Category Archives: Daily devotionals

Reading: Matthew 6,10 Your kingdom come Reflection: It seems to me that the world is more eager for justice, peace, and joy than ever before. Wherever we look, we see injustice, war, suffering, and pain. Whenever I am overwhelmed by thoughts about this, I end up asking the same question: how did we get to this point? Why am I asking this question again today, as I try to write about this verse from the Lord’s Prayer? Like yesterday, I will say it again: I cannot escape the impression that the text of the Lord’s […]

Reading: Matthew 6,9 Reflection: Often people say of someone, “That person was someone you had to stand up for when their name was mentioned!” For me, there are truly people whose accomplishments, actions, or capacities I admire, and before whom I would gladly stand up, expressing my deep respect for them. However, it’s interesting what my brief internet search has yielded: “Don’t use and tarnish Tito’s name, when you mention it, you have to stand up.” “…and in the future, when you mention the name and deeds of Zorica Brunclik – YOU STAND UP AND […]

Reading: Matthew 6:9 …Our Father, who art in heaven… I recommend listening to the song “Our Father” by Hannah McClure: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HzoNKuymO0U Reflection: I don’t like traveling by airplane. I get a mild panic attack when I think that I’m miles above the ground in a thin metal contraption that shakes, and I don’t feel safe. The only way for me to calm down is to look out the window. Every time I’m amazed by the view of the sky. The clouds look like huge icebergs stretching endlessly. Above them, the sun, in all its glory, […]

Reading: Matthew 6,9 Therefore, you should pray like this: “Our Father…” Reflection: One of my earliest memories of my dad is him crouching down with his arms wide open, waiting for me to run into his embrace. I remember feeling excited as I ran towards him because I knew it was a place of complete safety, and he would always lift me up and carry me to the door of our house. I would see the world from an unfamiliar, high perspective that I could only have in his arms. Jesus introduces us to a […]

Reading: You shall not covet your neighbor’s house. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his male or female servant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.” Exodus 20:17 Reflection: We live in a world that actively encourages comparison. Every time we log onto Facebook or Instagram, we see snapshots of other people’s reality.  We become more and more worried that other people are having more fun, are happier, or are living better lives than us.  Academic studies have shown that young people have significant commitment phobia as a result of increasing fear […]

Reading: You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor! Exodus 20:16 Reflection: We’ve all seen those courtroom dramas where witnesses, victims, or those being prosecuted take an oath, to tell the truth.  Perhaps you’ve even been in a situation yourself where you’ve had to testify for or against someone.  It’s a huge responsibility when you know that your version of the story, your choice of words, could influence how someone else’s future plays out. Maybe you don’t have direct courtroom experience, but the majority of us know the guilt of not standing up for someone; for […]

Reading: Exodus 20,15 Thou Shall Not Steal! Reflection: When I was 7 years old, I went through a brief phase of stealing – first it started with stealing chewing gum from a grocery store, and then it got more serious… combining forces with my friend at school and stealing other children’s stickers from their sticker-books during break time!  While I might have experienced a degree of adrenaline in the stealing process, what made the thievery unforgettable was the horrible web of lies that came with covering my tracks…Maybe you have your own story of stealing […]

Reading: Exodus 20, 14 Do not commit adultery! Reflection: Desire is deeply rooted in our being. The desire for intimacy, to be loved, accepted, and to belong. We are created as beings of desire. Desire is good, given by God, but it becomes dangerous when it gets out of control. The big problem arises when our desires become demands! Legitimate desires quickly turn into lust. Lust is the complete opposite of true love. Lust turns people into objects. Lust sees another person as an object that will fulfill its demands. Lust and adultery go hand […]

Reading: Exodus 20, 13 Thou shalt not kill! Reflection: The first part of the Decalogue dealt with matters concerning the relationship between God and man, while the second part deals with the no less important relationship between man and man. For Israel, this part of the Scripture was always more than just law. The Decalogue spoke of absolute and eternal moral principles that every person should cherish in their heart. If it were not so, someone could deeply hate, despise, be angry – and still remain within the acceptable framework of the law, as long […]

Reading: Exodus 20:12 Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you! Reflection: The fifth commandment is unique in that it requires both parents, father, and mother, to be equally honored. Interestingly, the father and mother are singled out as objects of special recognition and honor. This goes against not only the patriarchal culture of that time, but also a modern culture that puts strong, successful, victorious, powerful, heroic, and mostly male leaders on a pedestal, not mom and dad. Often, we […]