Psalm: 56 Meditation: NehWhat would make the leaders of the surrounding areas so afraid of Nehamiah’s plan to rebuild the walls and gates of Jerusalem? Why did they risk the anger of the king by plotting to kill one of the king’s most trusted servants? It took 52 days to complete all the walls and …
Tag: Fear
Sunday, September 11
Psalm: 24 Meditation: JohnIt’s one thing that someone sacrifices themselves for others, it is altogether different to sacrifice someone else out of fear or to maintain the status quo and/or your own influence. The fear of Roman reprisal caused Caiaphas to plot to kill and later condemn Jesus. It is ironic that he would prophecy …
Saturday, September 10
Psalm: 55 Meditation: 1 KingsElijah has triumphed over the false god Baal and his priests and brought the rains back to Israel. He then fears the threats of the evil Queen Jezebel and runs away, why? Elijah is feeling alone and spent, but God is not letting him wallow in depression and die. Elijah’s ministry …
Wednesday, July 6
Psalm: 119:1-24 Meditation: 1 SamuelThe people were afraid of Samuel, but Samuel was afraid of Saul and his temper. God had rejected Saul as king because of his actions and had chosen David as the new king of Israel. Even as Samuel makes his way through all of David’s brothers, trying to locate God’s chosen, …
Saturday, October 16
Psalms: 6, 8 Meditation Luke: We are going to examine fear .. again. Good! This scene is quite similar to Jonah’s story. Jonah “saved” all the men on his ship once they “fed him to the sharks” (great fish) and for 3 days Jonah had time to reflect. Ultimately, Jonah did not emerge from his …
Friday, September 10
Psalm: 73 Meditation John: This passage is rife with fear. First the parents of the blind man are afraid of the Jews (the leaders, elders and the priests) for they would be “cut off” from the community of Israel. The Jewish leaders were afraid for here is a Galilean who questions their own authority; someone …
Friday, March 12
Psalms: 123, 130 Meditation Mark: Mark is a little subdued in this reading which is rife with miracles. This is not “flash and dash” – as in say the Transfiguration some time later. It is sad enough that verse 52 tells us of the Apostles lack of faith after the feeding of the 5,000 (vv. …
Sunday, June 20
Psalm: 25 Meditation - Luke: This passage begins with a phrase Jesus uses frequently: “Do not be afraid…” (v. 32) Spoken by anyone else, I might conclude the quote taken out of context. As it happens, in the previous section in Luke, Jesus lists various diurnal concerns which are not worthy of fear (or worry). …
Wednesday, March 3
Psalm 72 Meditation: Genesis – Why were Joseph’s brothers so disturbed by finding the exact weight in silver that they had just paid in one of their sacks. The passage specifies that they were trembling. They seem to think that God put the money in their sack in some form of retribution from their former …
Thursday, January 28
Psalm 59 Meditation: Hebrews – “The law is only a shadow of the good things that are coming.” The law isn’t supposed to be a list of dos and don’ts that must be followed or else something disastrous will occur. Instead of “Thou Shalt Not Murder” which is the shadow, we can see the good …
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