Tag: god
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Shelter, Light, and Mercy: What These Scriptures Teach Us About God Today
Reading the Scriptures is like doing a crossword puzzle. We have clues of how those who lived before us viewed God. We are to take these clues and relate them to our world and times. I read the Scriptures in the Daily Office each morning. What I share here is what the Holy Spirit shares…
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Sin as rule-breaking
Sin as rule-breaking, defines sin primarily as disobedience to God’s laws or commandments. The focus is placed on violating prescribed rules rather than on the deeper condition of the human heart and humanity’s relationship with God. In the Gospels, Jesus repeatedly challenges this way of understanding sin. In Mark 3:1–6, Jesus is criticized for healing…
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Loving What God Loves, Hating What God Hates
Psalm 97 is a song of joy and awe. Yet tucked inside this praise is a verse that can trouble modern readers “The Lord loves those who hate evil;he preserves the lives of his saintsand delivers them from the hand of the wicked.” (Psalm 97:10) At first hearing, this can sound conditional—almost as if God’s…
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Christmas Confession: Turning Our Hearts Back to God
Christmas is the celebration of the birth of Jesus—Emmanuel, God with us. Yet the incarnation is not only something we remember; it is a truth that confronts us. God came near in Jesus to heal, to reconcile, and to call humanity back to God’s ways. On this holy day, joy and hope must also make…
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Beloved, Let Us Love: A Christmas Eve Devotional on 1 John 4:7–16
On Christmas Eve, we gather at the edge of mystery. The lights glow softly, familiar carols stir memory and hope, and we hear again the astonishing claim of the Christian faith: God is love. Not love as sentiment or slogan, but love made flesh—born into the world in Jesus. Few passages name this truth more…
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When the King Comes Without a Sword
A Devotional Reflection for 2026 The Bible does not shy away from strong images: kings on thrones, battles fought, enemies defeated, weapons raised. Psalm 45 sings of a royal warrior; Isaiah speaks of a highway through the wilderness; Revelation announces a coming Judge; Zechariah’s song in Luke 1 celebrates deliverance from enemies. To modern ears—especially…
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Longing for the World God Promised
There are days when the ache for more—for justice, peace, and truth—feels almost unbearable. Reading Psalm 61, Isaiah 11:1–9, Revelation 20:1–10, and John 5:30–47 invites us to admit that longing rather than suppress it. These Scriptures give voice to a prayer many of us carry quietly: How long, O Lord, until the world is made…
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From Green Pastures to Wounded Faith: Learning to Trust What We Cannot See
A Devotional Reflection on Psalm 23, Job 42:1-6, I Peter 1:3-9, and Thomas, the Follower and Disciple of Jesus Psalm 23 is often the first Scripture we reach for in times of comfort—and in times of fear. Its familiar words speak of a God who leads, restores, and stays near, even “through the valley of…
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When Darkness Is Loud and Hope Feels Quiet
Psalm 40, Isaiah 10:5–19, Matthew 11:2–15, and 2 Peter 2:17–22 paint an unsettling picture. They speak of pits and prisons, of arrogant power and shattered illusions, of leaders who promise much and deliver nothing. These are not gentle texts. They do not flatter us or numb us. Instead, they confront us with a truth our…
The Curious Pilgrim 