Father,I am struck by the last line of the Psalmist in 88: "...darkness is my closest friend" (v.18, NIV). This is heightened by my study for tonight, Holy Thursday, of John 13 and 'The Last Supper' where Judas left to carry out his unthinkable plan and John records: "And it was night." (John 13:30b). Darkness is a place to hide, to escape, to engage in unseen activity which is all too often unhea...  Read More

Today, Lord God, we are reminded as we journey toward the cross, why the cross is necessary. Fickle humanity. Sinful humanity. So desperately in need of a Savior, we look for a god we can hold onto, see, define, and control and then we wonder when our every want is not met and life does not go our way what is wrong with our god. We see this as we read the pages of Judges and we see this as we scro...  Read More

Teach me your way, O Yahweh,    so that I may live in your truth.    Focus my heart on fearing you. [Give me an undivided heart - NIV]I will give thanks to you with all my heart, O Adonai my Elohim.    I will honor you foreverbecause your mercy toward me is great.    You have rescued me from the depths of hell. (Psalm 86:11-13, Names of God)Indeed, "But you, Lord [Adonai], are a compassionate and ...  Read More

Thank You, Father, that You do have a father's heart! There is something that brings great comfort from the testimony of Judges 10, where in confessing their sin and turning from their idols in repentance, we read, "And he [God] could bear Israel’s misery no longer" (v.16). Help us never to take that compassion for granted. To live by grace in faithfulness because of the joy of Your love and right...  Read More

O LORD my God,Thank You for making Your home in my heart, for daily being my source of life and my power to live in Your way. Thank You for the invitation to be a Jesus-follower and that I do not journey alone. I am blessed! May the overflow of that blessing be showered on those I encounter on my journey to Christlikeness. Where I go may life be the result because of Your presence in me and may ev...  Read More

LORD,Like Gideon, what You call us to may not always make sense to us. That he sent tens of thousands of warriors home and fought a battle with 300 (Judges 6-7) became an act of shear obedience and total surrender. You were true to Your promise. You always are! So, help us not to lean on our own understanding, to trust in our own resources, to depend on our own abilities. Help us to abandon oursel...  Read More