Tag: trust in God

May 8, 2025

May 8th, 2025

Thursday – Letters

Reading – 1 Corinthians 5-6

Highlight Verse:

“It isn’t my responsibility to judge outsiders, but it certainly is your responsibility to judge those inside the church who are sinning.”
‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭5‬:‭12‬ ‭NLT‬‬

I glance at this verse and wonder if it gives me license to start preaching “hell-fire and brimstone” to those in the church acting sinfully.

Tempting, but I honestly don’t think that’s the point here.

Knowing the heart of God in the context of the New Testament and Paul and the church he is writing to, I see the Father using every means possible to guide His children to the best life possible.

I also see His heart wanting to save people from hell.

It should also be noted that the first readers of this letter would be the leaders of the church. It urges them to lead.

The leaders of the church at Corinth were doing a terrible job of guiding people away from sin. For the sake of those people, the leaders needed to recognize sin and warn them of it.

While the people’s sin would not cause them to directly lose their salvation, when they wander too far down the path of sin, they were in real danger of losing their trust in God, thereby losing salvation.

Quite often people that far off the path pull others down that path with them, prompting Paul’s warning not to associate with them.

The point is, stay as far away as possible from the path that leads to losing faith and encourage other to stay of the path of faith.

Have you seen people pull others with them down a path away from faith? (I have, multiple times).
Have you ever started down that path yourself? What brought you back?
May 6, 2025

May 6th, 2025

Tuesday – Pentateuch

Reading – Genesis 29-30

Highlight Verse:

“Then Jacob kissed Rachel, and he wept aloud.”
‭‭Genesis‬ ‭29‬:‭11‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Let’s get the obvious out of the way. The kiss was a traditional kiss of greeting with no romantic connotations.

Still, the scene is a bit surprising.

In light of that, I decided to try to imagine the scene from Jacob’s point of view.

He had just travelled across the desert.

On the way he had an incredible vision of a ladder to Heaven.

Now he was seeing long lost family. – It didn’t hurt that they were glad to see him.

Perhaps meeting his future wife may have added to his emotions.

Whatever the reason, he had no problem with showing his emotions.

The display didn’t seem to disturb his relatives.

He dealt with his emotions quickly and proceeded to get to know his new-found family.

How do you deal with emotions?
Do they simmer or flow freely?
May 5, 2025

May 5th, 2025

Monday – Gospel

Reading – John 19

Highlight Verse:

“When Jesus had tasted it, he said, “It is finished!” Then he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.”
‭‭John‬ ‭19‬:‭30‬ ‭NLT‬‬

“¡Todo se ha cumplido!” in Spanish (in honor of Cinco de Mayo).

“Tetelestai” (τετελεσται) in Greek.

“It is finished!”

The original Greek word implies an action that has been completed but has lasting effects.

In that moment, on the cross, the work for our salvation was completed.

No more work is needed. It is complete.

You don’t have to make sacrifices, do good works, or complete religious acts to be saved.

You don’t even have to behave.

It is finished!

Of course, there are good reasons to live a righteous life including gratitude to God and the positive effects it will have on your life.

Also, turning from sin and doing good things are usually the first evidence that you have accepted that salvation.

But your salvation is a done deal. All you need to do is accept it.

Does that make you breathe a sigh of relief?
Are you tempted to do good deeds out of guilt or duty? Have you tried doing good things just for the joy of it?
May 4, 2025

May 4th, 2025
Sunday – Poetry

Reading – Psalms 52-55

Highlight Verse:

“Please listen and answer me, for I am overwhelmed by my troubles.”
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭55‬:‭2‬ ‭NLT‬‬

When I moved to Colorado, I was nearly broke.

I had all my worldly goods packed in and on an old minivan.

About 10pm on that first travel day, 10 miles from the nearest exit on the Pennsylvania Turnpike, in nearly freezing rain, the van threw a rod.

The engine was toast.

When I finally got towed off the Turnpike and got myself safely into a motel, I had a little talk with God.

All I could say was,

“I’ve got nothing God,

this is all up to you. Please provide a way to complete my move so I can be near my kiddo.”

I was overwhelmed.

Granted, I wasn’t being chased by enemies, but it felt like it.

And God provided.
- He provided a mechanic.
- He provided an engine.
- He provided a much needed 4 day rest.
- He provided a generous relative.
- He provided a patient new employer.
- And He provided a patient new landlord.
He’s been providing ever since.

If you’ve heard this story before, I apologize but I felt like someone needed the encouragement today.

Have you been in impossible situations before?
How did God bring you through?
May 2, 2025

May 2nd, 2025

Friday – Prophets

Reading – Isaiah 52-54

Highlight Verse:

““Enlarge your house; build an addition. Spread out your home, and spare no expense!”
‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭54‬:‭2‬ ‭NLT‬‬

On more than one occasion, I have heard this verse taken completely out of context.

Usually, it was in conjunction with a church building fund.

But context is important.

This prophecy was given to the people of Israel at the end of the exile.

They had been oppressed for many years at this point and were finally coming back to faith.

God was ready to bless them for that faith.

If you’ve been through the ringer through a time of unbelief and are coming back too a revived faith, then I would say this verse applies to you.

If not, maybe we should just rejoice in the restoration of Israel which laid the groundwork for the coming of Jesus.

And maybe find a more appropriate verse to encourage us to give – there are plenty.

What verses have you heard taken out of context often?
What verse do you tend to take out of context? (For me, it is 2 Corinthians 5:13)
May 1, 2025

May 1st, 2025

Thursday – Letters

Reading – 1 Corinthians 3-4

Highlight Verse:

“So don’t make judgments about anyone ahead of time—before the Lord returns. For he will bring our darkest secrets to light and will reveal our private motives. Then God will give to each one whatever praise is due.”
‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭4‬:‭5‬ ‭NLT‬‬

It’s easy to think of this as describing God judging us to see what punishment suits our sins.

That may be the kind of judgement we are warned about making ahead of time. But the judgement we see God make here is closer to that of judging a talent contest as a perfectly impartial judge.

The judgement for our sins was taken care of once and for all at the cross.

But the Bible tells us that we will be rewarded for the good we did on Earth (Matthew 6:18).

That reminds me of the story of the Pastor and the taxi driver who died on the same day and went to heaven. Saint Peter showed them their houses next to each other.

The Pastor’s house was nice. It was good sized and and comfortable.

Next door, there was a mansion with a swimming pool, game room, home theater – all the bells and whistles.

The Pastor asked Saint Peter whose house that was.

He replied, “That’s the taxi driver’s home.”

Perplexed, the Pastor asked, “Why did a taxi driver get a mansion while I got this?”

Without skipping a beat, Peter told him, “That man’s driving scared more people into repenting than your sermons ever did.”

Of course, that story is more amusing than theologically accurate. But it reminds us that while our sin is taken care of, God will give us each a reward according to what we did and didn’t do.

Personally, I think the greatest reward would be to have my family and friends join me in heaven.

What do you imagine our heavenly reward will be?
What do you think God looks at when evaluating our lives?
April 30, 2025

April 30th, 2025
Wednesday – History

Reading – Judges 20-21

Highlight Verse:

“So the men of Benjamin did as they were told. Each man caught one of the women as she danced in the celebration and carried her off to be his wife. They returned to their own land, and they rebuilt their towns and lived in them.”
‭‭Judges‬ ‭21‬:‭23‬ ‭NLT‬‬

I gotta admit, this is another one of those Bible stories that proves the accuracy of the Bible to me.

I mean, what other religious writing would admit such an embarrassing event?

This story is significant for other reasons as well.

It was very important that the tribe of Benjamin be preserved.
- King Saul was a Benjamite.
It could be argued that it would have been better for Saul not to be King because of his failures.

It should be remembered that He united and helped preserve Israel during his reign. His shortcomings also paved the way for King David to rise to power.
- Queen Esther was also thought to come from the tribe of Benjamin.
Without her, Israel would have been (or nearly been) wiped out by Haman.
- And then there was another Saul. God changed his name to Paul and used him to spread the Gospel to the Western World.
It can be said that we owe our salvation to his missionary work.

So, yes, there were some questionable methods used to preserve the tribe of Benjamin. I sincerely hope they would never be used today.

But I’m sure glad that the tribe of Benjamin survived.

Can you think of any other bizarre stories that God used to bring about good?
Has God used some of the more unusual parts of your history to bring about good?
April 28, 2025

April 28th, 2025

Monday – Gospels

Reading – John 18

Highlight Verse:

“Jesus fully realized all that was going to happen to him, so he stepped forward to meet them. “Who are you looking for?” he asked.”
‭‭John‬ ‭18‬:‭4‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Jesus was not surprised at what was going to happen to Him.

Even though He knew He was going to be tortured and killed in the worst way possible,

He stepped forward.

He stepped forward into the judgement set for us.

He stepped forward into the worst pain possible – separation from His Father for 3 days.

He stepped forward into the greatest act of love for all time.

May we at least step forward into accepting that sacrifice and trusting the one who loves us beyond all comprehension.

Have you considered the incredible depth of Jesus love for us starting in that step in the garden that night?
How should we react to such an act of love?
April 27, 2025

April 27th, 2025

Sunday – Poetry

Reading – Psalms 25-27

Highlight Verses:

“God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble. So we will not fear when earthquakes come and the mountains crumble into the sea.”
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭46‬:‭1‬-‭2‬ ‭NLT‬‬

I grew up in California.

I’ve felt my share of earthquakes.

Most were no big deal.

Then there was that evening in 1989.

It felt like the whole world was moving.

I was in a room with giant plate glass windows. Stuff was falling from the ceiling.

The world rumbled on as I dove under a row of chairs.

I was afraid. Very afraid. This was many times larger than anything I had been through before.

I wish I had memorized this Psalm then.

I would have been reassured of God’s power over the Earth, not to mention my eternal destiny in heaven.

I came through that quake just fine, though not all did.

When the Sons of Korah use the imagery of an earthquake here, they were talking about extreme confidence in an extreme situation.

God can protect us in our long-term difficulties and here we see that he can protect us in catastrophes.

He is strong enough for any situation.

What catastrophes has God brought you through?
How did He protect you?
April 26, 2025

April 26th, 2025

Saturday – Open Topic

Reading – 1 John 4:7-21

Highlight Verse:

“We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in his love. God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them.”
‭‭1 John‬ ‭4‬:‭16‬ ‭NLT‬‬

I just finished reading a novel about a “Christian” group that had isolated themselves from the rest of the world in order to stay pure. (The Girl Behind the Red Rope by Ted Dekker and Rachel Dekker)

They concentrated on purity and following the rules to the letter that they had lost sight of love.

It could be said that they lost sight of God.

I’m not trying to criticize any particular group.

I do want to point out that when we put rules before love, we miss the point.

Parents set rules because they love their kids and want the best for them.

Ideally, kids obey their parents out of love and respect.

God gave us the BIBLE (Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth) because he knows what’s best for us and loves us enough to tell us. In fact, He loves us even when we don’t follow the rules, though His heart breaks because of the way we harm ourselves.

The bottom line is this – God is love.

Let’s put love first.

What motivates you to follow God’s commands?
If you are a parent, what motivates you to set rules for your kids?

Tag: trust in God

Tempting, but I honestly don’t think that’s the point here.

The leaders of the church at Corinth were doing a terrible job of guiding people away from sin. For the sake of those people, the leaders needed to recognize sin and warn them of it.

The point is, stay as far away as possible from the path that leads to losing faith and encourage other to stay of the path of faith.

Still, the scene is a bit surprising.

Whatever the reason, he had no problem with showing his emotions.

He dealt with his emotions quickly and proceeded to get to know his new-found family.

The original Greek word implies an action that has been completed but has lasting effects.

No more work is needed. It is complete.

But your salvation is a done deal. All you need to do is accept it.

The engine was toast.

“I’ve got nothing God,

He’s been providing ever since.

But context is important.

If you’ve been through the ringer through a time of unbelief and are coming back too a revived faith, then I would say this verse applies to you.

And maybe find a more appropriate verse to encourage us to give – there are plenty.

But the Bible tells us that we will be rewarded for the good we did on Earth (Matthew 6:18).

Personally, I think the greatest reward would be to have my family and friends join me in heaven.

I mean, what other religious writing would admit such an embarrassing event?

It was very important that the tribe of Benjamin be preserved.

But I’m sure glad that the tribe of Benjamin survived.

Jesus was not surprised at what was going to happen to Him.

He stepped forward.

He stepped forward into the greatest act of love for all time.

It felt like the whole world was moving.

I wish I had memorized this Psalm then.

He is strong enough for any situation.

I do want to point out that when we put rules before love, we miss the point.

The bottom line is this – God is love.

Let’s put love first.