As the Day Ends “Let all things be done decently and in order.” —1 Corinthians 14:40 Evening Meditation Paul originally wrote these words to correct disorder in the worship of the Corinthian church. The Greek word euschēmonōs, translated “decently,” carries the sense of acting honorably and appropriately, while taxis, translated “order,” describes a proper arrangement.Continue reading “Faith That Welcomes the Light”
Category Archives: An Evening Prayer
When Love Puts On Work Clothes
As the Day Ends “My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth.” —1 John 3:18 As this day ends, John invites us to examine the distance between what we said and what we did. We may have spoken kindly about compassion, promised to pray, orContinue reading “When Love Puts On Work Clothes”
When Wisdom Asks for the Keys
As the Day Ends “How much better it is to get wisdom than gold! And to get understanding is to be chosen rather than silver.” —Proverbs 16:16 Proverbs does not say that gold and silver are worthless. It says wisdom and understanding are better. Wealth can purchase comfort, but it cannot tell us what ourContinue reading “When Wisdom Asks for the Keys”
A Faith Worth Suffering For
As the Day Ends “So they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for His name.” —Acts 5:41 As the day ends, Acts 5 brings us face-to-face with a Christianity that refuses to promise comfort without a cross. The apostles had been arrested, threatened, and beatenContinue reading “A Faith Worth Suffering For”
When the Light Reaches What We Hide
As the Day Ends “And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.” — John 3:19 Jesus identifies more than an intellectual problem in John 3. The Greek word for light, phōs, represents the truth, holiness, and saving presenceContinue reading “When the Light Reaches What We Hide”
Trusting the Father Beyond What We Can See
As the Day Ends “I will lead the blind by ways they have not known, along unfamiliar paths I will guide them; I will turn the darkness into light before them and make the rough places smooth. These are the things I will do; I will not forsake them.” —Isaiah 42:16 Evening Meditation As thisContinue reading “Trusting the Father Beyond What We Can See”
When the Night Is Dark but Christ Is Near
As the Day Ends “And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” — Matthew 28:20 There are evenings when the world feels heavier than it did when we woke. News reports may be troubling, circumstances may have shifted, and problems we hoped would resolve themselves may still be waitingContinue reading “When the Night Is Dark but Christ Is Near”
When Ordinary Things Become Holy
As the Day Ends “My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness.” — 2 Corinthians 12:9 As this day closes, it is worth remembering that most of our lives are not lived in dramatic spiritual moments. They are lived in kitchens, workplaces, vehicles, hallways, waiting rooms, conversations, errands, andContinue reading “When Ordinary Things Become Holy”
Leave the Grudge at the Cross
As the Day Ends “Jesus said, ‘Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.’” — Luke 23:34 There are burdens we carry because life placed them on us, and there are burdens we keep carrying because we refuse to put them down. Resentment is often one of the latter. Someone woundsContinue reading “Leave the Grudge at the Cross”
Becoming What Grace Has Already Begun
As the Day Ends “…our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.” — 2 Timothy 1:10 As this day comes to a close, it is worth remembering that the Christian life is not a finished product displayed for inspection. It is a life underContinue reading “Becoming What Grace Has Already Begun”