The first chapter of Paul’s second letter to the Thessalonians begins and ends with grace: “grace and peace to you” in a salutation and the “grace of our God” in a...

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” What a way to begin a letter! Perhaps, like me, you receive voluminous e-mails daily, many unwanted...

In this prayer of lament, the longest psalm in the Psalter, righteous is a key word and is repeated five times. The psalmist points us not only to God who is...

Habakkuk positions himself to hear God’s response to the dominant question posed in yesterday’s reading, “How long?” In his declaration that he will be at his “watchpost” waiting for God, Habakkuk...

In today’s passage, the beginning of a dialogue between the prophet Habakkuk and God, Habakkuk complains vehemently to God and questions God, who seems to be silent and inattentive in the...

On this sabbath day in thousands of settings, faithful Christ-followers take their places of leadership to teach, praise, preach, and pray. They have studied, prepared, and centered themselves in the presence...

The psalmist expresses his deep gratitude to God using the metaphor of water. His imagery reminds me of a dear friend who loved to quip: “A day without rain is like...

Locusts, grasshoppers, fire, invaders, destruction, desolation, dust, death—these do not foretell the future but rather Judah’s current-day reality. Devastation and defeat overwhelm, and deportation to Babylon looms. Yet, following his descriptions...

The sports-mania of Western culture quickly brings to mind the image of the raised index finger. We want to be first, not second; winners, not losers; victors now, not next year....

In this parable of contrast, the Pharisee actually asks God to compare and contrast his life with that of the tax collector, hoping for a favorable result. But the resulting contrast...