Walk in the Light

Tag: confidence

August 15, 2026

August 15th, 2026

August 15, 2026

Saturday – Open Topic

Reading – Psalm 119:105-112

Highlight Verse:

“Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path.”
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭119‬:‭105‬ ‭NLT‬‬

This verse along with 1 John 1:7 are the inspirations for the name of this Bible study group.

Okay, the fact that I already had a gmail account by the name of rswalkinthelight played into it as well.

Growing up, I was a city boy. I was rarely out of the range of a streetlight or house lights.

At 16 I moved to the countryside of southwest Virginia. One dark night I experienced what it was like to try to walk a path with no light. You can read about it here.

It wasn’t easy.

Imagine walking the path in this photo at night with no moon and clouds covering the stars.

Not so easy.

One wrong step and you could have a twisted ankle. There are narrow steep parts that could result in worse injury.

This miles-long rocky path at high elevation with no cell service is tough enough in the daytime.

In the dark it would be close to impossible.

If you are a normal human, your life’s path has had some rocks. Probably some steep treacherous spots too.

I’m sure there have been times when you have felt like you were miles from help in a place where it is hard to catch a breath.

That’s when you need light the most.

The light of God’s Word will help guide your steps.

The light of the Holy Spirit will give you the strength to keep walking.

The light of God’s presence will give you comfort when it feels like you are all alone on a rough path with no end.

And the light of a godly perspective will help you see the beauty along the way.

May the light of God and His Word shine brightly on your life.

Have you ever felt lost and had the light of God’s Word help you find your way?
How has God’s Word guided you lately?
August 3, 2026

August 3rd, 2026

Monday – Gospels and Acts

Reading – Acts 7

Highlight Verse:

“Then they put their hands over their ears and began shouting. They rushed at him”
‭‭Acts of the Apostles‬ ‭7‬:‭57‬ ‭NLT‬‬

It’s easy to think that refusing to listen to opposing views is a modern issue.

It is.

But it has been going on for thousands of years.

In Stephen’s case, it resulted in his death.

One could argue that, if Stephen had not preached at his accusers, things may have turned out differently.

I assure you that, at this moment, Stephen is in the same place he would have been if he had lived a longer life on earth.

But would he have lived out his purpose? Would his message have been preserved as it has been? Would Saul have become Paul and had as effective of a ministry if he had not participated in Stephen’s death?

I cannot answer those questions with certainty, but I can say that

Stephen spoke the message the Holy Spirit gave him with a boldness that arose from great faith.

I’m not saying that we should provoke those who oppose us.

In fact, we should always listen to those who oppose us and be sure to reply with the grace of God rather than our own anger.

But we should also always be ready to proclaim what the Holy Spirit gives us to say with boldness that can only come from deep faith.

Do you have the depth of faith that Stephen possessed?
Have you had the opportunity to speak the truth of God in the midst of opposition? How did it turn out?
July 18, 2026

July 18th, 2026

Saturday – Open Topic

Reading – Mark 3:20-35

Highlight Verses:

“One time Jesus entered a house, and the crowds began to gather again. Soon he and his disciples couldn’t even find time to eat. When his family heard what was happening, they tried to take him away. “He’s out of his mind,” they said.”
‭‭Mark‬ ‭3‬:‭20‬-‭21‬ ‭NLT‬‬

I taught the elementary kids last Sunday so I missed the sermon.

I just now got around to watching it.

When our pastor talked about this verse it jumped out at me – for good reason.

In my favorite verse, Paul tells us that if we seem to be crazy (out of our mind) it is for God’s sake. (2 Corinthians 5:13a paraphrased)

Now I know where Paul got that.

In this context, Jesus’ family did not understand the truth that Jesus preached.

They tried to make him be normal.

Jesus stood firm making it clear that He needed to follow the Father’s will and if that disagreed with their’s, so be it.

Don’t feel too bad for Jesus’ family.

They came to see the truth.

They are listed among the early Christians in Acts chapter 1.

Jesus stood firm in the truth and they eventually saw it.

We might not always see eye to eye with our families or friends, but

we need to prioritize the truth.

Of course, verify the truth with the Bible.

And always treat others with respect.

But when it is needed, always stand up for the truth.

Have you ever had to disagree with family or friends by taking a stand for the truth of the Gospel?
Were you able to stay respectful?
How did it turn out?
July 2, 2026

July 2nd, 2026

Thursday – Letters

Reading – 1 John 5

Highlight Verse:

“I have written this to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know you have eternal life.”
‭‭1 John‬ ‭5‬:‭13‬ ‭NLT‬‬

This is another one of those chapters that has so many gems of truth, it would be tough to pick what to write about.

But as I prayerfully read through it, verse 13 jumped out at me.

There are some of you who really need to hear this today.

Many people struggle with their faith to the point that they are not sure if they are going to heaven.

As a young man, I struggled with this for years.

I never doubted that God was real, but I struggled with knowing if my faith was strong enough to for me to be saved.

Having taught young people for many years, I know I am not the only one who has struggled with that.

If you have struggled with that question, this is for you.

The bottom line according to John is, if you put your faith in Jesus, you are saved – eternally.

That’s it.

No acts of penance required.

No rituals.

No perfect life.

There’s nothing wrong with those things as long as you realize that doing things does not buy your way into heaven.

Jesus already did that on the cross.

Enough said.

Have you struggled with knowing whether or not you will go to heaven?
What would it take for you to be assured that what Jesus did on the cross was enough?
June 24, 2026

June 24th, 2026

Wednesday – History

Reading – 2 Chronicles 7-9

Highlight Verses:

“My eyes will be open and my ears attentive to every prayer made in this place. For I have chosen this Temple and set it apart to be holy—a place where my name will be honored forever. I will always watch over it, for it is dear to my heart.”
‭‭2 Chronicles‬ ‭7‬:‭15‬-‭16‬ ‭NLT‬‬

You probably thought I was going to highlight verse 14 (read it).

You know that verse and it goes hand in hand with this verse.

But know this – If you trust Jesus, your body is the temple of God. (1 Corinthians 6:19)

He hears your prayers!

Every one of them.

Every time.

Every topic.

Every praise, every thanks, every confession, and every request.

In fact, He doesn’t just hear you, He’s watching and listening for every word you speak to Him.

Because you are dear to Him.

So, talk to Him.

He can’t wait to hear your voice.

Do you have a hard time finding time to pray?
What is it that you most want God to understand about you? Have you told Him?
Have you listened for His answer?
June 15, 2026

June 15th, 2026

Monday – Gospels

Reading – Luke 24

Highlight Verse:

“The women were terrified and bowed with their faces to the ground. Then the men asked, “Why are you looking among the dead for someone who is alive?”
‭‭Luke‬ ‭24‬:‭5‬ ‭NLT‬‬

I have questions.

Why was it just the women who went to the tomb to take care of Jesus’ body?
What were their expectations?
Why did the angels sound so harsh (at least the way I read it) to the women?

I can only answer that final question with any degree of certainty.

Jesus had already said that he would come back to life. (Mark 8:31, etc.) The angels expected the women to believe that.

If they had taken Jesus at His word, they would not have prepared the spices for embalming.

Instead, they would have stayed at the tomb anticipating Jesus’ resurrection.

How many times do we follow our traditions when we should be taking Jesus’ at His word.

We observe rules out of fear instead of love.
We worry instead of trusting Jesus’ promises.
We judge instead of forgiving.

We trust a God who is risen and brings life.

Let’s not set Him aside in a little box labeled “only on Sundays.”

Have you ever found yourself trusting in tradition instead of Jesus?
How do you tell the difference between tradition and true faith?
June 12, 2026

June 12th, 2026

Friday – Prophets

Reading – Joel 3

Highlight Verse:

“The Lord’s voice will roar from Zion and thunder from Jerusalem, and the heavens and the earth will shake. But the Lord will be a refuge for his people, a strong fortress for the people of Israel.”
‭‭Joel‬ ‭3‬:‭16‬ ‭NLT‬‬

This chapter can be summed up in two words – God wins.

Joel challenges God’s enemies to prepare for war bringing all they have.

And then predicts how thoroughly they will be defeated.

Some say this predicted the Roman emperors’ mistreatment of Israel and Christianity.

And all those emperors were defeated in one way or another.

Others say it predicts the end times and Armageddon, in which case Revelations agrees with that prediction.

What does that mean for us?

We don’t have to cower when the enemies of God attack us.

He will defeat all of His enemies.

We just need to be allied with God.

Are you allied with God through faith in Jesus?
Do you have confidence that God will defeat all His enemies?
June 5, 2026

June 5th, 2026

Friday – Prophets

Reading – Joel 1-2

Highlight Verse:

“After the cutting locusts finished eating the crops, the swarming locusts took what was left! After them came the hopping locusts, and then the stripping locusts, too!”
‭‭Joel‬ ‭1‬:‭4‬ ‭NLT‬‬

I learned something I didn’t know before while studying for this.

It wasn’t about the Bible but about insects – grasshoppers to be exact.

The word “locust” has more to do with the behavior of certain grasshoppers than with a biological distinction.

It is the swarming behavior that sets apart certain grasshopper species as locusts.

The four types of locusts mentioned in today’s highlight verse point to different types of behavior of different swarms, not necessarily biological distinctions.

That would explain why there is primarily one type of locust in the Middle East. The same species behaves differently in different swarms.

Regardless of what type of locust did what, they all caused great damage and destruction.

The grasshoppers we have here in North American do not usually swarm.

The ones described in today’s verse cut, swarm, hop and strip.

Not something I would like to witness.

While we may not have a lot of locusts, we have plenty of things that try to invade and attack in several different ways.

They all come down to one enemy trying to mess up our lives in many different ways.

That enemy may attack our bodies, our wealth, our mental health, etc.

This book will give us ways to fight the enemy regardless of its methods. Stay tuned for more.

What “locusts” have you seen used against you in this life?
How do you defend against such attacks?
June 4, 2026

June 4th, 2026

Thursday – Letters

Reading – 1 John 1

Highlight Verse:

“We proclaim to you the one who existed from the beginning, whom we have heard and seen. We saw him with our own eyes and touched him with our own hands. He is the Word of life.”
‭‭1 John‬ ‭1‬:‭1‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Read that verse again and realize that this was John.

The John who wrote the Gospel and three letters and Revelation.

Good friend to Jesus.

If anyone tries to tell you, “The New Testament was written long after Jesus was around,” just point them to the books written by John, and Peter.

They didn’t just see Him, they hung out with Jesus!

John reclined into Him at the Last Supper.

When he wrote about Jesus, he knew what he was saying.

As we read through these letters, keep your eyes open for the personal insight that John had into the life, teaching, and character of Jesus.

What stood out in this chapter to you?
Did you realize that the Gospel and letters of John were written by a close friend of Jesus’?
How does that change your perspective on John’s books?
May 11, 2026

May 11th, 2026

Monday – Gospels

Reading – Luke 19

Highlight Verse:

“When Jesus came by, he looked up at Zacchaeus and called him by name. “Zacchaeus!” he said. “Quick, come down! I must be a guest in your home today.””
‭‭Luke‬ ‭19‬:‭5‬ ‭NLT‬‬

This was one of my favorite Bible stories as a child in Sunday School.

I always pictured Zacchaeus as being a dwarf sized person, but this was not likely the case.

He was just short and felt the need to see Jesus.

It is likely that his lifestyle and chosen occupation left him longing for something more real.

He wanted to see if Jesus was the answer to that longing and was willing to act like a child and climb a tree to see Him.

Notice what Jesus said.

First, He called Zacchaeus by name.

We don’t know if Zacchaeus was well known, so Jesus already knew his name or if it was divine knowledge.

What is important is that Jesus called him out by name. The call was specifically for Zacchaeus.

Then Jesus told him hurry.

Why the haste?

I believe it Zacchaeus needed to make his decision to follow Jesus before the temptations of his lifestyle popped back up to pull him away.

Regardless of the reason, why waste another minute away from Jesus?

Zacchaeus’ new life began the moment he trusted Jesus.

If Jesus is calling you to move forward in your faith, whether it is to trust Him in the first place or to move forward in the calling He has for you, why waste another minute resisting Him?

What is Jesus calling you to do right now?
What is in the way of saying yes to that calling?

Tag: confidence

It wasn’t easy.

If you are a normal human, your life’s path has had some rocks. Probably some steep treacherous spots too.

That’s when you need light the most.

May the light of God and His Word shine brightly on your life.

In Stephen’s case, it resulted in his death.

Stephen spoke the message the Holy Spirit gave him with a boldness that arose from great faith.

But we should also always be ready to proclaim what the Holy Spirit gives us to say with boldness that can only come from deep faith.

They tried to make him be normal.

Jesus stood firm in the truth and they eventually saw it.

we need to prioritize the truth.

There are some of you who really need to hear this today.

The bottom line according to John is, if you put your faith in Jesus, you are saved – eternally.

Jesus already did that on the cross.

He hears your prayers!

In fact, He doesn’t just hear you, He’s watching and listening for every word you speak to Him.

So, talk to Him.

He can’t wait to hear your voice.

I have questions.

Jesus had already said that he would come back to life. (Mark 8:31, etc.) The angels expected the women to believe that.

Let’s not set Him aside in a little box labeled “only on Sundays.”

This chapter can be summed up in two words – God wins.

We don’t have to cower when the enemies of God attack us.

He will defeat all of His enemies.

The word “locust” has more to do with the behavior of certain grasshoppers than with a biological distinction.

While we may not have a lot of locusts, we have plenty of things that try to invade and attack in several different ways.

This book will give us ways to fight the enemy regardless of its methods. Stay tuned for more.

Good friend to Jesus.

They didn’t just see Him, they hung out with Jesus!

As we read through these letters, keep your eyes open for the personal insight that John had into the life, teaching, and character of Jesus.

He wanted to see if Jesus was the answer to that longing and was willing to act like a child and climb a tree to see Him.

Then Jesus told him hurry.

If Jesus is calling you to move forward in your faith, whether it is to trust Him in the first place or to move forward in the calling He has for you, why waste another minute resisting Him?