The word why appears often in the Psalms – In a week when the news has reported so many stories of pain – especially the suffering and death of children – I echo the words of Psalm 42, “…God, our rock, why have you forgotten us?” PRAYER: O Kind and Gentle God, you are the One who promises to be our God in all situations and circumstances. As
Scripture: 1st John 2:7-8 Beloved, I am writing you no new commandment, but an old commandment that you have had from the beginning; the old commandment is the word that you have heard. Yet I am writing you a new commandment that is true in him and in you, because the darkness is passing away and the true light is already shining. Thought for the Day: As I
Scripture: 1st John 2:6 …whoever says, “I abide in him,” ought to walk just as he walked. Thought for the Day: I love Jesus, and as one who claims to love Jesus, I ought to walk just as he walked. There are days when my walk should have had a quicker pace or a slower pace had I truly been walking as he walked. Without thinking much, we
Scripture: 1st John 2:5 …whoever obeys his (Jesus Christ the righteous) word, truly in this person the love of God has reached perfection. By this we may be sure that we are in him… Thought for the Day: Most folks get a little nervous around the word perfection. Most of us would have moments when we might use words like good or even great to describe our attempts
Scripture: 1st John 2:14 I write to you, children, because you know the Father. I write to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning. I write to you, young people, because you are strong and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the evil one. Thought for the Day: The ballet dancer, Misty Copeland, wrote: Be strong, be fearless, be
Scripture: John 10:10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly. Thought for the Day: In his book, Love Wins, Rob Bell writes: “As obvious as it is… Jesus is bigger than any one religion… He didn’t come to start a new religion, and he continually disrupted whatever conventions or systems or establishments that existed
Scripture: 1st Corinthians 3:20-23 …and again, “The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are futile.” So let no one boast about human leaders. For all things are yours, whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or the present or the future—all belong to you, and you belong to Christ, and Christ belongs to God. Thought for the Day: One
Scripture: 1st John 3:18 Little children, let us love, not in word or speech, but in truth and action. Thought for the Day: After yesterday’s devotional, I have been stirring around the phrase reckless love as a way of describing the life and death of Jesus. As an odd side note, I have come to learn that Reckless Love was the name of a Finnish Heavy Metal Band.
Scripture: 1st John 3:16 We know love by this, that he laid down his life for us—and we ought to lay down our lives for one another. Thought for the Day: There is an older book by Dorothy Day, co-founder of the Catholic Worker Movement, entitled: The Reckless Way of Love – Notes on Following Jesus. I have always strangely appreciated the word reckless as it helps move
Scripture: Matthew 11:28 And Jesus said, “Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.” Thought for the Day: A great Buddhist teacher once wrote, “View all problems as challenges. Look upon negatives that arise as opportunities to learn and grow. Don’t run from them, condemn yourself, or bury your burden in saintly silence.” Those closing words about