As you slowly move through this passage, note two currents that flow—the fickle, vain intents of the people to repent, lasting as long as morning fog and the longing love of God for the people to return. What promise to you see in verse 2? There is anguish in this yearning, as when Jesus lamented over Jerusalem just before his passion, in Matthew 23:37. Verse 2 lifts itself from this chapter with a stunning reminder of the resurrection.

Meditate deeply on today’s verse. “Mercy” here is the Hebrew hesed, the covenantal love of God for God’s own. Nothing outer will do—only inner-driven love and intimacy with the Lord. Open yourself to this. With the Lord’s grace, become one of God’s truly faithful ones.

Hosea 6

What are “Bible Breaths”? Learn More…

Mondays are dedicated to the reading of the Hebrew Prophets.
In this season we read Hosea; in the 9th week, we read Lamentations 3.

For the next several weeks, the Firestarters will be from the original version of this program. For these Firestarters I recommend the ebook.  You will have the entire program of well over a thousand of these introductions with you on your phone or tablet. Check the menu options at the site for more information.

 Jesus heals two women, one well into her life with serious feminine problems, the other, a little girl just at the beginning of her maturity. In the Firestarter for the previous Friday, we focused on the woman; today, consider the girl. Mark gives us Jesus’exact words in Aramaic, “Talitha, cum”: “Little girl, I say to you, get up.”

You have been given the Holy Spirit in full measure; may full be the measure of your acceptance of this Spirit. Today consider the women in your life, from young to old, for whom the Lord would have you intercede. Use the words of Jesus given to you here to have them arise in fullness of resurrected life through the power given to you in Jesus’ name.

Mark 5:21–43

What are “Bible Breaths”? Learn More…

Sundays are dedicated to the Gospels from the Revised Common Lectionary.
In year B, we read from the Gospel of Mark

For the next several weeks, the Firestarters will be from the original version of this program. For these Firestarters I recommend the ebook.  You will have the entire program of well over a thousand of these introductions with you on your phone or tablet. Check the menu options at the site for more information.

King Balak of the neighboring country of Moab hired Balaam, a pagan prophet, to curse God’s people. Balak wanted to eliminate any threat that the Israelites would have against him and his land of Moab. Today’s reading is the account of what happened between God and Balaam. God declares to Balaam the unique blessing that God gives to his people.

The pagan Balaam stands in awe of the power of God. God is true to God’s word. When God blesses, who can curse?

The well known hymn “Great Is Thy Faithfulness,” based on Lamentations, 3:22–23, expresses this when we sing in praise of God: “Thou changest not, Thy compassions, they fail not.” The Letter to the Hebrews, 13:8, expresses it this way: “Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, today, and forever.”

Numbers 22:39—23:30

Examples of Bible Breaths Learn More…

The Saturday passages follow the reading list that Jewish people use in their synagogue worship
throughout the world. They are taken from
“The Torah,” the first five books of the Bible from Genesis to Deuteronomy
that are read each year beginning with autumn.

For the next several weeks, the Firestarters will be from the original version of this program. For these Firestarters I recommend the ebook.  You will have the entire program of well over a thousand of these introductions with you on your phone or tablet. Check the menu options at the site for more information.