Scripture: Hosea 11:8-9 “Oh, how can I give you up, Israel? How can I let you go? How can I destroy you like Admah or demolish you like Zeboiim? My heart is torn within me, and my compassion overflows. No, I will not unleash my fierce anger. I will not completely destroy Israel, for I am God and not a mere mortal. I [...]
Scripture: Luke 6:37 “Stop criticizing others, or it will all come back on you.” Observation: Heh – another NLT specialty that should really be translated as “don’t condemn” rather than “don’t criticize.” Que sera, sera. Sometime before Christmas break I realized (again) how critical I am and how ugly it is. Every criticism is devoid [...]
Scripture: Luke 6:36 “You must be compassionate, just as your Father is compassionate.” Observation: Luke 6 is just brutal. Christ gives all sorts of warnings, admonishments, and instructions – each indictments of my basic nature. This verse flipped a switch in the way I view compassion. Typically it is referred to as a gift – [...]
Scripture: Jeremiah 38:20 – Jeremiah tells King Zedekiah “You won’t be handed over [to die] if you choose to obey the Lord. Your life will be spared, and all will go well for you.” Observation: Judah is being punished for years of egregious sin against the Lord. King Zedekiah is the lucky leader of the [...]
Scripture: Matthew 24:12-13 “Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved.” (NIV) Observation: I have experienced this feeling, and I think it is common to man. Seeing wickedness and iniquity often calluses the heart, even against just one person. [...]
Scripture: Matthew 14:13-14 “As soon as Jesus heard [of John's death], he left in a boat to a remote area to be alone. But the crowds heard where he was headed and followed on foot from many towns. Jesus saw the huge crowd as he stepped from the boat, and he had compassion on them [...]