Tag: patience

December 13, 2025

December 13th, 2025

Saturday – Open Topic

Reading – Luke 2:1-5

Highlight Verses:

“All returned to their own ancestral towns to register for this census. And because Joseph was a descendant of King David, he had to go to Bethlehem in Judea, David’s ancient home. He traveled there from the village of Nazareth in Galilee. He took with him Mary, to whom he was engaged, who was now expecting a child.”
‭‭Luke‬ ‭2‬:‭3‬-‭5‬ ‭NLT‬‬

The second week of Advent in the traditional calendar is one of Peace.

But the next part of the Advent story was not full of peace. The census ordered by the Roman Empire required everyone to go their Ancestral homelands.

As the family lines were reckoned through the fathers, that would be like requiring me to go to Spain for a census.

I’ve never been there. I don’t know a soul there. But that’s where the Solano paternal line originated.

I don’t think I would feel much peace if I were forced to go there and then be unable to find lodging and have to stay in someone’s barn – with a very pregnant wife.

I cannot imagine how tough that would be.

But they had one thing going for them.

They had a clear calling from God and were acting on that calling.

That clear cut purpose made the trivial and not so trivial hardships tolerable.

Their goal of raising this Child of God named Jesus became their focus.

And when you put your eyes on God’s calling for your life everything else becomes less important.

What distracts you from your calling?
How do you keep the important things important?
December 5, 2025

December 5th, 2025

Friday – Prophets

Reading – Ezekiel 10-12

Highlight Verses:

“And I will give them singleness of heart and put a new spirit within them. I will take away their stony, stubborn heart and give them a tender, responsive heart, so they will obey my decrees and regulations. Then they will truly be my people, and I will be their God.”
‭‭Ezekiel‬ ‭11‬:‭19‬-‭20‬ ‭NLT‬‬

This is my prayer for all my loved ones who do not know Jesus.

If God was able to soften the hearts of the exiles and bring them back to a living faith, how much more can he bring back my family members and friends who have wandered away from God.

Most of the people I have in mind have heard the Gospel but never really understood it.

Instead, they have accepted the lies of the enemy that fly in the face of Truth.

I pray that their eyes be opened and they may see the Truth as it is – true life.

Do you have people you love who have rejected Jesus?
In what way do you pray for them?
If you are that person, what would it take to convince you of the truth of the Gospel?
December 3, 2025

December 3rd, 2025

Wednesday – History

Reading – 1 Kings 2-3

Highlight Verse:

“Some time later two prostitutes came to the king to have an argument settled.”
‭‭1 Kings‬ ‭3‬:‭16‬ ‭NLT‬‬

What’s wrong with this sentence?

Israel had judges in Moses’ time. I can only imagine that they had regional judges in Solomon’s time.

Yet here these two prostitutes brought their case before Solomon.

What’s more, Solomon heard their case and judged wisely and fairly.

He didn’t reject them because of their position in society.

Most politicians today would have refused to even let them in their presence.

But Solomon, in his wisdom, represented God’s presence among the people.

God does not reject anyone from His presence who approaches in humility and respect.

We are the only Jesus some will see.

We should listen to any who approach us regardless of what we think of their lifestyle or position in society.

Perhaps God will use us to bring them His life-giving wisdom.

How has God used you to reach those with whom you would not normally associate?
Has God ever dropped wisdom on you like He did for Solomon in this case?
November 11, 2025

November 11th, 2025

Tuesday – Pentateuch

Reading – Exodus 23

Highlight Verses:

““If you come upon your enemy’s ox or donkey that has strayed away, take it back to its owner. If you see that the donkey of someone who hates you has collapsed under its load, do not walk by. Instead, stop and help.”
‭‭Exodus‬ ‭23‬:‭4‬-‭5‬ ‭NLT‬‬

I once ticked off a coworker inadvertently.

It’s a long irrelevant story but, suffice it to say, he did everything he could to snub me and undermine me at work.

While I couldn’t fully understand his reasoning, I made an effort to be friendly and helpful whenever I could.

It took over a year, but eventually, we were on friendly terms.

I wouldn’t call us besties but, in the end, we got along pretty well.

I don’t know if that is exactly what these verses are talking about.

I do know that God wants us to treat everyone with respect and generosity.

Everyone.

Including those we don’t get along with.

Maybe especially those we don’t get along with.

Both Jesus and Paul confirmed this in the New Testament. (Matthew 5:44, Romans 12:20).

Is there someone who could use your help that you have been avoiding?
What would happen if you started helping them?
November 7, 2025

November 7th, 2025

Friday – Prophets

Reading – Lamentations 5

Highlight Verses:

“Restore us, O Lord, and bring us back to you again! Give us back the joys we once had! Or have you utterly rejected us? Are you angry with us still?”
‭‭Lamentations‬ ‭5‬:‭21‬-‭22‬ ‭NLT‬‬

These are the final words of the Lament.

But they are not the last word on God’s relationship with us.

This book has an unfortunate end before the return from exile.

But the return happened.

And later, God Himself came in the form of Jesus.

And Jesus made the sacrifice that gives us the ability to enjoy new life with God.

It may be cliché but the saying “if it’s not good, then it’s not over” applies to every believer’s life.

If we trust in God, He will make a way for us to live fulfilling lives culminating in a heavenly eternity (literally).

Can you relate to the laments in this book?
Do you know the peace and joy of trusting in God?
Do you trust Him to turn your mourning into dancing? (Psalm 30:11)
October 25, 2025

October 26th, 2025

Sunday – Poetry

Reading – Psalms 130-133

Highlight Verse:

“I long for the Lord more than sentries long for the dawn, yes, more than sentries long for the dawn.”
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭130‬:‭6‬ ‭NLT‬‬

What moves you to seriously strong anticipation?

I’ve never been a sentry, but I recall awaiting the warmth of daylight in a cold tent.

If you are a student, maybe you watch the clock awaiting that final bell that dismisses school.

Likewise, if you get off work at 5pm, you watch the clock seem to slow down around 4:45.

We all have things we anticipate with a longing hope that takes over our thoughts.

This song was designed to build that anticipation as the faithful journey to Jerusalem to worship.

Do you have that longing when you are heading to church?

Don’t worry, most people don’t.

But maybe we should.

True worship can bring great joy.

Learning from the Word of God can satisfy curiosity and bring confidence and purity.

Fellowship with other believers can satisfy the need for companionship and provide much need support.

These and many other things are good reasons to approach church gatherings with great anticipation.

What do you look forward to the most when you are heading to church?
Is there anything that hinders your anticipation of church?
October 24, 2025

October 24th, 2025

Friday – Prophets

Reading – Lamentations 3

Highlight Verses:

“Yet I still dare to hope when I remember this: The faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning.”
‭‭Lamentations‬ ‭3‬:‭21‬-‭23‬ ‭NLT‬‬

I have fond memories of the hymn based on these verses.

Verse 22 was the theme throughout the summer that I ran sound at Mount Hermon Christian Conference Center back in the ‘80s.

I heard that hymn so many times that it is ingrained into the fabric of my mind.

That’s a good thing.

But then, most of us sing this hymn with no thought to the context.

The author proclaims a long list of complaints about the exile of Israel to Babylon.

It was a hopeless time for Israel.

In the middle of the long list of bad news sits this little treasure chest of encouragement.

Israel needed it desperately.

Sometimes we do too.

While most of us haven’t been exiled, we all still have difficult days, weeks, months.

In our best days and our worst, God is our hope.

In the midst of our worst trials, He is faithful.

On the darkest mornings, His mercies still arrive anew.

What is your favorite hymn or song to remind you of God’s faithfulness?
How have you seen God’s faithfulness show up in dark times?
October 22, 2025

October 22nd, 2025

Wednesday – History

Reading – 2 Samuel 15-16

Highlight Verse:

“Then Absalom would say, “You’ve really got a strong case here! It’s too bad the king doesn’t have anyone to hear it.”
‭‭2 Samuel‬ ‭15‬:‭3‬ ‭NLT‬‬

I used to be more into politics.

I once backed a candidate who was very honest (a rare bird indeed).

He had some great ideas and would have had a very positive impact on our state as Lieutenant Governor.

His opponent had more money and flooded the state with lies and exaggerations.

Our candidate stayed honest and polite.

Election Day wasn’t that pleasant for us that year.

Absalom reminds me of the opponents of our candidate.

You gotta admit he was intelligent.

But he used that intelligence and persuasive power to win enough support to take over the kingdom through deception.

But the lies were empty, and his intelligence didn’t translate well to running a country.

In the end…, well, let’s save that for another day.

Let’s just say it’s far better to stay honest and to align yourself with honest people.

That doesn’t mean that honest people don’t have tough times. But, in the end, integrity will win out.

When has honesty and integrity helped you succeed?
When have you seen the dishonest come to shame?
October 20, 2025

October 20th, 2025

Monday – Gospels

Reading – Matthew 14

Highlight Verse:

“After sending them home, he went up into the hills by himself to pray. Night fell while he was there alone.”
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭14‬:‭23‬ ‭NLT‬‬

As many times as I’ve read this chapter before, I don’t think I ever realized that Jesus was mourning the death of John the Baptist during this time.

After hearing the news of John’s death, Jesus tried to get some time alone.

The crowds and His compassion for them would not allow it.

Once his ministry was completed for that time, He finally got the solitude He craved.

I can only imagine that He dealt with his grief in conversation with the Father in that time alone.

If Jesus had to take time to deal with grief, how much more do we need to take time to deal with the grief and other issues in our lives?

I believe God designed us with that need to work through emotions. I also believe that He is there to help us work through it.

He has perfect compassion and knows how to help us handle life’s rough times.

We need to be willing to start that process by spending time in prayer.

Are you working through issues that God could help you with? Is there something keeping you from spending time in prayer to work through them?
Have you experienced God’s emotional healing power in times of grief? How has He helped you through it?
October 18, 2025

October 18th, 2025

Saturday – Open Topic

Reading – 2 Peter 1:3-11

Highlight Verses:

“In view of all this, make every effort to respond to God’s promises. Supplement your faith with a generous provision of moral excellence, and moral excellence with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with patient endurance, and patient endurance with godliness,”
‭‭2 Peter‬ ‭1‬:‭5‬-‭6‬ ‭NLT‬‬

The car guy in me is peaking out.

I thought of the following story as traffic flew around me the other day.

I wasn’t always a careful driver.

When I was in college, I had this little Opel 1900 wagon.

It wasn’t powerful but it handled well.

I was coming out of Santa Cruz on Highway 9, a very curvy narrow road.

A Mazda RX7 (sports car) was going very slowly ahead of me and let me pass. They then proceeded to follow right on my tail matching my speed as I enjoyed the twisty road.

I pushed that little wagon to it’s limits as we doubled the speed limit through the curves.

Toward the end of the curvy section, there was a turn out for slower vehicles. I knew the Mazda had far more power, so I pulled into the slow lane.

The other driver decided to pull around me before I was clear of the lane.

When they hit leaves and pine needles in the center of the road, they lost traction.

The next thing I knew, they had slid off the road and had stopped with the front peeking over the embankment and the wheels turned toward each other.

They were okay and I gave them a ride into town. I learned a lesson in recklessness that day. The lesson was far more expensive for them.

In the 41 years since then I’ve slowed down quite a bit but there are still times when I have to learn a lesson.

I pray that my eyes are open to the lessons I still need to learn. It’d be nice if those lessons weren’t too expensive either.

What was the most expensive lesson in patience that you had to learn?
Have the lessons gotten easier or harder as you get older?

Tag: patience

The second week of Advent in the traditional calendar is one of Peace.

They had a clear calling from God and were acting on that calling.

And when you put your eyes on God’s calling for your life everything else becomes less important.

This is my prayer for all my loved ones who do not know Jesus.

I pray that their eyes be opened and they may see the Truth as it is – true life.

What’s wrong with this sentence?

He didn’t reject them because of their position in society.

Perhaps God will use us to bring them His life-giving wisdom.

I once ticked off a coworker inadvertently.

It took over a year, but eventually, we were on friendly terms.

I do know that God wants us to treat everyone with respect and generosity.

These are the final words of the Lament.

But they are not the last word on God’s relationship with us.

It may be cliché but the saying “if it’s not good, then it’s not over” applies to every believer’s life.

What moves you to seriously strong anticipation?

Do you have that longing when you are heading to church?

These and many other things are good reasons to approach church gatherings with great anticipation.

But then, most of us sing this hymn with no thought to the context.

Israel needed it desperately.

Sometimes we do too.

On the darkest mornings, His mercies still arrive anew.

Election Day wasn’t that pleasant for us that year.

But the lies were empty, and his intelligence didn’t translate well to running a country.

Let’s just say it’s far better to stay honest and to align yourself with honest people.

After hearing the news of John’s death, Jesus tried to get some time alone.

If Jesus had to take time to deal with grief, how much more do we need to take time to deal with the grief and other issues in our lives?

We need to be willing to start that process by spending time in prayer.

The car guy in me is peaking out.

When they hit leaves and pine needles in the center of the road, they lost traction.

I pray that my eyes are open to the lessons I still need to learn. It’d be nice if those lessons weren’t too expensive either.