Tag: Old Testament

July 12, 2024

July 12th, 2024

Friday – Prophets

Reading – Amos 7-8

Highlight Verse:

“So the Lord relented from this plan. “I will not do it,” he said.”
‭‭Amos‬ ‭7‬:‭3‬ ‭NLT‬‬

How can such a simple verse open up such a deep theological conundrum?

It raises the question, “If God knows everything that is ever going to happen, how can He change his mind when someone prays?”

I would respond to that with another question, “If God’s will cannot be changed,

why pray at all?”

We could debate circles around this topic but I believe that simple answer is that God is sovereign. That means,

if He wants to change His mind, He can.

I also believe that God wants to hear from His children and allows us to influence His decisions.

He may even choose not to know what He will decide until it comes to pass.

God may live outside of time and have the capacity to know everything that has ever happened and ever will happen, I think He can choose what knowledge to access.

What is your opinion?
Are you a strict Calvinist believing that everything is predestined or do you believe that God chooses to let us influence what He decides and what will ultimately happen?
July 10, 2024

July 10th, 2024

Wednesday – History

Reading – 2 Chronicles 13-15

Highlight Verse:

“Then the Spirit of God came upon Azariah son of Oded, and he went out to meet King Asa as he was returning from the battle. “Listen to me, Asa!” he shouted. “Listen, all you people of Judah and Benjamin! The Lord will stay with you as long as you stay with him! Whenever you seek him, you will find him. But if you abandon him, he will abandon you.”
‭‭2 Chronicles‬ ‭15‬:‭1‬-‭2‬ ‭NLT‬‬

It sounds harsh when you read that God will abandon you.

The effect is as simple as this; if you leave the Lord’s side, He will let you.

The abandonment aspect comes in when you realize that, on your own, you no longer have His protection to keep you safe.

Yes, that would feel like abandonment, but it is actually you stepping away when you turn your back on God.

Exposed to the attacks of the enemy and life in general, you could feel quite vulnerable.

Then, like the prodigal son, you might come to your senses and turn back to God.

Then God, the Father, will abandon all reservations and run to meet you!

Have you ever felt life without God?
How did that make you feel in terms of your security?
What was it like when you turned back to God?
July 9, 2024

July 9th, 2024

Tuesday – Pentateuch

Reading – Numbers 21-22

Highlight Verse:

“Then the Lord told him, “Make a replica of a poisonous snake and attach it to a pole. All who are bitten will live if they simply look at it!””
‭‭Numbers‬ ‭21‬:‭8‬ ‭NLT‬‬

The symbol of the snake on a pole is more than just a symbol of the medical profession (Though that’s another whole subject that we could explore).

It is one of many precursors to the Messiah, the one who can heal all those who turn to Him.

The symbolism doesn’t stop there.

The snake is a symbol of the tempter. Satan came as a serpent to fool Adam and Eve. He returns in this story to curse those who grumbled against Moses and God.

The snake empaled on a pole represents Satan’s defeat by the sacrifice of Jesus on the Cross.

We are all “bitten” by the curse of sin, but healing comes when we simply have enough faith to turn to Jesus to receive our healing from sin and its consequences.

Have you defeated the curse by turning to Jesus for healing?
Have you spread the word that healing is available that easily?
July 5, 2024

July 5th, 2024

Friday – Prophets

Reading – Amos 5-6

Highlight Verse:

“What sorrow awaits you who lounge in luxury in Jerusalem, and you who feel secure in Samaria! You are famous and popular in Israel, and people go to you for help.”
‭‭Amos‬ ‭6‬:‭1‬ ‭NLT‬‬

This verse struck me as I’m lounging in a recliner in our family room. (we’re staying up late to comfort the dogs with all the fireworks going off around us).

Our youngest and I walked down to the local park at the height of the fireworks.

It sounded like a war zone.

That made me think of people in some countries who were prospering when war came their way. Many lost everything to war and violence.

While it seems very unlikely here, I realize that nothing is impossible, and

I should work toward peace.

Some might think that means gun control or more police.

This scripture makes the answer clear.

If I want peace in this land, I should worship God alone, strive to follow in obedience to his leading, and encourage others to do the same.

How do you work for peace?
What does following in obedience to Him look like in your life?
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 26, 2024

June 26th, 2024

Wednesday – History

Reading – 2 Chronicles 7-9

Highlight Verse:

“Each year Solomon received about 25 tons of gold.”
‭‭2 Chronicles‬ ‭9‬:‭13‬ ‭NLT‬‬

That’s well over a billion dollars in gold every year. And that was just part of his income.

It’s probably safe to say that Solomon was wealthier than anyone living today.

More importantly, he was wiser.

But he was still human.

I have a hard time reading all these descriptions of his wealth and wisdom without thinking about his failures later in life.

As you read how amazing the guy was, don’t forget that he was an imperfect human.

You and I probably don’t come close to his wisdom. We certainly can’t match his wealth.

If this amazing guy could have major failures, so could we.

We would do well not to rest on the wisdom we believe that we have gained and stay on our guard against that which could make us fail.

We’ll read more about Solomon’s shortfalls before too long.

Have you ever found yourself falling into sin despite your apparent wisdom?
What can you do to stay on your guard against such failures?
June 25, 2024

June 25th, 2024

Tuesday – Pentateuch

Reading – Numbers 17-18

Highlight Verse:

“And the Lord said to Moses: “Place Aaron’s staff permanently before the Ark of the Covenant to serve as a warning to rebels. This should put an end to their complaints against me and prevent any further deaths.””
‭‭Numbers‬ ‭17‬:‭10‬ ‭NLT‬‬

It should have put an end to rebellion.

It didn’t.

But at least the people recognized that they were helpless before God.

They knew at this point they needed someone to mediate between themselves and God because of their sin.

That’s where the Levites and priests came into play.

Ultimately, that’s why we needed Jesus.

This period of history laid the groundwork for Jesus to make the sacrifice in our place and give us back direct access to God.

If nothing else, we should look at this era of Hebrew history and the magnitude of God’s saving grace and exude unceasing gratitude.

Were you aware of how deep the gulf was between us and God?
How can we even come close to expressing an adequate amount of gratitude for the grace God has given us?
June 23, 2024

June 23rd, 2024

Sunday – Poetry

Reading – Ecclesiastes 9-10

Highlight Verse:

“Using a dull ax requires great strength, so sharpen the blade. That’s the value of wisdom; it helps you succeed.”
‭‭Ecclesiastes‬ ‭10‬:‭10‬ ‭NLT‬‬

I spent most of this morning organizing my workshop in our garage.

I still have a long way to go. It was a hot day, and I don’t yet have my cooler set up in there (another long story) so I quit by noon.

Two large trash bags and a full recycling bin later and it is much more usable.

I was even able to get one quick project done on my now mostly visible workbench.

My workbench had become my dull axe.

Now I can use it to get stuff done without requiring “great strength.”

If you’re wondering, I even got my sprinklers working right.

What are your dull axes?
What would it take to sharpen them?
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 16, 2024

June 15th, 2024

Sunday – Poetry

Reading – Ecclesiastes 7-8

Highlight Verse:

“Finishing is better than starting. Patience is better than pride.”
‭‭Ecclesiastes‬ ‭7‬:‭8‬ ‭NLT‬‬

There is a lot of wisdom in today’s reading.

For instance, I still need to finish programming my sprinklers for this season but I haven’t had the patience to figure out the process.

Solomon hit a double for me with today’s highlight verse! (Maybe he should sign for the Rockies, couldn’t hurt this season).

Seriously, I’m pretty good at starting things or at least planning them.

I’m not so good at finishing them.

Often that’s because I don’t exercise enough patience to do something exactly right (and I am a perfectionist).

I’m still learning and I’ll let this verse remind me to follow through on what I start.

What verse in today’s reading brought conviction for you?
What are you going to do about it?

Tag: Old Testament

How can such a simple verse open up such a deep theological conundrum?

why pray at all?”

if He wants to change His mind, He can.

The effect is as simple as this; if you leave the Lord’s side, He will let you.

Exposed to the attacks of the enemy and life in general, you could feel quite vulnerable.

Then God, the Father, will abandon all reservations and run to meet you!

It is one of many precursors to the Messiah, the one who can heal all those who turn to Him.

It sounded like a war zone.

I should work toward peace.

This scripture makes the answer clear.

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

It’s probably safe to say that Solomon was wealthier than anyone living today.

I have a hard time reading all these descriptions of his wealth and wisdom without thinking about his failures later in life.

We would do well not to rest on the wisdom we believe that we have gained and stay on our guard against that which could make us fail.

But at least the people recognized that they were helpless before God.

If nothing else, we should look at this era of Hebrew history and the magnitude of God’s saving grace and exude unceasing gratitude.

I spent most of this morning organizing my workshop in our garage.

My workbench had become my dull axe.

Now I can use it to get stuff done without requiring “great strength.”

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!

Seriously, I’m pretty good at starting things or at least planning them.

I’m not so good at finishing them.

I’m still learning and I’ll let this verse remind me to follow through on what I start.