Today’s Word
What I Lack – Emotional Theology #2
“The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want.” Psalm 23:1 Want – But this isn’t quite right, is it? David is not speaking about my “wants”; he is speaking about what I lack. Even the NIV translation (“I shall not be in want”) still confuses the thought. What David says is this: the Shepherd…
The First Declaration of Emotional Theology
“The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want.” Psalm 23:1 Not Want – I can think of no more appropriate place to begin a new year than with the words “not want” (lo’ ekaw-sere). Isn’t that what we all hope for? To live in this world without want. No matter what else we believe,…
The God of Community
“The grace of the Lord of us, Jesus Christ, (be) with all of you. Amen.” Revelation 22:21 (Literal Translation) With – What is the last thing John wants us to remember? Grace! Charis. The overriding message of God’s plan of redemption. Joy, rejoicing, favor. The thing that causes acceptance and benefit. What transforms. Goodwill. The…
Red Flags at the Red Sea
“And the LORD said to Moses, “Why are you crying out to Me? Tell the sons of Israel to go forward.”” Exodus 14:15 Go Forward – You face fearful obstacles. There seems to be no way of escape. You can’t imagine how you will get through it. You’re convinced the God brought you to this…
Saying What Can’t Be Said
“For the lips of an adulteress drip honey and smoother than oil is her speech” Proverbs 5:3 Lips and Speech – Propriety prevents Solomon from being explicit. But anyone with half a Hebrew brain knows there is more to this observation than talking. This is especially true when we realize that our translation “speech” has…
Biblical Tautology
“A faithful witness will not lie; but a false witness breathes lies.” Proverbs 14:5 Faithful – Some modern translations do not use this English word. Instead, they use the word “truthful”. The Hebrew ‘e munah can mean both, but the shift from “faithful” to “truthful” does more than simply use an alternative meaning. When I…
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Recent Today’s Word
- Not Quite
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- What God Wants
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- Nun
- Retracing Our Steps
- What’s the Difference?
