Below you'll find a list of all posts that have been tagged as “Daily Devotional”
In or out of context, this verse is should be engraved in our hearts and minds. No matter how brutal or hurtful the attacks, our struggle is not with that person (s), it is with the vilest creatures GOD threw out of heaven. Right now, they seek to bring us the pain and disappointment that keeps us awake at night and wasting precious time on vain imaginations.
I pray this verse a lot. How about you? But, what does it really mean? Does it mean that every passage we have preached to our children, our friends, our family, even strangers will succeed and accomplish what we intended? Maybe.
Wow! Paul’s first book to the Corinthians is saturated with references to the Torah (Genesis to Deuteronomy), the Prophets, and the Writings. Why? One reason is, well, he was a Jewish scholar. But mainly because most of his audience — his readers — were from a non-Biblical background, and as new believers their behavior was problematic. Divisiveness, sexual misbehavior, marriage problems, folks suing one another, disruptions during services, and the list goes on.
CONTEXT! Oh my goodness. This verse has been taken out of context for the wrong reasons. Used in ways that inevitably cause discouragement, even as far as a crisis of faith. It is said that “Scripture will interpret Scripture.” In the sense that Scripture must not contradict itself. The most secure way I know for that to not happen is to read passages within context.
To coin an elegant Jersey response, “Yo, Peter! Preach it!” In this chapter, it is no holds barred for our outspoken brother. After Yeshua’s ascension, Peter tempered his reactive behavior for the most part. But, in this chapter, it has returned as boldness. Why?
The Roman believers began “independently” of the emissaries from Jerusalem. Prior to the new congregation of believers, there was a significant Jewish community living in Rome. Perhaps, as we discussed earlier, there were those who returned from the best Shavuot (Pentecost) the Jewish people had ever attended in Jerusalem.
John 16 is written but a few days before the unthinkable will happen. Yeshua would be betrayed, tortured, nailed to a cross, and die. But, in “A little while, and you will no longer see Me; and again in a little while, you will see Me.” (vs. 16) Yeshua would rise from the dead. The Holy Spirit would then be poured out on them. What!?
Trust in the LORD forever. Forever. What does that even look like? Our finite minds might try, but because our brains are finite, well, you know. So when Isaiah exhorts his brothers and sisters, his country, to trust ADONAI forever, you have to wonder. As a prophet has the LORD given him insights into eternity?
Most likely, this psalm — written by David — was a psalm of ascent. Ascent as in walking up to the Tabernacle in worship. This psalm has a wide range of themes, from conquering God’s enemies, defending widows and orphans, to remembering the Israelites in the desert, to warnings to kings of the nations, etc. But today’s verse, and many others in this psalm, is about comfort.
