Job 1:20-22 – Challenging Worship

Devotions, Praise, Prayer

Daily Devotional Bible Verse

Then Job arose and tore his robe and shaved his head and fell on the ground and worshiped. And he said, “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.” In all this Job did not sin or charge God with wrong. (Job 1:20-22 ESV)

This scene of Job’s right heart toward God, even when stricken with pain and grief, is beautiful. What anguished him was the devastating news he received from four messengers in rapid succession. They brought him the news as follows:

  • First Messenger: The Sabeans have plundered your oxen and donkeys, and have killed your servants with swords.
  • Second Messenger: A fire storm of some caliber fell from heaven, consuming your sheep and servants.
  • Third Messenger: Three groups of Chaldeans raided your camels and killed the servants who were with them.
  • Fourth Messenger: Your sons and daughters were enjoying each other’s company when a freak wind storm destroyed the house they were in, crushing them dead.

Any one of these messages would have been difficult in their own right, but imagine receiving this news all at once. Continue Reading →

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Psalm 139:7-8 – God In The MRI

Devotions, Encouraging, Faith, Thanksgiving

Daily Devotional Bible Verse

Where shall I go from your Spirit?
Or where shall I flee from your presence?
If I ascend to heaven, you are there!
If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there! (Psalm 139:7-8 ESV)

From Jordan:

I had always thought that I was fine with being cramped in enclosed spaces, until last summer 2011 when I had my first MRI. That’s when I found out that I was wrong; in fact, not just wrong, but very, very wrong. If you’re unfamiliar with MRI’s, it is a medical imaging procedure in which the patient is inserted into a tube just large enough for his or her body to slide into. Then (don’t lose me in the fancy medical jargon here), there are a bunch of loud hammering noises, clicks, claps, beeps and a variety of other atonal hubbub. To me, the sounds may as well have been children crying and puppies being launched into space.

Initially, the cramped space and the noise didn’t bother me Continue Reading →

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Luke 4:42-43 – Bigger is Better, Right?

Church, Devotions, Jesus, Ministry

Daily Devotional Bible Verse

And when it was day, he departed and went into a desolate place. And the people sought him and came to him, and would have kept him from leaving them, but he said to them, “I must preach the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns as well; for I was sent for this purpose.” (Luke 4:42-43 ESV)

As Jesus preached in Judea’s synagogues, the people were captivated because he taught “as one with authority,” (Mark 1:22) like no one they had ever heard. He would preach to thousands, heal the sick, and engage the destitute. In fact, at one point, his renown had so grown that the people sought to make him king by force (John 6:15). What did Jesus do with this seeming success; Continue Reading →

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Luke 1:13 – Zechariah: A Faith Example

Devotions, Encouraging, Faith, Prayer

Daily Devotional Bible Verse

But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John. (Luke 1:13 ESV)

Zechariah is not a name that is mentioned often when faithful men of the Bible are spoken of. He is only mentioned in the Gospel of Luke because he is the father of the great John the Baptist, the fore runner of the Messiah, Jesus. While there aren’t books written about him or any other mentions in the Bible, he is someone we can look to as an example of faithfulness.

Zechariah and his wife Elizabeth were old in age and did not have children (Luke 1:7). In that day, being childless usually brought sorrow to the family and shame from those around them (Luke 1:25). Continue Reading →

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Mark 1:16-18 – Called In Community

Christian Walk, Church, Devotions, Relationships

Daily Devotional Bible Verse

Passing alongside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew the brother of Simon casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. And Jesus said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you become fishers of men.” And immediately they left their nets and followed him.
(Mark 1:16-18 ESV)

The modern media’s portrayal of the “lone wolf” seems to be growing more and more popular. From movies where the hero is mowing down hundreds of bad guys by himself, to books about “maverick” politicians standing against the grain and defying the status quo, it would seem as if we love a stand alone hero. But how realistic a notion is this one man versus the world mentality? And have we tried to adopt this model into our spiritual walk?

Even a cursory examination of Jesus’ first interactions with his disciples should be sufficient for the realization that we were never intended to go it alone. In fact, if we take it way back, Continue Reading →

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Mark 10:45 – A Ransom For Many

Devotions, Gospel, Jesus, Prayer, Thanksgiving

Daily Devotional Bible Verse

For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Mark 10:45 ESV)

Most relationships are based upon the notion of “give and take”. For example, Jeff holds value to Pete, because Jeff knows everything there is to know about electronics. So, all too conveniently, Pete calls Jeff to ask him about which home theater system to buy, but feels guilty about only calling to get information from him, so he asks him to coffee as an afterthought. While this isn’t necessarily bad, it can exemplify the shallowness of many of our friendships.

Let’s take it a step further: Continue Reading →

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