Reflections on the Journey
The Suffering Savior
Mark 14:43-15:47, The Betrayal and Crucifixion If you ask many people what was the overarching life purpose of Jesus of Nazareth, they would say, “to be a great teacher.” Others might say that He came to bring miraculous healing. Jesus did teach; but His primary purpose was not to be an effective teacher. Jesus did heal; but His primary purpose was not to be a compassionate healer. The...
A Riff off Oswald Chambers
This year I have been reading through Oswald Chambers’ classic devotional My Utmost for His Highest. At six months into the year, I am exactly one-half way through his collection of daily inspirations that call me to yield more and more of myself to the One who deserves my all. What follows is a “riff” off Chambers’ journal entry for June 5. Hebrews 13:5-6 The Bible is loaded with...
The Great Transfer
Reflection on Philippians 4:6-8 God longs for us to live at peace. Conceptually, I think we all know that. Every Christmas we sing about “Peace on Earth and Good Will toward Men.” The emphasis is on peace with one another and between nations. But God has another message for us individually. He longs for us to be at peace...
Prayer
Why do I come to God in prayer? Is He the big blue Genie to my Aladdin? Do I come to Him expecting to get something in return? Something to make my life better, safer, or more in keeping with my vision of “a blessed life”? Oswald Chambers refers to the condition that fosters this type of prayer as “spiritual lust”. Lust, because we want something right away. Spiritual lust because we...
New Morning Mercies
Lamentations 3 When my children were younger, I used to read to them every night before bed. It was the sweetest, most anticipated part of my day. The great nestling in before the long awaited stretch of…well…silence! Some stories stretched over many nights and were...
This is the Day
Psalm 118 I can remember singing a simple little song when I was a child called “This is the Day”. It was one of those catchy tunes with all the echoes and repeats that were so popular in the folk music of the 1970s. We sang it in the round in Sunday School, and it went like this: "This is the day...this is the day, that The Lord has made...that the Lord has made. We will rejoice...we...
