“And in the morning, a great while before day, he rose and went out” Mark 1:35 Rose – We are quite familiar with the fact that Jesus prayed early in the morning. Actually, this verse suggests that he began praying while it was still dark before the sun breached the horizon. But have you ever…
“Let her glean even among the sheaves, and do not insult her.” Ruth 2:15 Insult – When strangers or the homeless seek the refuge of God’s house, how do you think they feel? Grateful? Relieved? Probably. But my guess is that they also feel ashamed, perhaps humiliated. In fact, one of the reasons that the…
“May the LORD reward your work, and your wages be full from the LORD, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to seek refuge.” Ruth 2:12 Reward – Our language does not reveal the basic concept behind this word. As a result, we miss an exceedingly important theological connection. But if we…
“May the LORD reward your work, and your wages be full from the LORD, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to seek refuge.” Ruth 2:12 Seek refuge – God has some very big plans in the works. So big that you and I might wonder what part we could ever play. …
“For this reason I say unto you, do not be anxious for your life” Matthew 6:25 For this reason – We want life without anxiety. How pleasant it would be to put aside our fears! Imagine the peaceful days when all was right with the world, when our deepest concerns and greatest risks were overcome…
“I am the LORD your God” Exodus 20:2 Your – Who decided that you belonged to God’s family? When the day came, was it entirely up to you? Did you make an independent choice based on all the facts, a purely rational decision? Or do you have the sneaking suspicion that God had something to…
“as for the form of their faces, each had the face of a man; all four had the face of a lion on the right and the face of a bull on the left; “ Ezekiel 1:10 Faces – Ezekiel has a vision. In his vision, God reveals the idolatry of the people, falling down…
“and there is salvation in on one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men, by which we must be saved.” Acts 4:12 Name – The declaration of Peter is not as shocking today as it was in first century Palestine. Peter’s announcement was pure heresy; blasphemy of…
“By faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things which are visible.” Hebrews 11:3 Word – What is the most powerful force in the universe? If you were to ask a scientist, you might get an answer that involved…
“Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” Hebrews 11:1 Conviction – Take a trip with me to Washington, D.C. Walk down the cherry blossom pathway. To the left you see the Jefferson Memorial. Ahead is the Washington monument. Over there is the Capitol dome. What do these…
