'War' Tagged Posts

'War' Tagged Posts

Daily Devotions

Thus says the Lord to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have grasped to subdue nations before him and strip kings of their robes, to open doors before him— and the gates shall not be closed:” vs. 1 Isaiah 45:1-4 Talk about the ironies and the vagaries of history in the Middle East! Back in the days of Israel’s captivity in Babylon, the prophet wrote that Cyrus, the king of Persia, was the Lord’s anointed, and that Cyrus…

Daily Devotions

Let us know, let us press on to know the Lord; his appearing is as sure as the dawn; he will come to us like the showers, like the spring rains that water the earth.” vs. 3 Hosea 5:15-6:3 During the 8th century BCE, Hosea was called to bring a word from the Lord to the rival kingdoms of Israel and Judah. They had begun to think they were pretty special and had become enamored of wealth and power. In…

Daily Devotions

He shall judge between the nations, and shall arbitrate for many peoples; they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks…” vs. 4a Isaiah 2:1-5 In reading the Hebrew scriptures, it’s easy to get the idea that God was an advocate of war and encouraged the people of Israel to engage in ferocious combat in defense of their land and to subjugate their enemies. More than that, it’s often implied that the Lord assisted in those…

Daily Devotions

The war horse is a vain hope for victory, and by its great might it cannot save. Truly the eye of the Lord is on those who fear him, on those who hope in his steadfast love, to deliver their soul from death…” vss. 17-19a Psalm 33:9-22 For millennia the nations of the world have been engaged in an enormous and deadly contest for power and control. Great empires have arisen, each one dependent on the latest advances in weapons…

Daily Devotions

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more.” vs. 1 Revelation 21:1-4 Events of the past months have reawakened the fear of atomic war in the hearts of people. It seems that even in these “enlightened” times there are those who would willingly wreak havoc and destruction on their fellow human beings. Some believe that as weapons become more deadly, life…

Daily Devotions

It was now about noon, and darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon, while the sun’s light failed; and the curtain of the temple was torn in two.” vss. 44-45 Luke 23:32-49 In the prologue to his gospel John wrote, “The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.” Believers have found great comfort in this verse through the centuries, and we’re quick to recall it when times get tough and we’re…

Daily Devotions

The manna ceased on the day they ate the produce of the land, and the Israelites no longer had manna; they ate the crops of the land of Canaan that year.” vs. 12 Joshua 5:9-12 The writers of Israel’s history believed that God had led the Hebrews out of slavery in Egypt and had given them the land of Canaan as their territory. Most of us simply accept the story and are impressed by the generosity of God–we’ve heard about…

Daily Devotions

Though an army encamp against me, my heart shall not fear; though war rise up against me, yet I will be confident.” Psalm 27:1-8 The psalmist was no stranger to war and its devastating consequences. The city of Jerusalem was besieged and destroyed regularly and its residents were accustomed to seeing foreign armies camped on the surrounding hills and refugees flooding into the city. In recent weeks we’ve seen this same ugly scene unfold in our time as the people…

Daily Devotions: February 2, 2020

February 2, 2020 For full passage click:  Matthew 5:7-12 … “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.” vs. 9 Jesus tells us here that peacemakers get a special blessing in that they will be called children of God. We can infer from that designation that those who work for peace have a special connection to God and are a reflection of God’s being. It seems right then that there is an annual Nobel Peace Prize…

Daily Devotions: November 25, 2019

November 25, 2019 For full passage click: Isaiah 2:1-5“ … He shall judge between the nations, and shall arbitrate for many peoples; they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.” vs. 4 Isaiah believed that one day Jerusalem would be established as the hub of God’s rule. From there, God would establish order and justice among the nations and there…

Daily Devotions: October 30, 2019

October 30, 2019 For full passage click: Psalm 149:6-9 … “Let the high praises of God be in their throats and two-edged swords in their hands, to execute vengeance on the nations and punishment on the peoples…” vss. 6-7 Anyone with even a passing interest in history will know that warfare has been a constant part of our human experience. From the very beginning, tribes and nations have risen against each other for a variety of reasons, occasionally as a…

Daily Devotions: October 24, 2019

October 24, 2019 For full passage click: Romans 3:19-22a … “But now, apart from law, the righteousness of God has been disclosed, and is attested by the law and the prophets, the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe.” vss. 21-22a Paul was attempting to give the congregation in Rome a more theological perspective of what had happened through Jesus. As part of his argument, he takes pain to explain that the righteousness of God is in…
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