And now we come full circle. Those who witnessed God’s mighty acts in the Exodus now celebrate God’s faithfulness: “You brought us into the net; you laid burdens on our backs; you let people ride over our heads; we went through fire and through water; yet you have brought us out to a spacious place” (vv. 11-12). …
Home Altar
Indwelling God
God appears again. Jesus tells his disciples that as they see him, so have they seen God, the one who sent him. God is revealed in Jesus Christ. Loving God and keeping God’s commandments is the key that unlocks every door. …
Never Alone!
We learn early in childhood to trust that when a caregiver leaves the room, he or she continues to exist. We hold on to mental images of the caregiver and retain a sense of security. …
Questions Answered
The apostle Paul lived in two worlds. As a Pharisee, he was a teacher of Scripture and knew the God of Israel further revealed in Jesus Christ. …
God Heals
In the Gospel of John, Jesus’s disciples ask him on account of whose sin was a man born blind. Jesus tells them no one is to blame. This had happened in order that “the works of God might be made manifest in him” (9:3, RSV). …
Life’s Angels
“And behold, an angel of the Lord appeared” (v. 7, RSV). An angel visited Peter and led him out of captivity. Why, we may wonder, does this not happen in our lives? …
God Hidden and Revealed
While I was in seminary, the biblical scholar Samuel Terrien had just written his book, The Elusive Presence. He describes how God, in freedom, chooses to be revealed and, at other times, chooses to be hidden. …
Making Myself at Home
Continue. Remain. Dwell. Abide. All these words are synonymous with a way of being with God. The Message says it this way: “Make yourselves at home in my love” (John 15:9). …
A Gift
“Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends” (John 15:13, NIV). Have you ever said “yes” to something and then walked away and thought: “What did I do? Why did I agree to this sacrifice?” Guilty! …
The Gate
In the Near East, shepherds would lead their flocks into a pen in the evenings. With one entrance in and out, the shepherd would lie down and become the gate, making sure he didn’t lose any sheep, even as he slept. …
Unusual Justice
Sometimes justice does not look like what we want. As the good shepherd in John 10:11 who laid down his life for the sheep, Jesus walked this path. …
Humble and Kind
In 2015, Tim McGraw released a song that soared to the top of the charts, “Humble and Kind.” The official video, found on YouTube, gives substance to the profound differences among the peoples of our world and the simple bond of our humanity. …