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The Apple of God’s Eye
This past week our church had a “Sabbath Week,” when all meetings and other programming were canceled. At the beginning of the week our pastor sent out an email saying this was a time to “REST from our church responsibilities, REFLECT on who Christ is and who we are in Him, and to RENEW our hearts and minds in the good soil of God’s grace so that we will be a people who flourish under His care.” What a gift! We were away from home during the week, visiting one of our sons and his family, so I wasn’t sure if I would have a chance to really engage with the…
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Psalm 119
This week I’d like to meditate on a few verses from Psalm 119. It was hard selecting only six verses, because I find this psalm rich in verses to ponder and pray, so we might look at it again soon. Most of the verses of Psalm 119 are either prayers or affirmations addressed to God. Most verses refer to God’s word or actions, as well as the writer’s, thus affirming prayer as a relationship with God rather than just asking for what we want. Let’s carefully read and think about each day’s verse, using it as a starting point for personal prayer and reflection. Monday: Open my eyes that I…
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Psalm 65:5-8
You answer us with awesome deeds of righteousness, O God our Savior, the hope of all the ends of the earth and of the farthest seas, who formed the mountains by your power, having armed yourself with strength, who stilled the roaring of the seas, the roaring of their waves, and the turmoil of the nations. Those living far away fear your wonders; where morning dawns and evening fades you call forth songs of joy. Psalm 65:5-8 Monday: Today think about some of the ways God has answered your prayers in the past. Praise him for the awesome ways he answers prayer! Tuesday: Think about how God is our Savior and the only true hope that any people can have. Pray…
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Psalm 133; John 20:19; Acts 4:32-35
How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity!2 It is like precious oil poured on the head, running down on the beard,running down on Aaron’s beard, down on the collar of his robe.3 It is as if the dew of Hermon were falling on Mount Zion.For there the Lord bestows his blessing, even life forevermore. Psalm 133 On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jewish leaders, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” John 20:19 All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they shared…
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Easter Week
But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they came to the tomb bringing the spices which they had prepared…when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. While they were perplexed about this, behold, two men suddenly stood near them in dazzling clothing; and as the women were terrified and bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them, “Why do you seek the living One among the dead? He is not here, but He has risen. Remember how he spoke to you while he was still in Galilee, saying that the Son of Man must be delivered into the…
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Palm Sunday
In this week between Palm Sunday and Easter, we remember Jesus’ suffering for us, from the time he entered Jerusalem, through his crucifixion and burial. As we walk through this week, we’ll look at prophetic verses from Isaiah, written nearly 700 years before the crucifixion, as well as some of Jesus’ words recorded in the gospels. Let’s ponder these passages deeply, thinking about how they speak to us and our faith or lack thereof, and allow them to fill us with gratitude for all that Jesus has done for us. Monday: As [Jesus] approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it and said, “If you, even you, had…
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Psalm 1
I like to start my days by reading and praying with the psalms and Psalm 1 is a favorite starting point for me. The book of Psalms, which was the prayer book of the Israelites and the prayer book Jesus prayed, doesn’t start with praise or prayer. It starts in Psalm 1 with preparation and posture…the posture of our heart. Here is how Eugene Peterson said it, “Psalm 1 is not a prayer, exactly, but the preface to a prayer. We do not begin by praying but by coming to attention. Psalm 1 is the biblical preparation for a life of prayer. Step by step it detaches us from activities…