but you shall fully open your hand to him, and generously lend him enough for his need in whatever he lacks. Deuteronomy 15:8 NASB Fully open – Today is Yom Kippur, a day to reflect on God’s forgiveness. It’s easy to recall our obvious faults, those behaviors that pulled us away from God in this last year, but…
A merciful person does himself good, but the cruel person does himself harm. Proverbs 11:17 NASB Cruel – Who is the cruel person? The torturer? The egotistic dictator? Men like Hitler, Pol Pot, Stalin? When we think of the antonym of “cruel” these days, what term comes to mind? Kind? Forgiving? Merriam-Webster lists “tender, warm, warmhearted, charitable, clement, lenient, merciful, pitying, pacific, peaceable, peaceful.” The…
So He remembered that they were only flesh, a wind that passes and does not return. Psalm 78:39 NASB Only flesh – Human life is a fairy tale. Oh, I don’t mean it isn’t real. I mean it’s a “once upon a time” story. Every human life is a wind that passes and does not return. It’s…
You will arise and have compassion on Zion; for it is time to be gracious to her, for the appointed time has come. Psalm 102:13 NASB Have compassion – The first description of God’s character in Exodus 34:6 is raḥûm. It comes from the Hebrew verb rāḥam, a verb that means “to love deeply, have mercy, be compassionate.” The importance of this…
Immediately the Spirit *impelled Him to go out into the wilderness. Mark 1:12 NASB Impelled – Why was Yeshua “impelled” to go into the wilderness? The Greek term is quite strong. ekbállō isn’t just personal compulsion. It is literally, “throw out.” Yeshua was thrown out into the wilderness, the sort of thing that happens without choice. Mark…
Then the Lord passed by in front of him and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord God, compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in lovingkindness and truth;” Exodus 34:6 NASB Compassionate – Exodus 34:6-7 is God’s personally endorsed self-description. As such, it is vitally important, perhaps one of the most important parts of the entire Bible. If you want to…
Then Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him until daybreak. Genesis 32:24 NASB Left alone – I just can’t get past Jacob. Maybe it’s because years ago when the financial collapse happened that started this written journey of recovery, I was tempted to think I was kind of like Job. You know, innocent. Not deserving the…
One who is gracious to a poor man lends to the Lord, and He will repay him for his good deed. Proverbs 19:17 NASB Repay – When does God repay your generosity to the poor? You’ve been touched by the plight of homeless children. You’ve felt the heart pains of the world’s starving, the misery of the afflicted, the helplessness…
Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world. James 1:27 NASB Religion– A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away—we investigated thrēskeía, the Greek term James uses in this verse translated “religion.” The translation obscures some of the…
“Then you will call, and the Lord will answer; you will cry, and He will say, ‘Here I am.’” Isaiah 58:9a Then– When does God guarantee He will answer our prayers? The prophet Isaiah provides the answers. The people voice their concern: “Why have we fasted and You do not see? Why have we humbled ourselves and You do not notice?” God replies:…
