Tag: wisdom

March 29, 2024

March 29th, 2024

Friday – Prophets

Reading – Daniel 7-8

Highlight Verse:

“While he was speaking, I fainted and lay there with my face to the ground. But Gabriel roused me with a touch and helped me to my feet.”
‭‭Daniel‬ ‭8‬:‭18‬ ‭NLT‬‬

I can relate to Daniel.

I hear prophecies of the end times and strange prophetic dreams in the Bible and want to stick my fingers in my ears and go “lalalalala” so I can’t hear anything.

At least that used to be my perspective.

Then a wise person long ago told me that when I read end time prophecies, I should look for how they should change my life today.

I still don’t like to figure out timelines and how all the prophecies will play out.

But I don’t fear them.

These prophecies given to Daniel are especially confusing. But then my study Bible has a nice neat chart that illustrates how these prophecies already came true in history.

Daniel glimpsed history before the events played out.

I don’t know all the ins and outs of the prophecies, but I know that Daniel was a man of very high integrity and put in a position to make a difference in history.

It is one of my life goals to make a positive difference in this world, and this scripture confirms it for me.

Do unusual prophecies like these creep you out too?
What lessons have you gleaned from Daniel?
March 26, 2024

March 26th, 2024

Tuesday – Pentateuch

Reading – Leviticus 18-19

Highlight Verse:

“So do not act like the people in Egypt, where you used to live, or like the people of Canaan, where I am taking you. You must not imitate their way of life.”
‭‭Leviticus‬ ‭18‬:‭3‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Apparently, peer pressure was a thing even back then.

They might not have known what FOMO (fear of missing out) was, but they experienced it.

Just because it’s in Leviticus doesn’t mean it isn’t at least somewhat appropriate today. Most of today’s reading is very relevant still.

Yes, we have forgiveness from all sin, but some sin has more profound consequences than others. Some sins affect our mental, emotional, and/or physical health. Most sin affects those around us as well.

Most of the rules put forth in these two chapters are very advantageous to follow today.

What do you think are the most important rules in these chapters?
What if any rules do you think are not applicable today?
March 24, 2024

March 24th, 2024

Sunday – Poetry

Reading – Proverbs 19

Highlight Verse:

“People ruin their lives by their own foolishness and then are angry at the Lord.”
‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭19‬:‭3‬ ‭NLT‬‬

I know this one to be true because, frankly, been there – done that.

We’ve all done foolish things. The hard part is recognizing who is responsible for the consequences.

I know it was my foolishness that put me through hard financial times. And I’m sure I played a part in the end of my first marriage.

While I never lost faith in the Lord, I did have my share of grumpy prayers and “why me”s.

Fortunately for me, grace has brought me out of those situations, strengthened my faith, restored my finances and given me an amazing wife.

Do you have stories of how God restored you from your foolish acts?
Can you share them (while keeping appropriate confidences)?
March 22, 2024

March 22nd, 2024

Friday – Prophets

Reading – Daniel 5-6

Highlight Verses:

“Daniel answered, “Long live the king! My God sent his angel to shut the lions’ mouths so that they would not hurt me, for I have been found innocent in his sight. And I have not wronged you, Your Majesty.”
‭‭Daniel‬ ‭6‬:‭21‬-‭22‬ ‭NLT‬‬

I’m not sure my first words to the person who locked my in a lion’s cage overnight would be to the effect of “Live long and prosper.”

But Daniel is a man of grace and integrity – much more so than I.

In fact, he is so confident in his integrity that he makes a point to say “I have not wronged you.”

And he didn’t. He meant no disrespect by praying to and worshipping God.

He willingly submitted to the punishment for that unfair law.

And God honored him for it by taming the lions while he was in the lion’s den.

Have you ever disobeyed a law because it was contrary to the will of God?
How did that work out for you?
How can we improve our integrity to the point where we wouldn’t even think of doing the wrong thing?
March 19, 2024

March 19th, 2024

Tuesday – Pentateuch

Reading – Leviticus 16-17

Highlight Verse:

“The purpose of this rule is to stop the Israelites from sacrificing animals in the open fields. It will ensure that they bring their sacrifices to the priest at the entrance of the Tabernacle, so he can present them to the Lord as peace offerings.”
‭‭Leviticus‬ ‭17‬:‭5‬ ‭NLT‬‬

I love the fact that Scripture explains the purpose behind this particular rule.

More often than not, the rules are not explained.

From this explanation I infer two things.

First, there are reasons behind each and every rule found in Scripture.

Second, the reason for this particular rule no longer exists. Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross did away with the sacrificial system including the need for priests who continually offered sacrifices.

Those of you who know me personally know that I’m not very legalistic. If there isn’t a compelling reason to keep a rule, I say to ditch it.

But then there’s often reasons that we never figure out.

I know I say it often but it’s true. God knows way more than we do so it is always better to trust His viewpoint rather than our own.

When His viewpoint is expressed in Scripture, it is always best to follow that viewpoint unless it is superseded by a later Scripture (like the sacrificial system was replaced by God’s grace through faith by the Cross).

What rules from the Bible do you believe are still for today?
What rules do you think are no longer appropriate for today?
March 15, 2024

March 15th, 2024

Friday – Prophets

Reading – Daniel 3-4

Highlight Verse:

“But even if he doesn’t, we want to make it clear to you, Your Majesty, that we will never serve your gods or worship the gold statue you have set up.”
‭‭Daniel‬ ‭3‬:‭18‬ ‭NLT‬‬

At first reading, this verse sounds like they are bravely hedging their bets.

I think they are just trying to make their stand perfectly clear so there would be no doubt in the king’s mind about their commitment to God.

What really stood out to me from this verse is how respectful they were to the king.

They used the polite term “your majesty” (or “Oh king” depending on the translation). While they refused to worship the image of the king, they still showed proper respect for him.

And the king got royally ticked off.

That begs the question whether we should couch our statements of faith with respect or not. If it ticks people off all the more, is it worth it?

I say look at the results.

While we can’t say what would have happened if they had not shown respect, I am sure that it was the truth that caused the king to crank up the heat. It was the miraculous deliverance that opened the king’s eyes to the truth.

It’s quite possible that it was the respect that caused the king to honor Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego after they stepped out of the furnace.

When you speak truth to someone, do you water down the truth to make it less likely to cause offense?
Or do you speak the truth bluntly?
Or do you surround it with respect?
March 11, 2024

March 11th, 2024

Monday – Gospels

Reading – Luke 11

Highlight Verse:

“But I tell you this—though he won’t do it for friendship’s sake, if you keep knocking long enough, he will get up and give you whatever you need because of your shameless persistence.”
‭‭Luke‬ ‭11‬:‭8‬ ‭NLT‬‬

I must admit that I sometimes feel foolish bringing the same request to God time and time again.

That’s when I need to remember that Jesus taught us to have “shameless persistence.”

So don’t give up. Bug God about that difficult request. Be open to whatever His answer is, but until you hear that answer be shameless in your persistence.

Do you have requests that you have brought over and over to God in prayer?
Have you started to feel hesitant about repeating them?
March 10, 2024

March 10th, 2024

Sunday – Poetry

Reading – Proverbs 17

Highlight Verse:

“A truly wise person uses few words; a person with understanding is even-tempered.”
‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭17‬:‭27‬ ‭NLT‬‬

This verse kinda makes me want to stop my comments right here.

But I’m not that wise.

Truth be told, I speak far too much and sometimes without a filter.

And if you only knew what I do filter out.

Words are my thing.

I’m rarely without them.

But sometimes I just need to let them rest.

Are you an under-talker or an over-talker?
What do you do to keep your tongue under control?
March 9, 2024

March 9th, 2024
Saturday – Open Topic

Reading – Proverbs 20:24-30

Highlight Verse:

“The glory of the young is their strength; the gray hair of experience is the splendor of the old.”
‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭20‬:‭29‬ ‭NLT‬‬

I like to say I’m 29 with experience.

Today make 31 years experience at being 29!

You’d think I’d be good at it by now.

The truth is the grey hairs outnumber the dark ones. My knees have gotten to the point where I carry an adjustable camping stool for work to make it easier to get back up, and I’ve mastered the art of making old man sounds when I get off the sofa.

With the grey hair and achy joints comes a confidence I didn’t have when I was 29.
- It’s a confidence from making thousands of mistakes and learning from at least some of them.
- It’s a confidence from learning from many people wiser than I.
- And it’s a confidence from reading through the Bible dozens of times, gleaning a little bit more every time.
So, if you’re young, enjoy the strength and vitality, remembering to learn along every step of the way.

If you’re old like me, enjoy that confidence that comes from experience but don’t forget to never stop learning.

Have you looked at the mistakes in your life as opportunities to gain wisdom?
Are you still learning from the Bible and from wise folks around you?
March 8, 2024

March 8th, 2024
Friday – Prophets

Reading – Daniel 1-2

Highlight Verse:

“The king was furious when he heard this, and he ordered that all the wise men of Babylon be executed.”
‭‭Daniel‬ ‭2‬:‭12‬ ‭NLT

Have you ever had “that” kind of boss?

You know, the one who followed his own agenda, didn’t let you know what that was, and gave you grief whenever you didn’t follow that agenda down to the unknown letter.

For some of you, maybe it was a mentally unstable parent or a coach who only coached for the power trip.

Almost all of us have had to deal with someone like that at some point.

I’m blessed with a good boss now but I’ve had some who drove me to the edge of quitting. And then there was my stepdad. Don’t get me started.

So how did Daniel deal with people like that?
- He stayed calm.
- He reasoned with his handlers.
- He put forth his best effort.
- And, most importantly, he relied on God, retaining his integrity and devotion.
Can it be so hard?

Yes.

Some have it very tough. I’m guessing that very few have it as rough as Daniel and his friends had it.

Despite that, Daniel stayed strong in the Lord and put full effort toward following his boss.

Do you struggle with dealing with a difficult person?
Have you given that relationship over to God in prayer?
Can we help pray for you? (Without revealing the identity of that person please).

Tag: wisdom

I can relate to Daniel.

I still don’t like to figure out timelines and how all the prophecies will play out.

I don’t know all the ins and outs of the prophecies, but I know that Daniel was a man of very high integrity and put in a position to make a difference in history.

They might not have known what FOMO (fear of missing out) was, but they experienced it.

Most of the rules put forth in these two chapters are very advantageous to follow today.

I know this one to be true because, frankly, been there – done that.

Fortunately for me, grace has brought me out of those situations, strengthened my faith, restored my finances and given me an amazing wife.

I’m not sure my first words to the person who locked my in a lion’s cage overnight would be to the effect of “Live long and prosper.”

In fact, he is so confident in his integrity that he makes a point to say “I have not wronged you.”

He willingly submitted to the punishment for that unfair law.

I love the fact that Scripture explains the purpose behind this particular rule.

I know I say it often but it’s true. God knows way more than we do so it is always better to trust His viewpoint rather than our own.

I think they are just trying to make their stand perfectly clear so there would be no doubt in the king’s mind about their commitment to God.

What really stood out to me from this verse is how respectful they were to the king.

I say look at the results.

That’s when I need to remember that Jesus taught us to have “shameless persistence.”

Truth be told, I speak far too much and sometimes without a filter.

But sometimes I just need to let them rest.

I like to say I’m 29 with experience.

With the grey hair and achy joints comes a confidence I didn’t have when I was 29.

Have you ever had “that” kind of boss?

So how did Daniel deal with people like that?

Despite that, Daniel stayed strong in the Lord and put full effort toward following his boss.