Tag Archives: God’s grace

Loving God; July 26, 2024


Hosea 6:6 For I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice,    the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings. Many English translations say “mercy” here, following the Septuagint, but the ESV (quoted here) and the Japanese go with “love.” This passage as a whole … Continue reading

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Substitutionary Repentance; July 25, 2024


Daniel 9:18 Give ear, our God, and hear; open your eyes and see the desolation of the city that bears your Name. We do not make requests of you because we are righteous, but because of your great mercy. This prayer is often held … Continue reading

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Miracles; July 24, 2024


Daniel 2:11 “What the king asks is too difficult. No one can reveal it to the king except the gods, and they do not live among humans.” On one level, Nebuchadnezzar’s demand was entirely unreasonable, and the “wise men’s” response entirely … Continue reading

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Humility Before God; July 16, 2024


Psalm 143:8 Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love,    for I have put my trust in you.Show me the way I should go,    for to you I entrust my life. Many of David’s Psalms seem to have been written as … Continue reading

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Genuine Repentance; July 4, 2024


Psalm 51:17 My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit;    a broken and contrite heart    you, God, will not despise. This is a very important and very familiar Psalm, and every line of it resonates in my heart as I read it. The circumstances … Continue reading

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Depending on God; July 2, 2024


Psalm 41:5 My enemies say of me in malice,    “When will he die and his name perish?” It is clear from the Psalms that David had plenty of enemies, and he had occasional serious health issues. Even so, he kept his … Continue reading

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God’s Mercy; June 14, 2024


Genesis 19:16 When he hesitated, the men grasped his hand and the hands of his wife and of his two daughters and led them safely out of the city, for the Lord was merciful to them. Sometimes God’s mercy might … Continue reading

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Faith and Works; June 1, 2024


James 2:26 As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead. It is this section that made Martin Luther call James “a book of straw.” Luther was combatting the then-current practice of indulgences, where the … Continue reading

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Standards; May 25, 2024


1 Timothy 6:11 But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. This is a restating of Romans 12:2, specifically aimed at someone who was already committed to serving God. “Do … Continue reading

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Perspective; May 22, 2024


2 Corinthians 7:5 For when we came into Macedonia, this body of ours had no rest, but we were harassed at every turn–conflicts on the outside, fears within. Sometimes we forget what the early believers went through, just as we … Continue reading

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