Tag: frustration

August 21, 2025

August 21st, 2025

Thursday – Letters

Reading – Galatians 5-6

Highlight Verse:

“For you have been called to live in freedom, my brothers and sisters. But don’t use your freedom to satisfy your sinful nature. Instead, use your freedom to serve one another in love.”
‭‭Galatians‬ ‭5‬:‭13‬ ‭NLT‬‬

I lived in the South for a total of 12 years. I might go back there for more after I retire.

Why?

Because there’s a lot of people there who know how to live out the second part of this verse.

Oh, they have as many quarrels and differences as any where else, but when someone is hurting, they put aside those differences and help each other without a second thought.

In today’s reading, Paul shifts from telling the Galatians to not be legalistic to what they should be doing instead.

They, and we, should serve one another in love.

That’s not just for those in your same denomination or political party.

Verse 15 makes it sound like the Galatians didn’t get along with each other well at all.

Despite that, or maybe because of that, Paul commands them to serve each other in love.

While he lists 15 results of sinful nature, more than half of those are about getting along with each other. (5:19-21)

He calls us to be free from all sin, not just the classic naughty sins but from anything that would keep us from expressing God’s love to one another.

What ways have you found to serve your neighbor in love?
Does that service to your neighbor have an effect on your heart toward them?
August 15, 2025

August 15th, 2025

Friday – Prophets

Reading – Jeremiah 31-33

Highlight Verse:

“The young women will dance for joy, and the men—old and young—will join in the celebration. I will turn their mourning into joy. I will comfort them and exchange their sorrow for rejoicing.”
‭‭Jeremiah‬ ‭31‬:‭13‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Jeremiah is known for his doom and gloom prophecies.

But today’s reading is full of hope, restoration, and celebration.

Out of the darkest times came the greatest celebrations.

The most joyous times in my life came after the hardest times.

• The joy of the arrival of our firstborn after 11 years of infertility.
• A godly wife after years of betrayal and loneliness.
• Financial freedom after years of debt.

All these joys and more were made all the greater from the pain that preceded them.

And through it all, regardless of the strength of my faith, God was always there giving me strength to get through and carrying me when my strength was gone.

Never once did He fail.

This life will have times of pain, weakness, loneliness, and despair.

God will carry you through no matter how hard times become.

And He will bring on the joy and celebration on the other side leading eventually to the greatest celebration in heaven.

What has been the greatest celebration in your life so far?
What did you have to come through to get there?
August 8, 2025

August 8th, 2025

Friday – Prophets

Reading – Jeremiah 28-30

Highlight Verse:

“And work for the peace and prosperity of the city where I sent you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, for its welfare will determine your welfare.””
‭‭Jeremiah‬ ‭29‬:‭7‬ ‭NLT‬‬

You could call this, “Lessons for the Exile Life.”

You might say, “But I’m not in exile.”

Good for you.

But most of us have at least something they aren’t satisfied with in their living situation.

Maybe your job is less than ideal, or your employer has values that don’t line up that well with your values. (That would be me).

Maybe your house or apartment is too small, old, hot or cold.

Maybe you wish you could move back to an area where you know more people.

You long for the “good life” where things go your way.

Israel wanted to be back in their own country.

Jeremiah told them to settle in and make the best of the situation.

Blessing those around them would bless them.

The same is true for us.

Even if we aren’t where we want to be, we need to take a positive attitude and help those around us.

If you have kept a positive attitude through a bad situation, how did your attitude help?
What does that look like in your situation today?
August 7, 2025

August 7th, 2025

Thursday – Letters

Reading – Galatians 1-2

Highlight Verse:

“When he first arrived, he ate with the Gentile believers, who were not circumcised. But afterward, when some friends of James came, Peter wouldn’t eat with the Gentiles anymore. He was afraid of criticism from these people who insisted on the necessity of circumcision.”
‭‭Galatians‬ ‭2‬:‭12‬ ‭NLT‬‬

It’s all about the optics. NOT!

It’s easy to get caught up in pleasing people at the expense of truth. Legalism is often rooted in people pleasing.

Even Peter fell into that trap.

And Paul called him out.

Like Peter, it pays to have friends who aren’t afraid to point out when you blow it.

Even when you have those friends, it’s tough to listen to them.

If someone does speak a correction into your life, verify what they are saying in God’s Word.

If there’s truth in it, be grateful and do something about it.

If they missed the mark, you can still be thankful that they cared enough to speak up but stick with the truth in the Bible.

I’ve been in both situations.

The true corrections I’ve received have been priceless.

On a couple of occasions, the correction was off base.

While it is tough to get past what feels like meddling, I recognize that my friends are just as flawed as me.

I need to give them the grace to make mistakes without rejecting them.

Being the advisor is a subject for another day.

How have friends spoken into your life?
How have you dealt with it when they were wrong?
August 2, 2025

August 2nd, 2025

Saturday – Open topic

Reading – Matthew 6:14-15; 18:21-35.

Highlight Verses:

““If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you. But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins.”
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭6‬:‭14‬-‭15‬ ‭NLT‬‬

The other day, someone pulled across the road directly in front of me. I slammed on the brakes and laid on the horn.

I somehow managed to keep my mouth shut and fingers tucked away.

As the car passed me the driver gave me a look as if to say, “What’s your problem?”

At that point, the thought crossed my mind, “Do I really have to forgive someone who is unrepentant?”

I knew the answer. Forgiving that person, or anyone else who does me wrong in anyway, is essential.

In most cases, it makes no difference to the other person.

It makes all the difference to me.

Unforgiveness would make me a slave to anger. It would close me off from God’s forgiveness.

It’s not even an option in my book.

Have you ever struggled with unforgiveness?
Have you experienced the freedom that comes with forgiving others?
August 1, 2025

August 1st, 2025

Friday – Prophets

Reading – Jeremiah 25-27

Highlight Verse:

“I will gather together all the armies of the north under King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon, whom I have appointed as my deputy. I will bring them all against this land and its people and against the surrounding nations. I will completely destroy you and make you an object of horror and contempt and a ruin forever.”
‭‭Jeremiah‬ ‭25‬:‭9‬ ‭NLT‬‬

I’ve never felt comfortable with the fact that Jeremiah speaks of God lashing out against Israel.

But think about this. The destruction was done by violent nations.

If it wasn’t for God’s protection over Israel, these nations would have conquered Israel long before.

In God’s eyes, allowing Israel to be conquered was the height of anger; anger motivated by love.

In a sense, God takes the credit for the violence against Israel.

It kinda reminds me of Jesus taking the credit for all our sin.

In both cases, God’s actions are motivated by love for His people; a tough love to be sure, but love, nonetheless.

It’s a difficult concept to grasp, violence equaling love. But God’s goal was always to bring His children back to Him.

Have you ever had to exercise tough love on your kids, letting them feel the full consequences of their actions?
Has tough love ever brought you back in line? Share your stories.
July 30, 2025

July 30th, 2025

Wednesday – History

Reading – 1 Samuel 21-22

Highlight Verses:

“David heard these comments and was very afraid of what King Achish of Gath might do to him. So he pretended to be insane, scratching on doors and drooling down his beard.”
‭‭1 Samuel‬ ‭21‬:‭12‬-‭13‬ ‭NLT‬‬

They say the truth is stranger than fiction.

Quite frankly, I can’t imagine someone making this up. But I’ve written about the unflattering stories of the Bible being evidence of its veracity before.

The question that rises for for today is, is it okay to lie?

Some would point to this passage and say that if David lied, it must be okay to lie when it is expedient to.

Before we jump to that conclusion, I should point out that David was not God. His actions should not be used to define what is or isn’t sin.

Don’t forget there is a commandment against lying.

You could argue that the commandment speaks of “bearing witness” implying a legal context.

But then, there’s Proverbs 12:22 stating that lying lips are an “abomination” to God. That’s pretty strong language.

That begs the question, what would I have done in David’s place?

Hopefully, I would have the foresight to stay away from Achish.

But if David messed up like that, I probably would too.

In which case I would probably lie, knowing that to be a necessary compromise to ensure that I would be around to continue what God had called me to do.

Would it be sin? Maybe. If so, Jesus already paid the price for it.

Yes, we should not go willingly into sin, but I don’t think that qualifies as willful sin.

What do you think? Is lying always sin? Why or why not?
July 20, 2025

July 20th, 2025

Sunday – Poetry

Reading – Psalm 86-88

Highlight Verse:

“Teach me your ways, O Lord, that I may live according to your truth! Grant me purity of heart, so that I may honor you.”
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭86‬:‭11‬ ‭NLT‬‬

David knew what he was talking about here.

He’s been called a “man after God’s own heart.”

But even David had to ask God to give him purity of heart.

Some versions say, “unite my heart.”

David realized that his heart was divided between his selfish desires and dedication to God.

If we are honest, I think we can all say that about our hearts.

It’s likely that our hearts won’t be completely pure until we reach heaven.

In the meantime, we weed out that which divides our hearts.

But just like my yard, the weeds come back.

The gardens of our hearts need constant attention.

May we daily pray, “Grant me purity of heart, so that I may honor you.”

And follow that up with actually removing that which divides our hearts.

Have you made a habit of daily asking for purity of heart?
If you have been doing that daily, how has it changed your life?
July 19, 2025

July 19th, 2025

Saturday – Open Topic (In the Garage Series)

Reading – 1 Samuel 17:32-47

Highlight Verses:

“But David persisted. “I have been taking care of my father’s sheep and goats,” he said. “When a lion or a bear comes to steal a lamb from the flock, I go after it with a club and rescue the lamb from its mouth. If the animal turns on me, I catch it by the jaw and club it to death.”
‭‭1 Samuel‬ ‭17‬:‭34‬-‭35‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Today, I’m bringing back what I am currently calling the “In the Garage Series” where I feature a classic car and relate a lesson from the Bible to that car. It’s a car guy thing so my apologies to those who are not into cars.

Today you are looking at a 1968 Plymouth Satellite Station Wagon.

This wasn’t just any Satellite, it was my first car.

I learned to drive in this car.

Normally you would think an American station wagon would be an easy car to learn with.

This one… not so much.

The only thing power on it was the rear window.

That’s right, no power brakes, no power steering.

If that wasn’t enough, it was a 3 speed column shifted manual transmission.

And I learned to drive on the narrow crowded curvy streets of the San Francisco Peninsula.

It took a while but I mastered that beast and felt like I could drive almost anything afterward.

David, as a teenager, drew the short straw and was sent to mind the families sheep.

From today’s verses, that sounds like a challenging job as he had ferocious animals to deal with.

But, with the help of God, he mastered those beasts.

That gave him the confidence he needed to convince Saul he could beat Goliath.

It also gave him the confidence to stand up to Goliath.

That brought freedom to Israel.

I’m not advocating fighting lions and bears or even learning to drive on a difficult car.

I am saying that we shouldn’t always take the easy path.

We especially shouldn’t always offer the easy path to our kids.

A difficult path often offers the greatest gifts.

What have you learned from the hard paths in your life?
How have you safely led your children down the more difficult paths?
June 27, 2025

June 27th, 2025

Friday – Prophets

Reading – Jeremiah 10-12

Highlight Verse:

““I have abandoned my people, my special possession. I have surrendered my dearest ones to their enemies.”
‭‭Jeremiah‬ ‭12‬:‭7‬ ‭NLT‬‬

If you read this with a view of God as the old man in the sky judging every little bad thing we do,

you miss the point entirely.

This verse is part of a reply to Jeremiah when he complained about evil people prospering.

God basically says, “Quit your whining! I had to remove my protection from my children. There’s nothing that could possibly be harder.”

Jeremiah already knows the heart of the Father.

When he heard this reply, it would have reminded him how tough it was for God to allow His children, the nation of Israel, be conquered and taken captive.

He allowed that not out of a vindictive attitude toward them but because He knew it was the only way to turn their hearts back to Him in the long run.

He also knew it would set things up for Jesus to bring salvation to the world.

Trusting God’s wisdom when we can’t see the reason behind it is one of the toughest parts of faith.

But He always acts out of a heart of absolute love, no matter what it may look like to us.

Have you ever complained to God only to have him remind you that He knows what He is doing?
Has He ever had to let you fail before you came back to Him?

Tag: frustration

Because there’s a lot of people there who know how to live out the second part of this verse.

They, and we, should serve one another in love.

While he lists 15 results of sinful nature, more than half of those are about getting along with each other. (5:19-21)

Out of the darkest times came the greatest celebrations.

All these joys and more were made all the greater from the pain that preceded them.

God will carry you through no matter how hard times become.

You could call this, “Lessons for the Exile Life.”

But most of us have at least something they aren’t satisfied with in their living situation.

Even if we aren’t where we want to be, we need to take a positive attitude and help those around us.

And Paul called him out.

If there’s truth in it, be grateful and do something about it.

While it is tough to get past what feels like meddling, I recognize that my friends are just as flawed as me.

At that point, the thought crossed my mind, “Do I really have to forgive someone who is unrepentant?”

It makes all the difference to me.

Unforgiveness would make me a slave to anger. It would close me off from God’s forgiveness.

I’ve never felt comfortable with the fact that Jeremiah speaks of God lashing out against Israel.

If it wasn’t for God’s protection over Israel, these nations would have conquered Israel long before.

It’s a difficult concept to grasp, violence equaling love. But God’s goal was always to bring His children back to Him.

They say the truth is stranger than fiction.

Before we jump to that conclusion, I should point out that David was not God. His actions should not be used to define what is or isn’t sin.

But if David messed up like that, I probably would too.

But even David had to ask God to give him purity of heart.

In the meantime, we weed out that which divides our hearts.

May we daily pray, “Grant me purity of heart, so that I may honor you.”

This wasn’t just any Satellite, it was my first car.

It took a while but I mastered that beast and felt like I could drive almost anything afterward.

But, with the help of God, he mastered those beasts.

A difficult path often offers the greatest gifts.

you miss the point entirely.

God basically says, “Quit your whining! I had to remove my protection from my children. There’s nothing that could possibly be harder.”

Trusting God’s wisdom when we can’t see the reason behind it is one of the toughest parts of faith.

But He always acts out of a heart of absolute love, no matter what it may look like to us.