Jonah 2:1-10 I remembered you, Lord, and my prayer rose to you.(Jonah 2:7) The Puritan prayer “The Valley of Vision” speaks of the distance between a sinful man and his holy God. The man says to God, “Thou hast brought me to the valley of vision . . . ; hemmed in by mountains of sin I behold Thy glory.” … [Read more…]
Philippians 2:19-30 I think it is necessary to send back to you Epaphroditus, . . . whom you sent to take care of my needs.(Phil 2:25) Many charities that help people with various needs depend on donations of unwanted clothing and household items from those who have more than enough. And it’s good to give away … [Read more…]
Matthew 25:31-40 The righteous considers the cause of the poor.(Proverbs 29:7) The year was 1780, and Robert Raikes had a burden for the poor, illiterate children in his London neighborhood. He noticed that nothing was being done to help these children, so he set out to make a difference. He hired some women to set … [Read more…]
Psalms 5 Let all those rejoice who put their trust in You; let them ever shout for joy, because You defend them.(Psalms 5:11) A news item from Australia told the story of Pascale Honore, a paraplegic woman who, after 18 years of being confined to a wheelchair, has taken up surfing. How? Ty Swan, a … [Read more…]
Romans 8:14-17 The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children.(Romans 8:16) A friend stopped me the other day with some exciting news and then spent 10 minutes describing for me the first steps of her 1-year-old nephew. He could walk! Later I realized how bizarre we might have sounded to an eavesdropper. Most people … [Read more…]
Song of Solomon 1:1-4 We love Him because He first loved us. (1 John 4:19) “He’s perfect for you,” my friend told me. She was talking about a guy she had just met. She described his kind eyes, his kind smile, and his kind heart. When I met him I had to agree. Today he’s … [Read more…]
Galatians 1:6-10 I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you in the grace of Christ, to a different gospel.(Gal 1:6) “Caution, the moving walkway is ending. Caution, the moving walkway is ending.” If you’ve ever used an automated walkway at an airport, you’ve heard this kind of announcement repeatedly. … [Read more…]
Psalm 19:7-14 How sweet are Your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth! (Psalms 119:103) A while ago I attended a conference on the Middle Ages. In one seminar we actually prepared several foods that would have been common in medieval times. We used pestle and mortar to grind cinnamon and fruit … [Read more…]
2 Chronicles 24:15-22 Joash did what was right in the sight of the Lord all the days of Jehoiada the priest. (2 Chroni 24:2) Joash must have been confused and frightened when he was told about the evil deeds of his grandmother Athaliah. She had murdered his brothers to usurp the power of the throne in Judah. … [Read more…]
James 5:16-20 I acknowledged my sin to You . . . . I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,” and You forgave the iniquity of my sin. (Psalms 32:5) One of the most difficult inner conflicts we have is our desire to be known versus our fear of being known. As beings created in the image of … [Read more…]