Today's Devotional Thought

Passage: Jeremiah 44
Notes: The Jewish men's decision to flee to Egypt placed them right back in the midst of idolatry, and they ignored or (more likely) supported their wives' worship of the 'Queen of Heaven.' When Jeremiah confronts them, they reject his message with revisionist history ascribing what blessings they had in the past to their former idolatry. -> We are responsible for the environments we place our family in, and for what worship we allow in our households. A culture that teaches 'to everyone his own' should not distract us from our call to live right worship in our homes. Note that while God's message came to the adults first, he vowed to hold every member of their family responsible.

Today's Devotional Thought

Passage: Jeremiah 42 and 43
Notes: A people that is stricken with fear will gladly find an excuse why they do not need to obey God's directions. Once panicked, they will force others to join them. Like Jeremiah, we need to be careful nonetheless to faithfully proclaim God's message to them.

Today's Devotional Thought

Passage: Jeremiah 41
Notes: The 80 men from Shilo and Samaria comprehended that it didn't take a building for them to be able to worship in Jerusalem. The carnage and destruction of the Babylonian attack produced fear and disorder, but not a searching for God in many of the remnant in Judah. God did not supernaturally stop the evil, looting, and piracy - the mass murderer escapes with most of his men. -> tragedy will not automatically produce a turning to God among a people that had abandoned Him, and God may not force Himself on them, but allow the evil to pursue their desires, which may also hurt some who do want to return to God.

Today's Devotional Thought

Passage: Jeremiah 40
Notes: The Babylonian who set Jeremiah free recognized the authority of God, even as he had helped to defeat God's people. Gedliah, the new governor, wanted to bring peace and order to the land, but failed to call on God, even after all that had happened, both generally and specifically regarding the allegations about a threat on his life. Taking care of your people is good, but it must come out of a relationship with and dependence on God.

Today's Devotional Thought

Passage: Jeremiah 39
Notes: In the midst of the low point in Jerusalem's history, the destruction by the Babylonians, God (who had called them to carry out his judgment) saves three (groups of) people: Ebed-melech the Ethiopian - a foreigner - "because he trusted in the Lord," God's prophet, and the very poor whom their own countrymen had oppressed all these years, and who now receive the vineyards and fields their fellow Jews would not let them have. The last thing Zedekiah ever saw was not just the slaughter of his sons but also that of the bad advisors he felt too weak to oppose for the sake of righteousness.

Today's Devotional Thought

Passage: Jeremiah 38
Notes: When your situation seems hopeless and weak people fail to protect you and evil people try to destroy you, count on God to be faithful and provide you with salvation even from unexpected sources. Note that even after miraculous salvation from certain death, you may still find yourself in a prison cell.

Today's Devotional Thought

Passage: Jeremiah 37
Notes: Faithfulness does not guarantee exemption from evil done to you. It is okay to ask for lessening of torture. God can even use an evil ruler to save His people. Even the evil ruler may grasp His need for prayer, and a message from God. -> don't give up on prayer for authority, even evil rulers sometimes serve God's purposes.

Reading through the Psalms

I've been desiring to read in the psalms with some regularity, but I keep skipping days, and forgetting where I was (most days, I do it during a break at work using my phone). So, here's my new system for "remembering" what to read:

1. Take the day of the month.
2. Add to it according to the month you're in times 30, with January being 0, February being 1, March being 2, April being 3, May being four, June being 0 again, July being 1, etc.
3. November and December I may read Proverbs instead, or start over with 0 and 1 again.

This way, I can figure out what to read today, and don't have to remember, write down, etc.

So today, I was reading Psalm 81.

Establishing the Boundaries of a Passage

A quick look at Logos'  Tools|Passage Analysis, Compare Pericopes shows us where a number of translators saw the boundaries of a passage. Note how this screen shot demonstrates that we should not too readily assume that 1 Peter 2:9-12 are a unit.

Compare this with how the results for 1 Peter 4 point to a boundary between verses 11 and 12.

Why Fast?

One of the benefits of fasting is to teach us the discipline and build the habits to be content with and do with less, leaving us with more to give to others.

Why I Am Not Giving Up Facebook for Lent

As a minister, I'm in the people/relationships business. It may not be all I do, but it is a major part. Facebook is one of four major communications platforms for me (face-to-face, phone, and e-mail being the others). If I'm going to be salt and light, shutting off communication is not going to be my first step.

Greetings! ... The Lord is with you.

Mary asked the angel, "But how can this happen? I am a virgin."
The angel replied, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the baby to be born will be holy, and he will be called the Son of God. What's more, your relative Elizabeth has become pregnant in her old age! People used to say she was barren, but she has conceived a son and is now in her sixth month. For nothing is impossible with God."
Luke 1:34-37 NLT

Am I too young and inexperienced? Have I waited too long, and everyone else is far ahead of me? Nothing is impossible with God!