Posted December 18, 2023 | Judith Ingram
Just as David, the youngest of Jesse’s sons, was the least likely to be chosen as king of Israel, so was tiny Bethlehem the least likely birthplace to be chosen for the Son of God. And just as God’s favor fell on Mary, a humble teenaged girl, and her faithful but barren elderly cousin Elizabeth, granting them both motherhood most unexpectedly, so does God choose and favor his children today in ways that can seem to us strange and unlikely. In our most unwelcome and hurtful circumstances, we may very well fail to recognize God’s steadfast goodness and favor to us.
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Posted December 11, 2023 | Judith Ingram
Scripture
2 Timothy 1:7 ESV
For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.
Consider
When someone harms us with a thoughtless, selfish, or malicious act, we may instinctively respond by erecting an emotional barrier. This barrier gives us time to sort out what has happened, to decide what it means to us, and to determine whether we will simply let the offense go and take the barrier down or keep the barrier in place. Especially in cases where our trust has been betrayed, this barrier can harden into a stubborn wall of unforgiveness.
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Posted December 4, 2023 | Judith Ingram
Scripture
Matthew 5:6 ESV
“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.”
Consider
In his Sermon on the Mount, Jesus tells his disciples that God blesses those who hunger and thirst for righteousness. Such yearning for right living motivates the believer not only to love and serve God but also to love and serve other people and to promote peace and well-being in the human community, whether local, national, or global.
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Posted November 27, 2023 | Judith Ingram
Scripture
Hebrews 3:12-13 NIV
See to it, brothers and sisters, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called “Today,” so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness.
Consider
The author of Hebrews is warning Christians not to be tempted away from God and God’s ways by “sin’s deceitfulness.” Calling on the story of the rebellious Israelites, who turned away from God after their exodus from Egypt, the author warns Christians not to fall into the same trap.
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Posted November 20, 2023 | Judith Ingram
Scripture
Isaiah 26:8-9a NLT
LORD, we show our trust in you by obeying your laws; our heart’s desire is to glorify your name. All night long I search for you; in the morning I earnestly seek for God.
Consider
Who but Jesus has perfect faith? The Old Testament heroes of faith listed in Hebrews 11 are remembered for their examples of trusting God through difficult times. But did they ever doubt their faith in God? Like the desperate father who begged Jesus to release his demon-possessed son, did they ever cry out, “I do believe, but help me overcome my unbelief”?
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