Hallelujah! Literally it means “Praise the Lord.” It opens ten of the Psalms (106,111-113,135,146-150), which are called “hallelujah psalms.” The first half of the word, from the verb hillel, means to praise, and it is used hundreds of times in the Bible. Praise what? Praise “jah.” “Jah” is a shortened form of the 4-letter Hebrew name for the…
Category: Open My Eyes
Insights in Scripture
Bread
Give us today our daily bread.Matthew 6:11 New International Version (NIV) Jesus replied, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry again. John 6:35a New Living Translation (NLT) And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body given for you; do this…
Humility
Recently, I’ve been parallel-reading the New Living Translation, and The Message. (For a discussion of different versions of the Bible, click here.) This week I came to Luke 14:11. For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.” (New Living Translation) I’ve heard sermons about humility. It’s a…
What Are You Thinking?
(From my journal, dated 12-3-94, as I worked through the book, Six Weeks to a Simpler Lifestyle by Barbara Degrote-Sorensen and David Allen Sorenson) A great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that the boat was already being swamped. But [Jesus} was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; and they…
“Keep-A-Goin'”
Since then it is by faith that we are justified, let us grasp the fact that we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have confidently entered into this new relationship of grace, and here we take our stand, in happy certainty of the glorious things he has for us…
A Prayer for Today
This is the day the Lord has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it. Psalm 118:24 New Living Translation (NLT) Lord, be with us this day,Within us to purify us;Above us to draw us up;Beneath us to sustain us;Before us to lead us;Behind us to restrain us;Around us to protect us.(St. Patrick c 389-461)…
Waiting
But death will be destroyed forever. And the Lord God will wipe away every tear from every face. In the past, all of his people were sad, but God will take away that sadness from the earth. All of this will happen because the Lord said it would.At that time people will say, “Here is…
Ready, Set …
Go? For months we have living with “Stay home, wash your hands, wear a mask.” We have learned caution, keeping our distance from others. Now begins Phase 2, and “Stay home” is modified. Yet the virus is not gone. So how do we stay safe? No one is saying it’s time to stop washing hands,…
Our Helper & Defender
We live in uncertain times, full of conflicting information in our struggle against an invisible enemy. But what we tend to forget is that there has always been uncertainly, conflict and struggle. That is why this prayer, from 96 AD, is exactly what we need today. If it is hard for you to find words…
“I Go to the Rock”
Yesterday I included the YouTube video of a song that really raises my spirits (and keeps playing in my head!). You may be familiar with the references, or you may not be. In any case, here are some insights into the song, with links to specific Bible verses. Where do I go when there’s nobody…