Psalm 57: Harnessed to Glory
PSALM 57 1 Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me, for in you my soul takes refuge; in the shadow of your wings I will take refuge, till the storms of destruction pass by. 2 I cry out to God Most High, to God who fulfills his purpose for me. 3 He will send from heaven and save me; he will put to shame him who tramples on me. Selah God...
Lord AND Christ
“God has made him both Lord AND Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified…” Acts 2:36b (emphasis mine). Sometimes we instinctively think of Jesus as Lord, ruler, Master, the One who calls the shots. We are comfortable with the idea that we are called to serve and obey Him, and our life is focused on doing our duty well. There is...
Life Preservers
“Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves.” – Philippians 2:3 (NIV) Why did I get stuck with the stupid-looking life preserver? I’m out here in the sun, getting sweaty, giving up my time to invest in the lives of our youth from church, and they all get the cool zip-up...
Fishes in the Sky
I’m sitting in a straight-back chair with a fastened safety belt, 35,000 feet up on a hot summer day. All around me are clouds; the white, puffy, cotton-ball clouds that give young imaginations the best fodder you could ask for.
I remember clouds like this from summer afternoons as a boy; from long, hot, lazy days filled with lemonade and basketball games. No matter what games we played, though, it seems we almost always found time and a patch of grass to just lie down and watch. Dragons and ships and fish and who knows what else we’d see; anything could happen when the clouds were just right.
Read MoreJesus’ profile pic?
“Why didn’t any of the gospels describe what Jesus looked like?”
Ever get one of those strange questions that just makes you stop and say “hmm”? I was sitting at a cafe doing some devotional reading when I got this text message from a good friend of mine;
“Very important theological question for you… Why didn’t any of the gospels describe what Jesus looked like? If I was writing about someone I cared about so that the world would know him I would describe what he looked like… Random, I know, but I figure there is a reason.”
Yes, it WAS random, but it got me thinking about it. And thinking about it. And thinking some more.
Eventually I had to answer, so here’s what came to me…
Read MorePsalm 57: Harnessed to Glory
PSALM 57
1 Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me, for in you my soul takes refuge; in the shadow of your wings I will take refuge, till the storms of destruction pass by. 2 I cry out to God Most High, to God who fulfills his purpose for me. 3 He will send from heaven and save me; he will put to shame him who tramples on me. Selah God will send out his steadfast love and his faithfulness!
4 My soul is in the midst of lions; I lie down amid fiery beasts– the children of man, whose teeth are spears and arrows, whose tongues are sharp swords.
5 Be exalted, O God, above the heavens! Let your glory be over all the earth!
Read MorePrayer for 08/26/10
O God,
Let me read your word, let me know your word.
Let me hear your word, let me heed your word.
Let me love your word, let me live your word.
Let me not simply read your word, but
Let me open myself so that it might read me.
Let me not simply live by your word, but
Let me live in it, and it in me.
Let me lean on your word in confidence, and
Let it lean on me in conviction.
Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.
In the name of the Word made flesh, Jesus,
Amen.
Prayer for 08/24/10
Lord, I know the storm will come again.
THANK YOU for this time of quiet calm.
THANK YOU for the peace and joy in the stillness.
Let me not forget to turn aside from my need for you at ALL times,
and may I press in to you even more in the days of sunshine.
This is my prayer in the name of Jesus, amen.
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