Blessed are the merciful. —Matthew 5:7 Mercy has three elements: 1) Conception—seeing the need; 2) Compassion—being touched by the need; 3) Consummation—meeting the need. In Jesus’ parable of the Good Samaritan, the priest and the Levite both saw the need (conception), but neither was touched by the need (compassion), or met the […]
He will save his people from their sins. —Matthew 1:21 When John opened his Gospel pointing to Jesus as the Life and the Light, he eliminated comparison, competition, or compromise. God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He
The sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings. —Malachi 4:2 All the prophets were dead except Malachi. His was the last prophetic voice of the Old Testament. There wouldn’t be another until John the Baptist, 400 years later. Malachi is a somber book; God’s people had become
Show mercy and compassion to one another. —Zechariah 7:9 The returned remnant of the exile worshipped God in Babylon for 70 years, but their sincerity was dubious: “Did you really do it for me?” the Lord asked (Zech. 7:5
Neglecting the Important Read More »
Give careful thought to your ways. —Haggai 1:5 Returned exiles of Babylonian captivity were driven by the excitement of rebuilding the Temple. But after laying the foundation, their enthusiasm faded and Temple work came to a halt. For the next sixteen years they ignored
Who’s in First Place? Read More »
The Lord your God is with you … He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love. —Zephaniah 3:17 Zephaniah’s little four-chapter book begins with sadness, but ends with singing. Its opening salvos trumpet
When You Are Down and Out Read More »
I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior. —Habakkuk 3:18 The nation was in chaos: the economy was in the tank, and a war they couldn’t win was coming at them. Habakkuk was terrified: his heart was pounding, his lips were quivering, and
Happiness is a Choice Read More »
The Lord is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in him. —Nahum 1:7 Arthur Rank decided to do all of his worrying on Wednesdays. When he was worried, he wrote a note specifying what was troubling him and dropped it
Talk to the Mirror Read More »
What does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God. —Micah 6:8 Israel grumbled that God was too demanding: hard to understand
What Does God Want? Read More »
Jonah ran away from the Lord. —Jonah 1:3 God ordered Jonah to “Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it.” Jonah didn’t cotton to the assignment. Nineveh was the capital of Assyria, Israel’s despised enemy. So Jonah hightailed it in the opposite direction—went
