Devotionals

Romans 6:6; 12:13

Conscience is our moral intuition. It's that part of us that passes judgment on our own state. And it takes away our confidence when something is sour or bad. It takes away our security when it is soiled.

"Let your conscience be your guide." You've heard that. You've said it. Wait a minute. Sometimes that's reliable. But a great deal depends on the condition of your conscience. What if your conscience is seared?

Matthew 9:10-12

"Physician. One upon whom we set our hopes when ill and our dogs when well," defines A. Bierce in The Devil's Dictionary.

Romans 1:18-20

When I was deep in the redwoods some time ago, I lay back and looked up. I mean really up. It was one of those clear summer nights when you could see forever. So starry it was scary. The vastness of the heavens eloquently told the glory of God. No words could adequately frame the awesomeness of that moment. One of my mentors used to say, "Wonder is involuntary praise." That night, it happened to me.

1 Corinthians 12:19-25

Pull a sheet of scratch paper out of your memory bank and see how well you do with the following questions:

Psalm 8

Most folks I know like things to stay as they are. You've heard all the sayings that reveal our preference for the familiar: Leave well enough alone. I don't like surprises. If it ain't broke, don't fix it. Stay with a sure thing.

We admire pioneers...so long as we can just read about them, not finance their journeys. We applaud explorers...but not if it means we have to load up and travel with them. Creative ideas are fine...but "don't get carried away," we warn. Plans that involve risks prompt worst-case scenarios from the lips of most who wait in the wings.

2 Timothy 3

You—or someone you know—may soon be graduating. I extend my congratulations! Whether you set new academic records or not, you finished. You saw it through. I commend you. Before that happens, however, let me give you four simple commandments that apply to anyone who is graduating. My thoughts grow out of the final four verses of 2 Timothy 3.

Luke 10:25-37

A Greek class was given an assignment to study the story of the Good Samaritan in Luke 10:25-37. As is true in most classes, a couple or three of the students cared more about the practical implications of the assignment than its intellectual stimulation.

Exodus 6:1-8

Remember the words Marine Private Gomer Pyle used to repeat in almost every episode of his television show? "Surprise, surprise!" Some surprises refresh us. We're low. Under the pile. Then, out of the blue, we receive a letter of affirmation. Those lines, though few, lift our spirits. Maybe it's an unexpected phone call or a hug of reassurance that sends us soaring.

Proverbs 18:19, 21

Wisely labelled "the saving virtue," tact graces life like fragrance graces a rose. One whiff erases any memory of the thorns. It's remarkable how peaceful and pleasant tact can make us. Its major goal is avoiding unnecessary offence, and that alone ought to make us crave it. Its basic function is a keen sense of what to say or do in order to maintain the truth and good relationships, and that alone ought to make us cultivate it. Tact is incessantly appropriate, invariably attractive, incurably appealing, but rare...oh, is it rare! 

Proverbs 22:9

I feel like starting with the words the nurse says as she approaches your bed with one hand behind her back: "This won't take long, but it may sting a little."