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Seen
I love the story of Jesus healing the man born blind in John 9. I think the once-blind man’s personality shines through as he defends Jesus’ actions to the angry Pharisees. They claim Jesus is a sinner, since he’s been healing on the Sabbath. The man is amazed and insists Jesus must be from God,
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A Day Belonging to the Lord of Hosts
Oh sinful nation,people weighed down with iniquity,brood of evildoers,depraved children! (1:4) The book of Isaiah opens with God’s judgment of Judah. They have abandoned him. Their offerings are useless, their hands covered with blood. Murderers now dwell where righteousness once did. Their rulers are rebels. God urges them to repent – “Wash yourselves. Cleanse yourselves.Remove
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I Lift My Eyes
The Psalms of Ascent are a beautiful little group of psalms near the end of the book (120-134). Supposedly they were sung by Jews traveling to Jerusalem, which is on a mountain, hence the ascent. There are wonderful themes of worship and God’s protection running all through them, and the more I read them together,
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My Avenger Lives
Ah, would that these words of mine were written down, inscribed on some monumentwith iron chisel and engraving tool, cut into the rock forever.This I know: that my Avenger lives, and he, the Last, will take his stand on earth.After my awaking, he will set me close to him, and from my flesh I shall look on God.He whom
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Who Can Stand When He Appears?
The book of Malachi consists of a satiric conversation where God says, “You’re doing this wrong thing,” the Israelites reply, “What are you talking about? We’re not doing that,” and God says, “YES, YOU ARE, LOOK AT THIS EXAMPLE, NOW STOP IT.” In the middle of the book, we have this exchange: You have wearied
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The Patience of Job?
Confession: Job doesn’t seem very patient to me. The first time I read the book for myself, as a teenager, I was highly disillusioned. I grew up learning that Job was this incredibly patient man through all the horrible things that happened to him, and it turns out he spends the whole book complaining. It’s
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Which is the Day?
This is the day the Lord has made.We will rejoice and be glad in it.– Psalm 118:24 This is one of those verses you see everywhere. Mugs. Journals. Decorative signs. Church bulletins. Etc. I have nothing against such a practice. Surrounding ourselves with scripture is valuable. But solitary encouraging verses need the support of the context
His Words, My Delight. 