Take a moment to savour theStory today. It’s all about innocence. Yesterday’s reading describes the creation of all that exists, today we see God bringing all that now exists into context. Streams emerge from the earth to water the ground. From the ground a man is formed and in an act of intimacy God breathes the breath of life into his nostrils and he becomes a living being.
Read More good, evil, life
One of life’s greatest pleasures is to enjoy the thrill of having our dreams come true. Achieving satisfaction fuels a fire in us and empowers us to pursue even grander possibilities. But be aware of the pitfalls of chasing after quick get-rich schemes.
Fulfilled hopes and dreams are not just for the privileged few.
Read More life, death, choice
The Christian life is difficult, even with God’s Word to guide us. Not only does our own sinfulness get in the way, but his guidance is so easily abused by those we look to as leaders.
This was certainly the case in ancient Israel as the Pharisees, zealous to lead the people of God, distorted the meaning and purpose of Scripture. Sabbath observance was at the core of Jewish faith.
Read More life, Sabbath, rules, missing the point“God’s timing is not our timing.” We have probably all heard that sentence, sometimes used to comfort; often it may just be frustrating.
Here we see it played out in a life and death drama. Jesus is on his way to Jairus’ house to tend to his dying daughter. The bleeding woman who is healed by her faith and her touch of Jesus’ clothing interrupts Jesus on the way there.
Read More life, trust, miracle, timingThe Lord is the one and only God, and tolerates no rivals. He longs for his people to know life, and so he reveals the secret of life. If you want life, you will find it in God. If you choose to depart from God and your relationship to God, you will find yourselves and your land destroyed.
This passage re-affirms the covenant between God and his chosen people.
Read More life, death, love, jealousy, provision, warningMoses wraps up his speech and his ministry with a passionate call to the people of God to choose life. The answer to life is not removed from us or hidden away. The Word has been given to us and we hold it. God has made clear “life and good, death and evil.” What remains is for us to choose between the options.
If we walk with the Lord we will be nourished and find life.
Read More life, death, choiceIsaiah has been called the fifth Gospel. Themes of divine grace subverting human rebellion, of heaven’s glorious light breaking into earth’s thickest darkness, of God’s wild hope overturning our utmost despair – of dead things coming to life and flourishing by the breath of God – soak Isaiah’s 66 chapters.
It all builds toward a crescendo of promise and warning.
Read More life, hope, banquet, invitation
I like to read obituaries. It may seem morbid, but it’s a rather fascinating glimpse into lives so recently vibrant, now gone silent. Just a few hundred words to sum up lifetimes of love and loss and heartache and hope.
“We humans are only a breath,” the psalmist intones, “none of us are truly great.
Read More life, safety, peace, meaningSometimes, the Christian life can be challenging. Increasingly, we are mocked for our beliefs. Sometimes we must choose a more difficult path, because the easy path is just wrong. Sometimes, going back to our old lives is tempting.
Recall John 9 for a moment: the blind man miraculously healed by Jesus.
Read More gate, life