Psalm 92:12 NLT 'But the godly will flourish like palm trees and grow strong like the cedars of Lebanon.' I have on my desk a wonderful photograph of a large, aged tree flourishing within a barren landscape. It is a Cedar of Lebanon growing within i...
Psalm 92:11 NLT 'My eyes have seen the downfall of my enemies; my ears have heard the defeat of my wicked opponents.' Within our Christian context it is perhaps difficult to acknowledge our enemies. For we are constrained by Christ to love our enemi...
Isaiah 61:3 NLT 'To all who mourn in Israel, he will give a crown of beauty for ashes, a joyous blessing instead of mourning, festive praise instead of despair. In their righteousness, they will be like great oaks that the Lord has planted for his o...
Luke 10:33-34 NLT 'Then a despised Samaritan came along, and when he saw the man, he felt compassion for him. Going over to him, the Samaritan soothed his wounds with olive oil and wine and bandaged them. Then he put the man on his own donkey and to...
Genesis 8:10-11 NLT 'After waiting another seven days, Noah released the dove again. This time the dove returned to him in the evening with a fresh olive leaf in its beak. Then Noah knew that the floodwaters were almost gone.' How did Noah feel when...
Luke 18:13 NLT But the tax collector stood at a distance and dared not even lift his eyes to heaven as he prayed. Instead, he beat his chest in sorrow, saying, “O God, be merciful to me, for I am a sinner.” In a number of liturgies the words, Kyrie ...
Psalm 51:1-2 NLT 'Have mercy on me, O God, because of your unfailing love. Because of your great compassion, blot out the stain of my sins. Wash me clean from my guilt. Purify me from my sin.' Julius and Ethel Rosenberg were tried in 1950s America f...
Hebrews 1:3 NLT 'The Son radiates God’s own glory and expresses the very character of God, and he sustains everything by the mighty power of his command. When he had cleansed us from our sins, he sat down in the place of honor at the right hand of t...
John 10:27-29 NLT 'My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one can snatch them away from me, for my Father has given them to me, and he is more powerful than anyone else....
John 1:4-5 NLT 'The Word gave life to everything that was created, and his life brought light to everyone. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it.' Bad news penetrates deeper than we can ever imagine. Our world sl...
Matthew 5:44-45 NLT 'But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven. For he gives his sunlight to both the evil and the good, and he sends rain on the just an...
Ecclesiastes 11:7-8 NLT 'Light is sweet; how pleasant to see a new day dawning. When people live to be very old, let them rejoice in every day of life. But let them also remember there will be many dark days. Everything still to come is meaningless....
Hebrews 10:35-36 NLT 'So do not throw away this confident trust in the Lord. Remember the great reward it brings you! Patient endurance is what you need now, so that you will continue to do God’s will. Then you will receive all that he has promised....
Philippians 1:6 NLT 'And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.' Our Oratory garden is never still. Plants are flowering and trees blossomi...
Hebrews 4:14-16a NLT 'Since we have a great High Priest who has entered heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to what we believe. This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did...
