Walk in the Light

February 28, 2025

February 28th, 2025

Friday – Prophets

Reading – Isaiah 25-27

Highlight Verse:

“But you are a tower of refuge to the poor, O Lord, a tower of refuge to the needy in distress. You are a refuge from the storm and a shelter from the heat. For the oppressive acts of ruthless people are like a storm beating against a wall,”
‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭25‬:‭4‬ ‭NLT‬‬

One afternoon, I went for a hike on a mountain trail in Virginia.

Just after starting up the trail, it started to sprinkle. It felt good in the August heat.

Before we reached the top, it didn’t feel so good.

Lightning struck every few seconds. Rain came down sideways in sheets. I was soaked to the bone.

At the top of the trail was a stone cabin. Everyone on the upper half of the trail rushed to the cabin for shelter. When I got into the cabin, it was packed with people but I was relieved when I stuffed myself into the crowd.

I was safe.

The strong towers of Biblical times kept people safe from storms and enemies.

They united the people of a town for protection. (See Judges 9:50-53)

Those who did not rush to the strong tower did so at their own peril.

To finish my story, I left that mountain top shelter to get to a bus shelter for a ride down the mountain. While in the open wooden bus shelter, lightning struck it.

The shock from that bolt of lightning was intense but, as it hit several of us indirectly, it wasn’t life threatening.

Today we can find shelter from life’s storms in God’s presence with lots of other people seeking shelter.

While it is possible to be a believer on your own, doing so leaves you exposed to all the attacks of the enemy and storms of life.

When we seek God together, we find protection, healing, and growth.

Where do you find shelter?
Have you ever tried to “go it alone”? How did that work out?
February 27, 2025

February 27th, 2025

Thursday – Letters

Reading – Romans 9

Highlight Verse:

“Concerning the Gentiles, God says in the prophecy of Hosea, “Those who were not my people, I will now call my people. And I will love those whom I did not love before.””
‭‭Romans‬ ‭9‬:‭25‬ ‭NLT‬‬

I took one of those ancestry DNA tests.

When it comes to ethnic heritage, I’m a mess.

True, my dad was pure Mexican, but that’s like saying he was American. My grandpa was a Spaniard and my grandma was indigenous.

And my mom? Take every northern European race with very fair skin and mix them all together and you get my mom, whose skin was so white it was translucent.

I mostly got my mom’s skin. I tell my friends I’m half Mexican and when they stop laughing they say, “no really, what nationality are you?”

In God’s book, it doesn’t matter one bit.

Sure, I’ll go one celebrating Cinco De Mayo and Saint Patrick’s Day, but my identity is in Christ.

It is He who will define my worth. (Hint, He values me and you so much that He died for us).

It is He who will define my role in life. I find value in fulfilling it.

How does your identity in Christ help define your role in life?
Does your earthly heritage affect your identity in Christ?
February 26, 2025

February 26th, 2025

Wednesday – History

Reading – Judges 1-3

Highlight Verse:

“Whenever the Lord raised up a judge over Israel, he was with that judge and rescued the people from their enemies throughout the judge’s lifetime. For the Lord took pity on his people, who were burdened by oppression and suffering.”
‭‭Judges‬ ‭2‬:‭18‬ ‭NLT‬‬

The people of Israel didn’t need a king. They had the Lord.

The problem was, they didn’t know how to listen to the Lord. So

God gave them leaders who heard from God and inspired the people to overcome their problems through God’s power.

Why were the called judges?

It was because they established justice within Israel and brought justice to Israel’s enemies.

In the following chapters, we will read of many interesting characters who filled that role in the time of the judges.

What leaders have inspired you to follow God more closely?
How have you seen leaders bring justice?
February 25, 2025

February 25th, 2025

Tuesday – Pentateuch

Reading – Genesis 12-13

Highlight Verse:

“But the Lord sent terrible plagues upon Pharaoh and his household because of Sarai, Abram’s wife.”
‭‭Genesis‬ ‭12‬:‭17‬ ‭NLT‬‬

I was a history major in college (the first time around).

I wanted to teach history to teens because, as one of my professors put it,

“he who ignores history is destined to repeat it.”

Pharaoh at the time of Moses must have ignored history.

The Pharaoh at Abram’s time sent Abram and Sarai away with gifts when God sent plagues on his household.

The later Pharaoh took a lot longer to convince.

I’ve also heard it said that, while we should learn from our mistakes, it’s better to learn from other people’s mistakes before they become our mistakes.

I know I learned a lot from my older brother’s mistakes. He had to deal with a lot more problems because he was the one who made them.

I got off easy having avoided some of those pitfalls of youth.

Learning never ends.

One thing I have learned in life is that it is a whole lot easier to find the right path than to stray from it.

I am thankful for all that people in my life who have helped me stay on it (or get back on it when I strayed) – some by good example, some by bad.

What have you learned from history that has influenced your life for the better?
What have you learned from other’s bad examples?
February 23, 2025

February 24th, 2025

Monday – Gospels

Reading – John 9

Highlight Verse:

““Look!” the man exclaimed. “I told you once. Didn’t you listen? Why do you want to hear it again? Do you want to become his disciples, too?””
‭‭John‬ ‭9‬:‭27‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Sarcasm is alive and well in the Bible.

I don’t think John is telling us that it is good to be sarcastic. But he is telling it like it was.

Many of the same attitudes and hang ups that exist now existed then.

Yes, society has changed but the human condition is the same.

While we may have to look at the Bible in its historical context to understand it better,

the truths found in the Bible are still valid today.

What do you see in this chapter that applies today?
How will you apply it to your life?
February 23, 2025

February 23rd, 2025

Sunday – Poetry

Reading – Psalms 22-24

Highlight Verse:

“But I am a worm and not a man. I am scorned and despised by all!”
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭22‬:‭6‬ ‭NLT‬‬

These are the words of one of the greatest kings of all time. A man who was considered to be “a man after God’s own heart.”

But there were days when he felt like this.

I’m not saying that you are as awesome as King David (maybe you are), but if you’re feeling down on yourself, keep in mind that even David had days when he felt no better than a worm.

Every person on the planet struggles with mental and emotional health issues from time to time. It’s part of being human.

Part of being a child of God is the fact that we have power through the Holy Spirit (sometimes acting through godly counselors or doctors) to overcome such struggles.

The very next Psalm in today’s reading confirms David’s victory over depression through the presence of God. I suggest you read it noticing how David makes it through the darkest valley.

How do you overcome times of struggle?
If you are struggling today, how can we help you?
February 22, 2025

February 22nd, 2025

Saturday – Open Topic

Reading – 1 Timothy 4:6-16

Highlight Verse:

“Don’t let anyone think less of you because you are young. Be an example to all believers in what you say, in the way you live, in your love, your faith, and your purity.”
‭‭1 Timothy‬ ‭4‬:‭12‬ ‭NLT‬‬

I’ve had the privilege of taking leadership classes from some superb leaders.

They were the kind of people who inspired people to follow them by example and encouraging words rather than coercion.

The founders of that company based their leadership style on examples from the Bible.

The level of satisfaction of their employees was through the roof. The company thrived under their leadership.

One of those leaders passed away a couple of years ago. One of his former employees, the man who hired me to that company and who also helped teach those leadership classes, just passed away a couple of weeks ago.

His example had a profound influence on how I live my professional life.

While the company has been absorbed into a larger one, some of that legacy lives on in our local management.

As I lead others, I try to continue that legacy.

What leaders have influenced you the most?
How have you influenced others?
February 21, 2025

February 21st, 2025

Friday – Prophets

Reading – Isaiah 22-24

Highlight Verse:

“But the Lord of Heaven’s Armies also says: “The time will come when I will pull out the nail that seemed so firm. It will come out and fall to the ground. Everything it supports will fall with it. I, the Lord, have spoken!””
‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭22‬:‭25‬ ‭NLT‬‬

God’s not afraid of change.

Why should we be?

Yes, it is true that sometimes God changes direction in the middle of things.

No, God does not change.

But He sure can change things for us.

It may seem like a new and different thing for us but I assure you that God knew what He was going to do all along.

How has God changed your plans in the past?
Are you open to Him changing your plans in the future?
February 20, 2025

February 20th, 2025

Thursday – Letters

Reading – Roman 8

Highlight Verses:

“And the Father who knows all hearts knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us believers in harmony with God’s own will. And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.”
‭‭Romans‬ ‭8‬:‭27‬-‭28‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Why would I choose one of the most overused verses from this chapter?

The answer is in the question.

Romans 8:28 is often used out of context.

It is often used by the “name it and claim it” crowd to mean that God works everything to make you “prosper.”

Sometimes people use it as if to say, yes you totally messed up but everything will be okay.

Let’s never forget that this verse goes hand in hand with the previous verse, which is all about God’s will.

The “good” that God works all things for may not look like what you think of as good.

God has a much broader point of view than we have. Sometimes what is “good” may be what we consider to be horrible because God knows what is going to result in the best outcomes for our lives.

When we seek His will, we will always find what is truly the best for us, even if it doesn’t look like what we would call good.

I say we keep seeking God’s will and He will always bring what is best for us.

How do you seek God’s will?
What do you think it means for everything to work together for good?
February 19, 2025

February 19th, 2025

Wednesday – History

Reading – Joshua 22-24

Highlight Verse:

“The people of Israel served the Lord throughout the lifetime of Joshua and of the elders who outlived him—those who had personally experienced all that the Lord had done for Israel.”
‭‭Joshua‬ ‭24‬:‭31‬ ‭NLT‬‬

My grandparents were very good at saving money. They lived through the Depression Era.

My generation isn’t afraid of much. We grew up when safety was an afterthought.

No matter how much we try to teach our kids, nothing teaches like experience.

The nation of Israel learned this throughout their history.

They would see God act miraculously to save them and they would worship wholeheartedly.

The next generation would have it easy and would fall away.

Things would get bad. God would rescue. The pattern would repeat.

It is good to experience the blessings of God.

It is also good to experience difficulty so that the blessings become far more meaningful, even miraculous.

There’s a very fine line between protecting our kids and helping them learn from experience.

My prayer is that they would have the devotion that good leadership and experience can inspire.

What is it that your generation has learned from tough experience?
How do you balance teaching and experience in raising the next generation?

I was safe.

Those who did not rush to the strong tower did so at their own peril.

When we seek God together, we find protection, healing, and growth.

When it comes to ethnic heritage, I’m a mess.

Sure, I’ll go one celebrating Cinco De Mayo and Saint Patrick’s Day, but my identity is in Christ.

It is He who will define my role in life. I find value in fulfilling it.

God gave them leaders who heard from God and inspired the people to overcome their problems through God’s power.

It was because they established justice within Israel and brought justice to Israel’s enemies.

“he who ignores history is destined to repeat it.”

I’ve also heard it said that, while we should learn from our mistakes, it’s better to learn from other people’s mistakes before they become our mistakes.

I am thankful for all that people in my life who have helped me stay on it (or get back on it when I strayed) – some by good example, some by bad.

Sarcasm is alive and well in the Bible.

Yes, society has changed but the human condition is the same.

the truths found in the Bible are still valid today.

These are the words of one of the greatest kings of all time. A man who was considered to be “a man after God’s own heart.”

Every person on the planet struggles with mental and emotional health issues from time to time. It’s part of being human.

Part of being a child of God is the fact that we have power through the Holy Spirit (sometimes acting through godly counselors or doctors) to overcome such struggles.

I’ve had the privilege of taking leadership classes from some superb leaders.

The founders of that company based their leadership style on examples from the Bible.

As I lead others, I try to continue that legacy.

God’s not afraid of change.

But He sure can change things for us.

It may seem like a new and different thing for us but I assure you that God knew what He was going to do all along.

Romans 8:28 is often used out of context.

The “good” that God works all things for may not look like what you think of as good.

I say we keep seeking God’s will and He will always bring what is best for us.

No matter how much we try to teach our kids, nothing teaches like experience.

The nation of Israel learned this throughout their history.

My prayer is that they would have the devotion that good leadership and experience can inspire.