Today’s Walk in the Word

Blessed are those who mourn for they will be comforted.            —Matthew 5:4 Jesus isn’t speaking of those who mourn the loss of a loved one or friend, but of those who mourn over their sins: it isn’t the sorrow of bereavement but the sorrow of sinfulness. Our sins took the […]

Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.                  —Matthew 5:3 Blessedness is possessed by neither rich nor poor unless they are rich in faith and poor in spirit. Jesus eliminated self-sufficiency with three words: “Blessed are the poor in spirit.” It isn’t […]

[Jesus] began to teach them. —Matthew 5:2 Eight of the world’s beatitudes of winners: Blessed are the rich. Blessed are the powerful. Blessed are the popular. Blessed are the connected. Blessed are the talented. Blessed are the beautiful. Blessed are the successful. Blessed are the elite. The eight beatitudes with which Jesus began his Sermon […]

Do this in remembrance of me.        —1 Corinthians 11:24 There’s a boutique in my neighborhood called Things Remembered that sells unique items and engraves them to commemorate special occasions—one-of-a-kind gifts that are treasured by those who receive them. Things remembered keep us connected to people, places, and times that have influenced and […]

Restore to me the joy of your salvation.                            —Psalm 51:12 I could be happy if only . . . If only I had more money. If only I were better looking. If only I had a better job. I don’t need to […]

Shun youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace.                —2 Timothy 2:22 Bible commentators have long debated what “youthful lusts”—as some translations have 2 Timothy 2:22—may be. Most agree that it does not refer exclusively to sexual lust. It incorporates “youthful passions” of self-assertion, selfish ambition, obstinacy, […]

Grace and peace be yours in abundance.                                  —2 Peter 1:2 A greeting of “peace” appears near the beginning of all but four New Testament letters. The God of peace gives gifts of peace. Here are four of them: The […]

[God] has saved us and called us to a holy life.      —2 Timothy 1:9 2 Timothy 1:9–10 tells us that God saved us, called us to a holy life, and through Jesus destroyed death and insured life and immortality. From those words, you see that his procedure isn’t a one-and-done transaction. It is […]

Do not be anxious about anything.                   —Philippians 4:6 The Living Bible paraphrases 1 Peter 5:7 this way: “Let him have all your worries and cares, for he is always thinking about you and watching everything that concerns you.” God is concerned about your concerns. He wants […]

If you want to, you can make me clean.                          —Matthew 8:2 CDC didn’t initiate the 6-foot distancing rule. Long before COVID-19, there was leprosy—and the Rabbinic rule was that no one could come nearer to a leper than four cubits—six feet. One day […]