July 29, 2021 | Isaiah 11:1–9 DEVOTIONS This Month’s Issue A beautiful portion of Bach’s Cantata No. 208 is titled “Sheep May Safely Graze.” Sheep and shepherd imagery is used to explain how people benefit when they have good leaders: “Sheep may safely graze and pasture/In a watchful shepherd’s sight. /Those who rule, with wisdom […]
July 28, 2021 | Revelation 5 DEVOTIONS This Month’s Issue On October 31, 2018, a single web of lightning flashed and stretched 440 miles over Brazil. About the distance from Boston to Washington, it was the longest (in distance) lightning strike ever measured. Then on March 4, 2019, a lightning bolt lit up over Argentina […]
July 20, 2021 | John 21:15–19 DEVOTIONS This Month’s Issue When I was young, my mother always told me to eat my peas because they were good for me. As an adult, I know she’s right. Green vegetables are an important source of protein, fiber, and vitamins…and they help lower cholesterol. Canadian researchers recently reported […]
July 19, 2021 | Matthew 10 DEVOTIONS This Month’s Issue In the military, soldiers are sent out on a mission, following clear directives from their leaders. They need to be ready because they do not know when they will be sent or where they will need to go. They do know that they will need […]
July 10, 2021 | 2 Samuel 12:1–14 DEVOTIONS This Month’s Issue Literary scholar Leland Ryken describes the meeting between the prophet Nathan and King David as a “confrontation story.” He explains: “Usually the confrontation implies some tension or dissonance that needs to be acknowledged and resolved . . . [C]onfrontation stories imply an element of […]
July 1, 2021 | Psalm 23 DEVOTIONS This Month’s Issue According to one Bible app, the most popular verse of 2020 was Isaiah 41:10: “Do not fear, for I am with you.” In 2019, it was Philippians 4:6: “Do not be anxious about anything.” In 2018, it was also Isaiah 41:10, and in 2017, it […]
June 22, 2021 | Psalm 96 DEVOTIONS This Month’s Issue Have you ever wondered why some people propose marriage at large gatherings, such as a professional baseball game? They may want to make the moment memorable by choosing such a setting. They might also feel it’s not enough to declare their love to their […]
June 13, 2021 | Psalm 85 DEVOTIONS This Month’s Issue Have you ever needed to ask someone for forgiveness? It is a difficult place to be in because it means admitting that you have done something wrong. You also might not know how the offended person might react. You might ask for forgiveness, but will […]
June 11, 2021 | Psalm 83 DEVOTIONS This Month’s Issue The apostle Paul was under attack. He had been arrested on the false charge that he had brought a Gentile into the Temple in Jerusalem (Acts 21:27–29). A group of Jewish leaders had had enough of Paul. They made a pact that they would not […]
June 9, 2021 | Psalm 81 DEVOTIONS This Month’s Issue “What have you done for me lately?” It’s easy to forget how well someone has served us in the past, when we are disappointed with them in the present! Some companies take this approach with their employees: “It does not matter how great of a […]