Walk in the Light

July 28, 2026

July 28th, 2026

Tuesday – Pentateuch

Reading – Numbers 25-26

Highlight Verse:

“For the Lord had said of them, “They will all die in the wilderness.” Not one of them survived except Caleb son of Jephunneh and Joshua son of Nun.”
‭‭Numbers‬ ‭26‬:‭65‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Did you ever notice that, despite losing an entire generation or more depending on how you calculate it, Israel remained about the same population through their time in the wilderness?

God could have wiped them out.

He certainly had the right to.

Instead, He let them die out over forty years until the only survivors were those who were under twenty when their parents rebelled.

The parents were around long enough to raise the next generation.

This ensured the viability of the nation of Israel, paving the way for the Messiah to come and save us all.

I don’t know the reasons for every action of God in the Old Testament.

Some things don’t make perfect sense to me.

But God knows far more than I could ever imagine.

And His ways are always for our good in the long run.

Is there something that God has done or allowed in your life that you don’t understand?
Can you trust that He has higher purposes and that His actions are for your good in the long run?
July 27, 2026

July 27th, 2026

Monday – Gospels and Acts

Reading – Acts 6

Highlight Verse:

“But as the believers rapidly multiplied, there were rumblings of discontent. The Greek-speaking believers complained about the Hebrew-speaking believers, saying that their widows were being discriminated against in the daily distribution of food.”
‭‭Acts of the Apostles‬ ‭6‬:‭1‬ ‭NLT‬‬

We serve a perfect God.

But we are human.

Imperfect with selfish tendencies.

People in the early church were no different.

We tend to think of the early church as idyllic. But they had their problems.

It could have been worse.

In their wisdom, the apostles delegated the task of food distribution to capable people.

I’m sure the system continued to have flaws, but they did the best they could with what they had.

People tend to expect perfection from churches today. And when they fall short of those ideals, they dismiss the church as corrupt or, at least, unfeeling.

I once heard it said that if you find a perfect church, don’t start attending because then it won’t be perfect anymore.

There are valid reasons to avoid certain churches. If they stray from the basic truths of the Gospel, that’s a major problem.

But we should never reject a church because they do something different than we would like.

Nor should we assume the acts or words of individuals within the church represent the whole church.

As imperfect humans, we need to make the effort to understand each other and cooperate in service of the Gospel.

We will never have perfect churches here on earth, but if we cooperate and diligently fill our callings within the church, we will effectively reach people for Jesus.

Let’s work together to populate heaven!

How have you seen churches get over their differences to become more effective at spreading the Gospel?
How have you found your place within your church?
July 26, 2026

July 26th, 2026

Sunday – Poetry

Reading – Song of Solomon 5-6

Highlight Verse:

““Who is this, arising like the dawn, as fair as the moon, as bright as the sun, as majestic as an army with billowing banners?””
‭‭Song of Songs‬ ‭6‬:‭10‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Romance as many see it today is deceptive. We put our best self forth and try to hide our faults.

If that is the definition of romance, then I can see the deception.

But that’s not what Solomon is demonstrating here.

It’s like how I approach my work. When I fix a copier, I always try to make it look as good as possible because people are less likely to abuse a machine that looks new.

Likewise, I try to talk up things it does well which results in my customers having a more positive opinion of the machine.

Solomon’s romance, as demonstrated here, seeks to accentuate the best qualities of the one who is the object of one’s romantic desire.

Studies have proven that the more positively we think about someone, the better we will treat them.

Likewise, the more honest positive things we say about a person, the more likely we will think more positively about that person.

The effect fails if the positive things are lies, but we can find honest positive attributes about nearly everyone.

Honest positive comments will virtually always help strengthen relationships.

What are some positive things you can say about your spouse or boyfriend/girlfriend?
When was the last time you said them?
July 25, 2026

July 25th, 2026

Saturday – Open Topic

Reading – John 21

Highlight Verse:

“After breakfast Jesus asked Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?” “Yes, Lord,” Peter replied, “you know I love you.” “Then feed my lambs,” Jesus told him.”
‭‭John‬ ‭21‬:‭15‬ ‭NLT‬‬

In the courtyard of the High Priest while Jesus was on trial, Simon Peter denied three times that he knew Jesus.

It was a major betrayal.

I imagine that Peter thought his life as an apostle was over.

But he stuck around.

He was there when the women came back from the tomb saying it was empty.

He and John were the first to run to the tomb to verify their testimony.

He was in the upper room with the large group of disciples when Jesus appeared twice.

And he encountered Jesus at the beach.

That’s where Jesus, in His perfect timing, talked to Peter face to face.

Jesus restored their relationship by getting Peter to declare his love the same number of times that he had previously denied knowing Jesus.

Then Jesus challenged Peter to step into the roll that He filled so well – “Feed my sheep.”

Today we owe our faith to Peter, who led the early church so faithfully.

We owe it to Jesus and to those around us to restore our relationships that His Word may spread through us.

Is there someone who you need to forgive and express that forgiveness to?
Is there someone from whom you need to ask forgiveness?
Is there anything keeping you from moving forward with that now?

Tomorrow morning, I have the privilege to share the rest of this message at church. Once it is posted, I will share a link to it here.
July 24, 2026

July 24th, 2026

Friday – Prophets

Reading – Obadiah

Highlight Verse:

““Because of the violence you did to your close relatives in Israel, you will be filled with shame and destroyed forever.”
‭‭Obadiah‬ ‭1‬:‭10‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Obadiah was all about Edom. And he was harsh.

Why?

Edom was founded by Esau, brother of Jacob. Yes, the same Jacob that became Israel.

Edom was family to Israel.

But Edom turned its back on Israel.

More than that, Edom actively persecuted Israel.

Not good.

You know what else isn’t good?

When we turn out backs on family just because we don’t agree with them.

My oldest sister and I don’t agree on much.

We are about as far apart politically as is possible.

We’ve had some pretty rough disagreements about it.

But one thing we have come to agree on is that our relationship is more important than politics.

We’ve had to agree to disagree on some other things, but we have learned to do that with respect.

With that respect we enjoy a pretty good sibling relationship.

Do you get along with your relatives?
Have you had to learn to agree to disagree?
Is there anything to keep you from restoring those relationships that might not be so good?

Check in tomorrow when I will be writing about restoring relationships.
July 23, 2026

July 23rd, 2026

Thursday – Letters

Reading – Jude

Highlight Verses:

“But you, dear friends, must build each other up in your most holy faith, pray in the power of the Holy Spirit, and await the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will bring you eternal life. In this way, you will keep yourselves safe in God’s love.”
‭‭Jude‬ ‭1‬:‭20‬-‭21‬ ‭NLT‬‬

What is translated “Jude” here is actually the same name as Judas. It is shortened in translation to remove confusion.

Judas was a common name at the time of Jesus. There was Judas Iscariot, the traitor. Then there was another one of the twelve named Judas also known as Thaddeus.

This Jude was neither of these. This was the half-brother of Jesus, though modesty kept him from claiming this. He only mentioned being brother to another half-brother of Jesus – James.

What he does claim with authority is knowledge of true faith versus a selfish, sinful imitation of faith.

He warns us all of the danger of these claims. This imitation of the faith would say that the mercy of Christ gives us the freedom to run wild into all sorts of carnal behavior.

The reality is that the mercy of Christ protects us from sin, both from the eternal penalties and the dissipation that comes from surrendering to sin.

Of course, none of us is perfectly sinless in this life. But through the Holy Spirit, we have the power to overthrow the grip that sin has on our lives.

True faith exercises that power.

Have you met someone who claims their faith gives them the “freedom” to do whatever pleases them?
How do you respond to them?
July 22, 2026

July 22nd, 2026

Wednesday – History

Reading – 2 Chronicles 19-21

Highlight Verse:

“Jehoshaphat was terrified by this news and begged the Lord for guidance. He also ordered everyone in Judah to begin fasting.”
‭‭2 Chronicles‬ ‭20‬:‭3‬ ‭NLT‬‬

It’s easy to say, don’t be afraid or, to be more biblical sounding, “fear not.”

But there comes a time in every person’s life when fear will rear its ugly head.

What do you do then?

I remember a moment many years ago when my pickup was spinning out of control on a wet freeway with a truck sliding toward it.

For a moment I was completely frozen with fear.

Then there was the time when I was moving to Colorado and my van blew an engine with all my worldly goods aboard.

I can’t say I fasted and asked those around me to fast in those times.

But I did pray.

Granted, the first situation was a frantic, “Lord save me!”

In the second, I had more time to place my situation completely in God’s hands.

Obviously, I survived both.

My pickup ended up rolling backwards down the freeway when I realized I had control again and was able to back safely into the median.

And in the second situation, God provided the right tow truck driver who knew the right mechanic, who found the right engine to get me the rest of the way to Colorado.

It may not have been as dramatic as Jehoshaphat’s situation, but God still provided.

And He will continue to provide for you and me every time we need it.

Have you ever been afraid that life as you know it was over?
How has God provided in unusual ways for you?
July 21, 2026

July 21st, 2026

Tuesday – Pentateuch

Reading – Numbers 23-24

Highlight Verses:

“But Balaam replied to Balak, “Didn’t I tell you that I can do only what the Lord tells me?” Then King Balak said to Balaam, “Come, I will take you to one more place. Perhaps it will please God to let you curse them from there.””
‭‭Numbers‬ ‭23‬:‭26‬-‭27‬ ‭NLT‬‬

They say the definition of insanity is doing the same thing and expecting different results.

Perhaps King Balak was insane. This was the third time he asked Balaam to curse Israel.

Why did he thing it would turn out different on the third try?

But then, how many times do we do the same?

We fall into that same sin and say it won’t hurt us again.

We make that same foolish decision and say it will turn out differently this time.

How much better would it turn out for us if we just learned our lessons the first time?

In case you’re wondering, the answer is a lot better.

But we are human. We make our little forays into insanity.

And hopefully we learn a little each time and inch our way to sanity.

Or, perhaps, we could welcome the Holy Spirit and actually learn.

Are there any hard lessons that you learned and corrected the first time?
What are you struggling to learn? What are you doing to speed up the learning process?
July 20, 2026

July 20th, 2026

Monday – Gospels and Acts

Reading – Acts 5

Highlight Verse:

“The apostles left the high council rejoicing that God had counted them worthy to suffer disgrace for the name of Jesus.”
‭‭Acts of the Apostles‬ ‭5‬:‭41‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Joy flourishes regardless of how crazy your situation may be.

What a ride Peter and the apostles must had been going through.

Through their preaching, people were healed, many found forgiveness, and Jerusalem was changing.

Then they were arrested again and thrown in jail.

But an angel set them free.

But Peter and the apostles with him were arrested again.

This time they ended up flogged for preaching about Jesus.

And that is when the went home rejoicing.

How deep of a faith and radical of a joy did that take?

The joy not only overcame the pain, but it thrived because of it.

Now, I think they would have been quite joyful without the pain.

But the pain confirmed the strength of their faith.

I would like to think that they received healing for their injuries too, though I can only guess that happened.

Have you ever had a situation where you were joyful despite pain?
What about because of your pain?
July 19, 2026

July 19th, 2026

Sunday – Poetry

Reading – Song of Solomon 3-4

Highlight Verse:

“Come out to see King Solomon, young women of Jerusalem. He wears the crown his mother gave him on his wedding day, his most joyous day.”
‭‭Song of Songs‬ ‭3‬:‭11‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Can we be honest? This was a tough reading to comment on.

Part of me wants to compare the love the young man and woman have for each other to the love we have for God.

Problem is, today’s reading borders on erotic. Awkward, but appropriate for a husband and wife.

And today’s highlight verse does bring the subject around to marriage for Solomon.

I admit that is a little bit confusing since Solomon had over 700 wives and 300 concubines.

Many, if not most theologians believe that Solomon had only one wife that he was truly in love with. She would be the subject of this romance.

The others were mostly political arrangements, though that didn’t stop him from having children with them.

That seems like a bizarre practice today but in that time and place, this was normal practice for a successful king.

Whether that was moral or not, the main point I see here is that God’s ideal is for marriage to be one man and one woman for life.

Solomon did not live the ideal and he ended up paying the consequences for that later in his life.

But when he wrote this it was clear that he was smitten by only one.

Many today have come short of the ideal of one spouse for life.

As my first wife left me for someone else, and I am now remarried, I cannot claim a high ground.

But I can claim a singularly devoted love for my wife now.

Though, for some reason, Solomon’s awesome lines about her hair being like a flock of sheep and cheeks like pomegranates didn’t have the desired effect on her.

Have you found the love of your life?
Are you fully devoted to her/him?

God could have wiped them out.

This ensured the viability of the nation of Israel, paving the way for the Messiah to come and save us all.

And His ways are always for our good in the long run.

But we are human.

I once heard it said that if you find a perfect church, don’t start attending because then it won’t be perfect anymore.

Let’s work together to populate heaven!

But that’s not what Solomon is demonstrating here.

Solomon’s romance, as demonstrated here, seeks to accentuate the best qualities of the one who is the object of one’s romantic desire.

Honest positive comments will virtually always help strengthen relationships.

I imagine that Peter thought his life as an apostle was over.

That’s where Jesus, in His perfect timing, talked to Peter face to face.

We owe it to Jesus and to those around us to restore our relationships that His Word may spread through us.

But Edom turned its back on Israel.

But one thing we have come to agree on is that our relationship is more important than politics.

We’ve had to agree to disagree on some other things, but we have learned to do that with respect.

What he does claim with authority is knowledge of true faith versus a selfish, sinful imitation of faith.

The reality is that the mercy of Christ protects us from sin, both from the eternal penalties and the dissipation that comes from surrendering to sin.

True faith exercises that power.

But there comes a time in every person’s life when fear will rear its ugly head.

But I did pray.

And He will continue to provide for you and me every time we need it.

They say the definition of insanity is doing the same thing and expecting different results.

How much better would it turn out for us if we just learned our lessons the first time?

Or, perhaps, we could welcome the Holy Spirit and actually learn.

What a ride Peter and the apostles must had been going through.

How deep of a faith and radical of a joy did that take?

But the pain confirmed the strength of their faith.

And today’s highlight verse does bring the subject around to marriage for Solomon.

Whether that was moral or not, the main point I see here is that God’s ideal is for marriage to be one man and one woman for life.

But I can claim a singularly devoted love for my wife now.