Wounds in the Throne Room
Read: Revelation 5:1-14 I saw a Lamb standing, as though it had been slain. (v. 6) For many people, the book of Revelation is so strange and opaque that they stay away from it. But that’s a shame, because the book of Revelation is like a spiritual telescope offering us a sneak peek past space and […]
Worshipping in the Deep End
Read: Psalm 124 If it had not been the LORD who was on our side . . . then the flood would have swept us away. (vv. 1, 4) Worship is not just about us and God. It can also be a desperate cry for help in a dangerous world. Worship is the only way we […]
September 2023 Prayer Guide
ENGLISH — Words of Hope has the privilege of receiving many phone calls and letters from people who read our daily devotional. We get a number of messages from people living in prison. Join us in praying for an individual in prison who recently wrote: “In Jesus’ name I ask to be healed in heart, […]
Talking to Yourself with God
Read: Psalm 103:1-5 Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits. (v. 2) There’s an odd thing about Psalm 103. The singer is singing to himself. He opens the psalm not by talking to God, but by talking to his “soul.” He’s talking to his deepest self, telling it to worship God. […]
. . . and the Good News about Justice
Read: Hosea 2:14-20 I will take you for my wife in righteousness and in justice, in steadfast love, and in mercy. (v. 19 NRSV) Yesterday’s Scripture is one of the hardest passages in the Bible. But in today’s passage there’s good news about our bad worship: God doesn’t leave us alone under judgment. He comes to […]
The Bad News about Worship . . .
Read: Amos 5:18-24 Woe to you who desire the day of the LORD! . . . But let justice roll down like waters. (vv. 18, 24) Today’s Scripture is hard to hear, but the message is clear: God is with us on Sunday morning, but God is also with us the rest of the week, and […]
Did Not Our Hearts Burn within Us?
Read: Luke 24:30-35 He took the bread and blessed and broke it and gave it to them. And their eyes were opened, and they recognized him. (vv. 30-31) After preaching to the two disciples all the way to the village of Emmaus, Jesus revealed himself to them “in the breaking of the bread.” The disciples’ hearts […]
Construction Site Sermons
Read: Jeremiah 1:4-10 I have put my words in your mouth. . . . to pluck up and to break down, to destroy and to overthrow, to build and to plant. (vv. 9-10) When people use the word “worship,” often what they really mean is “music we sing in church.” But worship is much more than […]
Remembering the Surprises
Read: Genesis 28:10-22 Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, “Surely the LORD is in this place, and I did not know it.” (v. 16) Encountering God was the last thing on Jacob’s mind as he was running away from his angry brother Esau. (See Genesis 27 for details.) From his perspective, God completely surprised […]