July 8, 2021 | John 1:29-42 DEVOTIONS This Month’s Issue In William Blake’s poem “The Lamb,” a child asks the small creature, “Dost thou know who made thee?” The answer is found in the second stanza: “He is calléd by thy name, For he calls himself a Lamb: He is meek and he is mild, […]
July 7, 2021 | Luke 2:8–20 DEVOTIONS This Month’s Issue The pilot episode for The Chosen, a popular television series depicting the life of Christ, tells the story of Simon, a poor, lame shepherd. Simon longs for the coming of the Messiah. One day, he encounters Mary and Joseph and kindly gives her a drink […]
July 6, 2021 | Isaiah 40:1–11 DEVOTIONS This Month’s Issue Many famous paintings have pictured Jesus as the Good Shepherd, carrying a lamb over His shoulders or in His arms. In fact, some of the earliest artistic depictions of Jesus found in the Catacombs of Rome portray Him not on a cross, but as a […]
July 5, 2021 | Micah 5:1–9 DEVOTIONS This Month’s Issue For about seven years, Moody Bible Institute graduate Caleb Fetterhoff has been living and ministering to semi-nomadic shepherds high in the mountains of Lesotho in southern Africa. These shepherds care for flocks that belong to wealthy owners down in the valleys. Their lifestyle put them […]
July 4, 2021 | Psalm 80 DEVOTIONS This Month’s Issue A famous hymn, often sung to a Welsh or Irish tune, celebrates God as our Shepherd: “The King of love my shepherd is, whose goodness faileth never. I nothing lack if I am his, and he is mine forever. Where streams of living water flow, […]
July 3, 2021 | Ezekiel 34 DEVOTIONS This Month’s Issue In ancient Palestine, caring for sheep looked different from what we see today. According to the Dictionary of Biblical Imagery, “Sheep were not fenced in and left to fend for themselves. Instead, they were totally dependent on shepherds for protection, grazing, watering, shelter and tending […]
July 2, 2021 | 1 Samuel 17 DEVOTIONS This Month’s Issue The first shepherd in Scripture, Abel, was also the first murder victim (see Genesis 4). In the first five books of the Old Testament, a shepherd was a common occupation. We meet Jacob, whose flocks God greatly blessed (Gen. 31:4–9). Moses was taking care […]
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 30, 2021 | Psalm 106 DEVOTIONS This Month’s Issue Why is it so easy for us to forget the victories and miracles of our past when faced with the troubles of today? In yesterday’s reading, the Psalmist narrated Israel’s history with an emphasis on God’s faithfulness. Today’s reading continues with a different emphasis. Give […]
June 29, 2021 | Psalm 105 DEVOTIONS This Month’s Issue One of the things my family loves to do at gatherings is telling stories. We recall the quirky personalities of loved ones who have departed. We talk about how couples met and got married. We tell our children some of the funny things older members […]