What Shall I Render?
Read: Psalm 116 What shall I render to the Lord for all his benefits to me? (v. 12) This psalm reflects on a narrow escape from death. An illness (maybe a disease as deadly as COVID-19) almost slayed the psalmist. The sting of death was felt, the victory of the grave imminent. Through every restless […]
The Coming of the Lord
Read: Luke 2:1-21; Zechariah 2:10-13 And many nations shall join themselves to the Lord in that day, and shall be my people. And I will dwell in your midst, and you shall know that the Lord of hosts has sent me to you. (v. 11) The day is here. Christmas. During Advent, we’ve longed for […]
The Joy of Restoration
Read: Isaiah 35:1-10 Say to those who have an anxious heart, “Be strong; fear not! . . . everlasting joy shall be upon their heads; they shall obtain gladness and joy, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away. (vv. 4, 10) During the third week of Michigan’s Stay Home, Stay Safe order of the COVID-19 […]
Trustworthy and True
Read: Revelation 22:6-11, 18-20 The angel said to me, “These words are trustworthy and true. The Lord, the God who inspires the prophets, sent his angel to show his servants the things that must soon take place.” “Look, I am coming soon! Blessed is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy written in […]
Unrestricted
Read: Revelation 21:22–22:5 I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb. (21:22) The unseasonably warm winter day was remarkable. Enjoying a sunny walk through the dunes along the Lake Michigan shoreline, I stuffed my hands deep into my coat pockets and looked up to […]
Carols and Lessons
What would Christmas be without carols to sing? Yet how often do we think about the familiar words we are singing? In these devotionals, David Bast tells the stories behind many of our most beloved Christmas carols and links them with appropriate scripture lessons (readings) to illuminate the messages they have for us today. In […]
An Unexpected and Delightful Gift
Read: Luke 1:26-30 And he came to her and said, “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!” (v. 28) When was the last time you were totally surprised in a wonderful way? I often travel on behalf of Western Theological Seminary, and this past winter I had the opportunity to go to Uganda […]
Pure Grace
Read: Revelation 20:11–21:8 The home of God is among mortals. (21:3 NRSV) I started this series of devotionals saying that the event we truly await during Advent is not the birth of Jesus but the second coming of Jesus. Our Scripture today takes us beyond that to the culmination of history in the final judgment. […]
Not the Light but the Lamp
Read: John 5:30-36 John was a lamp that burned and gave light, and you chose for a time to enjoy his light. (v. 35 NIV) In today’s passage, John the Baptist is described as “a burning and shining lamp.” He gave off light, but he was not the primary source of the light. We read […]