A David psalm “God, my shepherd! I don’t need a thing.” Psalm 23:1 David was the shepherd boy who became a king. Though he sat on the throne and wore a crown, his heart never left the green pastures and still waters. The nation of Israel might have been able to take the boy out […]
He Knows My Dreams Scripture Reading: Matthew 1:18-25 Meditation Joseph’s a practical man with practical plans. He’s a carpenter. His life, like his work, is deliberate. He always starts with a set of blueprints. First he plans his work and then he works his plan. He measures twice so that he only has to cut […]
He Knows My Emotions Scripture Reading: Luke 1:39-80 Meditation Expectant mothers, more than others, are filled with emotion. As they sit next to the empty-but-ready cradles, they dream God-sized dreams for their unborn children. They glow with anticipation. As the due date draws close, each mother-in-waiting rocks anxiously. But when the baby is born, joy […]
He Knows My Questions Scripture Reading: Luke 1:26-38 Meditation Up until today, the only questions that have kept Mary’s mind racing are the ones that have to do with her upcoming wedding to Joseph. “Who should we invite? How many? Where should we have the banquet? What should I wear?” But when Gabriel, the archangel […]
He Knows My Family Tree Scripture Reading: Matthew 1:1-17 Meditation When the Father sent his Son into the world, he placed him in the care of a frail, human family. Though he was the only begotten fruit of the Father, Jesus fell from the limb of Abraham and David’s family tree. At his birth, the […]
Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, […]
You diligently study the Scriptures because you think that by them you possess eternal life. These are the Scriptures that testify about me … John 5:39 (NIV) Three Opportunities to Study the Scriptures During Lent (2020) During this Lenten season (2020), I’d like to invite you to come and study the Scriptures in three different […]
Grace and peace to you in Jesus. In His passion our Lord Jesus revealed to us that He is our Brother in the flesh, like us in every way except the sin. Today, in His resurrection, He has shown Himself to be Lord, Savior and King over sin, death and the power of the Devil. […]
“Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; he has risen!” (Luke 24:5) He’s alive! Yet, all too many times, we insist on looking for the Resurrected Christ among the dead. We go to the tomb. We look at the burial cloth. We weep in the darkness. On this Sabbath […]
The Resurrected Christ Scripture Reading: John 19:38–20:18 Meditation When Jesus dies, secret love goes public. Joseph of Arimethea, a wealthy yet discreet disciple, provided the tomb. Nicodemus, one of the Sanhedrin members who had earlier visited Jesus by night, brought the spices. Fear of the Jews had kept these two high profile men from revealing […]
The Dying Christ Scripture Reading: Matthew 27:45-56 Meditation It’s the sixth hour and the heavenly Father has just dropped his One and Only Son on the Devil’s doorstep. He has given him up, abandoned him, and forsaken him. The Son of God has become an orphan. And when the bell rings at the ninth hour, […]
The Crucified Christ Scripture Reading: Matthew 27:27-44 Meditation Rome reserved the cross for only the worst of criminals. It was a slow, painful, and degrading way to die. When Jesus reached Golgotha, the Place of the Skull, the Governor’s soldiers stripped him of his clothes. They threw him to the ground, spread his arms, and […]
The Sentenced Christ Scripture Reading: John 18:28–19:16 Meditation The Sanhedrin is the highest Jewish court in Jerusalem. It’s composed of the three groups of people that Jesus had said would deliver him unto death: the elders, chief priests, and teachers of the law. “From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he […]
The Betrayed Christ Scripture Reading: John 18:1-27 Meditation For Jesus, the Garden of Gethsemane is a familiar place. He and his disciples have gathered there many times. It’s quiet, still, and intimate. It’s also his favorite place: a place of peace and prayer, love and laughter, comfort and companionship. The Garden is one of those […]
The Pleading Christ Scripture Reading: Mark 14:12-42 Meditation It’s a night of sacrifice. The City of David is filled with the cry of lambs led to the slaughter. Jesus also cries but all he hears is silence from the Father. As the Feast of Unleavened Bread begins, the Passover lambs are chosen, led out, and […]
