“This is what the Lord says – your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: “I am the Lord your God, who teaches you what is best for you, who directs you in the way you should go.” Isaiah 48:17 The Hebrew for “Redeemer” is also thought of as “arbiter” and “witness”. In light of the…
“The earth is filled with your love, Lord; teach me your decrees.” Psalm 119:64 God’s Word of love is like the sun, filling and brightening everything it touches. In light of God’s mercy, the world might still hear an echo of God’s description of Eden (“God saw all that he had made, and it was…
“Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the Lord our Maker; for he is our God and we are the people of his pasture, the flock under his care. Today, if only you would hear his voice…” Psalm 95:6-7 The word “bow” is synonymous with worship toward God or respect…
“Jesus answered, “The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.”” John 6:29 The crowd had just asked Jesus about righteous “works” in the previous verse, and Jesus answered by singling out one necessary work … to have faith in Him. The people were wanting to do work for God,…
“For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.” Romans 12:4-5 The Greek word we interpret as “member” can also be interpreted as limb or…
“When I said, “My foot is slipping,” your unfailing love, Lord, supported me. When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought me joy.” Psalm 94:18-19 “My foot is slipping” meant imminent death, indicating the serious nature of the threats to the psalmist. “Your unfailing love” or steadfast love is a loyalty to one’s community,…
“By day the Lord directs his love, at night his song is with me— a prayer to the God of my life.” Psalm 42:8 “Directs His love” is a phrase meaning “loyalty” to one’s community, which is the most common term for God’s grace in the Psalms (125 times). Luther described this Hebrew phrase as…
“I keep my eyes always on the Lord. With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken.” Psalm 16:8 King David writes as though the Lord stands beside him and holds his hand, like a father caring for his son. The Lord is the focus of David’s service and his ally. In Israelite…
“For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.” Philippians 1:21 “For to me” is similar to the common expression “As far as I’m concerned.” The phrase “to live is Christ and to die is gain” means Paul would experience gain in his own death because he would be with Christ….
“But, “Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord.” For it is not the one who commends himself who is approved, but the one whom the Lord commends.” 2 Corinthians 10:17-118 Paul began this section by saying he was not going to place himself among the group that commended themselves. The reason he would…