A Verse, A Comment, A Prayer, A Blessing

Preface - Be Sure to Check Out the Podcast Audio Linked Above. A Verse Titus 3:1-3 1 Remind them to be submissive to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good work, 2 to speak evil of no one, to avoid quarreling, to be gentle, and to show perfect courtesy toward all people. 3 For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasu...

A Verse Titus 3:1-2 1 Remind them to be submissive to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good work, 2 to speak evil of no one, to avoid quarreling, to be gentle, and to show perfect courtesy toward all people. A Comment With verse 2, “Paul turns to our relationship with everybody in the community.” The first two points are stated negatively: do not speak evil and avoid q...

Preface - Be Sure to Check Out the Podcast Audio Linked Above. A Verse Titus 3:1-2 1 Remind them to be submissive to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good work , 2 to speak evil of no one, to avoid quarreling, to be gentle, and to show perfect courtesy toward all people. A Comment Last week, we considered the Christian’s responsibility to “be submissive” and “obedient”...

Preface - Be sure to check out the audio version linked above. A Verse Titus 3:1-2 1 Remind them to be submissive to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good work, 2 to speak evil of no one, to avoid quarreling, to be gentle, and to show perfect courtesy toward all people. A Comment Yesterday, we considered the need to be reminded. This is a hallmark of faithful, gospel m...

Preface - Be sure to check out the audio version linked above. A Verse Titus 3:1 “Remind them to be submissive to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good work…” A Comment Here, in verse 1, Paul instructs Titus to “remind” his audience “to be submissive to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good work.” Obviously, a lot could be said about the es...

Prefatory Note - The notes below accompany the audio that is linked above. While they can stand on their own, they were not written to be read alone. On occasion, when I am recording the audio portion of this newsletter, I will make other comments that are not included in these notes. To get the full picture, listen to the audio as well. I appreciate your support! A Verse Titus 3:1-11 1 Remind the...

A Verse Romans 12:15 Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. A Comment Since July 4th, our family has had near-constant conversation about the tragic flooding in the Hill Country, which, to date, has claimed the lives of over 100 people. As a father of five children, I cannot fathom the pain that so many parents and family members are going through right now. Trite comments and...

A Verse Matthew 12:9-14 He went on from there and entered their synagogue. And a man was there with a withered hand. And they asked him, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?”—so that they might accuse him. He said to them, “Which one of you who has a sheep, if it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will not take hold of it and lift it out? Of how much more value is a man than a sheep! So it is lawfu...

Today’s “A Verse, A Comment, A Prayer, A Blessing” is Audio Only, so be sure to listen to the audio file linked at the top of this message for the Comment, Prayer, and Blessings sections of the newsletter. Also, don’t miss the Keith Green bonus at the bottom ;) Hope for Life with Dr. Casey B. Hough is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a fre...

A Verse Psalm 51:10 Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. A Comment In commenting on Psalm 51, Dr. Jim Hamilton wrote, “If God’s standard cannot be changed, the man who would enjoy God’s holiness must be. This is why David prays as he does in the following verses. David desires more than forgiveness in this psalm. He prays to be transformed into a man who loves hol...

A Verse Psalm 67 To the choirmaster: with stringed instruments. A Psalm. A Song. 1 May God be gracious to us and bless usand make his face to shine upon us, Selah 2 that your way may be known on earth,your saving power among all nations. 3 Let the peoples praise you, O God;let all the peoples praise you! 4 Let the nations be glad and sing for joy,for you judge the peoples with equityand guide the...

Hey everyone, I’m in Indonesia this week! Check out the video and consider joining me in prayer this week. CBH Get full access to Hope for Life with Dr. Casey B. Hough at hopeforlife.substack.com/subscribe

A Verse 1 Samuel 6:10-7:2 The men did so, and took two milk cows and yoked them to the cart and shut up their calves at home. And they put the ark of the LORD on the cart and the box with the golden mice and the images of their tumors. And the cows went straight in the direction of Beth-shemesh along one highway, lowing as they went. They turned neither to the right nor to the left, and the lords...

A Verse 1 Samuel 6:1-9 The ark of the LORD was in the country of the Philistines seven months. And the Philistines called for the priests and the diviners and said, “What shall we do with the ark of the LORD? Tell us with what we shall send it to its place.” They said, “If you send away the ark of the God of Israel, do not send it empty, but by all means return him a guilt offering. Then you will...

A Verse 1 Samuel 5:1-12 When the Philistines captured the ark of God, they brought it from Ebenezer to Ashdod. Then the Philistines took the ark of God and brought it into the house of Dagon and set it up beside Dagon. And when the people of Ashdod rose early the next day, behold, Dagon had fallen face downward on the ground before the ark of the LORD. So they took Dagon and put him back in his pl...

A Verse 1 Samuel 4:12-22 A man of Benjamin ran from the battle line and came to Shiloh the same day, with his clothes torn and with dirt on his head. When he arrived, Eli was sitting on his seat by the road watching, for his heart trembled for the ark of God. And when the man came into the city and told the news, all the city cried out. When Eli heard the sound of the outcry, he said, “What is thi...

A Verse 1 And the word of Samuel came to all Israel. Now Israel went out to battle against the Philistines. They encamped at Ebenezer, and the Philistines encamped at Aphek. 2 The Philistines drew up in line against Israel, and when the battle spread, Israel was defeated before the Philistines, who killed about four thousand men on the field of battle. 3 And when the people came to the camp, the e...

A Verse 1 Samuel 3:1-21 Now the boy Samuel was ministering to the Lord in the presence of Eli. And the word of the Lord was rare in those days; there was no frequent vision. At that time Eli, whose eyesight had begun to grow dim so that he could not see, was lying down in his own place. The lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down in the temple of the Lord, where the ark of God...

A Verse 1 Samuel 3:1 Now the boy Samuel was ministering to the LORD in the presence of Eli. And the word of the LORD was rare in those days; there was no frequent vision. A Comment This morning’s passage describes the sad situation that the people of Israel found themselves in during the days of Eli’s priesthood. While Samuel was faithful to minister “to the LORD” during his days in the temple, it...

A Note Please share these devotionals with anyone and everyone who would be blessed by them! A Verse 1 Samuel 2:27-36 And there came a man of God to Eli and said to him, “Thus says the LORD, ‘Did I indeed reveal myself to the house of your father when they were in Egypt subject to the house of Pharaoh? Did I choose him out of all the tribes of Israel to be my priest, to go up to my altar, to burn...

A Verse 1 Samuel 2:27-36 And there came a man of God to Eli and said to him, “Thus says the LORD, ‘Did I indeed reveal myself to the house of your father when they were in Egypt subject to the house of Pharaoh? Did I choose him out of all the tribes of Israel to be my priest, to go up to my altar, to burn incense, to wear an ephod before me? I gave to the house of your father all my offerings by f...

A Verse 1 Samuel 2:11-26 Then Elkanah went home to Ramah. And the boy was ministering to the LORD in the presence of Eli the priest. Now the sons of Eli were worthless men. They did not know the LORD. The custom of the priests with the people was that when any man offered sacrifice, the priest’s servant would come, while the meat was boiling, with a three-pronged fork in his hand, and he would thr...

A Verse 1 Samuel 2:8-10 He raises up the poor from the dust; he lifts the needy from the ash heap to make them sit with princes and inherit a seat of honor. For the pillars of the earth are the Lord's, and on them he has set the world. He will guard the feet of his faithful ones, but the wicked shall be cut off in darkness, for not by might shall a man prevail. The adversaries of the Lord shall be...

A Verse 1 Samuel 2:6-7 The LORD kills and brings to life;he brings down to Sheol and raises up. The LORD makes poor and makes rich:he brings low and exalts. A Comment In verses 6-7, Hannah’s prayer of praise is somewhat startling. She praises the Lord as the One who both kills and resurrects. The One who makes poor and rich. The One who humbles and exalts. Our tendency, at least here in the West,...

A Verse 1 Samuel 2:4-5 The bows of the mighty are broken,but the feeble bind on strength. Those who were full have hired themselves out for bread,but those who were hungry have ceased to hunger. The barren has borne seven,but she who has many children is forlorn. A Comment In these verses, we see that what was impossible with man was made reality with God. I love how one OT scholar describes what...