Isaiah 14:24, 26-27 24 The Lord Almighty has sworn, “Surely, as I have planned, so it will be, and as I have purposed, so it will happen. 26 This is the plan determined for the whole world; this is the hand stretched out over all nations. 27 For the Lord Almighty has purposed, and who can thwart him? His hand is stretched out, and who can turn it back? Isaiah 25:1 1 Lord, you are my God;     I will exalt you and praise your name, for in perfect faithfulness     you have done wonderful things,     things planned long ago. Reflection: [...]

Psalm 30:5 (NRSV) 5 For his anger is but for a moment;     his favor is for a lifetime. Weeping may linger for the night,     but joy comes with the morning. Reflection: This verse from the Book of Psalms gives us a glimpse into the mind and time of David, when it was not uncommon for plague, famine, or misfortune to shape an entire generation. Such dark times were construed as a punishment from God, and the people would give penance to receive God’s blessing and favor would then be restored. David knew of heartbreak, worry, [...]

Hebrews 10:22-24 (NIV) 22 Let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water.  23 Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. 24 And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Reflection: Much of my thinking these days during this pandemic has been about how we, as Christians, show our faith and hope to others. I [...]

Job 11:17-19 17 And your life will be brighter than the noonday; its darkness will be like the morning.  18 And you will have confidence, because there is HOPE; you will be protected and take your rest in safety. 19 You will lie down, and none will make you afraid; many will entreat your favor. Reflection: There are two wonderful Bible stories of suffering and hope. They flash to the front of my mind when I catch myself grumbling and grousing about the inconveniences and hardships, and even death, that we are currently experiencing due to the worldwide pandemic. [...]

Luke 1:13-17 (NIV) 13But the angel said to him: “Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to call him John. 14 He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth, 15 for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He is never to take wine or other fermented drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even before he is born. 16 He will bring back many of the people of Israel [...]

Genesis 8:21-22  21 And when the Lord smelled the pleasing odor, the Lord said in his heart, “I will never again curse the ground because of humankind, for the inclination of the human heart is evil from youth; nor will I ever again destroy every living creature as I have done.22 As long as the earth endures,    seedtime and harvest, cold and heat,summer and winter, day and night,    shall not cease.” Genesis 9:13I have set my bow in the clouds, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and the earth. Reflection:Throughout history, as early as the first days of Creation [...]

Psalm 118:24 “This is the day which the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.” Reflection: I love this scripture. It was always an easy one to remember in our VBS memory verse quizzes as a child, and it’s one I can speak aloud daily without second thought. Seeing the sunrise in the morning when I used to be commuting to work always reminded me of this scripture and helped me to start my day off with the right intention and focus. Besides, it’s so easy to rejoice when the chaos of your day hasn’t [...]