he fails to give basic…
Daily Devotions
But when her owners saw that their hope of making money was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace before the authorities.” vs. 19 Acts 16:16-24 Paul had been irritated by a slave girl with the spirit of divination who had kept shouting at them each day as they walked the streets of Philippi. So one day he just stopped in his tracks and ordered the unclean spirit to come out of her–and it did.…