The Heavens Were Opened
Read: Ezekiel 1:1-9; 25-28 The heavens were opened, and I saw visions of God. (v. 1) Once when I was young, my parents announced that we were going to Baskin Robbins. I’d never heard of it, and I was distrustful of new things, so I complained about going. Then when we arrived, I was overwhelmed. […]
Woe is Me
Read: Isaiah 6:1-10 Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips. (v. 5) When I was growing up, my family attended an annual Christmas St. Nicholas party with a group of friends. It was a much-anticipated event, complete with an appearance from St. Nick, the Dutch Santa Claus. […]
At the Lord’s Table
Read: Exodus 24:9-18 They beheld God, and ate and drank. (v. 11) I tend to be restless in worship. My mind wanders. I check my watch. After an hour, I look for the exit. But I once attended a revival service that changed everything. The service was a cacophony of prayer and praise; laughter and […]
Separated from Heaven
Read: Genesis 3:8-24 The LORD God sent him out from the garden of Eden. (v. 23) A common disciplinary technique used by parents and teachers is the “time-out,” in which a disobedient child is temporarily separated from the rest of the group. Why is it effective? Because we were made for communion. Most of us […]
In the Beginning
Read: Genesis 2:1-9 Thus the heavens and the earth were finished. (v. 1) One of the Bible’s best-known sentences is, “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth” (Gen. 1:1). Biblical language scholars point out that the Hebrew word for “heavens” can be translated “sky.” One might read the Genesis creation accounts and […]
Dinner with Jesus
Read: Revelation 3:14-22 If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me. (v. 20) Recently we had out-of-state relatives make the long trip to come and see us in Michigan, including one cousin I hadn’t seen in 30 years. We had […]
Breakfast on the Beach
Read: John 21:1-14 Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” . . . They knew it was the Lord. (v. 12) Can you picture the scene? Sunrise on the beach—the beginning of a beautiful day. There’s breakfast on the grill, and good friends hanging out together. The most surreal aspect of this scene is […]
Known to Them
Read: Luke 24:25-35 He was known to them in the breaking of the bread. (v. 35) When my late father-in-law led us in prayer, he would often add this thought: “Forgive us our sins and our shortcomings.” It was a reminder that we needed patience and forbearance—not just with each other’s sins, but with some […]
A Meal in Emmaus
Read: Luke 24:13-27 He interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself. (v. 27) After his resurrection, Jesus met with his disciples, friends, and family on several occasions. Some of these gatherings involved food! In one instance, Jesus ate some fish to prove it was really him, in his body—not a ghost […]