“On the day I called, you answered me, you increased my strength of soul.” (Ps. 138:3) In today’s scripture, we read how God had “increased the strength of David’s soul.” What David received from God has inspired me to remember those people who have blessed me with their own strength of soul. Although they were …
Honoring the Sacrifice Jesus Made for Us
Jesus said, “See, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be handed over to the chief priests and the scribes, and they will condemn him to death; then they will hand him over to the Gentiles; they will mock him, and spit upon him, and flog him, and kill him….” …
Jesus’ Love Never Wavers
When they came to Jesus, they appealed to him earnestly, saying, ‘He is worthy of having you do this for him, for he loves our people, and it is he who builds our synagogue for us.’ And Jesus went with them, but when he was not far from the house, the centurion sent friends to …
Dem Dry Bones
Then he said to me, ‘Prophesy to these bones, and say to them: O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord. Thus, says the Lord GOD to these bones: I will cause breath to enter you, and you shall live.’ (Ez. 37:4-5) During a couple of summers in high school, I worked as a …
Clothe Yourselves With Love
“As God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience.” (Col. 3:12) I’ve recently been encouraging my brother Andrew to clean out his closet—enough, I said, with ripped sweatshirts, ratty clothes, and threadbare shirts that embarrass his family. In full disclosure, I must admit that I once had his …
Jesus Never Stops Blessing You
“…. he asked him, ‘Can you see anything?’ And the man looked up and said, ‘I can see people, but they look like trees, walking.’ Then Jesus laid hands on his eyes again, and he looked intently, and his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly.” (Mark 8:23-25) Today’s scripture may be the only …
Jesus Gives Us a New Name
“He brought Simon to Jesus, who looked at him and said, ‘You are Simon son of John. You are to be called Cephas…’” (John 1:42) The name Cephas means Peter. The name Peter means Rock. Jesus looks at Simon and says he will be a rock. Was Jesus joking? During Jesus’ life, Peter was more …
The Hope of Grace Upon Grace
From Jesus’ fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. (John 1:16) There’s no more powerful, more life-changing, more hopeful word ever uttered by God to His children than the word grace. Jesus came to this earth to share God’s grace through His life, death, and resurrection. What does the grace of God do for …
Jesus — Exorcist and Healer
Just then there was in the synagogue a man with an unclean spirit, and he cried out, ‘What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are, the Holy One of God.’ But Jesus rebuked him, saying, ‘Be silent, and come out of him' …
Jesus Commends Our Lives to God
Father, into your hands I commend my spirit. (Luke 23:46) Years ago, I made a retreat at a monastery in Boston. When I met my director on the first night, he said, “This week, I want you to write your obituary.” This may sound like an easy or simple exercise, but it wasn’t. The longer …