Spiritual practices that can help you connect with God when working from home.
Guest Barbara Myrick credits prayer at work with stronger relationships and even better work results. She talks to us about the power of prayer at work.
Deb Liu is a former VP at Facebook and the current President and CEO of Ancestry. As a woman who has worked...
How do you respond when you’re being overlooked, disrespected, or even mistreated at work?
Where is God when you're not getting the results you expected?
What would it mean to be an entrepreneur who is driven by faith? We talk with guest Henry Kaestner, a sucessful serial...
Where is God when you're putting out a fire at work, or dealing with a difficult co-worker, or trying to make a...
No matter what, God is with you.
Let the greatness of God inspire your work. Let your work extol the greatness of God.
God has chosen to value your work. Do it all for his glory.
The love of God is precious and it is always there for you.
Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him (Psalm 37:7).
Your deepest longings lie open before the Lord who loves you and wants the very best for you.
Your words matter. Speak the truth in love.
It can be hard to wait patiently on the Lord, but when we do, God draws us near to his heart.
As you seek to work with integrity, God will hold onto you and make his presence known to you.
God is present in your place of work. You can meet God right where you are.
Put your hope in God, even at work.
You can be fully honest with God. Don’t hold back!
As you lead today, let your leadership be characterized by truthfulness, humility, and justice.
As you work today, God is indeed your refuge and strength. Don’t be afraid!
God is the rightful King over all, including your work and workplace.
Live today for what matters most in life.
Consider God’s blessings that you experience as you work, and give thanks . . . often!
No matter what happens, God is your hiding place.
The Lord is your light and salvation. The Lord will protect you with his strength. You can live and work without fear.
If you want to flourish in your work, pay close attention to the works of God, both to delight in them and...
God’s strength and peace are there for you, if you ask.
Your whole life is in God’s trustworthy hand.
All of God’s work is done in faithfulness.
God knows all of your fears and he will deliver you.
You don’t have to hold back when you pray. God, who knows everything in your heart, invites you to be completely honest.
God will guide you in all you do today at work, if you seek him and his paths.
As you trust God today in your work, live with integrity.
The Psalms teach us to pray in many modes, including lament. When we are sad, angry, or distressed, we can tell God...
The Lord is your Good Shepherd, who will lead you in right paths as you work.
The earth and all that it contains belong to the Lord.
God is present with you as you work today.
God is honored when you keep your word, even when it hurts.
The Lord loves justice. How can I do what the Lord loves today?
You can trust in God because God is completely trustworthy.
As I seek to affirm others, may I always speak the truth.
No matter what you face in your work today, you can put your trust in God’s unfailing...
God is available to you, the best consultant you’ll ever have.
When people oppose you, remember that God is always with you. Always!
With God’s help, you can “scale the walls” set before you today.
As you work today, you are reflecting the image of God, the first and best worker.
As good things happen in your work, rejoice in God’s blessings, recognizing his grace at work in your life.
Is there room for God in your work today?
God has given you authority to make a difference in this world through your work.
The Lord, who is known by his acts of justice, calls you to seek justice in every part of life, including your...
God’s grace is at work in you today as you do your work. Can you see it?
The Lord is exalted above everything else. He is Lord of all.
The Lord is a shield around you at all times as you work.
As you pray today, the Lord hears your voice.
God’s grace is rich beyond measure. God’s grace is there for you today.
God has given us the Psalms for many reasons. One of the main ones is to teach...
Meditating on God’s Word will help you to be fruitful in your work.
Every square inch of your world, including your workplace, belongs to the Lord.
God is doing the work of a shepherd today, guiding and caring for you.
Work-themed assignments for a seminary course in Spiritual Formation.
When teaching spiritual formation in a seminary, there are lots of opportunities to focus on real work scenarios.
What if you could experience God's presence in the midst of your ordinary, everyday work?
Speaking up, especially when you’re not in a position of authority, is not easy. So, how do you know when to speak...
Do you remember when you had to print out directions in order to go somewhere? Twenty years ago, few people could telecommute...
This engineer asks God for patience when he reads an angering email.
On Sunday morning, we wave our palms and sing Hosanna in the Highest. It is not hard to get caught up in...
Matthew 6:5-15 5 “And whenever you pray, do not be like the hypocrites; for they love to...
The inventor of the Pack-n-Play, Nate Saint, rose in his family's business from janitor to executive leadership. Saint is named after his...
Using Luke 8, Bill Peel explains that God is ready to help us in our work because all work is God's.
Text: Matthew 6:25-34: Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will...
Churches equipping members to work alongside God Monday through Friday can bring workplace themes into Sunday services.
Then the apostles gathered around Jesus and told him everything they had done and taught. He said to them, “Come with me...
For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire men to work in...
I’ll confess that there were times in the last 30 years when I probably listened more to Joni than to Jesus.
I've been hearing variations of the same conversation for years now.
I began exploring the idea of an online retreat with some skepticism.
Last week I brought up the subject of an online retreat. I confessed that I had no idea if such a thing...
Psalm 120 is the first in a series of psalms known as the "Psalms of Ascent." They were used by the Jewish...
"Yet the news about him spread all the more, so that crowds of people came to hear him and to be healed of their sickness. But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed."
After Jesus was arrested, he was taken to the home of the high priest, where he was interrogated by Jewish leaders from...
Jesus meets us where we are.
I have heard miracles described not as things that should not be, but instead as revealing the way things should be.
About twenty-five years ago, I had lunch with Henri Nouwen.
If we rely only on our feelings, circumstances, or other people as our source of communication from God, we’re left vulnerable to...
It seems sadly ironic that Psalm 122:6 is still just as relevant today as it was when it was written about three millennia ago. If anything, the peace of Jerusalem is even more fragile today.
When Jesus calls us to love our enemies, we might wonder what that really means in practice. Surely, we're not to get all warm and fuzzy when we think about those who seek...
Faith is not just a matter of belief but a life of wholehearted and full-bodied worship. Every part of me and every part of you is required for discipleship.
In your desert moment, don’t fear, but look instead to the promise of a refreshing, rehydrating God.
Our deepest yearnings cannot be fully expressed in words, so Christians must wholeheartedly embrace the arts.
It's 1:00 in the afternoon when I drag the lawn chair out from under the umbrella on the back patio. I’ve learned to protect with necessary vigilance this scheduled break in my day.
Paul must have been sitting near an open window as he wrote to the Ephesians. Every word crackles with infinity.
As current events serve to polarize people further from one another, Kristi Atkinson invites us to consider how people of faith might respond.
We are fearful of getting sick, getting hurt, losing money, or losing it all. But we don’t need to be.
We don’t easily understand God’s purposes for our lives, so we often try to keep him out.
What I learned from a cancer center doorman and the US Navy’s chief.
During each of Steve Resch's heart events, he needed a place to stand. God gave it to Steve in His Word.
God is present and active, drawing me to Himself, even as I draw the broom across the floor.
My friend Dave Williamson discovered something about God in a hotel Christmas display.
Jesus’ world was jam-packed with gods. Remember the Greek gods? They stretched from A to Z, from Aphrodite to Zeus.
Jesus warned that hypocrites pray before people, but his disciples were to pray to God. Specifically he said, “Pray to your Father...
How do you navigate the online space as witness over argument, testimony over talking points?
We are grateful that you know precisely what our frustrated groans mean. Take our groans, and turn them into prayers, in accordance...
Happy New Year!
During one of the semester breaks of my college years, I volunteered to help strip and wax the floors of our student...
Every church creates its own culture—a blend of leaders, congregations, neighborhood, city, state and nation, along with language(s) spoken and theological orientation...
In yesterday’s reflection, we consider Zechariah’s hesitant and doubtful response to the angel’s news that Elizabeth, his elderly wife, would bear a son.
Advent: a season of hope and expectation.
Howard Butt Jr. shares a message about a mother's love. At the end of the day, true relationships are about grace, not grudges.
Psalm 80 begins with a cry to God, who is addressed as the “Shepherd of Israel” because he has led Joseph’s descendants...
We roll our bags down the entry hallway of Children’s Hospital, past a colorful abstract butterfly mural. We’re here for a scheduled...
Years ago, a mentor told me, “Show me your bank account, and I’ll show you your true self.”
This is the fourth talk of Andy Mills' five-part series on faith and work. Andy Mills is the former CEO of the...
Psalm 113 celebrates the greatness of God. It calls us to praise the Lord because he is “high above the nations” (113:4).
In yesterday’s reflection, we focused on the first part of Ephesians 5:15, “Be very careful, then, how...
How do you find meaning in your work? How do you discern your calling? What is it...
Jesus’ prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane is, in my opinion, the most unexpected prayer ever. There is no prayer in Scripture...
Some Christians don’t pay attention to Jesus’ hyperbolic teaching style or broader biblical teaching on God’s nature, and we turn Mark 11:2...
Throughout his ministry, Jesus had proclaimed the coming of the kingdom of God. For first-century Jews, this implied that a divinely anointed royal figure would soon expel the Romans from Judea.
“We want you to do whatever we ask of you.” Wow! Now that’s some request. It’s as if they wanted a blank...
1 Timothy 2:2 is one of the most regularly disobeyed verses in the Bible, and maybe that isn't too bad. Now, before...
Psalm 105 begins with a call to praise the Lord (v. 1). It adds that we should sing praise to him (v. 2), rejoice (v. 3), and seek his face (v. 4). Then...
Sometimes you run out of words. ...
I grew up in a culture that frowned upon swearing. In my family, I wasn't even supposed to say things like "Shut...
Although I have heard the story of Easter every single year I have been alive, the grace of God still seems so mysterious.
The heading of Psalm 102 identifies this psalm as “A prayer of one overwhelmed with trouble, pouring out problems before the LORD”.
At the end of the Sermon on the Mount, we are told, “Now when Jesus had finished...
The Seven Last Words of Christ for Holy Week
A week of little deaths, that’s what Holy Week is for us.
Psalm 98 celebrates the power and victory of God. It calls us to praise him because of what he has done to save the world.
Psalm 96 begins with a simple imperative: “Sing a new song to the LORD!” If you look up all of the Hebrew...
Peals of laughter and a chorus of squeals drifted from the living room into the kitchen, where I stood with my hands...
Resources from The High Calling for ambitious Christians who want to serve others and glorify God through their work.
Late January through about February, I start to get cranky. I think, deep down, more of my less-than-savory attitude has to do...
When I was thirteen years old, I invited my friend Danny to my church's winter camp. Though he was not a Christian, he and his parents were glad to have Danny join me...
EDITOR’S NOTE: This week at The High Calling, we’re focusing on "what holds you back in your work." Here on the Community...
It's easy to praise God when life is good. It's a gorgeous spring day . . . praise the Lord! I just...
Psalm 88 aches with dark despair.
When the going gets tough, Isaiah reminds the Israelites to remember the Lord. Isaiah recounts God’s steadfast love, remembering everything God had...
The prologue of John’s Gospel tells the story of Christmas, but not in the usual manner. We don’t have angels and shepherds...
Today is a special holiday in the Christian year (sometimes called the liturgical year or the church year). It is Christ the...
There are many reasons to praise the Lord. Scripture repeatedly calls us to do it, so we praise God out of obedience...
Our time of preparing to celebrate the birth of Christ is drawing to a close. ...
Luke 1:46-55 is Mary's song of praise to God. It spills out of her heart after her relative Elizabeth, the expectant mother of John the Baptist, acknowledged her blessedness as the mother of Jesus....
Psalm 86:11 is one of my favorite Scripture verses. In fact, I used this verse as the basis for my pre-sermon prayer for many years when I was the pastor of Irvine Presbyterian Church.
Time and again throughout the Psalms, we read the plaintive question, “How long?”
When my children were young, I loved to go hiking with them in the High Sierra of California. They were energetic hikers...
Most of the teaching I have had throughout my life as a Christian have been trustworthy, based on an accurate interpretation of...
A friend leaned over the table at Starbucks yesterday morning during a pre-work chat and confided, "You really don’t want to know...
One of my favorite scenes in literature appears in Charles Dickens' novel, Oliver Twist. Oliver, an unfortunate...
I am one of those peculiar people who wakes up with a song in my head. It happens almost every morning. And...
Today is Independence Day in the United States. On this day, commonly called The Fourth of July, we Americans celebrate the signing...
Throughout the five decades of my Christian life, I have heard at least a hundred sermons or teachings on prayer. I have...
Psalm 44:23-24 comes in the context of an extended lament, in which the psalmist accuses God of mistreating his people, even though...
Christian Educators Association International (CEAI) is the only professional association in the United States specifically for Christian educators in public schools. Their mission states, "CEAI...
As a graduate student, one of my responsibilities is leading discussion sections for the University’s required literature class. Usually I’m working with students who are much smarter than I, or at...
re·solve [ri-zolv]: to come to a definite or earnest decision about; determine (to do something): I have resolved that I shall live to the full. ...
That power is the same as the mighty strength he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at...
I have just begun my sixth year as the main author of the Daily Reflections. I consider the opportunity to write these...
I am three years old, and I am hungry. I sit in a honey-colored wooden chair and press the small of my back up against its hard slats. My two brothers, my sister...
Over the years, "Away in a Manger" has been the source of considerable perplexity for me, though I've always felt fond of the song.
May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing to you, O LORD, my rock and my...
Psalm 18 celebrates God's deliverance of David from danger and distress. "The ropes of death entangled me," he writes, "floods of destruction...
Moral chaos breeds chaos.
Psalm 12 begins with a dire description of a culture on the road to ruin: "[T]he godly are fast disappearing! The faithful...
What is prayer? The most basic answer says that prayer is talking to God. Sometimes we talk to God through singing. Sometimes...
Each week, millions of Christians throughout the world gather together in order to offer praise to God.
Editor's Note: Each year, Laity Lodge hosts a writer's retreat. The retreat provides a safe and intimate environment for serious dialogue about the craft of writing and the writing life, and a chance...
Perhaps one of my least favorite parts of being a pastor is hearing people’s complaints. During my sixteen-year tenure as Senior Pastor...
In more than a thousand reflections, I have never before printed such a large portion of the biblical text. Usually, as you know, I focus on one or perhaps two verses. But, today...
Psalm 139 begins with David’s acknowledgement that God has “examined” his heart.
"Prayer should be brief, frequent, and intense."
Lift up holy hands in prayer, and praise the LORD. Psalms 134:2 Although I usually use the Psalms as the basis for...
I've been a Christian for almost half a century. I've sat through hundreds of sermons and delivered hundreds of my own. I've...
I want to live the best kind of life. I want to make my life count. I don't want to waste my...
He turned the rock into a pool of water; yes, a spring of water flowed from solid rock. Psalm 114:8 Do you...
In the Common English Bible, the Lord addresses Ezekiel as “Human one.” Most English translations prefer the traditional “Son of man.”
“LORD, help!” they cried in their trouble, and he rescued them from their distress. Psalm 107:6 Psalm 107 reminds us to “Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good!” (107:1). The bulk...
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Search for the LORD and for his strength; continually seek him. Psalm 105:4 Psalm 105 calls God’s people to give him thanks and praise in response to his “wonders” (105:5). The bulk of...
Then Jesus shouted, “Father, I entrust my spirit into your hands!” And with those words he breathed his last. Luke 23:46 Today...
He will feed his flock like a shepherd. He will carry the lambs in his arms, holding them close to his heart. He will gently lead the mother sheep with their young. Isaiah...
He walked away, about a stone’s throw, and knelt down and prayed. Luke 22:41 From the top...
It is good to proclaim your unfailing love in the morning, your faithfulness in the evening. Psalm 92:2 I wonder what would...
O LORD, I cry out to you. I will keep on pleading day by day. Psalm 88:13 Chances are you won’t hear...
“Keep alert at all times. And pray that you might be strong enough to escape these coming horrors and stand before the Son of Man.” Luke 21:36 If Jesus is coming again, how...
After Jesus entered Jerusalem to the cheers of his followers, who expected him to confront the Romans and begin his messianic work...
“So don’t you think God will surely give justice to his chosen people who cry out to him day and night? Will...
When have you experienced God’s love for you? Are you open to an even deeper experience of God’s love?
In yesterday’s reflection, I began to consider the implications of the fact that God knows our hearts. Today, I want to add...
The Pharisees weren’t too happy with Jesus’ claim that we cannot serve two masters, both God and money.
But I will keep on hoping for your help; I will praise you more and more. Psalm 71:14 Psalm 71 is a prayer for deliverance offered by an unnamed poet who has repeatedly...
Texas is currently enduring one of the three worst droughts in our recorded history. We’ve had only one significant rainfall since February. The greens of our native South Texas plants tend toward muted...
Do you find yourself more inclined to pray for leaders with whom you agree or disagree?
But I keep praying to you, LORD, hoping this time you will show me favor. In your unfailing love, O God, answer...
I recently consulted with a colleague regarding the direction of a new business venture. My company had accumulated some cash, and I was hot for an acquisition. Or three. Kevin was good at...
O my Strength, to you I sing praises, for you, O God, are my refuge, the God who shows me unfailing love. Psalm 59:17 Psalm 59 begins as David’s cry to be rescued...
“So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give...
Today, we continue to let Jesus teach us how to pray by examining Luke’s version of the Lord’s Prayer.
Once Jesus was in a certain place praying. As he finished, one of his disciples came to him and said, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.” Luke 11:...
Come, everyone! Clap your hands! Shout to God with joyful praise! Psalm 47:1 In the past three decades, Christians throughout the world have learned to worship more expressively. Even in formerly staid mainline...
We collapse in the dust, lying face down in the dirt. Rise up! Help us! Ransom us because of your unfailing love. Psalm 44:25-26 Has your life ever been so difficult that you...
Why am I discouraged? Why is my heart so sad? I will put my hope in God! I will praise him again—my Savior and my God! Psalm 43:5 If Psalm 43 seems strangely...
Coming up behind Jesus, she touched the fringe of his robe. Immediately, the bleeding stopped. Luke 8:44 Luke 8:40-56 records two miracles...
You know what I long for, Lord; you hear my every sigh. Psalm 38:9 Psalm 38 was written in a time of deep anguish and exhaustion. David was physically ill, believing that his...
I grew up Baptist, so the only thing I knew about rosaries was that Catholics used them to pray memorized prayers, like the Hail Mary.
Now during those days he went out to the mountain to pray; and he spent the night in prayer to God. And when day came, he called his disciples and chose twelve of...
He has brought down princes from their thrones and exalted the humble. Luke 1:52 Luke 1:46-55 is Mary's song of praise to...
Then Moses and Aaron went into the Tabernacle, and when they came back out, they blessed the people again, and the glory of the LORD appeared to the whole community. Fire blazed forth...
O LORD, how long will you forget me? Forever? How long will you look the other way? Psalms 13:1 Psalm 13 is a desperate cry to God. It is an example of the...
When have you felt really, really joyful? When have you been so full of gladness that you just couldn't keep it inside?
In Psalm 143, David cries out to the Lord for help.
I grew up in a family of four children. My brother, sisters, and I got along fairly well, though we had our moments of conflict.
Have you ever awakened on a Sunday morning and thought, “Why do I have to go to church today?”
Having recently left a 20-year engagement as a minister at Covenant Baptist Church, I’m suddenly asking a question that is both familiar and unfamiliar. ...
The first line of Psalm 130 is one of the most frequently quoted of the Psalms: “Out of the depths have I cried unto thee, O LORD” (130:1, KJV).
You might expect confession and pardon in church movies, but not in Hollywood. At least not as the climax. This Oscar winner kneels until its sins are no more.
In 1977, as the praise and worship wave was just beginning to crash on the beaches of the American church, Pete Sanchez, Jr., took Psalm 97:9 in the King James version and wrote...
Psalm 77, written by Asaph, begins with a profound expression of anguish. The psalmist has found himself in a terribly difficult and painful situation. He has cried out to God, even shouting and...
Think about the people around you in your daily work. How can you pray for them?
Journalist Howard Van Smith had long admired a friend whose very presence brought people a feeling of peace. Van Smith asked his friend where such calm came from, and his friend answered with a...
In yesterday’s reflection, I wrote about God’s confounding compassion. He hears our cries. He reaches out to save us. God’s mercy astounds us as he gives us so much better than we deserve...
For many Christians, holiness is thought to be a static state of purity. If we are holy, then we don’t do certain...
When Moses approached the burning bush, God told him to keep his distance and to take off his shoes because he was...
When Moses approached the burning bush, God said to him: “Do not come any closer. . . . Take off your sandals...
When Moses came upon a burning bush that was not consumed, he was understandably curious. But when he started to investigate, God...
Moses, exiled from Egypt, was tending his father-in-law’s sheep in Midian. He led them far into the wilderness, to the place we...
For years, Moses sojourned in Midian, having fled from Egypt because the Pharaoh sought his life. During this period, the Israelites continued...
Today we finish what we began on January 1. This will be our final reflection on Paul’s letter to the Romans. Some Bibles indicate that the verses of Romans 16:25-27 do not appear...
Last Friday’s reflection was based on Romans 16:18. In this verse, the Apostle Paul criticized those who, in the guise of serving...
My children like to ride roller coasters. So, as a dutiful father, I often join them. I actually enjoy some roller coasters...
Psalm 29:2 summons us to “worship the LORD in the splendor of his holiness.” How do we do this? What does this...
Several years ago, I was struggling to define more clearly my sense of calling. I had been serving the Lord as a pastor for many years. I loved most of my pastoral work...
In yesterday’s reflection, I talked about how we can team up with our fellow ministers of Christ through prayer. Today we will see from another perspective how serving Christ is truly a team...
Earlier this month I watched on television as the University of North Carolina Tar Heels won the NCAA Basketball championship. The Tar Heels dominated their opponents on their way to victory in...
In this section of Romans 15, Paul describes his apostolic ministry to the Romans, who, for the most part, had not met Paul at the time of writing. He is enthusiastic about his...
We often use the word “hope” when we want something to happen, but have little assurance that it will. I hope my mechanic won’t tell me I need new brakes, even though I’m...
On this Easter Sunday, we celebrate the defeat of death. Psalm 30 gives us words to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus and its implications.The images of Psalm 30 take on new meaning in light of...
There are many reasons to worship God, more than I could possibly state in this reflection, or even in a thousand. At the core, we worship God because of who God is and...
Some years ago, Alan King conducted a series of interviews meant to be an oral history of comedians, especially stand-ups. In conversation with Jerry Seinfeld, King, a rather splendid comedian...
Today is Palm Sunday, the first day of Holy Week. On this day, Christians remember Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem, and we prepare for a deeper participation in the crucial events of this...
I grew up in a culture that was uncomfortable with sadness. When children cried, they were urged to stop. If adults broke...
Today I want to base my reflection on two verses from Psalm 22. In the first verse, the psalmist laments God’s lack...
We look up at the ceiling, which is abruptly shifting. Our hands suddenly appear to be miles away. We find ourselves running a race without a finish line and almost drowning in a...
Psalm 17 overflows with David’s prayers of asking: hear my plea, listen to my cry, pay attention to my prayer, declare me innocent, show me your unfailing love, guard me, protect me, rescue...
Lent leaped over the traditional boundary between sacramental and evangelical churches. Where once you could only find Lent in Catholic, Episcopalian, and other high church traditions, now...
When I was seventeen years old, I received a new Bible. For some reason, I thought it would be good to read through the entire book of Romans in one sitting. I had...
The transition from Romans 8 to Romans 9 is a sharp and surprising one. Paul has just affirmed the incredible good news...
A few days ago, we noted the amazing truth that the very Spirit of God prays for us (vv. 26-27). Today we add to our amazement. In Romans 8:34, we see not only...
Groaning is a thread woven through the middle of Romans 8. As we saw in last week’s reflections, creation groans as it awaits the new creation yet to come. We join the natural...
Three times within ten verses, Romans 8 uses the unusual language of groaning. In today’s reflection, will focus on the first of these instances. Future reflections will examine the other two.In...
In yesterday’s reflection I talked about how the idea of God as father is difficult for many people because of their painful...
Jesus spoke to God as his Father, using the Aramaic term abba. This expressed shocking intimacy with God, something virtually unknown among...
Because we have been adopted into God’s family, we are privileged to call him “Abba, Father.”
This verse reflects an image from the Old Testament. In Exodus, the Lord delivered the children of God from Egypt, and then led them through the wilderness by a pillar of cloud during...
I can't read Psalm 8:4 without remembering how it sounds in the older translations: "What is man that Thou art mindful of him?" (KJV). And I can’t hear the classic translation of this...
If you were reading Psalm 6 in the original Hebrew, you might be shocked by the opening imperative of verse 4 (which happens to be verse 5 in Hebrew). The verb “to return”...
The prophet yearns for the salvation of Jerusalem. Thus he cannot stop praying for her “until her righteousness shines like the dawn.” A few verses later, he urges his fellow Israelites to “give...
Do you ever feel like the “restless sea, which is never still but continually churns up mud and dirt”? I do, though...
Ever study birds on a power line? Dozens . . . hundreds . . . side-by-side, chirping away—oblivious to the power surge right under their feet.We Christians can be equally clueless. The Holy Spirit...
The prophecies of Isaiah testify to the “deep waters” and “fires” of Israel’s experience. Because of her persistent rejection of the Lord...
I can still hear echoes of my Sunday School teacher quoting Isaiah 26:3 in the classic language of the King James Version: “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee:...
We pray, not only for ourselves, our families, and our churches, but also for the whole world, including the nations.
When I was young I was taught that one ought to have a "quiet time," as it was sometimes called, a time of prayer and solitude.
As Jesus suffered on the cross, he cried out to his Heavenly Father with familiar words: “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?” This question is the opening line from Psalm...
I hate it when God says no. And that day, He said "No" with an exclamation point. The winter sun shone through the clouds like a dirty tennis ball and glinted off the...
The New Living Translation of Matthew 7:7 adds "keep on" to the more common trio of imperatives (ask, seek, knock). This is not a creative paraphrase, however. If anything, it is a literal...
Have you ever had an experience like that of Jacob? I'm not thinking so much of his dream as I am of his surprised recognition that "the Lord is in this place, and...
Hagar is my unlikely daily-life heroine. Why? Because she encounters God in the midst of a terrible day. Probably the worst day...
I wonder how Abraham felt as he looked upon the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. Though Genesis 19 confirms the pervasive evil of these cities, Abraham had hoped for their deliverance. In fact,...
God's commitment to justice led him to condemn the evil city of Sodom. Yet, in an astonishing display of boldness, Abraham challenged God's standards of justice. He appealed for Sodom on the basis...
In the previous verses, God had promised to Abraham that his wife, now called Sarah, would bear a son. So what does...
In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. (Rom. 6:11)
In the late sixties, Pete Seeger recorded a hit song called "Turn! Turn! Turn!" The words are from the Bible. The third chapter of Ecclesiastes says, "For everything there is a time and...
"Set your seal upon this rebel girl," ...
Illuminated by streetlights and oncoming headlights, raindrops chased each other down the window of the car. This isn’t happening. I studied the raindrops bumping, merging, and colliding, as if I...
Are you willing to offer up what you do every day as a prayer to God?
Be still and know that I am God . . . Psalm 46:10 ...
St. Matthew’s gospel tells of a middle-night incident for Jesus’ disciples. They are frightened, seasick, and confused by the behavior of crowds—first wanting Jesus to be their king, then angry...
(with adaptation of Emil Nolde's Dance around the Golden Calf, has 12 figurines) 2001 installed, app. 12" x 22" x 12" glazed porcelain with gold. For more detail, visit www.gingergeyer.com. Everything was under...
John Kavanagh went to Calcutta to work with Mother Teresa. While there, he asked her to pray for him. “What should I pray for?” she asked.
God of Creation, you made us to love with the love You so abundantly lavished on us through our Savior, Jesus Christ. On our own we cannot see people, events, even our own...
How does what you do relate to who you are? If the culture devalues your vocation, do you give less effort? Who tells you who you are? Which voices are loudest? Can God...
Equipping churches see their people’s daily work as part of the church’s ministry. These churches have begun to ask, ‘Where are our...
These churches are changing their approaches to worship. The connections between work and worship are explored in the songs they sing, the...
These churches are helping their people discover new ways of nourishing and living out their faith in...
The leaders of equipping churches have started to think about the complete mission of God as well...
Although people make individual and family offerings at appointed times, there is also a sacrifice on behalf of the entire nation every...
Joshua chapter 9 describes how the people of Gibeon deceived the people of Israel. They wanted the Israelites to believe they lived...
Christians are called to work not only at the small enterprise and person-to-person level in seeking to alleviate poverty, but also at...
We can seek guidance about provision from God and expect that doing so will help us meet our needs, the needs of...
God denounces the three friends whose arrogant proclamation of false wisdom had so tormented Job. In a satisfying and ironic twist, he...
Jesus’ healing in this episode occurs through personal touch.
Second Corinthians begins with Paul’s sincere thanks for the deep relationship he has with the Corinthians. They are so closely knit together...
In fact, Philippians gives us three examples—Paul, Epaphroditus, and Timothy—to show us how all Christians are meant...
Paul’s advice to Timothy is balanced: Live in peace and cooperation with those around us. Seek to...
Selfish Ambition Is the Impediment to Peacemaking (James 3:16–4:11) Selfish ambition is the opposite of serving the needs of others. The passage...
Each day of this reading plan takes a piece of The Lord's Prayer and shows how to apply it to your work.
This devotional shows you 5 ways to use prayer in your daily work.
As most of us navigate the daily changing of tides with news around the health and safety of our world, communities, and...
Lord, thank you for caterers and their gift of spinning so many plates in the air. Their work has literally come to a halt because of social distancing, which means little cash on...
This content is part of the Ruth and Parables curriculum, an 11-week integrated sermon and small group series on faith and work...
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