Walk in the Light

Tag: Poetry

Sunday – Poetry

April 5th, 2026

Reading – Proverbs 20

Highlight Verse:

“The Lord directs our steps, so why try to understand everything along the way?”
‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭20‬:‭24‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Did Jesus know everything that was going to happen to Him?

His prayer in the garden the night of His arrest suggests that He knew some but not all.

What He knew was not going to be easy.

But He chose to trust His Father.

Today (Easter) we celebrate the results of that trust.

He chose to walk in the steps directed by God.

They led to death on a cross.

Without that death there would be no resurrection for Him or for us.

Because of His death on the cross, we have new life.

Sometimes the steps before us are painful and uncertain.

But if they are directed by the Lord, they will always lead to life.

As we celebrate the resurrection, remember the difficult steps that Jesus took to get there.

Then go forth in the steps God has placed before us.

Have you taken some difficult steps that led to new life? Share your stories.
What next steps has God placed before you? Are they tough?
February 22, 2026

February 22nd, 2026

Sunday – Poetry

Reading – Proverbs 12-13

Highlight Verse:

“The godly care for their animals, but the wicked are always cruel.”
‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭12‬:‭10‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Proverbs can make it tough to highlight a single verse.

There are so many little treasures of wisdom in each chapter.

I think this verse stood out to me today because I haven’t written much about animals.

The first thing I think of is how we treat our dogs (we’re a dog family, substitute cats if that’s your thing).

While they drive me crazy sometimes, our dogs are spoiled – well fed, have their own yard, and kept warm in the house when not patrolling the yard.

I should be mentioned that the word used for “animals” in this verse implies beasts of burden like donkeys, horses, camels, or oxen. It may have been understood to include livestock that could end up as food.

Regardless of the purpose of the animals, the owners and caregivers are urged here to show care for them and avoid cruelty.

By implication, use of animals for performing work or feeding people is not cruel in itself.

Overworking the animals, withholding feed, or causing excessive pain could be considered cruel.

Balaam beating his donkey comes to mind.

Bottom line – treat your animals well.

What verse stood out the most to you in today’s reading?
How would you apply that verse?
January 4, 2026

January 4th, 2026

Sunday – Poetry

Reading – Proverbs 5

Highlight Verse:

“Let your wife be a fountain of blessing for you. Rejoice in the wife of your youth.”
‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭5‬:‭18‬ ‭NLT‬‬

It is very clear from this and other passages that the human experience is best with one marriage partner for life.

I love the way this chapter deals with the subject.

It tells us to stay away from those who would tempt you into sexual sin.

Don’t just avoid sinning, don’t even flirt with it. Verse 8 says to not even go near the house.

This chapter doesn’t leave it there.

It paints a picture of sexual satisfaction within marriage.

Sex is a beautiful and godly thing within the safe walls of marriage.

There are three proverbial elephants stomping around this room.

First, Solomon did not follow his own advice. He married many women.

I don’t know if this were true before he wrote this. Even if it were, it does not make the advice any less true. We know from earlier readings that Solomon reaped the consequences of not following his own advice.

Second, I am using gender neutral terms here as I believe this advice is valid for both genders. It should be noted that in that day as well as today, men seem to be more susceptible to temptation to sexual sin. While the advice is valid for both genders, it is appropriate that Solomon directed it to his son.

Finally, many of you know that I have been divorced so enjoying the wife of my youth is not possible. As my first wife left me for another man, I believe I was released from my vows. Going on 12 years ago, I remarried to a widow with three children. We have raised them together and have enjoyed each other’s faithfulness since we made our vows to each other.

We can debate divorce and remarriage in different circumstances, but I do believe that salvation, forgiveness and new life allow us to start afresh.

What have you been taught about the joy of sex within marriage? (Keep it PG please).
What pressures have you seen to be unfaithful? How do you avoid them?
December 13, 2025

December 14th, 2025

Sunday – Poetry

Reading – Proverbs 2

Highlight Verses:

“Cry out for insight, and ask for understanding. Search for them as you would for silver; seek them like hidden treasures.”
‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭2‬:‭3‬-‭4‬ ‭NLT‬‬

I just watched a YouTube video from a family from New Zealand who were at their wits end because their flight was cancelled and there was no place to spend the night. This happened last summer but they had a group of fans who followed them in real time, so they literally cried out to them for help. One of their fans found a place for them and told them where to go.

It is with that kind of desperation that God wants us to call on Him for wisdom.

Even if you are not in a desperate situation, we need to desire wisdom desperately with an attitude that is willing to listen to His response.

Whether you are in a desperate place or a place of comfort, God always has a best path for you. It might not look like what you expect but it always be the best in the long run.

You just need to earnestly seek it and be willing to accept it when God shows it to you.

When have you desperately sought wisdom?
How did God provide insight or guidance in that situation?
December 9, 2025

December 10th, 2025

Wednesday – History

Reading – 1 Kings 4-6

Highlight Verse:

“He composed some 3,000 proverbs and wrote 1,005 songs.”
‭‭1 Kings‬ ‭4‬:‭32‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Solomon was a writer.

Imagine what the book of Proverbs would have looked like if all of Solomon’s proverbs made it into the Book of Proverbs.

As it is, Proverbs contains 800 of his sayings (with over a hundred more from Lemuel, Amur, and various wise men of Solomon and Hezekiah.”

If all of Solomons proverbs made it into the book, it would be more than three times its size.

Then there’s the Psalms. Of the 150 Psalms in the Bible, only 2 are attributed to Solomon. If all of Solomon’s songs had been included, Psalms would be nearly 8 times longer.

Why did they not all make it?

As a writer, I can tell you that not everything a person writes is equally inspiring or important.

The books of the Bible were chosen over 1600 years ago by people who were led by the Holy Spirit to make the right choices.

The Catholic and certain eastern churches include 18 Psalms of Solomon, but they are not generally accepted by most Protestant churches as scriptural.

In other words, not all of Solomon’s writings rise to the level of Biblical.

They may have been good but not the Word of God.

None of what I write is the literal Word of God, but it may still be helpful for people to understand their faith a little better. And then, some of what I write is just entertaining and some is, umm, not so good.

You can’t hit home runs every time you come to the plate.

My point here is that while we should strive to glorify God and draw people to Him every time we exercise our talents, we shouldn’t worry if we miss the mark sometimes.

Only 27% of Solomon’s Proverbs and less than 2% of his songs made the Biblical cut.

But they made a difference.

When you exercise your talents to glorify God, you make a difference too.

What are the primary talents that you bring to glorify God?
What differences have those talents made?
Note: this is not for us all to “toot our own horns” but to encourage others to step out with their talents.
November 30, 2025

November 30th, 2025

Sunday – Poetry

Reading – Psalms 147-150

Highlight Verse:

“Sing out your thanks to the Lord; sing praises to our God with a harp.”
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭147‬:‭7‬ ‭NLT‬‬

I heard long ago that if God gave to a good voice, you should sing out loud and thank him for it.

If he gave you a terrible voice, you should sing out louder and get even.

I don’t know about that last part, but I know that we are commanded to sing both thanks and praise.

Ever since I was told that funny phrase above, I have been unashamed to be heard singing.

I’ve never had a great voice, but I am certain that God is honored when I seek to praise Him with it.

It doesn’t matter if you have the vocal cords of an angel or could compete with an alley cat, God wants to hear our voices, bringing our best to honor Him.

He rewards that effort with joy.

Is there anything keeping you from praising and thanking God through song?
What could you thank God for in song today?

In case you are wondering, today I thank God for His amazing creation. He could have made things and people and animals plain, simple, compliant, and easy. Instead, He made life challenging, beautiful, exciting, and interesting. I thank God for that even on the days when the challenging parts seem to take over.

Image credit – ChatGPT (I promise this is the last turkey image I use this year)
November 23, 2025

November 23rd, 2025

Sunday – Poetry

Reading – Psalms 144-146

Highlight Verse:

“But joyful are those who have the God of Israel as their helper, whose hope is in the Lord their God.”
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭146‬:‭5‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Sometimes answers are simple.

You want joy? Put your hope in God.

Of course, a simple answer is not always easy to live out.

Sometimes hope is hard to find.

Sometimes life is so easy that hope seems unnecessary.

But I guarantee that if you keep your eyes on Jesus through the good and the bad and everything in between, your joy will overflow to the point that you can’t contain it. (Hebrews 12:1-2)

What tends to distract you from the hope and joy of God?
Have you experienced that joy in the midst of a horrible time? Tell us about it.
November 18, 2025

November 18th, 2025

Tuesday – Pentateuch

Reading – Exodus 24-25

Highlight Verse:

“Then Moses took the blood from the basins and splattered it over the people, declaring, “Look, this blood confirms the covenant the Lord has made with you in giving you these instructions.””
‭‭Exodus‬ ‭24‬:‭8‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Today I’m thankful modern worship.

Frankly, this verse gave me nightmares as a child.

But in a world where animal sacrifice was a common practice, it would not have seemed nearly as disgusting.

I imagine it would have been at least a little disturbing.

By disturbing, I mean it got people’s attention. It illustrated their need for forgiveness and highlighted the seriousness of sin.

Of course, it also foretold the sacrifice Jesus would make at the cross.

Now that the sacrifice is complete once and for all, the need for animal blood is over and our worship can concentrate accepting his sacrifice and on thanking and praising God for who He is and all He has done.

Is there a part of Old Testament worship that was disturbing to you?
What is your favorite part of worship today?
November 9, 2025

November 9th, 2025

Sunday – Poetry

Reading – Psalms 137-139

Highlight Verse:

“Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it.”
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭139‬:‭14‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Today, I thank God for His amazing craftsmanship in creating not just this amazing universe but each incredibly complex inhabitant of it.

There are about 8 billion humans alive today and there have been about 117 billion since Adam and Eve.

God designed each one.

The possible number of gene combinations is about 4 to the 3 billionth power.

That’s 4 followed by 3 billion zeros!

One website I checked called it functionally infinite.

The God I trust designed each one of us.

Even identical twins have unique life stories laid out for them.

I’ve lived out over half of my earthly story but am still very excited to see what God has in store for me for the rest of it.

For that, I will gladly pause and give thanks today.

How has God surprised you with the gift of your life story?
What are you thankful for today?
October 19, 2025

October 19th, 2025

Sunday – Poetry

Reading – Psalms 126-129

Highlight Verse:

“Those who plant in tears will harvest with shouts of joy.”
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭126‬:‭5‬ ‭NLT‬‬

When I was a young adult, I ran sound at a major Christian conference center in California. In that capacity I got to sit in on many different conferences put on by a wide variety of groups.

One of my favorites was Jews for Jesus.

Here was this group of believers from a people group that went through the Holocaust just 45 years before. Those who chose to follow Jesus were often shunned by their families.

But their worship was some of the best I have ever seen.

They sang and danced with such joy that none of the other conferences could match.

And they graciously invited me to join in the celebration.

They truly lived out today’s highlight verse.

The Psalms we read today are part of a group of Psalms specifically written for people to sing as they journeyed to Jerusalem for festivals.

Even back then, celebration was built into the culture.

Psalm 126 was written after the exile when Israel was a fraction of the size they were before.

Despite this, or more accurately because of this, they sang and danced with the joy of the redeemed and restored.

Have you been redeemed and restored?
Does the joy in your praise and worship reflect that?

Tag: Poetry

Did Jesus know everything that was going to happen to Him?

Because of His death on the cross, we have new life.

Then go forth in the steps God has placed before us.

Proverbs can make it tough to highlight a single verse.

Bottom line – treat your animals well.

It is very clear from this and other passages that the human experience is best with one marriage partner for life.

Don’t just avoid sinning, don’t even flirt with it. Verse 8 says to not even go near the house.

Sex is a beautiful and godly thing within the safe walls of marriage.

It is with that kind of desperation that God wants us to call on Him for wisdom.

You just need to earnestly seek it and be willing to accept it when God shows it to you.

Solomon was a writer.

As a writer, I can tell you that not everything a person writes is equally inspiring or important.

My point here is that while we should strive to glorify God and draw people to Him every time we exercise our talents, we shouldn’t worry if we miss the mark sometimes.

I don’t know about that last part, but I know that we are commanded to sing both thanks and praise.

I’ve never had a great voice, but I am certain that God is honored when I seek to praise Him with it.

He rewards that effort with joy.

You want joy? Put your hope in God.

Today I’m thankful modern worship.

Today, I thank God for His amazing craftsmanship in creating not just this amazing universe but each incredibly complex inhabitant of it.

The God I trust designed each one of us.

For that, I will gladly pause and give thanks today.

One of my favorites was Jews for Jesus.

They sang and danced with such joy that none of the other conferences could match.

Despite this, or more accurately because of this, they sang and danced with the joy of the redeemed and restored.