Daily Devotional (Page 2)
Advice from My Father
Advice from My Father June 11, 2018 Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. Proverbs 3:5 After being laid off from an editorial job, I prayed, asking for God to help me find a new one. But when weeks went by and nothing came of my attempts at networking and filling out applications, I began to pout. “Don’t You know how important it is that I have a job?” I asked God,…
A Warm Welcome
A Warm Welcome June 10, 2018 Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. 1 Peter 4:9 “Who will hug everybody?” That was one of the questions our friend Steve asked after he got the news that he had cancer and realized he would be away from our church for a while. Steve is the kind of man who makes everyone feel welcome—with a friendly greeting, a warm handshake, and even a “holy hug” for some—to adapt an application from Romans…
The Perfect Father
The Perfect Father June 9, 2018 Though my father and mother forsake me, the Lord will receive me. Psalm 27:10 Standing in the crowded store aisle, I struggled to find the perfect Father’s Day card. Although we had reconciled after years of a strained connection, I had never felt close to my dad. The woman next to me groaned and shoved the card she’d been reading back into the display. “Why can’t they make cards for people who don’t have…
Faces
Faces June 8, 2018 We all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory. 2 Corinthians 3:18 When our granddaughter Sarah was very young, she explained to me what happens when you die: “Only your face goes to heaven, not your body. You get a new body, but keep the same face.” Sarah’s concept of our eternal state was a child’s understanding, of course, but she did grasp an essential truth.…
And in Truth
And in Truth June 7, 2018 In his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing. Zephaniah 3:17 Years ago, I attended a wedding where two people from different countries got married. Such a blending of cultures can be beautiful, but this ceremony included Christian traditions mixed with rituals from a faith that worshiped many gods. Zephaniah the prophet pointedly condemned the mixing of other religions with faith in the one true God (sometimes…
Side by Side
Side by Side June 6, 2018 Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor. Ecclesiastes 4:9 In ancient times, a city with broken walls revealed a defeated people, exposed to danger and shame. That is why the Jews rebuilt the walls of Jerusalem. How? By working side by side, an expression that can well describe Nehemiah 3. At first glance, chapter 3 might appear to be a boring account of who did what in…
A Blind Man’s Plea June 5, 2018 A Blind Man’s Plea Read: Luke 18:35–43 | Bible in a Year: 2 Chronicles 23–24; John 15 Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me! Luke 18:38 Some years ago a traveling companion noticed I was straining to see objects at a distance. What he did next was simple but life changing. He took off his glasses and said, “Try these.” When I put his glasses on, surprisingly my blurred vision…
Open My Eyes
Open My Eyes June 4, 2018 Read: John 14:23–31 | Bible in a Year: 2 Chronicles 21–22; John 14 The Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things. John 14:26 The first time I went to the gorgeous Chora Church in Istanbul, I was able to figure out some Bible stories from the Byzantine frescos and mosaics on the ceiling. But there was much I missed. The second time, however, I had a…
Clocks and Calendars
Clocks and Calendars June 3, 2018 Clocks and Calendars Read: Psalm 62 | Bible in a Year: 2 Chronicles 19–20; John 13:21–38 00:00 Download MP3 Subscribe to iTunes Trust in him at all times, you people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge. Psalm 62:8 My father died at 58 years of age. Ever since then, I pause on the date he died to remember Dad and reflect on his influence in…
The “Chewing” Years
The “Chewing” Years June 2, 2018 Read: 1 Peter 2:1–11 | Bible in a Year: 2 Chronicles 17–18; John 13:1–20 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. Matthew 5:6 My wife recently gave me a Labrador retriever puppy we named Max. One day when Max was spending time with me in my study, I was concentrating at my desk and heard the sound of paper ripping behind me. I turned to…
Building Community
Building Community From Our Daily Bread – July 24, 2017 Read: Ephesians 2:19–3:11 This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus. Ephesians 3:6 “Community” is the place where the person you least want to live with always lives, says Henri Nouwen. Often we surround ourselves with the people we most want to live with, which forms a club or a clique, not a community.…
Didn’t Get Credit?
Didn’t Get Credit? From Our Daily Bread – July 23, 2017 Read: Colossians 4:7–18 Let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven. Matthew 5:16 Hollywood musicals were wildly popular during the 1950s and 1960s, and three actresses in particular—Audrey Hepburn, Natalie Wood, and Deborah Kerr—thrilled viewers with their compelling performances. But a huge part of the appeal of these actresses was the breathtaking singing that enhanced their acting. In fact, the…