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Trust in the Lord

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Scripture: Isaiah 31:1 (ESV) Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help and rely on horses,                         who trust in chariots because they are many and in horsemen because they are very strong,                         but do not look to the Holy One of Israel or consult the Lord!   Devotion:             Let us turn to the prophet Isaiah for more wisdom. This scripture warns those who seek to rely on the strength of military power alone to provide safety. No one who trusts in weapons of war to bring peace will prevail in the long run. Today, our world seeks a mighty fighting force equipped with the latest war-making technology and machinery. Those who seek protection from God are seen as hopelessly behind the times. In today’s scripture, the Israelites were seeking an alliance with Egypt to provide them security as the armies of Assyria threatened them.             Today, our society has military alliances for mutual security between the parties. We are
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The Lord is Supreme

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Scripture: Proverbs 21:30 (ESV)          No wisdom, no understanding, no counsel  can avail against the Lord. Devotion:             This proverb speaks loudly to the spirit of this age in America. Our cultural moment is full of the plans of mere mortals that directly contradict God's will as revealed in His inerrant, infallible Word. The Lord decreed in Genesis that humankind was to be fruitful and multiply. The culture promotes death from womb to tomb. People of goodwill seeking only to honor God by obeying the clear commands written for us in scripture are ignored, silenced, or worse in today’s culture. Here are some of the ways the culture promotes death.             Let us begin in the womb. Our culture promotes abortion as a positive good. Since Roe v Wade was overturned and the matter has returned to the states to decide if and when abortion is legal, we have seen a wide variety of approaches being implemented by the states. Some states do protect life, but many all
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A Strong Tower

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Scripture: Proverbs 18:10 (ESV) 10           The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous man runs into it and is safe. Devotion:             The towers humankind has erected in the modern era are genuinely impressive. They stand so tall and strong. Yet, as we were shown on September 11, 2001, they are vulnerable to sudden destruction. I remember watching the news that day, feeling the shock and disbelief. So, it is with all towers of human invention, whether concrete and steel or ideas and plans. Our towers are weaker than we imagine. Today’s proverb underscores this weakness and urges us to run to the Lord for safety in times of trouble or danger.             Let us reflect on the story of the Tower of Babel in Genesis in the Old Testament. Humans sought to make a name for themselves, and because of God’s direct intervention, they were shown to be fools rather than wise. This is a mistake that humankind has been repeating over and over again ever since. We do not
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Pride vs Humility

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Scripture: Proverbs 16:18-19 (ESV) 18           Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.             19           It is better to be of a lowly spirit with the poor than to divide the spoil with the proud.   Devotion:             The meaning of the word pride has changed dramatically in our present age. To the author of the book of Proverbs, pride was a sin. Today, pride is almost always used in a positive sense. What has changed and why? The answer can be found in today’s pair of proverbs. The usage in verse 18 is purely negative. The opposite of pride is “lowly spirit,” which is found in verse 19. This pair of proverbs not only defines pride but also underscores the importance of humility in the Christian faith.             Today, our culture affirms pride as a positive good. We are told to have pride in almost everything we say or do. We take pride in our schools, our work, our sexuality. Everything we do can be a source of pride for the m
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Biblical Creeds: Exaltation

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Scripture: Philippians 2:6-11 (ESV) 6  who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7  but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8  And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 9  Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10  so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11  and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Devotion:             The final creed/hymn we will examine is found early in the letter to the Philippians. Theologians have described it as a hymn of kenosis, a term that means self-emptying. This hymn was likely a familiar part of the early Christian liturgy, and its inclusion in Paul's letter to the Philippians would have carried significant weight for hi
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Biblical Creeds: Salvation

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  Scripture: Romans 10.9 (ESV) if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. Devotion:             These words Paul addressed to the church in Rome are a precious confession of the simplicity of our salvation in Jesus Christ. Sometimes, we allow the Christian faith to become complicated. We are, despite our protestations to the contrary, much like the Pharisees of Jesus Day. We like to multiply the things necessary for salvation without Biblical warrant. It is good for us to remember the story of the crucifixion of Jesus. A thief hanging on the cross next to Jesus asks Jesus to remember him when Jesus comes into His kingdom. Jesus responds that the thief will be with Him in paradise that very day.             However, in some churches today, membership standards are so low that even this essential confession is not required. While we cannot demand more for membership, we should never demand le
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The Apostles’ Creed

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  [This creed] first appeared in southwest France sometime in the late 6th or 7th century. Its present text is found in the De singulis libris canonicis scarapsus of Priminius, which is dated between 710 and 724. [1] I believe in God, the Father almighty, Creator of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried; he descended into hell; on the third day he rose again from the dead; he ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of God the Father almighty; from there he will come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting. Amen.             This creed was not developed to deal with any specific heresy. It appears to be a simplification of the Nicene creed, perha
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