Walk in the Light

June 24, 2023

June 24th, 2023

NOTE: I struggled with this one for over an hour last night and was still not satisfied with it. This morning I realized what was missing so it has been revised.

Saturday – Open Topic

Reading – Jeremiah 18:1-10

Highlight Verse:

“But the jar he was making did not turn out as he had hoped, so he crushed it into a lump of clay again and started over.”
‭‭Jeremiah‬ ‭18‬:‭4‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Does God change His mind?

If it were anyone else, you might think so. The reality is, we’re the ones who need reshaping sometimes.

We think we’re bargaining with God when the truth is, he is taking that mis-sharpen lump of clay and turning it into a masterpiece.

I met someone yesterday who was full of it –

Full of joy,

Full of hope,

Full of grace,

Full of the Holy Spirit.

A few years ago his life was like that mis-shaped lump of clay. It was falling apart. The pursuit of pleasure through drugs, alcohol, and carnal pursuits had brought him to a place of complete hopelessness.

He was ready to chuck it all and take his life.

But God intervened.

He allowed God to reshape him. God is still reshaping him into a man who will impact the world for good.

Do feel like a mis-shaped lump of clay with no hope of ever straightening out?
Or perhaps you are a usable vessel but are bothered by your imperfections?

Turn it over to the Master Potter. He will create a masterpiece out of you.
June 23, 2023

June 23rd, 2023

Friday – Prophets

Reading – Jeremiah 7-9

Highlight Verse:

“They pile lie upon lie and utterly refuse to acknowledge me,” says the Lord.”
‭‭Jeremiah‬ ‭9‬:‭6‬ ‭NLT‬‬

I love science.

In college, I started as a physics major. Granted, I couldn’t hack the math so I changed majors, but what I learned in freshman Physics for Physics Majors has helped me tremendously in my career of fixing machines.

Another favorite class was astronomy. I remember having a very honest professor. When someone asked him if he believed in the Big Bang Theory, he gave a very telling answer.

He informed us that the study of science must exclude the existence of God in order to be consistent. Thus, with no Creator, the Big Bang Theory was the only viable explanation.

That’s what today’s verse reminded me of. If science is based on the lie that there is no God, then every assumption and theory based on that is also false. When you look at science with a mind believing in a Creator, the possibilities are endless.

Truth is stranger than fiction.

That makes honest science exciting!

What scientific possibilities do you see open up when you believe that God exists?
How do you think the world began?
June 22, 2023

June 22nd, 2023

Thursday – Letters

Reading – 2 Corinthians 1-2

Highlight Verse:

“In fact, we expected to die. But as a result, we stopped relying on ourselves and learned to rely only on God, who raises the dead.”
‭‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭1‬:‭9‬ ‭NLT‬‬

The back end of my little pick-up lifted on the water streaming across the freeway and swung out to the left. I over-compensated. Now the front of the pick-up careened toward the left guardrail. The impact sent me spinning down the center of the freeway with a semi jack-knifing straight toward me.

My tires caught with me rolling backwards. I was able to safely back off onto the grass center median past the end of the guardrail.

That was the closest I ever got to thinking I might die.

That was nothing compared to the trials Paul went through. While this instance is not described here, we know that during his mission travels he was shipwrecked, beaten, whipped, and otherwise persecuted.

He was no stranger to fear.

But he also knew that fear was temporary and his security was eternal.

It is rare that we in the states have to deal with life-threatening situations.

In those cases, we do well to rely on Him the one who can raise the dead.

Have you experienced a life threatening situation?
Can you trust God to bring you through?
June 21, 2023

June 21st, 2023

Wednesday – History

Reading – 1 Samuel 9-10

Highlight Verse:

“So they asked the Lord, “Where is he?” And the Lord replied, “He is hiding among the baggage.””
‭‭1 Samuel‬ ‭10‬:‭22‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Saul had a crisis of confidence. From the way he acted, it’s evident that he didn’t trust that God could enable him to rule Israel.

I would say that it was that very lack of trust and confidence that was the undoing of his rule.

It was his lack of trust in God that led some to not follow his lead.

It was his lack of trust in God that led to needing a hero to defeat Goliath.

It was his lack of trust in God that led him to fear and despise that very hero, David.

Sometimes it’s our lack of trust in God that holds us back from accomplishing all that He has for us.

Are there areas where your trust in God is lacking?
How would your life be different if you acted in faith that God could do what He promised to do through you?
June 20, 2023

June 20th, 2023

Tuesday – Pentateuch

Reading – Genesis 41

Highlight Verse:

““It is beyond my power to do this,” Joseph replied. “But God can tell you what it means and set you at ease.””
‭‭Genesis‬ ‭41‬:‭16‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Honesty and humility.

These are two character traits that are often missing in the world.

I do my best to be honest, but Joseph is far better at being humble than I.

Think about it. Pharaoh comes to Joseph because of his reputation for being able to interpret dreams. He could have taken far more credit than he did. After all, God chose to use him to be the only one who could interpret dreams. He could have said something to the effect of “It’s just the way God chose to use me.” Still a little humble – giving credit to God for gifting him.

Instead, Joseph gives all the credit to God, not claiming any special virtues for himself.

God blesses that. Big time!

We would do well to follow his example.

What does humility look like for you?
Have you ever been rewarded for humility or punished for pride?
June 19, 2023

June 19th, 2023

Monday – Gospels

Reading – Mark 9

Highlight Verses:

“Peter said to Jesus, “Rabbi, it is good for us to be here. Let us put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.” (He did not know what to say, they were so frightened.)”
‭‭Mark‬ ‭9‬:‭5‬-‭6‬ ‭NIV‬‬

I can so relate to Peter. I don’t even have to be frightened to stick my foot in my mouth.

Today is a case in point. I have said in the past that Juneteenth commemorates the Emancipation Proclamation. That’s not precisely correct.

June 19th, 1865 was the day that news of the Emancipation Proclamation finally reached Galveston, TX, essentially reaching to the ends of the Union. The proclamation was issued on January 1, 1863.

Some might take offense at my technical inaccuracy.

In relation to Peter’s comments, Mark chose to include a parenthetical explanation, but Jesus makes no comment. Instead he just moves on – awkward moment overlooked.

How do you choose to react when you hear something insensitive or inaccurate (or both)?
Do you seek to be both accurate and sensitive in your writing and speaking?
Can you move on when you make mistakes?
June 18, 2023

June 18th, 2023

Sunday – Poetry

Reading – Psalms 75-77

Highlight Verse:

“I will consider all your works and meditate on all your mighty deeds.””
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭77‬:‭12‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Take a step outside on a cloudless night, turn off all the lights around you and look up. Even in the city, you can see millions of stars. In a dark area, you can see billions. Scientists say there are 200 billion trillion.

Our sun, that lights our days, gives us power, makes things grow, and is capable of burning flesh at 93 million miles away, is smaller than average.

The Creator of the universe made our sun and 200 billion trillion others. Who knows how many planets He’s made?

On this planet, there are 8 billion people. On average, we have 37.2 trillion cells in our bodies. Each cell contains 100 trillion atoms.

The God who made each atom wants you to know Him personally.

He loves you like the perfect Father He is.

He literally told us to call Him “Daddy” (“Abba” – the “Our Father” in the Lord’s Prayer).

Our heavenly Daddy has our back.

Why do we fear anything besides God Himself?
June 17, 2023

June 17th, 2023

Saturday – Open Topic

Reading – Job 41:1-10

Highlight Verse:

““Can you catch Leviathan with a hook or put a noose around its jaw?”
‭‭Job‬ ‭41‬:‭1‬ ‭NLT‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

I’ve said before that the Bible is not a science textbook. That doesn’t mean it’s not true.

Many have speculated on the identity of Leviathan. Some say it is a crocodile or a Hippopotamus. Some say it is a dinosaur.

I don’t know but I speculate that there are many things that have been in this world that science has not yet discovered.

There have been many archaeological discoveries that provide evidence for history previously only written of in the Bible. There are other stories in the Bible that non-believing historians say could not have happened. While I don’t see the Bible as a chronologically specific history textbook, I believe archeology will eventually prove many of those stories trues as well.

While some may be lost in translation and much in interpretation, the Bible has far more early manuscripts available than any other ancient literature. Its accuracy is well beyond anything else from that time period or even a thousand years later.

The bottom line is, despite what some say, the Bible can be trusted. We do well to seek God through its pages.

Let’s read on in confidence!

Do you have questions about the accuracy or origin of the Bible?
Let’s discuss them here.
June 16, 2023

June 16th, 2023

Friday – Prophets

Reading – Jeremiah 4-6

Highlight Verse:

“My heart, my heart—I writhe in pain! My heart pounds within me! I cannot be still. For I have heard the blast of enemy trumpets and the roar of their battle cries.”
‭‭Jeremiah‬ ‭4‬:‭19‬ ‭NLT‬‬

The student newspaper of the college I went to was called the Jeremiad. Like Jeremiah, they reported a lot of bad news. Unlike Jeremiah, they enjoyed it.

Jeremiah gave the people of Israel some of the worst news in their history.

It tore him up inside.

He hated being the bearer of bad news but it was the job he’d been given. He was faithful with it.

Sometimes God asks us to do things that aren’t pleasant. It’s okay not to like it.

The question is, will we do it?

Do you have stories of when you have had to do something unpleasant for God?
How have you handled those kind of situations?
June 15, 2023

June 15th, 2023

Thursday – Letters

Reading 1 Corinthians 15-16

Highlight Verse:

“On the first day of each week, you should each put aside a portion of the money you have earned. Don’t wait until I get there and then try to collect it all at once.”
‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭16‬:‭2‬ ‭NLT‬‬

There’s just a few short lines about giving in this letter. But, they are very telling.

The way Paul words these lines implies that giving is already on the minds of the people of Corinth. He just gives them a little advice to make it go more smoothly.

The lesson I get out of those short lines is to give regularly and don’t fall behind in your giving.

To that end, before I started writing I checked to be sure we were current on our giving. I forgot to tithe on my wife’s last paycheck! Don’t worry, I took care of it so I can write this without feeling like a hypocrite.

There are many other teachings about money. I won’t go into all those here.

What I will say is that giving on a regular basis is a freeing experience.

It is easy to become a slave to the almighty dollar (or Euro or whatever is in your country). Giving a portion of it to the church and/or other ministries frees you from that slavery and helps you trust that God has it all under control.

I know it’s easier for some to give than others. There’s been times in my own life when it has been very tough to give. It’s not easy right now.

But I’ve never been able to outgive God.

No matter how dire the situation, He has always pulled me through. Usually, when I’m giving regularly, I find He provides me with more than what I’ve given.

Do you have stories you can share of how God has provided for you when you’ve given regularly?
If you have a difficult time trusting God to provide for you, what would it take to earn that trust?

Does God change His mind?

I met someone yesterday who was full of it –

Full of joy,

Full of hope,

Full of grace,

Full of the Holy Spirit.

But God intervened.

Turn it over to the Master Potter. He will create a masterpiece out of you.

I love science.

That makes honest science exciting!

That was the closest I ever got to thinking I might die.

In those cases, we do well to rely on Him the one who can raise the dead.

I would say that it was that very lack of trust and confidence that was the undoing of his rule.

Sometimes it’s our lack of trust in God that holds us back from accomplishing all that He has for us.

Honesty and humility.

Instead, Joseph gives all the credit to God, not claiming any special virtues for himself.

I can so relate to Peter. I don’t even have to be frightened to stick my foot in my mouth.

The Creator of the universe made our sun and 200 billion trillion others. Who knows how many planets He’s made?

The God who made each atom wants you to know Him personally.

Our heavenly Daddy has our back.

Why do we fear anything besides God Himself?

I’ve said before that the Bible is not a science textbook. That doesn’t mean it’s not true.

Let’s read on in confidence!

It tore him up inside.

The question is, will we do it?

The lesson I get out of those short lines is to give regularly and don’t fall behind in your giving.

What I will say is that giving on a regular basis is a freeing experience.

But I’ve never been able to outgive God.