Walk in the Light

December 19, 2024

December 19th, 2024

Thursday – Letters

Reading – Revelations 21

Highlight Verse:

“He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.””
‭‭Revelation‬ ‭21‬:‭4‬ ‭NLT‬‬

If you are ever tempted to think that heaven isn’t a real physical place, just read this chapter.

I don’t know how it works for those who pass into before the end, but I knew this chapter describes a real place that takes the place of our current world.

It is a place where God walks with us face to face and where sorrow and sadness are GONE.

Sounds good to me!

What do you think heaven will be like?
What is your favorite Bible verse about heaven?
December 18, 2024

December 18th, 2024

Wednesday – History

Reading – Esther 7-8

Highlight Verse:

“The king took off his signet ring—which he had taken back from Haman—and gave it to Mordecai. And Esther appointed Mordecai to be in charge of Haman’s property.”
‭‭Esther‬ ‭8‬:‭2‬ ‭NLT‬‬

The book may be called Esther, but it is as much about Mordecai as his young cousin Esther.

I do not mean to belittle Esther’s accomplishments.

But without Mordecai’s instruction and encouragement, she likely would not have saved the people of Israel.

Without Mordecai’s unwavering faithfulness to God, Haman’s evil might not have come to light.

Even while Mordecai got a large amount of power, the top billing went to Esther.

And I’m pretty sure Mordecai was fine with that.

Most of us find ourselves in supporting roles, at least most of the time.

That doesn’t mean that God doesn’t do amazing things through those supporting roles.

We would do well to remember that the main goal is bringing about God’s will, not getting credit for our role in it.

Have you ever found yourself feeling jealous because someone else got the spotlight for your efforts?
When have you had a supporting role and how did it work out?
December 17, 2024

December 17th, 2024

Tuesday – Pentateuch

Reading – Deuteronomy 31

Highlight Verse:

“So be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid and do not panic before them. For the Lord your God will personally go ahead of you. He will neither fail you nor abandon you.””
‭‭Deuteronomy‬ ‭31‬:‭6‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Is it bad that when I see the phrase “Don’t Panic” I immediately think of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy?

Oxford calls panic “sudden uncontrollable fear or anxiety, often causing wildly unthinking behavior.”

Nobody would have blamed the Israelites for panicking when they faced the people of the promised land.

But whenever they remembered that the Lord went before them, they kept their wits about them.

Today’s American culture would have people think that panic is a normal part of life in this anxiety ridden age.

To some extent that’s true.

But it doesn’t have to be.

During the bombings of London during World War 2, the British government brought their stoic wisdom to people with these signs.

When we’re tempted to panic, we have additional help to keep calm.

Knowing the source of all peace, we are well equipped to keep calm.

When have you seen yourself panic?
What helps you remain calm?
December 16, 2024

December 16th, 2024

Monday – Gospels and Acts

Reading – Acts 27

Highlight Verse:

“When morning dawned, they didn’t recognize the coastline, but they saw a bay with a beach and wondered if they could get to shore by running the ship aground.”
‭‭Acts of the Apostles‬ ‭27‬:‭39‬ ‭NLT‬‬

This verse makes me think of some of the storms in my life.

I finally get through the darkest parts and the light of a new day in life dawns.

But nothing looks the same.

Nothing looked the same for Paul.

It was an unknown coastland that they couldn’t quite reach.

They had to adjust their plans as new problems arose.

But Paul knew they would make it ashore. And they did.

I’ve been through times when I had no idea how I was going to make it through.

Multiple times I’ve thought life as I knew it was over.

But God always brought me through.

I’m alive and thriving today despite life’s complications.

What has God brought you through?
Did you believe God would protect you through it all?
December 15, 2024

December 15th, 2024

Sunday – Poetry

Reading – Job 38

Highlight Verse:

“as the morning stars sang together and all the angels shouted for joy?”
‭‭Job‬ ‭38‬:‭7‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Finally, God speaks back to Job.

There’s so much good here that I’ve already covered on other days.

This verse stood out to me like never before. There’s a few little ideas I never noticed before.

First, it appears that the stars preceded the creation of Earth.

Second, the angels were already around during creation. They rejoiced at the site of it!

Which brings me to my third point. Creation is something to celebrate.

I don’t know about you but seeing the beauty of God’s creation thrills my heart.

Imagine seeing creation unfold before your eyes.

Pure joy!

Do you see the thrilling beauty of creation?
What part of creation thrills you the most?

Here’s my favorite part of creation, where the waves meet the shore. (This is West Cliff Drive that I spoke of a week ago).
December 14, 2024

December 14th, 2024

Saturday – Open Topic

Reading – Matthew 1:16-25

Highlight Verses:
“When Joseph woke up, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded and took Mary as his wife. But he did not have sexual relations with her until her son was born. And Joseph named him Jesus.”
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭1‬:‭24‬-‭25‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Joseph is one of my heroes of the Bible.

Think about it. He gets very little attention in the Bible, but he was Jesus’ stepdad.

Not only did he help raise Jesus, he gave Jesus His name.

He helped teach Jesus to walk.

He protected him.

Joseph was key to helping the Son of God mature into who He was.

I’m a stepdad.

I can relate.

I’d like to think that I had some influence over all my kids – the one I first saw at her birth and the three whose mom I married.

We don’t know a whole lot about Joseph, but we know that he did his job well.

Who is your hero from the Bible?
Why?
December 13, 2024

December 13th, 2024

Friday – Prophets

Reading – Zechariah 13-14

Highlight Verse:

“And the Lord will send a plague on all the nations that fought against Jerusalem. Their people will become like walking corpses, their flesh rotting away. Their eyes will rot in their sockets, and their tongues will rot in their mouths.”
‭‭Zechariah‬ ‭14‬:‭12‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Have you ever looked at a verse and thought, “this is right out of a horror movie.?”

Not what you expected in a Bible story?

Maybe the concept of zombies was born here.

This illustration demonstrates the seriousness of sin.

The consequences are so horrible that it would be better to get eaten by a zombie than to suffer them.

Of course, Jesus saves us from the zombies of sin.

But I would say that it is better to avoid that horror movie as much as possible.

Have you ever considered how horrible sin really is?
Have you allowed Jesus to rescue you from that horror?
December 12, 2024

December 12th, 2024

Thursday – Letters

Reading – Revelation 20

Highlight Verse:

“The angel threw him into the bottomless pit, which he then shut and locked so Satan could not deceive the nations anymore until the thousand years were finished. Afterward he must be released for a little while.”
‭‭Revelation‬ ‭20‬:‭3‬ ‭NLT‬‬

It’s easy to focus on the defeat of Satan in this chapter.

It’s awesome news, worthy of great celebration.

But this chapter tells us something important about today –

Satan is lying to us.

Constantly.

Imagine if we could see clearly from God’s perspective all the time.

For now, have those constant subtle lies appealing to our selfish desires and tickling our minds with promises of the good feelings that come from compromise.

And when we listen to them, they pull us away from the fullness of joy that a life lived well can supply.

Once Satan is out of the picture, what a joyous life it will be.

For now, Satan’s lies are still all around us.

We would do well to recognize them for what they are and quit listening to them.

In the meantime, when we blow it, we need to get back on the right track and trust in the mercy of Jesus for forgiveness.

What would your life be like if you never heard any of Satan’s lies?
How do you imagine it will be once Satan is out of the picture?
December 10, 2024

December 11th, 2024

Wednesday – History

Reading – Esther 5-6

Highlight Verse:

“Then the king asked her, “What do you want, Queen Esther? What is your request? I will give it to you, even if it is half the kingdom!””
‭‭Esther‬ ‭5‬:‭3‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Oxford defines “hyperbole” as exaggerated statements or claims not meant to be taken literally.

Esther apparently knew the “half the kingdom” statement was just such an exaggeration.

Instead of accepting the insincere gift, she humbly invited the king and Haman to a dinner she would host.

Despite being the declared queen, even that request was bold as Xerxes was the most powerful man in the world and she was likely still a teenager.

But he listened to her, and saved the people of Israel.

Which brings me to today’s points.

In many years of working with young people, I’ve known a few who were humbly bold.

While they may not have had the far-reaching impact of Esther, but they made a difference in their worlds.

So, my two simple points are this:
If you are young, be bold while being humble. If you’re not sure how to do both, read Esther’s story again.

If you are older, listen to young people. Their dreams are still big. If given the chance to act on them, their dream will stay big, and they will change the world.

What is your big dream?
What big dreams have you heard from others?
Have you helped make those dreams happen?
December 10, 2024

December 10th, 2024

Tuesday – Pentateuch

Reading – Deuteronomy 29-30

Highlight Verse:

““Now listen! Today I am giving you a choice between life and death, between prosperity and disaster.”
‭‭Deuteronomy‬ ‭30‬:‭15‬ ‭NLT‬‬

We just watched a clip from the 1970 movie Scrooge where the people sang a heartfelt song of gratitude to Ebenezer Scrooge.

Scrooge merrily sang along with them until he realized what they were thankful for –

His death.

I want my funeral to be full of people thankful what I chose to do for them when I was alive, and for the eternal life I would be just beginning.

And then, you know, it’d be kinda fun if the procession included dancing and the singing of Thank You Very Much too.

What kind of choices do you want to make that people will be thankful for at your funeral?
How many of those choices do you have left to make?

If you are ever tempted to think that heaven isn’t a real physical place, just read this chapter.

It is a place where God walks with us face to face and where sorrow and sadness are GONE.

The book may be called Esther, but it is as much about Mordecai as his young cousin Esther.

And I’m pretty sure Mordecai was fine with that.

We would do well to remember that the main goal is bringing about God’s will, not getting credit for our role in it.

But whenever they remembered that the Lord went before them, they kept their wits about them.

But it doesn’t have to be.

Knowing the source of all peace, we are well equipped to keep calm.

But nothing looks the same.

I’ve been through times when I had no idea how I was going to make it through.

But God always brought me through.

This verse stood out to me like never before. There’s a few little ideas I never noticed before.

I don’t know about you but seeing the beauty of God’s creation thrills my heart.

Imagine seeing creation unfold before your eyes.

Joseph is one of my heroes of the Bible.

Have you ever looked at a verse and thought, “this is right out of a horror movie.?”

The consequences are so horrible that it would be better to get eaten by a zombie than to suffer them.

But I would say that it is better to avoid that horror movie as much as possible.

Satan is lying to us.

Constantly.

Once Satan is out of the picture, what a joyous life it will be.

In the meantime, when we blow it, we need to get back on the right track and trust in the mercy of Jesus for forgiveness.

Despite being the declared queen, even that request was bold as Xerxes was the most powerful man in the world and she was likely still a teenager.

So, my two simple points are this:If you are young, be bold while being humble. If you’re not sure how to do both, read Esther’s story again.

If you are older, listen to young people. Their dreams are still big. If given the chance to act on them, their dream will stay big, and they will change the world.

Scrooge merrily sang along with them until he realized what they were thankful for –

I want my funeral to be full of people thankful what I chose to do for them when I was alive, and for the eternal life I would be just beginning.

So, my two simple points are this:
If you are young, be bold while being humble. If you’re not sure how to do both, read Esther’s story again.