Daily Bread — Monday, September 30, 2024
Oh, let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end, but establish the just; for the righteous God tests the hearts and minds. My defense is of God, who saves the upright in heart. (Psalm 7:9-10) In concert with issues we discussed in the previous devotion, notice...
26 Elul — Standing Firm
This day commemorates the second day of Creation. As in our previous installment, there is no way to know for certain if this is accurate or not, but assuming it is, let’s look at what happened on the second day of creation: Then God said, “Let there be a firmament in...
Daily Bread — Sunday, September 29, 2024
Arise, O Lord, in Your anger; lift Yourself up because of the rage of my enemies; rise up for me to the judgment You have commanded! (Psalm 7:6) When one considers all the psalms said to be written by David and then observe how many times he prayed for God to act...
25 Elul — Answer The Call: Be Light!
Judaism believes it was on this day, the 25th of Elul, that Creation began. This belief is based on another tradition which assigns the day that Adam was created on as the first day of Tishri, also known as Yom Teruah (the Feast of Trumpets). The Bible tells us that...
Daily Bread — Saturday, September 28, 2024
O Lord my God, in You I put my trust; save me from all those who persecute me; and deliver me, lest they tear me like a lion, rending me in pieces, while there is none to deliver. (Psalm 7:1-2) Reading through the psalms ascribed to David, it doesn't take long to...
24 Elul — Keep Working!
It was on this day, in 520 B.C., that Zerubbabel and the people of Judea began to clear the Temple site in preparation of construction of the Second Temple. We can read about this in the book of Haggai: “So the Lord stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel the son of...
Daily Bread — Friday, September 27, 2024
All night I make my bed swim; I drench my couch with my tears. My eye wastes away because of grief; it grows old because of all my enemies. Depart from me, all you workers of iniquity; for the Lord has heard the voice of my weeping. (Psalm 6:6-8) According to Jewish...
23 Elul — Were It Not For
There’s an old saying, attributed to George Santayana, that says: “Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it.” During the month of Elul we are reminded of this truth, because the month of Elul is the time of year that we are called upon to...
Daily Bread — Thursday, September 26, 2024
Return, O Lord, deliver me! Oh, save me for Your mercies’ sake! For in death there is no remembrance of You; in the grave who will give You thanks? (Psalm 6:4-5) According to some commentators, when David wrote this he was very ill and under intense pressure due to...
22 Elul — I Am My Beloved’s
The month of Elul is a time when we are to be looking inwardly, examining our hearts with the intent to weed out those things that are unfruitful and not conducive to life. We are provoked to do this, especially at this time, because we are approaching the time of the...
Daily Bread — Wednesday, September 25, 2024
My soul also is greatly troubled; but You, O Lord—how long? Return, O Lord, deliver me! Oh, save me for Your mercies’ sake! (Psalm 6:3-4) At one time or another, I'm sure most of us have heard the phrase, “God will not put upon us any more than we can bear.” This...
21 Elul — There Are None Righteous
In the book of Deuteronomy, God told His people that if they were faithful to Him, many blessings would come their way. That promise was juxtaposed against the many curses that would come upon them if they walked in disobedience and broke the covenant. Reading all of...