Tag: joy

August 2, 2024

August 1st, 2024

Friday – Prophets

Reading – Jonah 1-2

Highlight Verse:

“Then Jonah prayed to the Lord his God from inside the fish.”
‭‭Jonah‬ ‭2‬:‭1‬ ‭NLT‬‬

This verse struck me as funny.

I know the skeptics out there are saying, “Of course it’s funny. No one could survive 3 days in a fish or whale or any animal.

Other’s might say, “oh, it’s just a metaphor.”

I would say that it really happened and I don’t dwell on how because God is the one that made it happen and He can do anything.

But then, we’re all missing the point.

Jonah was in a place where he could do nothing.

He was left with only 2 choices, give up or turn to God.

He prayed to God from inside the fish.

Have you ever made such bad choices that you were suddenly left with no choice? Maybe facing jail time or bankruptcy?
Did you pray to the Lord Your God (implying that you truly trust Him) to deliver you from the consequences of running away from Him?
How did He bring you through it? (I assume He did since you’re reading this).
July 21, 2024

July 21st, 2024

Sunday – Poetry

Reading – Song of Solomon 5-6

Highlight Verse:

“Why is your lover better than all others, O woman of rare beauty? What makes your lover so special that we must promise this?”
‭‭Song of Songs‬ ‭5‬:‭9‬ ‭NLT‬‬

I must confess, I find Song of Solomon rather awkward to read.

It’s like listening in on a conversation that I really shouldn’t be listening to.

And then there’s these “women of Jerusalem” that are not just listening in but commenting.

Then again…

My middle daughter’s wedding video was just completed. It was beautiful.

That wedding was full of people celebrating the love of two people who obviously belong together.

That’s what the Song of Solomon is.

The women of Jerusalem can celebrate and support the union of this young woman and her shepherd lover.

And the book of Song of Solomon is like a wedding video so that people who came after can celebrate the beauty of that love.

Are there new marriages in social world that you can celebrate and support?
What are you doing to support them?
July 16, 2024

July 16th, 2024

Tuesday – Pentateuch

Reading – Numbers 23-24

Highlight Verse:

“Then King Balak said to Balaam, “Come, I will take you to one more place. Perhaps it will please God to let you curse them from there.””
‭‭Numbers‬ ‭23‬:‭27‬ ‭NLT‬‬

They say the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.

By that definition, King Balak was certainly insane. Three times he tried to get Balaam to curse Israel and three times he failed.

But then, how often do we do the same thing.

We treat people badly expecting them to change.

We entertain temptation expecting to be able to resist it this time.

We expect to lose weight even though we eat out all the time.

We’ve all got something we are a little “insane” about. Most of us have several things.

Maybe it’s time to actually do something different.

Where is your insane spot?
What can you do differently to regain your sanity?
July 15, 2024

July 15th, 2024

Monday – Gospels and Acts

Reading – Acts 5

Highlight Verse:

“The apostles left the high council rejoicing that God had counted them worthy to suffer disgrace for the name of Jesus.”
‭‭Acts of the Apostles‬ ‭5‬:‭41‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Let’s be clear, the apostles were just flogged.

Flogged!

Not slapped on the wrist with a fine or a warning.

Beaten with a whip.

There is nothing in the description about the severity of the flogging. Given the fact that they carried on as before tells me that it wasn’t debilitating.

But, if anything approaching that were to happen today,

we’d be suing for damages,

not to mention blasting it all over social media to get people riled up against a government that would do such a thing.

Instead, they rejoiced that they were counted worthy of suffering for Jesus, and then went right on teaching and preaching Jesus as the Messiah.

Here’s my take on that.

No matter what they came up against, they stayed on target and kept spreading the word about Jesus.

All during this time, the Church continued to grow despite, or maybe because of the oppression from the religious leaders and government.

I don’t know about you but I can get distracted by the political climate.

When Christian opinions are blocked by the government or the media establishment, it really gets my hackles up.

Despite that, I need to always remember to stay on mission to help people to find and follow Jesus.

What is your mission?
Are there things that can distract you from that mission?
July 2, 2024

July 2nd, 2024

Tuesday – Pentateuch

Reading – Numbers 19-20

Highlight Verse:

“Why did you make us leave Egypt and bring us here to this terrible place? This land has no grain, no figs, no grapes, no pomegranates, and no water to drink!””
‭‭Numbers‬ ‭20‬:‭5‬ ‭NLT‬‬

They could have gone to Moses and begged him to ask God for water.

Mind you, they were still receiving Manna from God every morning except the Sabbath so

they knew God could provide.

Yet they dwelt on the negative.

Instead of asking for provision, they whined, complained, and tried to assign blame.

How often do we do that?

I work for a big corporation that swallowed up the smaller family company that I used to work for.

It’s very easy to look back at the family atmosphere of the smaller company and whine about that all being gone now.

I know because I’ve done it.

It’s not as easy to look at the positive side of working for a big corporation.

While I miss many of the good things of the past,

I find it makes my job much easier if I look at the advantages

I now have in the corporation.

Yes, it may be harder to find the positives, but they are there.

Even Moses got caught up in the negativity and it cost him entry into the promised land.

Is negativity taking a toll in your life?
What are some of the positive aspects of your current situation?
June 30, 2024

June 30th, 2024

Sunday – Poetry

Reading – Ecclesiastes 11-12

Highlight Verse:

“Farmers who wait for perfect weather never plant. If they watch every cloud, they never harvest.”
‭‭Ecclesiastes‬ ‭11‬:‭4‬ ‭NLT‬‬

My perfectionist heart cringes.

But I want it to be just right.

Maybe the weather will be better next week.

Fortunately, many years of experience usually overrules my perfectionist tendencies.

On one such experience, I managed to get a ticket to a Christian concert festival at a big farm in New Jersey. (I lived near Philadelphia at the time).

The only problem was the remnants of a hurricane were due to blow through the area that day.

The event went on, though not exactly as planned.

The main stage faced the rain-filled wind. It never opened.

But the worship tent was active all day and the alternative stage gave me new respect for the likes of MXPX and KJ52 who performed straight through downpours.

After KJ52 finished I met a few artists at their merch tables in a big tent. I spent the next couple of hours with a group of guys helping push cars out of the muddy fields.

When I finally arrived home, I was covered head to toe with mud.

It was one of the best days of that otherwise lousy year.

Sure, the biggest bands never got to play, and I ruined a brand-new T-shirt, but I got to meet a bunch of interesting people. I got to jam out in the rain to some awesome new-to-me rock and hip-hop. And I got some great stories to tell.

So, the next time the weather threatens to dampen your big event, prepare to dance in the rain!

Have you ever danced in the rain? Are you willing to try?
Can you share stories of when things didn’t go as planned but turned out better?
June 20, 2024

June 20th, 2024

Thursday – Letters

Reading – 1 John 3

Highlight Verse:

“See how very much our Father loves us, for he calls us his children, and that is what we are! But the people who belong to this world don’t recognize that we are God’s children because they don’t know him.”
‭‭1 John‬ ‭3‬:‭1‬ ‭NLT‬

I’ve spoken before about the love of the Father for us.

The question is, does the Father love those who don’t recognize Him as their Father?

The obvious answer to me would be that He loves them so much that

it breaks His heart that they don’t recognize Him.

If we are truly God’s children,

it should break our hearts too.

How can we express God’s heart to people so that they can see the love and grace of the Father?
(My answer would be to pray first, love second, talk third.)
How would you put that into action?
June 19, 2024

June 19th, 2024

Wednesday – History

Reading – 2 Chronicles 4-6

Highlight Verse:

“The trumpeters and singers performed together in unison to praise and give thanks to the Lord. Accompanied by trumpets, cymbals, and other instruments, they raised their voices and praised the Lord with these words: “He is good! His faithful love endures forever!” At that moment a thick cloud filled the Temple of the Lord.”
‭‭2 Chronicles‬ ‭5‬:‭13‬ ‭NLT‬‬

In my days as an audio engineer (sound guy) for a large Christian Conference Center, my favorite conference was the Jews for Jesus.

As part of their cultural heritage, they knew how to celebrate.

Worship was like a dance party.

Perhaps that stems from the early days of the nation of Israel as they gained freedom from a life of slavery.

My second favorite group was a large, mostly black church from the nearby large city.

The first time I ran sound for them, I asked if they wanted me to put up microphones for their choir. The worship leader laughed and said they wouldn’t be needing microphones.

He was right.

That was a large auditorium with a lot of exposed rough wood that tended to soak up the sound. Despite that,

the choir was loud and clear

in the back row, and even the porch area outside the open back of that auditorium.

They knew how to worship!

Again, perhaps that stems from a cultural history that celebrates freedom from the bonds of slavery.

As we observe that freedom today, Juneteenth, I suggest we remember the freedom from sin we have been given when we trusted our rescuer, Jesus.

If you don’t know what Juneteenth is, I suggest you look it up.

If you don’t know what freedom from sin is, shoot me a message. Let’s talk!

Have you ever experienced an escape from bondage that you just had to celebrate?
Can you imagine what that June 19th, 1865 was like for the slaves who were set free in Texas?
What do you think that celebration was like?
June 15, 2024

June 15th, 2024
Saturday – Open Topic

Reading – Numbers 22:21-41

Highlight Verse:

““But I am the same donkey you have ridden all your life,” the donkey answered. “Have I ever done anything like this before?”
“No,” Balaam admitted.”
‭‭Numbers‬ ‭22‬:‭30‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Today I decided to try to find the funniest story in the Bible.

My wife suggested this one. I agree with her.

Not only is Balaam saved by his donkey, the animal proceeds to explain the situation to him.

I mean, I’d be whipping out my cellphone and recording that conversation!

Yes, I know that cellphones didn’t exist back then, but NEITHER DID TALKING DONKEYS!

Well, except one.

I can’t leave this topic without quoting the song Balaam, that Don Francisco wrote in the late 70s.

The final lines read:

“So when the Lord starts usin’ you
Don’t you pay it any mind.
He could have used the dog next door
If He’d been so inclined.”
- Balaam, ©️1979, Don Francisco
The bottom line is God can use anyone or any thing He chooses.

And sometimes, the funnier, the better.

What do you think the most humorous story of the Bible is?
What have you learned from humor in the Bible?
June 11, 2024

June 11th, 2024
Tuesday – Pentateuch

Reading – Numbers 13-14

Highlight Verse:

“Then they plotted among themselves, “Let’s choose a new leader and go back to Egypt!””
‭‭Numbers‬ ‭14‬:‭4‬ ‭NLT‬‬
- One sees the bone soaking cold rain darkening their spirits while another sees the miracle of water bringing life to the land.
- One sees the endless uphill trudge while another sees a majestic mountain to conquer.
- One hears an annoying high-pitched wail while another hears the healthy lungs of a newborn seeking love and attention.
- The majority of the Israelites saw potential defeat while Joshua and Caleb saw a land flowing with milk and honey that the Lord wanted to give to them.
When you look at your problems and challenges, what do you see?

Tag: joy

But then, we’re all missing the point.

Jonah was in a place where he could do nothing.

He prayed to God from inside the fish.

I must confess, I find Song of Solomon rather awkward to read.

Then again…

That’s what the Song of Solomon is.

And the book of Song of Solomon is like a wedding video so that people who came after can celebrate the beauty of that love.

They say the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.

We’ve all got something we are a little “insane” about. Most of us have several things.

Maybe it’s time to actually do something different.

Flogged!

we’d be suing for damages,

Despite that, I need to always remember to stay on mission to help people to find and follow Jesus.

They could have gone to Moses and begged him to ask God for water.

they knew God could provide.

How often do we do that?

I find it makes my job much easier if I look at the advantages

My perfectionist heart cringes.

Fortunately, many years of experience usually overrules my perfectionist tendencies.

It was one of the best days of that otherwise lousy year.

So, the next time the weather threatens to dampen your big event, prepare to dance in the rain!

The question is, does the Father love those who don’t recognize Him as their Father?

it breaks His heart that they don’t recognize Him.

it should break our hearts too.

Worship was like a dance party.

the choir was loud and clear

If you don’t know what freedom from sin is, shoot me a message. Let’s talk!

Today I decided to try to find the funniest story in the Bible.

The bottom line is God can use anyone or any thing He chooses.

And sometimes, the funnier, the better.

When you look at your problems and challenges, what do you see?