Walk in the Light

February 12, 2026

February 12th, 2026

Thursday – Letters

Reading – Hebrews 6

Highlight Verses:

“For it is impossible to bring back to repentance those who were once enlightened—those who have experienced the good things of heaven and shared in the Holy Spirit, who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the power of the age to come— and who then turn away from God. It is impossible to bring such people back to repentance; by rejecting the Son of God, they themselves are nailing him to the cross once again and holding him up to public shame.”
‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭6‬:‭4‬-‭6‬ ‭NLT‬‬

I so wanted to pick one of the easier verses to comment on.

But this is one of the most controversial passages in the New Testament.

And that’s exactly why I felt I had to comment on it.

I had at least one professor in Bible college who took the hard line on this passage saying that if you are a Christian and then turn your back on God, there’s no hope of restoration.

I remember the debates he had with one of my fellow students who had fallen away and then came back to the Lord.

I’ve also read commentaries from both sides of the debate and some in the middle.

I cannot say that I fully understand it myself.

That’s when I come back to the question, “What can I learn from this passage?”

That’s simple.

Stay faithful.

You can debate the subject all you like but no matter which side you take, you never want to fall away.

If you are one prone to going in and out of belief, let this push you into pursuing a steady, true, and fruitful faith.

If you have been doubting the faith lately, know that doubts are normal. It wouldn’t be faith if there was no possibility of doubt.

Stay faithful to Him even through the doubts and trials.

Know that He who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life will always be faithful to you.

Have you ever read this passage and been scared back into the faith?
What would help you stay firm in your faith?
February 11, 2026

February 11th, 2026

Wednesday – History

Reading – 2 Kings 3-5

Highlight Verse:

“Elisha replied, “As surely as the Lord Almighty lives, whom I serve, I wouldn’t even bother with you except for my respect for King Jehoshaphat of Judah.”
‭‭2 Kings‬ ‭3‬:‭14‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Respect isn’t given, it is earned.

King Joram of Israel had not earned it in Elisha’s eyes.

The king of Edom certainly had not earned it.

But King Jehoshaphat of Judah had spent many years by this time doing his best to lead the people of Judah in righteousness.

It took great effort, patient persistence, and bold faithfulness.

But the respect that Elisha held for Jehoshaphat was well earned.

In this case, it may very well have made the difference between life and death for many in Judah and Israel.

Whose respect would you most like to earn?
What are you doing to earn that respect?
February 10, 2026

February 10th, 2026
Tuesday – Pentateuch

Reading – Leviticus 5-6

Highlight Verse:

“Remember, the fire must be kept burning on the altar at all times. It must never go out.”
‭‭Leviticus‬ ‭6‬:‭13‬ ‭NLT‬‬

I’m a hillbilly at heart.

Yes, I know I grew up in California and have spent the last 20 years in suburban Colorado, but I lived 12 years in the New River Valley of southwest Virginia and that culture got into my soul.

They had a saying – “If that don’t light your fire, you got wet wood!”

The little church in Spring Valley that I went to in High School made such a joyful noise to the Lord every Sunday.

It may not have always been on key, but it always opened the doors of heaven.

The honest country folk of that area weren’t hung up on impressing their neighbors or being famous or even popular.

They simply loved the Lord and weren’t afraid to show it.

No wet wood there.

Then there’s the students I volunteer with on Monday nights (pictured here).

The have a fire for worship and a deep hunger for learning more about Jesus.

Not much wet wood there either.

If you are in that place, awesome! Keep that fire burning.

I dare say that the majority of Christians have wet wood.
- They douse it with the water of worry.
- They throw in the fire retardant of distraction.
- Then they plunge it into the stagnant lake of politics.
- And attach the diving weights of popularity.
God loves us with a fervor that cannot be quenched.

We should throw off our flame retardants and fan the fire of our love for Him.

How have you quenched the fire of your passion for God?
What are you doing to fan that flame?

Just a quick note for Biblical Scholars. Yes, I took this verse out of context but I believe it the Levitical principle of keeping the flame of worship alive applies in today’s context. So, after praying, I went with it.
February 9, 2026

February 9th, 2026
Monday – Gospels

Reading – Luke 6

Highlight Verse:

““But to you who are willing to listen, I say, love your enemies! Do good to those who hate you. Bless those who curse you. Pray for those who hurt you.”
‭‭Luke‬ ‭6‬:‭27‬-‭28‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Are you willing to listen?

These are hard lessons to put into practice.

Our first response is to retaliate against those who hurt us.

I’m no exception. Relatively minor offenses like bad driving can trigger angry words in me.

Major offenses can trigger rage.

This is normal.

It’s even just on some level.

Until we think about the fact that we all fall short. We are all worthy of judgement.

If you have accepted it, that judgement falls on Jesus at the Cross.

Does that mean that we should just let people walk all over us?

Do you really think that our Father would want that?

He would desire a change in the people who hurt us that they would stop causing harm to others.
- Sometimes that starts with someone expressing forgiveness to them.
- Sometimes that starts with jail and healing comes though the justice system.
- Sometimes that behavior never changes and the offender needs to be stopped from hurting others by what ever means possible.
And still, we are called to forgive them, pray for them, and love them even if it is not accepted.

Without forgiving, the healing in us will be forever hindered.

Are there those who you need to forgive?
What thought patterns in you (and me) need to change to make thoughts of forgiveness come before thoughts of revenge?
February 8, 2026

February 8th, 2026

Sunday – Poetry

Reading – Proverbs 10

Highlight Verse:

“Wise people treasure knowledge, but the babbling of a fool invites disaster.”
‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭10‬:‭14‬ ‭NLT‬‬

This verse confuses me.

Am I wise or am I a fool?

I love knowledge.

I pursue knowledge about my work to the point that the other techs call me for guidance.

I pursue knowledge of the Bible with insatiable curiosity.

And I fill my head with tons of history and car trivia, which provides good conversation starters.

But then, I tend to babble on too much.

My mouth sometimes forgets to listen before I speak.

Worse, I forget to think before I speak.

Does that make me a wise fool?

Maybe.

But I am trying to lean more toward the side of wisdom.

Feel free to tell me when I babble on too much.

And when the Holy Spirit happens to direct my words, listen to Him despite it being my voice that carries the words.

What do you do to keep your words under control?
What kind of knowledge do you like to accumulate?
February 7, 2026

February 7th, 2026

Saturday – Open Topic

Reading – Colossians 4:7-18

Highlight Verse:

“Tychicus will give you a full report about how I am getting along. He is a beloved brother and faithful helper who serves with me in the Lord’s work.”
‭‭Colossians‬ ‭4‬:‭7‬ ‭NLT‬‬

It’s about time for another installment in my automotive series of devotions. My apologies to the non-car nuts out there.

Today’s feature vehicle is the Ford F-Series pickup truck.

You’ve seen them everywhere as they have been the best-selling vehicle in the United States since 1981.

The photo is of Rae, my former workhorse.

Seven years ago, I was told that we were getting company vehicles so I decided to get something inexpensive that could haul things.

I found Rae, a base trim work truck with 212 thousand miles. I figured she would last through a couple of months of use as a service vehicle and then just be used as a weekend truck.

The months turned into a year and a half and Rae never let me down.

Now, 7 years and 47 thousand miles later, she needed repairs that were beyond my skill level and budget.

Even as a “mechanic’s special” she sold within minutes of listing for a decent price.

Despite her ridiculously high miles, she still ran reliably.

She was faithful to the end. Kind of like Tychicus.

He left such a positive impression on Paul that he wrote about him in several spots in his letters.

Tychicus may have never been in the spotlight, but he was just what Paul needed to complete his work effectively.

I have you ever known someone who was that reliable of a worker for the Gospel?
What can you do to be that person?
Friday – Prophets

February 6th, 2026
Reading – Ezekiel 37-39

Highlight Verse:

“So I spoke this message, just as he told me. Suddenly as I spoke, there was a rattling noise all across the valley. The bones of each body came together and attached themselves as complete skeletons.”
‭‭Ezekiel‬ ‭37‬:‭7‬ ‭NLT‬‬

The Valley of Dry Bones remained dead until Ezekiel spoke.

Of course, it was God who brought life into those bones, but He chose to work through Ezekiel.

It may sound like faith to say that God doesn’t need me to accomplish His will on Earth.

The problem with that is it IS God’s will to accomplish His purposes on Earth through us.

His plans include all His people.

Our participation doesn’t make it easier for Him to do His will. I dare say it is harder to work through us than it would be to do it Himself.

But, when we do His will, it changes us.

We would not be complete without the Holy Spirit working through us. We would miss out on a whole level of life if we didn’t let His life work through us.
- If you feel like you aren’t qualified to do God’s work, let God qualify you as you do it.
- If you feel like it would take too much out of you to step up and do God’s work, know that He will supply more than you can imagine to replace what you give.
- If you feel burnt out from doing God’s work, maybe He will want you to focus on training and leading others to do His work.
While God certainly wants us to practice the Biblical concept of Sabbath rest, that concept involves resting and communing with God to empower us to move forward.

Are you willing to speak to the “Valley of Dry Bones” that God places before you?
How has God rewarded you for doing His work?
February 5, 2026

February 5th, 2026

Highlight Verse:

“Even though Jesus was God’s Son, he learned obedience from the things he suffered.”
‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭5‬:‭8‬ ‭NLT‬‬

When I was a senior in high school, I was the yearbook photographer. I’ve always enjoyed photography and already had a portfolio of landscape photos .

I lost my afterschool job because I spent the summer with my dad out of state.

My parents always provided food, but I wanted to be able to buy hot school lunches. I could no longer afford them, so I started printing and selling landscape photos to teachers and others for lunch money.

The principal got wind of my entrepreneurial enterprise and took it upon himself to sign me up for free lunches.

I appreciated his compassion for me, but I felt cheated out an experience.

Obviously, I cannot compare my hunger for school lunches to the suffering Jesus went through, but I think we miss out on something if we manage to avoid all suffering.

There have been plenty of other moments of suffering in my life that were far more significant than missing hot lunches.

Though none were as serious as what Jesus suffered, each brought a little more strength and wisdom to my life.

Suffering is never fun, but sometimes it can be good.

What lessons have you learned from suffering?
Where do you draw the line when deciding to protect your loved ones from suffering?
February 4, 2026

February 4th, 2026

Wednesday – History

Reading – 2 Kings 1-2

Highlight Verse:

“Elisha picked up Elijah’s cloak, which had fallen when he was taken up. Then Elisha returned to the bank of the Jordan River.”
‭‭2 Kings‬ ‭2‬:‭13‬ ‭NLT‬‬

God could have made Elijah’s cloak fall to rest straight on Elisha’s shoulders.

He didn’t.

Elisha had to choose.

Elijah was the only true prophet of God in Israel.

To don his mantle was a huge responsibility.

Elisha didn’t hesitate.

He picked up the cloak.

He stepped right into his calling.

Can it be that simple today?

You could say that Elisha was a special case. Elijah specifically called out Elisha.

Not everyone is called to be the primary prophet of the people of God.

But we are all called to something.

If you listen to God through His Word and the Holy Spirit and those to whom you look for spiritual guidance, you will likely find your calling.

The tough part is picking up that calling and acting on it.

Have you heard or seen what your calling is?
What have you done to act on it?
February 3, 2026

February 3rd, 2026
Tuesday – Pentateuch

Reading – Leviticus 3-4

Highlight Verse:

““You must never eat any fat or blood. This is a permanent law for you, and it must be observed from generation to generation, wherever you live.””
‭‭Leviticus‬ ‭3‬:‭17‬ ‭NLT‬‬

I have heard three different explanations for not eating the fat or the blood.
- It kept the Israelites disciplined since the fat was the most flavorful part.
- It kept the Israelites safe from tape worms and parasites that could be found in the fatty tissues.
- It set the Israelites apart from the pagan practices of the nations around them.
In my opinion, I don’t think God wanted the Israelites to be deprived of good tasting food. That does not sound like the nature of a loving Father God.

I don’t doubt that avoiding the fat protected the Israelites from parasites.

But I don’t think that is the main reason.

Our father God truly wanted to protect His children from the evils of the paganism of the surrounding nations.

The consuming of the blood and sometimes the fat was part of the evil pagan practices of the surrounding nations.

To allow that in Israel would have blurred the differences between worshipping pagan idols and worshipping God.

As it was, Israel struggled to follow the Lord throughout history.

Those blurred lines could have made Israel and mere sub-note in history instead of the source of salvation for the world.

What do you think the modern equivalents of the blood and fat would be today?
Is there anything you should cut out of your life that is having the same effect that the blood and fat would have had on Israel?

But this is one of the most controversial passages in the New Testament.

Stay faithful.

Know that He who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life will always be faithful to you.

Respect isn’t given, it is earned.

But the respect that Elisha held for Jehoshaphat was well earned.

They had a saying – “If that don’t light your fire, you got wet wood!”

No wet wood there.

Not much wet wood there either.

I dare say that the majority of Christians have wet wood.

We should throw off our flame retardants and fan the fire of our love for Him.

These are hard lessons to put into practice.

Do you really think that our Father would want that?

Without forgiving, the healing in us will be forever hindered.

Am I wise or am I a fool?

Does that make me a wise fool?

But I am trying to lean more toward the side of wisdom.

It’s about time for another installment in my automotive series of devotions. My apologies to the non-car nuts out there.

She was faithful to the end. Kind of like Tychicus.

Tychicus may have never been in the spotlight, but he was just what Paul needed to complete his work effectively.

The Valley of Dry Bones remained dead until Ezekiel spoke.

His plans include all His people.

But, when we do His will, it changes us.

I appreciated his compassion for me, but I felt cheated out an experience.

Though none were as serious as what Jesus suffered, each brought a little more strength and wisdom to my life.

Suffering is never fun, but sometimes it can be good.

Elisha had to choose.

Can it be that simple today?

The tough part is picking up that calling and acting on it.

I have heard three different explanations for not eating the fat or the blood.

To allow that in Israel would have blurred the differences between worshipping pagan idols and worshipping God.