Tag: trust in God

October 28, 2025

October 28th, 2025

Tuesday – Pentateuch

Reading – Exodus 19-20

Highlight Verse:

““Don’t be afraid,” Moses answered them, “for God has come in this way to test you, and so that your fear of him will keep you from sinning!””
‭‭Exodus‬ ‭20‬:‭20‬ ‭NLT

Halloween is this Friday here in the US.

All around are images of fear and evil.

In the Bible, that’s kind of upside down.

Here Moses tells us not to be afraid but to fear God.

In the context here, that means to not be anxious about the thunder on the mountain but respect God to the point where you wouldn’t consider doing anything against His plans.

That concept repeats it self in several situations throughout the Bible.

As for us today, we can be confident in our stand against evil when we have complete faith in God.

So, when evil images pop up around you trying to scare you into the spirit of fear that seems to surround Halloween, know that when you walk in fellowship with God, there is nothing to fear but God, and he is always working for your good.

What is your take on the atmosphere of fear that surrounds Halloween?
What method do you employ to combat that fear?
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 21, 2025

October 21st, 2025

Tuesday – Pentateuch

Reading – Exodus 17-18

“Then Moses cried out to the Lord, “What should I do with these people? They are ready to stone me!””
‭‭Exodus‬ ‭17‬:‭4‬ ‭NLT‬‬

When I read this, my mind went all over the place.

It makes sense that the people would be concerned about the lack of water.

But notice that when Moses went to God with the problems,

he didn’t complain about the lack of water, he complained about the complaints.

In fact, Moses never even asked for water.

Personally, I think the parting of the sea was fresh in his mind and he was confident that God would provide a way through the problem of no water.

And he did.

One commentary I read (Enduring Word) made a good point. This situation shows that it is normal for people to come upon difficulties even when they are doing what God asked of them. God will provide in those times.

God allowed the problem.

He also provided the solution.

Once again, their faith was reinforced by the miraculous.

Have you had your faith reinforced by the miraculous?
What situations has He provided a way through?
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?
October 17, 2025

October 17th, 2025

Friday – Prophets

Reading – Lamentations 2

Highlight Verse:

“All the strength of Israel vanishes beneath his fierce anger. The Lord has withdrawn his protection as the enemy attacks. He consumes the whole land of Israel like a raging fire.”
‭‭Lamentations‬ ‭2‬:‭3‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Most of this chapter is Jeremiah lamenting what God does to Jerusalem and Judea.

Jeremiah seems to be adding up the bad things God has done against Israel, like God was personally responsible for it.

What did God really do there?

He withdrew his hand of protection from the land.

And then Jeremiah writes about the terrible things God did.

Keep in mind that Jeremiah was a prophet.

As such, he could speak with the mouth of God. That is, God is speaking these things to and through him.

It is God’s broken heart that carries the pain of seeing Israel destroyed to the point of taking the blame upon Himself like a Father who failed to protect His children.

Only He didn’t fail. It was a painful part of His plan. Very painful, but it was still part of His plan of redemption.

As such, we get a glimpse of the heart of God, who was willing to go through the pain of being seen as hurting His children.

Lamentations are not just Jeremiah lamenting the fall of Jerusalem, it is God’s lament for Jerusalem’s fall.

Have you gone through times when it feels like God is attacking you?
Were you able to see the bigger picture of God’s hand on the plan for your life afterward?
October 15, 2025

October 15th, 2025

Wednesday – History

Reading – 2 Samuel 13-14

Highlight Verse:

“So at Absalom’s signal they murdered Amnon. Then the other sons of the king jumped on their mules and fled.”
‭‭2 Samuel‬ ‭13‬:‭29‬ ‭NLT‬‬

This one verse raises so many questions.

The first thing that stands out to my slightly warped brain is, “Mules? Why mules? Didn’t they have horses?”

I don’t know the answer to that nor do I really care. The important thing is that they got away.

What next stands out to me is the fact that Absalom was incredibly persuasive. I’m sure his good looks helped, but to get people to kill for you takes a diabolical amount of persuasive power.

Looking back at his life, things look like they started going sideways when Amnon took advantage of his sister.

Instead of seeking justice, he sought revenge.

His revenge against Amnon came quickly but he extended his rage against his father and brothers.

More on that in the coming weeks.

Today we see Absalom’s rage turn pathological. It controlled him to the point that his actions became diabolical in the literal sense of the word.

He let the devil control his thoughts and actions in an attempt to destroy David’s kingdom.

All this started with taking justice into his own hands rather than turning it over to God and the justice system God put into place in Israel.

Terrible things happen. The need for justice can make people do desperate things.

But God is the ultimate judge and will bring justice one way or another.

Have you ever been tempted to take justice into your own hands?
What do you do when you doubt that justice will be served?
How can you help assure that proper justice will be served?
October 14, 2025

October 14th, 2025

Tuesday – Pentateuch

Reading – Exodus 16

Highlight Verse:

“On the sixth day, they gathered twice as much as usual—four quarts for each person instead of two. Then all the leaders of the community came and asked Moses for an explanation.”
‭‭Exodus‬ ‭16‬:‭22‬ ‭NLT‬‬

At this point, the people of Israel had worked every day for their entire lives.

There was no Sabbath for them in Egypt.

But God called for their lives to be radically different.

In addition to trusting God to lead them through the wilderness, they had to trust God to provide for them through a day of rest every week.

To those of us with a 5-day work week, a day of rest seems normal.

To them it was a new concept.

While we are used to the concept of weekends, sometimes God calls us to step out in radical faith.

Just like God provided extra Manna on the sixth day,

God will provide for your needs when you step into His calling.

When God called me to go to Bible College, He provided the opportunity for me to start a business that provided my living expenses while giving me the flexibility to attend classes and assignments.

It was hard work, but God always provided.

Has God provided for you when He called you to step out in faith? Please share.
Is there something God has called you to do but you have hesitated because of fear of failure (financially or otherwise)? What would it take for you to follow His call?
October 13, 2025

October 13th, 2025

Monday – Gospels

Reading – Matthew 13

Highlight Verse:

“Then they scoffed, “He’s just the carpenter’s son, and we know Mary, his mother, and his brothers—James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas.”
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭13‬:‭55‬ ‭NLT‬‬

The modern version of this could be complacent Christianity.

It’s easy to take Jesus for granted when the culture is saturated by churchy things.

Even in the Bible Belt, it is easy to relegate Jesus to a social activity on Sunday morning.

I once personally knew a healing evangelist who held revivals in the Southeast US and in India.

His meetings in the US might have 50 to a hundred people attend and a handful of healings. It was rare that unbelievers attended, much less found Jesus.

In India, thousands flocked to the meetings and hundred were healed and saved.

You might not agree with the tactics of a healing evangelist (I had a hard time dealing with his style), but you can’t deny how much more God moved in areas where Jesus wasn’t a household word.

While we strive for Christian values to be restored in America (a worthy cause), we should also strive for people to truly trust Jesus as a life changing savior, not just a cultural icon.

Our faith should lead to life changing commitment, not just cultural conformity.

If someone threatened your life unless you renounced Jesus, how would you react?
How can we help others move from cultural acceptance to trust in Jesus?
October 12, 2025

October 12th, 2025

Sunday – Poetry

Reading – Psalms 120-124

Highlight Verse:

“I look up to the mountains— does my help come from there? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth!”
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭121‬:‭1‬-‭2‬ ‭NLT‬‬

I’m at the edge of the mountains as I write this.

Yesterday afternoon, I went for a hike up what felt like a mountain to a place deceptively called Ladybug Lookout.

Mountain goats take one look at the last 50 feet of that trail and say, “No thank you!”

Not being of the mountain goat persuasion, I went for it.

While I scrambled up those rocks, I had the audacity to think, “At least I have good cell service up here if I get hurt.”

When I got to the top, I could clearly see the Garden of the Gods, a stunning collection of red rock formations, and the surrounding ridges and hills with Peaks Pike looming above.

I hear people say that these ridges were formed millions of years ago by the forces of plate tectonics that raised Pikes peak, tilting these ridges exposing the different colors of sandstone that wore into these beautiful shapes.

Personally, I believe God created them this way.

But even if He chose to use plate tectonics to create them, it was His artistic touch that made them beautiful.

He didn’t have to infuse them with the elements that made those amazing colors.

He didn’t have to give us the ability to see 100 million different colors.

He didn’t have to supply the right amount of erosion to create those amazing shapes.

But He did.

My dad was an atheist for most of his life.

After seeing enough of the amazing beauty of creation, he finally came to accept that there must be a Creator.

If God has the ability and imagination to create this amazing planet, He can help when we call out to Him with our needs as well.

When is the last time you got out to enjoy God’s creation?
How did it inspire you?
October 11, 2025

October 11th, 2025

Saturday – Open Topic

Reading – 2 Timothy 4

Highlight Verse:

“And now the prize awaits me—the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give me on the day of his return. And the prize is not just for me but for all who eagerly look forward to his appearing.”
‭‭2 Timothy‬ ‭4‬:‭8‬ ‭NLT‬‬

The Dove Awards aired last night.

There was a lot of good music by a lot of good artists.

And one artist I like wasn’t there.

He said he wanted his award in heaven and that he shouldn’t get an award that points to his talent when all the glory should go to God.

Ironically, he won Artist of the Year.

Then there was my friend in college who loved to read and collected many books.

He once had a dream that he went to heaven and was shown his heavenly home with a huge library.

When he asked why he deserved such a library, Jesus told him, “These were all the books you loaned out and never got back.”

After that he was constantly trying to loan out books.

I don’t know if either or both of these men were correct in their thinking.

I do know there is one great award for each of us. Paul spoke of it in today’s verse.

Whether we have believed our whole lives or finally trust Jesus in our final breath, every believer will receive a crown of righteousness in heaven.

As far as libraries or mansions or other rewards go, in a quick search yesterday, I didn’t find anything definitive to Biblically support or refute them.

But, just like that long list of questions I have for God when I get to heaven, I think when I get there,

I’ll be so overwhelmed by the presence of God that nothing else will matter.

If there is one reward or award you would like to receive in heaven, what is it?
Is there an earthly award you think it is best to avoid?

Tag: trust in God

In the Bible, that’s kind of upside down.

As for us today, we can be confident in our stand against evil when we have complete faith in God.

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.

he didn’t complain about the lack of water, he complained about the complaints.

God allowed the problem.

He also provided the solution.

Once again, their faith was reinforced by the miraculous.

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.

Most of this chapter is Jeremiah lamenting what God does to Jerusalem and Judea.

What did God really do there?

As such, we get a glimpse of the heart of God, who was willing to go through the pain of being seen as hurting His children.

This one verse raises so many questions.

Instead of seeking justice, he sought revenge.

But God is the ultimate judge and will bring justice one way or another.

But God called for their lives to be radically different.

While we are used to the concept of weekends, sometimes God calls us to step out in radical faith.

God will provide for your needs when you step into His calling.

The modern version of this could be complacent Christianity.

It’s easy to take Jesus for granted when the culture is saturated by churchy things.

Our faith should lead to life changing commitment, not just cultural conformity.

Yesterday afternoon, I went for a hike up what felt like a mountain to a place deceptively called Ladybug Lookout.

But He did.

If God has the ability and imagination to create this amazing planet, He can help when we call out to Him with our needs as well.

Ironically, he won Artist of the Year.

I do know there is one great award for each of us. Paul spoke of it in today’s verse.

I’ll be so overwhelmed by the presence of God that nothing else will matter.