Jesus Washes
Read: John 13:1-20, 34 . . . he loved them to the end. (v. 1) Tears flowed down my cheeks during a worship service recently as I witnessed an elderly husband bend down on his knees, take a basin of water, and wash his wife’s feet. It was a beautiful picture of love. In our […]
God Gives
Read: John 3:16-21 For God so loved the world . . . (v. 16) Grandparents will often ask their young grandchild, “Do you know how much I love you?” And the grandparent will say, “I love you so much!” as they open their arms as wide as they can demonstrating the enormity of their love […]
God Reveals
Read: Psalm 103:8-13 The LORD is . . . abounding in steadfast love. (v. 8) How would someone describe your character? Are there any similarities or differences in how others see you and how you see yourself? The Lord described his character to Moses on Mount Sinai: “The LORD, the LORD, a God merciful and […]
God Seeks
Read: Luke 15:11-32 His father saw him and felt compassion. (v. 20) There are two swivel chairs by my window. I can turn one way to watch TV, or I can turn another way and see the sunset. James Bryant Smith in his book, The Good and Beautiful God, suggests that we often believe a […]
God Loves
Read: Jeremiah 31:1-9 I have loved you with an everlasting love. (v. 3) The infinity symbol (∞) has been used in mathematics to represent a number that has no limits or bounds. In our key verse, the Hebrew word ‘olam, rendered “everlasting,” is also difficult to comprehend. Strong’s concordance says it can mean, “generally, time […]
God Commands
Read: Matthew 22:34-40 You shall love your neighbor as yourself. (v. 39) Why is it so hard to love ourselves? It’s very easy to find fault with our bodies: “I am not skinny enough; I have a crooked nose; I have too many wrinkles.” When we listen to the critic within us, we feel diminished. […]
God Treasures
Read: Deuteronomy 7:6-9 It is because the LORD loves you. (v. 8) I have always loved grandfather clocks. I love listening to the chimed melody every fifteen minutes on the hour throughout the day. When I graduated from college, my father built me a beautiful grandfather clock. This clock is one of my treasured possessions. […]
God Remembers
Read: Isaiah 49:13-18 I will not forget you. (v. 15) Have you ever felt forgotten? Feeling forgotten is a lonely feeling. Feeling forgotten can lead us to believe we are not loved. Psalmists have often expressed this feeling, “How long, O LORD? Will you forget me forever?” (Ps. 13:1) But being remembered brings us joy. […]
God Sees
Read: Genesis 16:6-16 You are the God who sees me. (v. 13 NIV) Children love hiding from others as a game. As adults, we also hide in different ways. Sometimes we hide behind the protective walls we erect around our hearts. We fear rejection or worry what people think of us if our real selves […]