'prosperity' Tagged Posts

'prosperity' Tagged Posts

Daily Devotions

When you have eaten your fill and have built fine houses and live in them…Do not say to yourself, ‘My power and the might of my own hand have gotten me this wealth.’” vss. 12, 17 Deuteronomy 8:7-18 The book of Deuteronomy, presented in the form of a sermon by Moses as the Israelites are about to enter the promised land, anticipates that the people will enjoy a rich and full life. They are reminded to regularly give Thanksgiving to…

Daily Devotions

Take away from me the noise of your songs; I will not listen to the melody of your harps. But let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.” vss. 23-24 Amos 5:21-24 During Israel’s golden age, the time of its greatest prosperity, Amos came out of the wilderness of Judah with a message from the Lord. To put it bluntly, there was nothing that the people were doing that was pleasing. They were cheating the poor,…

Daily Devotions

Turn my heart to your decrees, and not to selfish gain. Turn my eyes from looking at vanities; give me life in your ways.” vss. 36-37 Psalm 119:33-40 Because we carry the divine spark in our genes we have an innate sense of how life shall be lived. Of course, from the time we are toddlers we are also receiving alternative messages from our context and culture. We are regularly encouraged to look to our own needs, build up wealth,…

Daily Devotions

When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.” vs. 36 Matthew 9:35-38 Jesus had been overwhelmed by the crowds that he encountered as he began his ministry in Galilee. Everywhere he went they flocked to hear his words and be touched by his healing hands, and his heart was filled with compassion. If we’ve ever wondered about our mission as his followers, there really can be no…

Daily Devotions

Father of orphans and protector of widows is God in his holy habitation. God gives the desolate a home to live in; he leads out the prisoners to prosperity, but the rebellious live in a parched land.” vss. 5-6 Psalm 68:1-10 When they were at their best, Israel championed the cause of widows and orphans in their midst. And they didn’t forget that their ancestors had come as immigrants through the wilderness into a land filled with milk and honey.…

Daily Devotions

Hear this, you that trample on the needy, and bring to ruin the poor of the land, saying, ‘When will the new moon be over so that we may sell grain; and the sabbath, so that we may offer wheat for sale?’” vss. 4-5a Amos 8:4-5a When Amos, from the hill country of Judah, went to the prosperous kingdom of Israel to speak a word from the Lord, he couldn’t believe his eyes. These folks were the descendents of Abraham.…

Daily Devotions

The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; I have a goodly heritage.” vs. 6 Psalm 16:1-6 The people of God don’t always live in misery and poverty–sometimes things go pretty well for us. It may even be that we are embarrassed when others ask how we are doing. We have no health issues and our genetic inheritance has ensured that we are free from the aches and pains that afflict so many. We’ve been able to live…

Daily Devotions

Psalm 80:7-15 … “Restore us, O God of hosts; let your face shine, that we may be saved.” vs. 7 The psalmist didn’t understand why Israel had fallen on hard times. From his perspective the Lord had gone to a lot of work to insure its prosperity. Using the metaphor of a vine he describes how God brought the root out of Egypt and planted it deep in good ground so that it would grow and fill the land. But…

Daily Devotions

Isaiah 5:5-7 . . . “For the vineyard of the Lord of hosts is the house of Israel, and the people of Judah are his pleasant planting; he expected justice, but saw bloodshed; righteousness, but heard a cry!” vs. 7  Our leaders regularly describe our country as a defender of religious freedom and rightly protest when there is evidence that believers of any kind are being persecuted in our world. There have too many instances when nations have stood by…

Daily Devotions

Psalm 67:4-7 … “The earth has yielded its increase; God, our God, has blessed us. May God continue to bless us; let all the ends of the earth revere him.” vss. 6-7 Demographers estimate that there are now 7.8 billion people in the world, a marked increase from the 1 billion who populated our planet just 200 years ago. One reason for the rapid growth has been agricultural development. At one time it was believed that the world would run…

Daily Devotions: February 16, 2019

February 16, 2019 To read full passage click: Luke 6:20-23 …“Then he looked up at his disciples and said: “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.” vs. 20 The beatitudes that open the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew are well-known to most Christians. There’s a beautiful symmetry in his account of Jesus’ description of his followers and it’s a favorite text for All-Saint’s Day. Luke also makes reference to the beatitudes as he…

Daily Devotions: April 25, 2018

April 25, 2018 Psalm 22:25-31…“Posterity will serve him; future generations will be told about the Lord, and proclaim his deliverance to a people yet unborn, saying that he has done it.” vss. 30-31 It’s not unusual in these days of rapid technological advancement to read about the future benefits of artificial intelligence, robotics, cancer vaccines, immunotherapy–the list goes on and on. But rarely is there ever any mention of God in such articles. The message seems to be that future…