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"This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says to all those I carried into exilefrom Jerusalem to Babylon:"Build houses and settle down" (Jeremiah 29:4-5) Before I was sent to the mission field, I was required to attend a pre-field orientation. Out of all the things I was taught, one piece of advice stuck with me the most. They said that we needed to unpack. I b...
Keep Reading"Pray to the Lord for Babylon, because if it prospers, you too will prosper."(Jeremiah 29:7) Google Maps, Waze, Apple Maps. How did drivers ever navigate the spaghetti-noodle chaos of intersecting highways without them? When all around us are confusing signs and unfamiliar landscapes, we need someone to tell us the way forward. Stopping the car on the highway and crying i...
Keep Reading"'Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, to all the exiles whom I have sent into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: Build houses and live in them; plant gardens and eat their produce. Take wives and have sons and daughters; take wives for your sons, and give your daughters in marriage, that they may bear sons and daughters; multiply there, and do not decrease. But s...
Keep Reading"When you call on me, when you come and pray to me, I'll listen. When you come looking for me, you'll find me. Yes, when you get serious about finding me and want it more than anything else, I'll make sure you won't be disappointed." Jeremiah 29:12,13 MSG Our daughter used to collect snow globes. One in the collection had a piece loose on the inside, and once shaken the m...
Keep ReadingThus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, to all the exiles whom I have sentinto exile from Jerusalem to Babylon, Build houses and live in them;and plant gardens and eat their produce" (Jeremiah 29:4-5). It is not a big mystery that we are born with a propensity towards wanting our own way. Think of a toddler insisting, "Mine!" Or the teenager in your life declaring...
Keep ReadingProverbs 8:22-36 If you were to ask me to define wisdom, the first word that comes to mind would be creativity. Britannica defines creativity as the "ability to make or otherwise bring into existence something new". A high level of knowledge, ability or understanding is the springboard for creative individuals. Steve Jobs, Einstein and Michelangelo all used their expertis...
Keep ReadingBlessed are those who listen to me, watching daily at my doors,waiting at my doorway (Proverbs 8:34). Do you ever fall into this trap: I'm not smart enough, good enough, quick enough? This gets talked about a lot in graduate school. It usually seems to me that I'm spending way too much time finding an answer or solving a problem in my lab. I should be faster! Others handl...
Keep Reading"I was filled with delight day after dayrejoicing in God's whole world."Proverbs 8:31 Stop and smell the roses. Could we have a more worn-out clich? Sure, we know the message, the figurative half of this symbol. Slow down; pay attention to details; enjoy the little things. But why don't we literally stop and literally smell the literal roses? Are we too busy? Yes, we see...
Keep Reading"The Lord possessed me [Wisdom] at the beginning of his work, the first of his acts of old. Ages ago I was set up, at the first, before the beginning of the earth. When there were no depths I was brought forth, when there were no springs abounding with water. Before the mountains had been shaped, before the hills, I was brought forth, before he had made the earth with its ...
Keep ReadingListen to my instruction and be wise, do not ignore it. Blessed is the man who listens to me,watching daily at my doors, waiting at my doorway. Whoever finds me finds life whoever fails to find me harms himself (Proverbs 8:33-36). This week's passage, the second in our Way of Wisdom series, is also something of a preparation for our upcoming Chatham Serves Sunday. How do...
Keep ReadingThe 2500-Mile Road Trip Jessica Waldstein [Editor's Note: Brian was of two minds about Psalm 1, so wrote two Connect Devotionals, and then couldn't decide which to go with. So his first posted Monday and two CDs for you today, first from Jessica, then Brian's second swing] God charts the road you take. The road *they* take leads to nowhere. Psalm 1:6 MSG The first big...
Keep ReadingHe is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season,and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers (Psalm 1:3). Sports movies frequently found their way onto our TV growing up. There is a good portion of my vocabulary that has been molded by football movie quotes. The actions and emotions of the players and coaches leading up ...
Keep Reading"But his delight is in the law of the Lord, And in His law he meditates day and night. He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water, Which yields its fruit in its season And its leaf does not wither; And in whatever he does, he prospers" (Psalm 1:2-3). We once lived in a home that was surrounded by Redwood trees. When we first moved in, they were maybe t...
Keep Reading"Blessed is the onewhose delight is in the law of the LordThat person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in seasonwhatever they do prospers (Psalm 1:1-3). Blessing sounds like such a beautiful word, but what does it mean? According to Psalm 1, blessing refers to a believer who is in a position to receive God's provisions (favor) as an exten...
Keep ReadingPsalm 1 Yogi Berra, Hall of Fame catcher for the New York Yankees when I was a boy, was also famous for reasons that had nothing to do with his skills behind the plate. Yogi had a knack for mangling the English language. He became famous for "Yogi-isms" such as "It ain't over 'till it's over," "It ain't the heat, it's the humility" and "I really didn't say everything I sa...
Keep ReadingThen they led him away to crucify him (Matthew 27:31). Unlike nearly all of our modern movie versions, the four Gospel writers are remarkably restrained about Christ's crucifixion. Crucifixion was both too familiar and too terrible to Matthew, Mark, Luke and John's original audiences for any details to be needed. As the Gospel writers, the apostle Paul, and the whole New...
Keep ReadingThe Gospel of Matthew, Chapters 21-27 Soyou've been walking closely with Jesus now for three years, learning who He is and alternating between being confused by Him and learning from Him. He's warned you His death is coming near, but you don't know you're approaching His last week on earth (especially since He so frequently talks in parables). Now you accompany Jesus as ...
Keep ReadingFor John came to show you the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him,but the tax collectors and the prostitutes did. And even after you saw this,you did not repent and believe him (Matthew 21:32). Imagine a moment where every minute matters. Maybe there's some report due or a presentation to give in two hours and you have more to write or more figures to produc...
Keep ReadingThe blind and the lame came to him at the temple, and he healed them. But when the chief priests and the teachers of the law saw the wonderful things he did and the children shouting in the temple courts, "Hosanna to the Son of David," they were indignant. "Do you hear what these children are saying?" they asked him. "Yes," replied Jesus, "have you never read, "'From the l...
Keep Reading***Editor's Note: our writers have blessed us with a bounty of Connect Devotionals this Holy Week! Please enjoy two pieces to start this Monday; one from the Emmets and one immediately following from Heidi Lee.*** This One Week Brian and Kathy Emmet Matthew 21-27 How we love the Christmas season! Gifts, trees, decorations, traditions, cookies, beloved carols, parties: ...
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