I found some good exhortation in James today: Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned … Continue reading »
This passage – quoted by Paul in Romans – is such a great rule of thumb for dealing with those who wish to harm us: and if he is thirsty, If your enemy is hungry, give him water to drink, for you will heap burning coals on his head, and the LORD will reward you. … Continue reading »
Psalm 78 turns again to Israel’s rejection of God. And as I wrote two days ago, despite Israel’s sin… Yet [God] was merciful; he forgave their iniquities and did not destroy them. Time after time he restrained his anger and did not stir up his full wrath. He remembered that they were but flesh, a passing … Continue reading »
I love the story of Stephen’s stoning. It’s so redemptive. Yep, the story of one man’s brutal death elevates me. First, there’s the fact that Stephen spoke the truth without fear. He is so committed to preaching the truth and possibly to leading members of the council to repentance, that he essentially signs his death certificate … Continue reading »
The Luke 8 stories I read all have something in common. Back in February, the same stories showed up in Mark’s gospel, and I realized that everyone was healed with just a touch. I noticed something else today. All those healed also wound up at Jesus’ feet. The Demoniac Jesus heals a demoniac, casting his … Continue reading »
I think alot about the story I read today in Luke, the one where the woman “who lived a sinful life” washed Jesus’ feet with her tears, dried them with her hair, and then rubbed them with expensive perfume. The Pharisee who invited Jesus to the dinner where this happened thought, “If this man were a … Continue reading »
Moses is giving final instructions to Israel before the nation enters the Promised Land. I got a kick out of this section: After the LORD your God has driven them out before you, do not say to yourself, “The LORD has brought me here to take possession of this land because of my righteousness.” … Continue reading »
I love it when the readings in my Daily Bible seem to coincide. Or is it providence? (As I’ve said before, I don’t give the editors much credit…). Juxtapose these two sections of Scripture: …when I stumbled, they gathered in glee; assailants gathered against me without my knowledge. They slandered me without ceasing. Like the … Continue reading »
Psalm 32 is about forgiveness: Happy is the person whose sins are forgiven, whose wrongs are pardoned. (32:1, NCV) Contrast that with: When I kept things to myself, I felt weak deep inside me. I moaned all day long. (32: 3) I moaned all day long recently, too. But it was the flu. Seriously, this … Continue reading »
There was a lot of meat in today’s passages, but I think I will focus on one of my favorites where Moses encounters God (and lives to tell the story): [The LORD] passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, “The LORD, the LORD, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining … Continue reading »
I emailed a friend yesterday and said, “I wish I knew how to be under these circumstances!” Then I read the last half of Psalm 16 (in the New Century Version, the one I’m reading from daily) and it addressed my need directly: You will teach me how to live a holy life. Being with you will … Continue reading »
Moving back to the New Testament… Jesus extends grace to others in Matthew 9:1-17. He lifts their burdens: He forgives and then heals the paralytic. He fellowships with sinners and “publicans.” He lets his disciples fast from fasting. And for the most part, he is criticized for these acts of compassion: The Scribes say he’s … Continue reading »
I realized this week that I have yet to forgive some people, maybe a bunch of people, maybe the whole church… I think I need to talk a long walk down forgiveness lane. Two things happened to bring up the bitterness churning below, out of sight, mostly out of mind. I attended a retreat and met a … Continue reading »
