Scripture: Psalm 48:4-7 Look: the kings assembled themselves, advancing all together—when they saw it, they were stunned; they panicked and ran away frightened. Trembling took hold of them right there— like a woman giving birth, or like the east wind when it smashes the ships of Tarshish. Thought for the Day: In yesterday’s devotional, I started with the opening verses of Psalm 48. I did this, in part,
Scripture: Psalm 48:1-3 In the city belonging to our God, the LORD is great and so worthy of praise! His holy mountain is a beautiful summit, the joy of the whole world. Mount Zion, in the far north, is the city of the great king. God is in its fortifications, revealing himself as a place of safety. Thought for the Day: Have you ever walked into a place
Scripture: John 11:1 A certain man, Lazarus, was ill. He was from Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. Thought for the Day: People often speak of the climax or the surprising ending of a story, but how often have we never discovered the climax or the surprising ending because the opening didn’t catch our attention. I don’t want it to sound like John 11:1 is
Scripture: Psalm 25:5 Lead me in your truth—teach it to me— because you are the God who saves me. I put my hope in you all day long. Thought for the Day: Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote, “Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.” Those words speak to me on so many different levels, yet today I
Scripture: Psalm 48:1-3 In the city belonging to our God, the LORD is great and so worthy of praise! His holy mountain is a beautiful summit, the joy of the whole world. Mount Zion, in the far north, is the city of the great king. God is in its fortifications, revealing himself as a place of safety. Thought for the Day: Do you have a place that is
Scripture: Romans 12:2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God—what is good and acceptable and perfect. Thought for the Day: The words of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. challenge me to rethink how I approach the Christian concept of forgiveness. King wrote, “Forgiveness is not an occasional act;
Scripture: Luke 14:28-30 [Jesus said,] “If one of you wanted to build a tower, wouldn’t you first sit down and calculate the cost, to determine whether you have enough money to complete it? Otherwise, when you have laid the foundation but couldn’t finish the tower, all who see it will begin to belittle you. They will say, ‘Here’s the person who began construction and couldn’t complete it!’” Thought
Scripture: Proverbs 25:2 It is the glory of God to hide something and the glory of kings to discover something. Thought for the Day: Almost 25 years ago, I took a summer class on the writings of ethicist and theologian, Reinhold Niebuhr. So much of what he wrote made me feel uncomfortable in that good kind of discomfort. Where I had been a bit naive, Niebuhr called me
Voices of hate; The chanting of division; They shout about pride, but there is no pride in rancor and malice. You created us, O Holy One of Life, with such an amazing capacity for love, Yet it has been usurped by fear masquerading as brotherhood. It has been lost
Scripture: Proverbs 14:29 Patience leads to abundant understanding, but impatience leads to stupid mistakes. Thought for the Day: The CEO of AT&T, Randall Stephenson, caught the attention of many earlier this year when he urged his company to engage in tough conversations and move beyond mere tolerance. “Tolerance is for cowards,” he said. “Being tolerant requires nothing from you but to be quiet and to not make waves,