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:…
“and sends rain on the just and on the unjust” Matthew 5:45 ESV Rain – I have a hard time understanding God’s battle plan. If I were running the cosmic war, I would make it as difficult as possible on my enemies and as wonderful as I could for my allies. I’d be sure that…
“Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God” Matthew 5:8 NASB Shall see – Now that we have some appreciation for the meaning behind these words (see yesterday’s edition of Today’s Word), let’s ask another question. If purity of heart is a gift, why do we struggle so much to see God…
Light arises in the darkness for the upright; He is gracious and compassionate and righteous. Psalm 112:4 NASB Compassionate – The consonant structure of raḥûm, the Hebrew word for “compassionate,” offers an interesting linguistic insight into its meaning and application. You see, raḥûm, can be slightly altered by changing the vowels. Then it becomes raḥam, the word…
Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you. Ephesians 4:32 NASB Tender-hearted – Have you ever been so emotionally mistreated that your stomach became upset? Have you experienced trauma to the point of getting sick? Then you know exactly what this Greek word is all about….
He felt compassion for her, and said to her, “Do not weep.” Luke 7:13 NASB Compassion – Today I am in Assisi, Italy. You’ll probably get a picture or two of the basilica here, the one dedicated to St. Francis. And St. Francis is associated with compassion, I thought it would be appropriate to review…
He felt compassion for her, and said to her, “Do not weep.” Luke 7:13 NASB Compassion – Tragedy is the opportunity for the display of God’s glory. Compassion is the active ingredient in that display. Yeshua is the man of racham. He does not just feel the common bond of human life. He acts. He…
“He felt compassion for her, and said to her, “Do not weep.” Luke 7:13 NASB Compassion – Nain. The village named “pleasant” or “beautiful.” But on this day the Hebrew name does not fit the mood at all. Today is the day of a funeral. Today is a mother’s worst nightmare – death invades life….
