Authority, Responsibility, and Accountability

Day 71 Numbers 16:41-18:32; Mark 16:1-20; Psalm 55:1-23; Proverbs 11:7 Authority, Responsibility, and Accountability Throughout their years in the desert, God prepared the Children of Israel for their future as a nation. He did this, in part, through the stern discipline of the march, and, when they grumbled and rebelled, through severe punishments which included…

Our Guarantee

Day 70 Numbers 15:17-16:40; Mark 15:1-47; Psalm 54:1-7; Proverbs 11:5-6 Our Guarantee Guarantees—we put our trust in a secured outcome. In uncertain times, we demand certainty. We want a real deal, a good value. As Jesus approached and suffered the cross, we have no doubts to whom He turned and relied to give Him the…

Denying the Jesus We Love

Day 69 Numbers 14:1‐15:16; Mark 14:53‐72; Psalm 53:1‐6; Proverbs 11:4 Denying the Jesus We Love Most of us would be the very first to say that we would not deny Jesus, just like Peter told Jesus Himself that he would never deny Him. However, I believe that we are far too often like Peter. If…

Integrity or Treachery

Day 68 Numbers 11:24‐13:33; Mark 14:22‐52; Psalm 52:1‐9; Proverbs 11:1‐3 Integrity or Treachery One of the aspects of the Bible that make it so believable is how thoroughly human the men and women are. There is a thread of humanity that runs through each of this days readings. A great man such as Peter is…

Preparation

Day 67 Numbers 10:1‐11:23; Mark 14:1‐21; Psalm 51:1‐19; Proverbs 10:31‐32 Preparation “…Go into the city, and a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him. Say to the owner of the house he enters, ‘The Teacher asks: Where is my guest room where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?’ He…

The Brightness of God

Day 66 Numbers 8:1‐9:23; Mark 13:14‐37; Psalm 50:1‐23; Proverbs 10:29‐30 The Brightness of God As I reflect on the passages from Numbers, Mark, and Psalms, I am aware of the recurring references to light. These references call to mind a hymn by Kathleen Thomerson, the text of which begins “I want to walk as a…

About Offerings

Day 65 Numbers 6:1-7:89; Mark 12:38-13:13; Psalm 49:1-20; Proverbs 10:27-28 About Offerings As we read through chapter 7 in Numbers, it soon becomes obvious that each tribe presented the exact same lavish offering for the dedication of the altar after Moses had finished setting up and anointing the tabernacle. This was according to the command…

By Whose Authority?

Day 63 Numbers 2:1‐3:51; Mark 11:27‐12:17; Psalm 47:1‐9; Proverbs 10:24‐25 By Whose Authority? In today’s Gospel, we find several instances of human reliance on authority when issues or conflict arise. We find Jesus’ authority questioned for no other reason than the fact that His teaching, preaching, and healing had come to challenge the “unquestionable authority”…

What Price, Redemption?

Day 61 Leviticus 25:47‐27:13; Mark 10:32‐52; Psalm 45:1‐17; Proverbs 10:22 What Price, Redemption? In the early history of the United States, we faced the blemish of slavery. Men, women, and children were sold as property to wealthy landowners. Even before slavery there were those who escaped persecution and came to the colonies as “indentured servants,”…