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Crossing Cultures Devotional

Matters of the heart

The conversation was one we had several times.

“People have black hearts,” she would say. “People have rotten hearts.” 

She used the word that describes rotting fruit. Busuk. 

Photo by abbs johnson on Unsplash
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Devotional

Pressing in

In other readings of Luke 5, I’ve passed over these words. But this time they grab my attention. Verse 1 says the crowd was “pressing in on Jesus to hear God’s Word.”  

Pressing in. Yearning for what is real and true. 

Sometimes it’s the hunger of my soul to draw near and hear God’s Word. Other times it’s the fruit of a formed habit. Pure and simple discipline. 

Regardless, I know abiding in His Word is essential. Necessary.

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Devotional

The way of escape

We walked into a solitary confinement cell at Alcatraz. Dark and small.  With double doors to keep out any light. No way of escape.

Solitary confinement cell in Alcatraz prison.

The prisoners that were allowed to look outside or walk to the yard, had stunning views of San Francisco and the surrounding towns. Beautiful hills and shores.

But those in solitary saw nothing much beyond the confining walls of their dark cells.