Scripture: 1st Samuel 1:10 Hannah was very upset and couldn’t stop crying as she prayed to the LORD. Thought for the Day: I came across a number of images and paintings depicting this scene from 1st Samuel. In each case, Hannah was kneeling, and she was looking up toward heaven with her hands clasped in a very holy posture. She looks so reverent and proper. Religious art seems
Scripture: Psalm 107:4-6 Some of the redeemed had wandered into the desert, into the wasteland. They couldn’t find their way to a city or town. They were hungry and thirsty; their lives were slipping away. So they cried out to the LORD in their distress, and God delivered them from their desperate circumstances. Thought for the Day: Last August, Mick Ohman got lost in the Arizona desert. With
Scripture: Psalm 5:3 LORD, in the morning you hear my voice. In the morning I lay it all out before you. Then I wait expectantly. Thought for the Day: Where do you turn in times of trouble, heightened anxiety or despair? Too often we turn to those things that offer absolutely no help. And let’s be honest, there is not one of us who is immune from trying
Scripture: Ephesians 2:5 However, God is rich in mercy. He brought us to life with Christ while we were dead as a result of those things that we did wrong. He did this because of the great love that he has for us. You are saved by God’s grace! Thought for the Day: Like many of you, I was sad to hear of Billy Graham’s death. In a
Scripture: Ephesians 4:32 Be kind, compassionate, and forgiving to each other, in the same way God forgave you in Christ. Thought for the Day: After yesterday’s discussion on friendship in which I referenced some words from Henri Nouwen, I found the following words that also come from Nouwen: When we honestly ask ourselves which person in our lives means the most to us, we often find that it
Scripture: Proverbs 27:17 As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another. Thought for the Day: Who challenges you? In the movie, Good Will Hunting, Sean Maguire (Robin Williams) asks Will (Matt Damon) the question, “Do you have a soulmate… someone who challenges you?” Will rattles off the names of famous authors and philosophers, all who are dead. Sean points out how it’s not much of a two
Prayer for the Week: Grief and hopelessness can leave the human soul barren. O Holy God, the events of this past week make us once again feel as if goodness and love have lost their power. Your most precious gift, the gift of life, has been devalued and destroyed. Our emotions are a mix of rage and bewilderment, sadness and defeat, fear and righteous indignation. We want to
Scripture: Isaiah 58:6-7 Isn’t this the fast I choose: releasing wicked restraints, untying the ropes of a yoke, setting free the mistreated, and breaking every yoke? Isn’t it sharing your bread with the hungry and bringing the homeless poor into your house, covering the naked when you see them, and not hiding from your own family? Thought for the Day: I am writing this devotional while attending the
Scripture: Psalm 150:6 Let every living thing praise the LORD! Praise the LORD! Thought for the Day: St. Francis of Assisi spoken often about creation. In Little Flowers, we find the words: My little bird sisters, you owe much to God your Creator, and you must always and everywhere praise him… the Creator loves you very much since he gives you so many good things. Therefore, my little
Scripture: Psalm 66:1-3a Shout joyfully to God, all the earth! Sing praises to the glory of God’s name! Make glorious his praise! Say to God: “How awesome are your works!” Thought for the Day: Richard Foster, the author of the book Celebration of Discipline, wrote: Just as worship begins in holy expectancy, it ends in holy obedience. If worship does not propel us into greater obedience, it has