Evening Devotions at the St. Andrew Parsonage, April 24, 2020 (Podcast Version)

Devotional for March 30, 2020

He Still Provides “Consider how the wild flowers grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these." (lLuke 12:27 NIV) In spite of the pandemic, in many ways life still continues as normal. The seasons continue to change, and many things are proceeding as natural. Around here, it is becoming Spring, as the signs of Winter begin to fade and the signs of Spring begin to emerge. Wild flowers are beginning to pop up and bloom. Trees are beginning to bud, and will soon sprout leaves. Lawns are beginning to flourish, which means more people are out mowing lawns - something I myself will be doing in the next couple of days once the ground dries out. In between rainstorms, many of my neighbors are already starting to clear out their flowerbeds and begin planting flowers. Many people are planning their vegetable gardens. Once again, even though life has been disrupted in many ways because of the ...

Devotional for March 26, 2020

Even in Disappointment "The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit." (Psalm 34:18 NIV) In a way, this may seem like a trivial illustration, but it is relevant. The last day or so, I've been on a mission: to go shopping. Specifically, to look for much-needed items for our village food pantry. Even more specifically, bread, eggs, and toilet paper. The last of these, as many of you have experienced, has been difficult to find. However, by the grace and mercy of God, I was able to find a small number of stores that still had toilet paper on their shelves, and was able to buy a limited number at a time for the food pantry. At other places, I walked in, expecting to find toilet paper, but finding empty shelves instead. Needless to say, I was disappointed. Not for myself, but for the people who would be unable to have toilet paper, and probably really needed it. We have all been experiencing a number of disappointments since t...

Devotional for March 23, 2020

Love in the Midst of Fear "How priceless is your unfailing love , O God ! People take refuge in the shadow of your wings." (Psalm 36:7 NIV) If there is one word that would describe the atmosphere these days, it is fear. Many people are afraid. The news seems to be feeding into this fear, by constantly running stories and sound bytes about the growing number of coronavirus cases and the effects of the growth of the virus. Unfortunately, one trend that seems to feed into the fear is the idea perpetuated by certain pundits, prophets, and preachers that this virus has been sent by God - either as a punishment for sin, or some other sort of "wake up call." Some may claim that God has sent the virus for certain "sins," thus creating more fear by causing fear of certain individuals or groups of people. Some may point to certain verses in the Bible claiming that this pandemic was prophesied, and, again, that it serves the purpose of God venting His ...

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