Fear and anxiety are rampant in our world. It is easy to understand why. The pandemic reminded us of the fragile nature of our lives, jobs, and the economy. While there are days when life feels precarious, today’s psalm describes how God’s people remained secure and joyful in a world just as uncertain as ourContinue reading “A Psalm of Hope”
Author Archives: Intentional Faith
His Promise…
The Invisible Hand
The Virginian, tall and stately and ramrod straight, stepped onto the crowded second-floor balcony of the old Federal Building in lower Manhattan and took his place beside a large decorative Bible. A thunderous roar erupted from the sea of people on Wall Street, followed by tense silence as everyone strained to hear the man’s voice.Continue reading “The Invisible Hand”
They Do Not Understand Him
“Why is it that you were looking for me? Did you not know that I had to be in My Father’s house?” (Luke 2:49). We find this story of an event in Jesus’s childhood only in Luke, as we might expect since Dr. Luke likely knew Mary better than the other gospel writers did. TheContinue reading “They Do Not Understand Him”
The Best Hope of All Time
For I know the plans I have for you, says the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope (Jeremiah 29:11 RSV). The sure sign that we have an authentic relationship with God is that we believe more in the future than in the past. The pastContinue reading “The Best Hope of All Time”
My First Bike
Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.MATTHEW 11:28–30 I remember learningContinue reading “My First Bike”
Mercy
“Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy” (Matthew 5:7). This is the fifth Beatitude. When Matthew gets to this point in the Beatitudes, the concern changes, the stress shifts, and the tone turns. In the first four Beatitudes, the emphasis was on our attitude. The fifth through the seventh Beatitudes emphasize our action.Continue reading “Mercy”
Change
Repentance has become one of the forgotten words in our English vocabulary. Yet it was the message of all the prophets. It was the message John the Baptist preached in the Jordan Valley. It was the message of Jesus as He commenced His ministry, saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (MatthewContinue reading “Change”
The Retribution of Mercy
“Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy” (Matthew 5:7).The person who is merciful is described as being “kind,” or “forgiving,” or “people who take pity on others,” and “who show mercy to others.” What motivates “the merciful” is the reception of mercy. Next, what motivates “the merciful” is the reward of mercy. WeContinue reading “The Retribution of Mercy”
A Magnet
A magnet is a material or object that produces a magnetic field. This magnetic field is invisible but is responsible for the most notable property of a magnet: a force that pulls on other ferromagnetic materials. The definition of magnetice is – possessing an extraordinary power or ability to attract. Jesus is a magnetic PersonContinue reading “A Magnet”
Intentional Faith 