Reflections

  DRAWN WITH LOVING KINDNESS Bible Reading:  Jeremiah 31: 1-6 Key Verse:  2-3 “The people who survived the sword found grace in the wilderness; when Israel sought for rest, the LORD appeared to him from far away. I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore I have continued my faithfulness to you” (Jeremiah 31:2-3) DEVOTION From the very first page to the very last, the Bible reveals a single, persistent theme: the Father’s deep desire for those He created to walk in close relationship with Him. It has always been God’s intention for us to share in that kind of intimacy, to walk with Him, as Adam and Eve once did in the garden.  In today’s bible portion, Jeremiah’s message was a message of grace in the midst of judgement .Jeremiah 31:2-3 is so beautiful not only because it reveals the depth of the Father’s love toward us but also because it demonstrates God’s passion to draw us into His presence even as we suffer the consequences of our poor choices. When God...

  Everlasting love that restores the forsaken. Bible Reading:   Isaiah 54:1-10 Key Verse:   “I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten” Joel 2:25  DEVOTION “Sing, O barren one.”  Sing?? Is God being serious? God wants me to sing in the face of loss, loneliness, and emptiness? When the years feel wasted away?  In this passage from Isaiah, the one who was forsaken is now called “beloved”. The one who was barren is commanded not to shrink back, but to open up and expand. Why? Because the future doesn’t have to be determined by the past, but by the promise of God!  “For a brief moment I forsook you… but with great compassion I will gather you.”  The contrast is wide…from a brief moment… to EVERLASTING love! What might’ve felt permanent was only momentary to God. What felt like abandonment was actually discipline within a covenant. God didn’t walk away. He was preparing a restoration that could not yet be seen.  ...

  Treasures in Jar of Clay Bible Reading:  2 Corinthians 4:7-15 Key Verse:  7 “But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all- surpassing power is from God and not from us.” DEVOTION In the rich tapestry of Christian thought and life, few biblical verses resonate deeply as 1 Corinthians 4:7, where the apostle Paul poses profound questions:  “For who makes you different from anyone else?  What do you have that you did not receive?  And if you did receive it, why do you boast as though you did not?”  Herein lies a challenge to our sense of self, our ego, our pride, and our perception of our spiritual accomplishments. In our Bible reading, Paul speaks of the trials and afflictions faced by believers in Christ.  He describes how, despite hardships, the message of Christ and the hope of the gospel shine brilliantly in the darkness of our struggles.  The key to understanding this intricate relationship between our fragile huma...

   Do not be afraid , I am with you  Bible Reading:  Acts 18:1-11 Key Verse:  9-10 " And the Lord said to Paul one night in a vision, “Do not be afraid, but go on speaking and do not be silent,  for I am with you, and no one will attack you to harm you, for I have many in this city who are my people.” - Acts 18:9-10 DEVOTION In Acts 18:1–11, Paul arrives in Corinth and lives with Aquila and Priscilla, working as a tentmaker. Each Sabbath he reasons in the synagogue, but when opposition grows, he turns to the Gentiles. Many begin to believe, and in this moment—amid both resistance and new openness—the Lord speaks to Paul in a vision. In a vision at night, the Lord says, “Do not be afraid…for I am with you, and no one is going to attack and harm you, because I have many people in this city.” These words are not just comfort; they are direction. God does not remove Paul from Corinth—He reassures him within it. The presence of God becomes Paul’s courage to...

  An Invitation to the Lord's Hospitality Bible Reading:   Luke 24:13-35 Key Verse:  30 When he was at table with them  he took the bread and blessed and broke it and gave it to them. DEVOTION *Luke 24: 13-35* An Invitation to the Lord’s Hospitality Today’s gospel is about changing the path of two disciples going to Emmaus. It is an event of brokenness and restoration. The journey of Cleopas and companion from Jerusalem to Emmaus and back to Jerusalem is a journey that we often makes or repeats. We have a Jerusalem and an Emmaus within us. Both are the reality of our lives. Have we ever felt the need to escape from Jerusalem, which is our real life? Or do we feel that life is too complicated for us to handle? Have you ever felt like the world was turned upside down? Have expectations been dashed and disappointed? It is Easter morning, and the two disciples are leaving Jerusalem. Who can blame them? Jerusalem is a place of pain, sorrow, and loss. It is a place of...

  Do not be afraid , I am with you  Bible Reading:  Acts 18:1-11 Key Verse:  9-10 " And the Lord said to Paul one night in a vision, “Do not be afraid, but go on speaking and do not be silent,  for I am with you, and no one will attack you to harm you, for I have many in this city who are my people.” - Acts 18:9-10 DEVOTION In Acts 18:1–11, Paul arrives in Corinth and lives with Aquila and Priscilla, working as a tentmaker. Each Sabbath he reasons in the synagogue, but when opposition grows, he turns to the Gentiles. Many begin to believe, and in this moment—amid both resistance and new openness—the Lord speaks to Paul in a vision. In a vision at night, the Lord says, “Do not be afraid…for I am with you, and no one is going to attack and harm you, because I have many people in this city.” These words are not just comfort; they are direction. God does not remove Paul from Corinth—He reassures him within it. The presence of God becomes Paul’s courage to stay....