*** Today’s readings (Joel & Obadiah) is divided between yesterday and today. See yesterday for reflection on Joel) *** SCRIPTURE: Obadiah 1:1-21 “You should not gloat over your brother in the day of his misfortune.” (Obadiah 1:12) Israel (descended from Jacob) and Edom (descended from Esau, Jacob’s brother) fought for years. Here Obadiah describes how Edomites took…
Sincere repentance
*** Today’s readings (Joel & Obadiah) will be divided between today and tomorrow. Come back tomorrow to read through and reflect on Obadiah) *** SCRIPTURE: Joel 1:1-3:21 A severe locust invasion devastates the land, the crops are destroyed. Joel uses this tragedy to urge God’s missionary people to repent. If they do, God will renew and…
With love and tears
SCRIPTURE: John 11:28-37 “Jesus wept.” (John 11:35) In Jesus, we see God; in Jesus’ tears, we see God’s tears. “Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man have kept this man from dying?” (John 11:37) Could God or Jesus keep us from dying – technically, yes. For some reason God (as seen through Jesus) does…
The source of LIFE
SCRIPTURE: John 11:17-27 “I am the resurrection and the life.” (John 11:25) Through this ‘I am’ statement, Jesus equates Himself God and with God’s LIFE. John writes in his letter later on: “God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.” (1 John 5:11) Though we are physically alive, we are not fully alive, physically…
How do you think of death?
SCRIPTURE: John 11:11-16 “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep; but I am going there to wake him up.” (John 11:11) Interesting perspective on death. How do we think of death? Since this life is all we really know, we see death as the end of life. Jesus describes it like sleep, which is not the end, but…
His light through us!
SCRIPTURE: John 11:1-10 “It is for God’s glory so that God’s Son may be glorified through it.” (John 11:4) Jesus knows Who He is, as God’s messiah, the faithful Son of God sent to restore God’s kingdom. Everything that is happening around Him is set up, by God, to reveal His identity. Somehow He knows in His…
Confident in His hands!
SCRIPTURE: Psalm 118 “It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in humans.” (Psalm 118:8) There are 594 chapters before, and 594 chapters after this psalm in the bible. If you add all the chapters together (except Psalm 118) you get 1188 chapters. And if you break this down into 118:8, you get our theme…
A parent’s struggle
SCRIPTURE: Hosea 8-12 “How can I give you up, Ephraim? How can I hand you over, Israel?” (Hosea 11:8) I’ve often struggled with the judgment side of God and the bible. As a parent, I wonder how God can punish His children so harshly. Hosea conveys the extreme concern and compassion of God. I have not had…
The light of Christmas
Thanks for being a part of this blog journey. May the light of Jesus shine in your heart!
Wise men still seek Him
SCRIPTURE: John 10:40-42 “Many people came to him.” (John 10:41) How do we explain the radical expansion of Jesus’ movement? His mission failed, He eventually died. His teaching was not only hard, it was impossible. Organize a movement of people willing to suffer and die for God and good? His ideas were counter-cultural: love your enemies, forgive…