"But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation." (1 Peter 2:9a NIV)A painting that an artist gave me recently had been no more than a colourful garden scene, until it suddenly exploded with new relevance. That "Aha!" experience was too exciting to...
“And they shall build the old wastes, they shall raise up the former desolations, and they shall repair the waste cities, the desolations of many generations.” (Isaiah 61:4 KJV). Dearly beloved and friends,it is God’s plan for us to build and inhabit places.Our...
Is there anything cuter than a chuckling new baby, happy, curious, and squealing with delight with every new toy? A baby exudes love, trust and dependence to everyone in the room, often being the centre of attention. How quickly do the laughs of joy and love turn to...
“Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.”(Isaiah 1:18 KJV). Dearly beloved and friends,please go straight to your mirror and...
"Like water spilled on the ground, which cannot be recovered, so we must die. But God does not take away life; instead, He devises ways so that a banished person may not remain estranged from Him." (2 Samuel 14:14 ESV)This devotion pairs with this weekend's Lutheran...
“We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they are good for us—they help us learn to be patient. And patience develops strength of character in us and helps us trust God more each time we use it until finally our hope and faith are...
"Praise the LORD! Sing to the LORD a new song, His praise in the assembly of the godly! Let Israel be glad in his Maker; let the children of Zion rejoice in their King!" (Psalm 149:1-2 ESV) "Sing to the LORD a new song!" What is new about this song? For centuries the...
Once I had come to believe, to step out in faith, and to embrace the truth of God's offer of salvation, I wondered, What do I do now? Some have summed up the Christian life after first believing as Trust God. Clean house. Help others. Pretty vague that. What exactly...
"For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus." (Romans 6:23 ESV)"If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness." (1 John 1:9 ESV)I was listening to the radio...
Memorizing Scripture verses is not something I am good at. I usually don’t try as hard as I should, but do find Bible passages set to music in song easier to call to mind. I seem to be able to remember all sorts of other random facts and figures,...