Walk in the Light

September 25, 2026

September 25th, 2026

Friday – Prophets

Reading – Habakkuk 1-2

Highlight Verse:

““Look at the nations and watch— and be utterly amazed. For I am going to do something in your days that you would not believe, even if you were told.”
‭‭Habakkuk‬ ‭1‬:‭5‬ ‭NIV‬‬

I sometimes think that we should be amazed when God does something very predictable.

I know, He honors His principles so we should not be surprised when He rewards faithfulness and allows bad consequences when we are not faithful.

But often, at least in my life, He answers prayers in ways I don’t expect.

Like when I was passed up on a management position twice, only to see those two managers laid off.

Sometimes He even works in ways that I never see.

Like getting stuck in traffic long enough to miss getting hit by a reckless driver.

God does not necessarily work according to our plans or timeline.

But He sees the big picture and moves according to His plans and timeline.

And that is always better than ours.

What plans has God changed on you that have worked out for the better?
Have you ever gotten upset at God for not answering prayers the way you wanted? How did that work out for you?
September 24, 2026

September 24th, 2026

Thursday – Letters

Reading – Revelation 9

Highlight Verses:

“But the people who did not die in these plagues still refused to repent of their evil deeds and turn to God. They continued to worship demons and idols made of gold, silver, bronze, stone, and wood—idols that can neither see nor hear nor walk! And they did not repent of their murders or their witchcraft or their sexual immorality or their thefts.”
‭‭Revelation‬ ‭9‬:‭20‬-‭21‬ ‭NLT‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

This always amazes me.

How could people live through such suffering, and witness those who trust in God not suffering, not want to turn to God for relief.

One of the main arguments I hear about God is, “if He exists, He must be cruel because of all the pain and suffering in the world.

The truth is His heart breaks when He sees people suffering when all they need to do is to trust in Him.

That is not to say that Christians never suffer. We do. But we have a relationship with the one who can see us through the suffering.

And in the day that this passage comes to pass, believers will not suffer the terrors that unbelievers will.

In this chapter we read that some will be marked as set aside for the Lord and will not suffer the terrors described here.

If you believe pre-tribulation theology, that means that believers will have already been taken up into heaven. Those marked for grace are those who came to faith in Jesus after the tribulation began.

Post or mid-tribulation theology would say that all believers still alive when this takes place will be marked to be spared this terror.

I won’t get into the pre/mid/post debate as I have heard good arguments on each side (though I lean toward one side personally).

But why would God allow, even command these terrors?

Keep in mind that this happens at the very last days. Far worse suffering awaits those who do not repent and follow Jesus. This little taste of what is in store for them for eternity will cause some to repent. Not many. But some.

God will do everything He can to get people to choose eternal life in heaven. But He will not force them.

We are not slaves but eager followers, convinced that Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life.

We have chosen heaven.

How do you react to suffering?
If you were suffering and saw someone who was not, would you seek advice to escape the suffering or would you despise the one not suffering because it doesn’t seem fair?
September 23, 2026

September 23rd, 2026

Wednesday – History

Reading – Ezra 7-8

Highlight Verse:

“This Ezra was a scribe who was well versed in the Law of Moses, which the LORD, the God of Israel, had given to the people of Israel. He came up to Jerusalem from Babylon, and the king gave him everything he asked for, because the gracious hand of the LORD his God was on him.”
‭‭Ezra‬ ‭7‬:‭6‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Did you ever notice that, despite the book’s name, Ezra is not mentioned until chapter 7.

Ezra wrote the book. It was up to him how he wanted to tell his story.

He chose to set the scene for his story; the restoration of Jerusalem.

Ezra was a scribe who was well versed in the Law and eager to restore the practices of God’s Law to Jerusalem.

He returned with the full blessing of the current ruler of the region, King Artaxerxes of Persia.

As a scribe he was well equipped to record the events of that time.

In fact, he was likely a ghost writer for Nehemiah. Many say he may have also written Chronicles. According to those scholars, the writing style was very similar among those books.

I cannot claim to have expert knowledge about what he wrote.

I can tell you that he made a difference in Jerusalem in his time.

I can also tell you that a big part of why he was able to make a difference was his diligence in studying.

His level of understanding of God’s Law was a big part of why Artexerxes sent him.

His thorough knowledge of the Law caused people to be willing to listen to him.

The authority behind his words caused a revival of sorts in Jerusalem.

His expertise in writing left us this excellent history book and possibly the others mentioned above.

When we are diligent to study whatever it is that God has called us to, He will honor that with success.

While that does not necessarily mean wealth, it does mean that you are capable of making an impact in people’s lives.

How much impact is usually a direct reflection of how diligently you prepare and work at your calling.

How have you seen study and preparation impact your effectiveness in your calling?
Is there something that you need to be more diligent at to complete what God has called you to?
Is there anything that keeps you from pursuing that?
September 22, 2026

September 22nd, 2026

Tuesday – Pentateuch

Reading – Deuteronomy 5-6

Highlight Verse:

““You must not have any other god but me.”
‭‭Deuteronomy‬ ‭5‬:‭7‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Here we go, straight into the first commandment and there are many out there who would cry out, “Intolerance!”

So why would God be so intolerant as to insist that people place all their faith in Him alone?

Simply because He is the only true God.

To place your faith in anyone or thing else would be false.

Our older dog Buster is nearly blind and deaf.

We have to lead him to his food, to the back door, and to the bedroom because he often gets lost.

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen him ram his nose into the closed part of the french doors that lead to the back yard.

It’s funny and sad at the same time.

For our heavenly father, it is always sad when he sees us ram our noses into closed doors because we don’t follow the truth.

It pains Him to see us get hurt or wander into a deadly path for the sake of following our own misguided ideas.

He is not intolerant or bigoted for wanting the best for us.

It is not selfish pride for God to want people to follow the truth.

It is love!

I’m not saying we should go out and start preaching hellfire and damnation.

I am saying we should not be afraid of speaking the truth, guiding people along the path of truth and not into the closed doors of sin and pride and selfishness.

In all that, we should be motivated by love.

Have you ever thought of faith in Jesus as narrow-minded?
What changed your mind?
If you haven’t changed your mind about that, what would it take to prove to you that God is the only true God?
September 21, 2026

September 21st, 2026

Monday – Gospels and Acts

Reading – Acts 14

Highlight Verse:

“When the crowd saw what Paul had done, they shouted in their local dialect, “These men are gods in human form!””
‭‭Acts of the Apostles‬ ‭14‬:‭11‬ ‭NLT‬‬

I don’t know about you, but I find this scene hilarious. But then, of course, no one has ever mistaken me for a god.

This was a classic case of extreme miscommunication.

Of course, Paul and Barnabas were appalled at the mistake.

As soon as they realized the issue, they did everything in their power to correct it.

I would not pretend to be expert enough to correct Paul or Barnabas, but I think we can learn something from the situation.

One thing they drilled into our brains in Bible college was to understand your audience.

If you were guest speaking at a traditional church (there were a lot more of those around back then) you should wear a suit and tie and probably not use Gen Z language.

If you were speaking to youth, jeans and T-shirt were more appropriate. And, while they wouldn’t expect you to try to use their slang, they would not understand Boomer slang.

I have a little bit of a unique cultural perspective as I was raised both white middle-class American and Chicano (Mexicans born in the US). My dad was of Mexican heritage and after he separated from my very white mom, most of his friends and his new wife and in-laws were Mexican American.

The Chicano culture had a very different way of viewing things as well as a whole different set of slang.

Then there’s language barriers. If you are called to a certain people group, it would be wise to learn their language well. Until then, it is important to have a believing translator who understands your message.

To that end, there are probably times when I owe an apology to some who read my posts. Lately, there have been many reading from China. I admit that I know none of the languages spoken there and very little of the culture.

What I write here could be misunderstood there and in some cultures.

If you read something here that you don’t understand, please feel free to ask for clarification.

When God calls us to reach out to another culture, we should do all we can to understand that culture.

Doing everything we can to keep the lines of communication clear will go a long way towards bringing the Gospel to all nations.

And it just might keep someone from mistaking you as a god.

Have you ever misunderstood someone from a different culture?
What have you done to clearly bring the Gospel across cultural and language barriers?
September 20, 2026

September 20th, 2026

Sunday – Poetry

Reading – Job 13-14

Highlight Verse:

“As for me, I would speak directly to the Almighty. I want to argue my case with God himself.”

‭‭Job‬ ‭13‬:‭3‬ ‭NLT‬‬

I remember a conversation I had with a friend in college.

They were catholic and I asked if they ever read the Bible.

I couldn’t understand their response.

They asked why they would read the Bible when their priest would tell them anything they needed to know.

That may be a good relationship with their priest but not with God.

I’m with Job here. I want to go right to the source.

At the time Job was written, Israelites had to go through the priests for atonement through sacrifices.

But the writer of Job seems to have had a close enough relationship with God to understand that the Father wants a relationship with each person.

Job’s words here introduce that concept in the context of his anguish and suffering.

Job’s words show how inadequate a proxy relationship with God is.

If Job is to have any understanding of his suffering and healing, he must hear it from God Himself.

Spoiler alert – he does hear straight from God later in the book.

Stick around to see what God says (or read ahead if you just can’t wait).

Have you ever experienced faith by proxy, through a priest or through your parents?

When did your relationship become personal between you and God?

If your faith is still dependent on someone else, what’s keeping it from becoming personal?
September 19, 2026

September 19th, 2026

Saturday – Open Topic

Reading – Matthew 28:16-20

Highlight Verse:

“Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.”
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭28‬:‭19‬ ‭NLT‬‬

I’ve heard some point out that the last command that Jesus gave was “go and make disciples.”

They usually emphasize that the word is “go” not “stay.”

Then there are those who say it should have been translated “as you go.”

However you look at it, we are called to make disciples, (people who place their faith in Christ and try to learn from Him).

Most of the early disciples must have thought He meant “as you go” since they stuck around Jerusalem or Galilee.

It took persecution to scatter them to “all nations.”

Even then, some stayed in Jerusalem to establish a home base for the faith.

While I have never felt the call to go overseas, I support those who have.

Tonight, a missionary we support is in town and will be giving a presentation with some of the kids she ministers to. Her organization, Via Love International, is doing wonderful things in Honduras.

If you want to find out more about Via Love and are in the Denver area, they will be at Generations Church, 10100 Grant Street, Thornton, CO at 6:30pm tonight (Sept. 19, 2026).

The “going” part of my ministry supports Via Love and others financially, encouraging others to support them as well.

The “as you go” part of my ministry involves teaching God’s truth to the next generation at church.

It is also my hope and prayer that this daily visit to God’s Word blesses people both here and around the world, encouraging you to find Jesus and grow in faith as you build a relationship with Him.

My heart leaps when I see people around the world visiting this little blog. Last week we had a few dozen visits from China! In that way I also pray that I may “go and make disciples of all nations.”

If, like me, you read that verse and desire to go and make disciples but have no idea where to begin, I recommend that you start with an “as you go” approach, finding ministry you can help with in your church and community.

As you walk forward in that, be sure to ask God how He can help you join in the Great Commission of reaching all nations.

When He answers, don’t be afraid to move forward into His call for you.

In what ways has God used you to go and make disciples?
What would it take for you to trust God enough to take the next step in reaching all nations?
September 18, 2026

September 18th, 2026

Friday – Prophets

Reading – Nahum 3

Highlight Verses:

“Your merchants have multiplied until they outnumber the stars. But like a swarm of locusts, they strip the land and fly away. Your guards and officials are also like swarming locusts that crowd together in the hedges on a cold day. But like locusts that fly away when the sun comes up, all of them will fly away and disappear.”
‭‭Nahum‬ ‭3‬:‭16‬-‭17‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Verse 16 can be misused to show how evil business can be.

Verse 17 can be misused to show how evil government can be.

Guess what.

Humans tend to be evil by nature.

When we leave God out of the equation, we humans tend toward selfish action.

Without the influence of God, businesspeople tend to act only in their own interests.

Without God, government tends toward corrupt power hunger.

Now put God in the equation.

Godly businesses value their employees, customers, and God. They bring wealth, integrity, and charity to their communities. When the majority of businesses in a community are run by godly people, the community thrives.

Godly political leaders expose corruption, encourage civic cooperation, and applaud moral values to make a community, state, or nation a more Godly place.

Those communities, states, or nations that forcibly remove God from the equation bring about downfall.

Let’s lift up those business and government leaders who keep God in the equations of their lives.

Have you met any godly business owners or leaders? What did they do to incorporate God into the way they did business?
Have you met any godly politicians? How did they bring Godly values into government?
September 17, 2026

September 17th, 2026

Thursday – Letters

Reading – Revelation 8

Highlight Verse:

“When the Lamb broke the seventh seal on the scroll, there was silence throughout heaven for about half an hour.”
‭‭Revelation‬ ‭8‬:‭1‬ ‭NLT‬‬

It may serve you well to read chapter 7, or at least the end of chapter 7 before reading this chapter.

Some of the loudest praise ever had just occurred.

Then…

Silence.

For a full half hour.

We almost never witness silence.

I’m a night owl and am sometimes the last one to bed.

Our late-night “silent” house has the hum of the refrigerator, the AC or heat, the family room ceiling fan, creak of the stairs, distant traffic outside and planes above.

That silence isn’t very silent.

The wording in today’s reading implies complete silence.

It must have been profound.

And then the silence is pierced by the blast of the trumpets.

Not a soul could miss the warning blasts.

The broken seals were about to come to life.

The trumpets sent out the alarm that they were coming.

When that time comes, there will be no mistaking it.

In the meantime, we would do well to find those silent times that we can hear the calls of God clearly.

How do you find times of silence in your life?
Have those times helped you hear from God? How?
September 16, 2026

September 16th, 2026

Wednesday – History

Reading – Ezra 3-4

NOTE: When I went to read today’s reading, it sounded very familiar. If you are very observant, you may have noticed that last week, I actually skipped ahead a week. Maybe that was a symptom of reading at 5am, though I didn’t catch it when I wrote about the chapters that evening. As a result, I am covering last week’s chapters (3-4) today.

Highlight Verse:

“Even though the people were afraid of the local residents, they rebuilt the altar at its old site. Then they began to sacrifice burnt offerings on the altar to the LORD each morning and evening.”
‭‭Ezra‬ ‭3‬:‭3‬ ‭NLT‬‬

The first thing the remnant did when they got back to Jerusalem was to rebuild the altar so they could get back to their sacrifices.

That’s how desperately they wanted to restore their daily relationship with God.

They hadn’t even started rebuilding the Temple yet.

They could have said, “We’ll start sacrificing once the temple is done,” or “Once we are safe behind complete walls, we’ll work on our relationship with God.”

But they knew what was important and they didn’t wait to do it.

Of course, I’m not saying to go out and sacrifice animals. Jesus took care of that part for us.

I am saying that we should not put off building our relationship with God.

It’s easy to put off those next steps with God.

We say we’ll go to church after summer is over, or ski season, or… the list goes on.

Or maybe we want to “sow some wild oats” while we are young.

Perhaps we love the music at church, but we don’t want to rush in to getting involved with serving or small groups until we get more used to it.

The list of excuses is endless.

And pointless.

God warned us not to sin because it hurts us.

God invites us to join in fellowship with fellow believers because we need each other.

God invites us to serve because it helps us to grow.

If we all started getting bold and stepping out in faith, we might be amazed at what God will do through us and in us.

What have you been putting off?
What would it take to get you started doing that?

I sometimes think that we should be amazed when God does something very predictable.

God does not necessarily work according to our plans or timeline.

And that is always better than ours.

This always amazes me.

But why would God allow, even command these terrors?

God will do everything He can to get people to choose eternal life in heaven. But He will not force them.

We have chosen heaven.

I can tell you that he made a difference in Jerusalem in his time.

The authority behind his words caused a revival of sorts in Jerusalem.

When we are diligent to study whatever it is that God has called us to, He will honor that with success.

So why would God be so intolerant as to insist that people place all their faith in Him alone?

He is not intolerant or bigoted for wanting the best for us.

I am saying we should not be afraid of speaking the truth, guiding people along the path of truth and not into the closed doors of sin and pride and selfishness.

I don’t know about you, but I find this scene hilarious. But then, of course, no one has ever mistaken me for a god.

One thing they drilled into our brains in Bible college was to understand your audience.

Doing everything we can to keep the lines of communication clear will go a long way towards bringing the Gospel to all nations.

I couldn’t understand their response.

But the writer of Job seems to have had a close enough relationship with God to understand that the Father wants a relationship with each person.

If Job is to have any understanding of his suffering and healing, he must hear it from God Himself.

I’ve heard some point out that the last command that Jesus gave was “go and make disciples.”

If, like me, you read that verse and desire to go and make disciples but have no idea where to begin, I recommend that you start with an “as you go” approach, finding ministry you can help with in your church and community.

As you walk forward in that, be sure to ask God how He can help you join in the Great Commission of reaching all nations.

Humans tend to be evil by nature.

When we leave God out of the equation, we humans tend toward selfish action.

Let’s lift up those business and government leaders who keep God in the equations of their lives.

Silence.

It must have been profound.

In the meantime, we would do well to find those silent times that we can hear the calls of God clearly.

That’s how desperately they wanted to restore their daily relationship with God.

I am saying that we should not put off building our relationship with God.

If we all started getting bold and stepping out in faith, we might be amazed at what God will do through us and in us.