life ⁽⁵¹⁹⁾

Psalm 85:8–13; Amos 4:6–13; Luke 1:57–80 God speaks shalom to his people [who follow him] and to his faithful [where he is the core] ones (a very loose paraphrase of Psalm 85:8) Salvation is close to those that honor God (Psalm 85:9). Then…we get Amos.

Psalm 85:8–13; Amos 2:6–16; Colossians 2:1–5 Speaking peace to people often seems to be a lost cause. First, many people don’t want peace. Actually, many people don’t want peace. Oh, they want peace from war (most). That often is the most common form of “peace”…

Psalm 119:81–88; Jeremiah 16:14–21; John 7:1–9 Every nation has a formative episode. The episodes can be one that is event (i.e., the signing of the Declaration of Independence) or it can be natural (i.e., the New Year) or it can even be invented (there are…

Psalm 119:81–88; Jeremiah 16:1–13; James 5:7–12 The yearning in Psalm 119:81–88 is almost palpable. The need for relief with a counterbalance of trust produces a huge amount of tension within a few verses. This tension is often part of our own lives as we desire…

Psalm 123; Ezekiel 2:1–5; 2 Corinthians 12:2–10; Mark 6:1–13 In certain cultures, and in certain times, it was not dishonorable to be a servant. In fact, being a servant could well lead to a different path than what could else be accomplished. One of the…