Shalom ⁽⁶⁾

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 104:24–34; Ezekiel 37:1–14; John 20:19–23 In the Eastern Orthodox tradition, there is a simple practice performed by many, where they say, "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God…” while breathing in and then “…have mercy on me, a sinner," while exhaling. The Jesus Prayer (as…

Psalm 135; Isaiah 26:1–15; Mark 12:18–27 As one of the wealthy nations in the world, passages like this in Isaiah should cause us to reflect. Will all our stuff be crushed to dust and be walked upon by the poor? If you’re reading this, you…

Psalm 51:1–12; Isaiah 30:15–18; Hebrews 4:1–13 This passage from Isaiah was written for me. It sounds like my life. “Lord, help me figure this out.” “Wait.” “Argh! It’s too much! I’ve got to do something!” “Wait.” “I can’t wait! It’s too much!” [time passes] “Well,…