Syrophoenician Woman
Read: Mark 7:24-30 . . . yet even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs. (v. 28) The Syrophoenician woman was not on a journey. Jesus was the one journeying this time—he came straight to her hometown. However, this woman was experiencing a wilderness of despair. Her daughter had been overcome by demons. […]
Mary, the Mother of Jesus
Read: Luke 1:26-38 Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word. (v. 38) From the moment her “let it be” left her lips, Mary walked a blessed yet lonely path. These words were a step into the wilderness of the unknown—the choosing of a life that […]
Ruth
Read: Ruth 3:1-13 As the Lord lives, I will redeem you. (v. 13) Ruth’s almost reckless desire to stay with Naomi had led her to a quite vulnerable situation. As widows, Ruth and Naomi were destitute and had to rely on the gleaning laws given by God to ensure that nobody went hungry. When landowners […]
Ruth and Naomi
Read: Ruth 1:15-18 For where you go I will go, and where you lodge I will lodge. Your people shall be my people, and your God my God. (v. 16) Sometimes our deep desires don’t make sense. They might even take us into desert spaces or into foreign territory. Yet often, we feel an inner […]
Miriam
Read: Exodus 2:1-10; 15:20-21 Sing to the Lord, for he has triumphed gloriously . . . (15:21) Miriam must have been the type of little girl who paid attention. We find her watching over her little brother as he floated away from her in a basket down the Nile. She watched and followed, and eventually […]
Sarah
Read: Genesis 18:1-15; 21:1-3 At the appointed time I will return to you, about this time next year, and Sarah shall have a son. (18:14) Sarah knew the pain of unmet longing. For years, she had hoped for a child, only to be met with disappointment again and again. By the time these strangers came […]
Hagar
Read: Genesis 16:6-14 So she called the name of the Lord who spoke to her, “You are a God of seeing.” (v. 13) Nobody asked the handmaid. Hagar, Sarai’s Egyptian slave, had no choices. She did not choose to cast her lot with Abram’s growing band of wanderers, to have Abram’s child, or to become […]
Gospel on Wheels
Hari is an ambulance driver in Udhampur, India. Ambulances are always in high demand and short supply in India, but these days Hari receives more calls than ever. As India’s healthcare system continues to be stretched to the limit due to the spread of COVID-19, Hari must work long and tiring days, putting himself at […]
Sarai and Hagar
Read: Genesis 16:1-5 Behold now, the Lord has prevented me from bearing children. (v. 2) Often, when we get to this part of the story, we talk about Sarai’s lack of faith. She becomes a cautionary tale warning people against not trusting God’s timing. However, I think she deserves a bit more credit. She had […]