Posted February 27, 2017 | Judith Ingram
Scripture
Isaiah 55:10-11 (TNIV)
As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.
Consider
As with a personal letter, God sends his word to us. The Bible is not a history book or a collection of interesting stories to be read passively and discarded. The Bible is Scripture, holy words from a holy God.
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Posted February 20, 2017 | Judith Ingram
Scripture
Psalm 42:8 (Common Book of Worship)
The LORD grants loving-kindness in the daytime; in the night season the song of the LORD is with me, a prayer to the God of my life.
Consider
For some reason, our troubles can seem worse at night. As we lie awake on our beds in those silent hours of relentless dark, our worries weigh heavier, fear looms larger, grief pulls up forgotten sorrows, and remorse stings like shaming nettles. The night season can feel lonely. We may search for God without the hope and confidence that carried us through the daylight hours.
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Posted February 13, 2017 | Judith Ingram
Scripture
Isaiah 65:1-2 (NLT)
The LORD says, “I was ready to respond, but no one asked for help. I was ready to be found, but no one was looking for me. I said, ‘Here I am, here I am!’ to a nation that did not call on my name. All day long I opened my arms to a rebellious people. But they follow their own evil paths and their own crooked schemes.”
Consider
In the aftermath of a hurtful event, when it’s time to choose whether we will cling to our bitterness or turn to God for relief and healing, why do we so often choose the dark path of bitterness?
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Posted February 6, 2017 | Judith Ingram
Scripture
Isaiah 49:14-16 (NLT)
Yet Jerusalem says, “The LORD has deserted us; the Lord has forgotten us.”
“Never! Can a mother forget her nursing child? Can she feel no love for the child she has borne? But even if that were possible, I would not forget you! See, I have written your name on the palms of my hands. Always in my mind is a picture of Jerusalem’s walls in ruins.”
Consider
Loving parents feel their children’s pain. They hurt when their children are disappointed or abused. They may shed tears along with the child who grieves for a lost pet or a painful separation.
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