July 15, 2021 DAILY READING Psalm 119:105-112; Exodus 3:1-6; Romans 2:12-16 FIELD NOTES How many times I have wished that God would send me a burning bush!  We face so many decisions, big and small, in life.  Should I change jobs?  Move closer to an ailing parent? Adopt a child?  It seems it would make life much easier if God would…

July 14, 2021 DAILY READING Song of Solomon 2:8-13; Genesis 29:31-35; John 13:1-17 FIELD NOTES John is a gospel full of symbolism.  In today’s passage in John, Jesus is not only literally washing the feet of the disciples, but he speaks of how he washes us clean spiritually.  How beautiful it is to know that no matter what…

July 13, 2021 DAILY READING Song of Solomon 2:8-13; Genesis 29:1-14; Romans 3:1-8 OR Psalm 131; Jeremiah 28:10-17; Romans 3:1-8 FIELD NOTES In this larger section of Romans, Paul fleshes out a theology of sin and what it means to be sinful.  He tries to get at what it means to be righteous by exploring what it means…

July 12, 2021 DAILY READING Song of Solomon 2:8-13; Genesis 27:30-46; Romans 1:18-25 OR Psalm 131; Jeremiah 27:1-11, 16-22; Romans 1:18-25 FIELD NOTES I have to admit, I really struggle with passages that are full of God’s wrath and judgment like the passage from Romans today.  I like to think of God as loving and gracious, not angry…

July 10, 2021 DAILY READING Psalm 45:10-17 Genesis 27:18-29 Luke 10:21-24 Psalm 145:8-14 Zechariah 4:1-7 FIELD NOTES Even the greatest swimmers cannot swim forever stranded in the Pacific Ocean without help. They need someone to save them.  They need a savior. If you are ever drowning in water and someone comes to save you, please remember…

July 9, 2021 DAILY READING Romans 7:7-20 Psalm 45:10-17 Genesis 27:1-17 Zechariah 2:6-13 Psalm 145:8-14 FIELD NOTES Paul’s inner conflict is ours, “For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate… I can will what is right, but I cannot do it. For I do not do the good…

July 8, 2021 DAILY READING Zechariah 1:1-16 Psalm 45:10-17 Genesis 25:19-27 Romans 7:1-6 Psalm 145:8-14 FIELD NOTES Richard Nixon and Hubert Humphrey were bitter political enemies.  Just before he died, Humphrey told Nixon that life was too short to be bitter enemies.  He asked Nixon to forgive him.  They reconciled.  Richard Nixon, then, escorted Mrs. Muriel Humphrey at his funeral.  Historians…

July 7, 2021 DAILY READING Matthew 11:20-24 Psalm 47 Isaiah 51:1-3 Psalm 119:161-168 Jeremiah 18:1-11 FIELD NOTES One person held the four key positions at a church I pastored.  He told me that God had provided many miracles for his family and him during the previous three years.   After we had that meaningful conversation, I arrived…

July 6, 2021 DAILY READING 1 John 4:1-6 Psalm 47 1 Kings 18:36-39 1 Kings 21:17-29 Psalm 119:161-168 FIELD NOTES What word from God does our nation need right now?   In our scripture, John tells us to “test the spirits to see whether they are from God.” (4:1)  He talks of the Spirit of Christ versus…