Walk in the Light

May 3, 2025

May 3rd, 2025

Saturday – Open Topic

Reading – Proverbs 11:23-31

Highlight Verse:

“The generous will prosper; those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed.”
‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭11‬:‭25‬ ‭NLT‬‬

One of my daughters is helping a friend who is going through a difficult time. The help is actually costing quite a bit of money.

That sparked the conversation between her and another friend (I was there but stayed out of it) about when help turns the corner to enabling.

That is a tough question without a clear answer.

I have had help from friends in the past that could be considered quite costly. In my case, it brought me through difficult times rather than encouraging bad habits in my life. I’ve been able to pay it forward to others since then.

I have seen rare occasions when people have ended up stuck in a vicious cycle of dependence. In those cases, breaking that cycle became very painful, but they got through it.

In the vast majority of cases I’ve seen, generosity was more helpful than hurtful.

Scripture backs that up with numerous verses about generosity – and a handful cautioning against encouraging foolish behavior.

In my opinion, it is best to err on the side of generosity.

Do you have stories about how people have helped you?
Have you seen generosity have negative results? Did those negative results get reversed? How?
May 2, 2025

May 2nd, 2025

Friday – Prophets

Reading – Isaiah 52-54

Highlight Verse:

““Enlarge your house; build an addition. Spread out your home, and spare no expense!”
‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭54‬:‭2‬ ‭NLT‬‬

On more than one occasion, I have heard this verse taken completely out of context.

Usually, it was in conjunction with a church building fund.

But context is important.

This prophecy was given to the people of Israel at the end of the exile.

They had been oppressed for many years at this point and were finally coming back to faith.

God was ready to bless them for that faith.

If you’ve been through the ringer through a time of unbelief and are coming back too a revived faith, then I would say this verse applies to you.

If not, maybe we should just rejoice in the restoration of Israel which laid the groundwork for the coming of Jesus.

And maybe find a more appropriate verse to encourage us to give – there are plenty.

What verses have you heard taken out of context often?
What verse do you tend to take out of context? (For me, it is 2 Corinthians 5:13)
May 1, 2025

May 1st, 2025

Thursday – Letters

Reading – 1 Corinthians 3-4

Highlight Verse:

“So don’t make judgments about anyone ahead of time—before the Lord returns. For he will bring our darkest secrets to light and will reveal our private motives. Then God will give to each one whatever praise is due.”
‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭4‬:‭5‬ ‭NLT‬‬

It’s easy to think of this as describing God judging us to see what punishment suits our sins.

That may be the kind of judgement we are warned about making ahead of time. But the judgement we see God make here is closer to that of judging a talent contest as a perfectly impartial judge.

The judgement for our sins was taken care of once and for all at the cross.

But the Bible tells us that we will be rewarded for the good we did on Earth (Matthew 6:18).

That reminds me of the story of the Pastor and the taxi driver who died on the same day and went to heaven. Saint Peter showed them their houses next to each other.

The Pastor’s house was nice. It was good sized and and comfortable.

Next door, there was a mansion with a swimming pool, game room, home theater – all the bells and whistles.

The Pastor asked Saint Peter whose house that was.

He replied, “That’s the taxi driver’s home.”

Perplexed, the Pastor asked, “Why did a taxi driver get a mansion while I got this?”

Without skipping a beat, Peter told him, “That man’s driving scared more people into repenting than your sermons ever did.”

Of course, that story is more amusing than theologically accurate. But it reminds us that while our sin is taken care of, God will give us each a reward according to what we did and didn’t do.

Personally, I think the greatest reward would be to have my family and friends join me in heaven.

What do you imagine our heavenly reward will be?
What do you think God looks at when evaluating our lives?
April 30, 2025

April 30th, 2025
Wednesday – History

Reading – Judges 20-21

Highlight Verse:

“So the men of Benjamin did as they were told. Each man caught one of the women as she danced in the celebration and carried her off to be his wife. They returned to their own land, and they rebuilt their towns and lived in them.”
‭‭Judges‬ ‭21‬:‭23‬ ‭NLT‬‬

I gotta admit, this is another one of those Bible stories that proves the accuracy of the Bible to me.

I mean, what other religious writing would admit such an embarrassing event?

This story is significant for other reasons as well.

It was very important that the tribe of Benjamin be preserved.
- King Saul was a Benjamite.
It could be argued that it would have been better for Saul not to be King because of his failures.

It should be remembered that He united and helped preserve Israel during his reign. His shortcomings also paved the way for King David to rise to power.
- Queen Esther was also thought to come from the tribe of Benjamin.
Without her, Israel would have been (or nearly been) wiped out by Haman.
- And then there was another Saul. God changed his name to Paul and used him to spread the Gospel to the Western World.
It can be said that we owe our salvation to his missionary work.

So, yes, there were some questionable methods used to preserve the tribe of Benjamin. I sincerely hope they would never be used today.

But I’m sure glad that the tribe of Benjamin survived.

Can you think of any other bizarre stories that God used to bring about good?
Has God used some of the more unusual parts of your history to bring about good?
April 29, 2025

April 29th, 2025

Tuesday – Pentateuch

Reading – Genesis 27-28

Highlight Verse:

“Your descendants will be as numerous as the dust of the earth! They will spread out in all directions—to the west and the east, to the north and the south. And all the families of the earth will be blessed through you and your descendants.”
‭‭Genesis‬ ‭28‬:‭14‬ ‭NLT‬‬

The LORD (this passage uses the name YHWH) met with Isaac personally in his dream to give him this message.

It may have been a dream but that doesn’t make it any less prophetic.

The Lord foretold of the incredible blessing that Jacob’s family would be to the whole world.

That blessing came in the form of Jacob’s descendant Jesus.

I have only a third of the children Jacob had but I am already seeing them bless others.

I don’t doubt that their children will bless others and so on.

While I may not have had a face-to-face encounter with God giving my family a prophetic blessing, that doesn’t mean that God can’t use them to bless many others.

As a parent, I want to do whatever it takes to set my kids up to bless people!

I believe God will honor that and bless my descendants.

Have you seen your children or grandchildren bless others?
Can you imagine the long-term effect your family can have on future generations?
April 28, 2025

April 28th, 2025

Monday – Gospels

Reading – John 18

Highlight Verse:

“Jesus fully realized all that was going to happen to him, so he stepped forward to meet them. “Who are you looking for?” he asked.”
‭‭John‬ ‭18‬:‭4‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Jesus was not surprised at what was going to happen to Him.

Even though He knew He was going to be tortured and killed in the worst way possible,

He stepped forward.

He stepped forward into the judgement set for us.

He stepped forward into the worst pain possible – separation from His Father for 3 days.

He stepped forward into the greatest act of love for all time.

May we at least step forward into accepting that sacrifice and trusting the one who loves us beyond all comprehension.

Have you considered the incredible depth of Jesus love for us starting in that step in the garden that night?
How should we react to such an act of love?
April 27, 2025

April 27th, 2025

Sunday – Poetry

Reading – Psalms 25-27

Highlight Verses:

“God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble. So we will not fear when earthquakes come and the mountains crumble into the sea.”
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭46‬:‭1‬-‭2‬ ‭NLT‬‬

I grew up in California.

I’ve felt my share of earthquakes.

Most were no big deal.

Then there was that evening in 1989.

It felt like the whole world was moving.

I was in a room with giant plate glass windows. Stuff was falling from the ceiling.

The world rumbled on as I dove under a row of chairs.

I was afraid. Very afraid. This was many times larger than anything I had been through before.

I wish I had memorized this Psalm then.

I would have been reassured of God’s power over the Earth, not to mention my eternal destiny in heaven.

I came through that quake just fine, though not all did.

When the Sons of Korah use the imagery of an earthquake here, they were talking about extreme confidence in an extreme situation.

God can protect us in our long-term difficulties and here we see that he can protect us in catastrophes.

He is strong enough for any situation.

What catastrophes has God brought you through?
How did He protect you?
April 26, 2025

April 26th, 2025

Saturday – Open Topic

Reading – 1 John 4:7-21

Highlight Verse:

“We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in his love. God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them.”
‭‭1 John‬ ‭4‬:‭16‬ ‭NLT‬‬

I just finished reading a novel about a “Christian” group that had isolated themselves from the rest of the world in order to stay pure. (The Girl Behind the Red Rope by Ted Dekker and Rachel Dekker)

They concentrated on purity and following the rules to the letter that they had lost sight of love.

It could be said that they lost sight of God.

I’m not trying to criticize any particular group.

I do want to point out that when we put rules before love, we miss the point.

Parents set rules because they love their kids and want the best for them.

Ideally, kids obey their parents out of love and respect.

God gave us the BIBLE (Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth) because he knows what’s best for us and loves us enough to tell us. In fact, He loves us even when we don’t follow the rules, though His heart breaks because of the way we harm ourselves.

The bottom line is this – God is love.

Let’s put love first.

What motivates you to follow God’s commands?
If you are a parent, what motivates you to set rules for your kids?
April 25, 2025

April 25th, 2025

Friday – Prophets

Reading – Isaiah 49-51

Highlight Verse:

“I replied, “But my work seems so useless! I have spent my strength for nothing and to no purpose. Yet I leave it all in the Lord’s hand; I will trust God for my reward.””
‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭49‬:‭4‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Isaiah was what Bible scholars call a Major Prophet.

He not only spoke out against the enemies of Israel; he advised kings and gave numerous Messianic predictions that came true with Jesus.

Yet here he testifies that he felt useless.

There are times that I can relate, though I certainly can’t compare to the likes of Isaiah.

But, if I make myself available to the Holy Spirit, I do believe that I can be effective to bring people closer to God.

A famous TV chef in the 80’s, Martin Yan, used to always say, “If Yan can cook, so can you!”

With that in mind I think Isaiah would say, “If God can use me, He can use you!”

Have you ever felt discouraged especially in how effective your ministry is?
Have you ever left the real work up to the Holy Spirit?
April 24, 2025

April 24th, 2025

Thursday – Letters

Reading – 1 Corinthians 1-2

Highlight Verse:

“The message of the cross is foolish to those who are headed for destruction! But we who are being saved know it is the very power of God.”
‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭1‬:‭18‬ ‭NLT‬‬

I can teach a clear, eloquent lesson on the Gospel and have it completely misunderstood.

I can have a deep, emotional conversation about the Gospel and still be thought a fool for believing.

For some, there is a brick wall that no amount of convincing argument can even chip.

Is there no hope?

There’s always hope.

It may not be visible but the Holy Spirit is always at work. Sometimes He works through His people, sometimes directly.

For each wall I’ve seen stand hard against the Gospel, I’ve seen another knocked down through the power of the Holy Spirit at work through His people.

1st Corinthians is a great study on working in cooperation with the Holy Spirit. I’m looking forward to the lessons ahead for us.

In the meantime, I continue to pray for those whose wall I desperately want to see come down.

Are there people in your life who need the Holy Spirit to break down the wall separating them from the Good News of Jesus?
Did you have a wall separating you from understanding the Gospel? What was it like when that wall came down?

That sparked the conversation between her and another friend (I was there but stayed out of it) about when help turns the corner to enabling.

In the vast majority of cases I’ve seen, generosity was more helpful than hurtful.

In my opinion, it is best to err on the side of generosity.

But context is important.

If you’ve been through the ringer through a time of unbelief and are coming back too a revived faith, then I would say this verse applies to you.

And maybe find a more appropriate verse to encourage us to give – there are plenty.

But the Bible tells us that we will be rewarded for the good we did on Earth (Matthew 6:18).

Personally, I think the greatest reward would be to have my family and friends join me in heaven.

I mean, what other religious writing would admit such an embarrassing event?

It was very important that the tribe of Benjamin be preserved.

But I’m sure glad that the tribe of Benjamin survived.

The Lord foretold of the incredible blessing that Jacob’s family would be to the whole world.

I have only a third of the children Jacob had but I am already seeing them bless others.

As a parent, I want to do whatever it takes to set my kids up to bless people!

Jesus was not surprised at what was going to happen to Him.

He stepped forward.

He stepped forward into the greatest act of love for all time.

It felt like the whole world was moving.

I wish I had memorized this Psalm then.

He is strong enough for any situation.

I do want to point out that when we put rules before love, we miss the point.

The bottom line is this – God is love.

Let’s put love first.

Yet here he testifies that he felt useless.

With that in mind I think Isaiah would say, “If God can use me, He can use you!”

For some, there is a brick wall that no amount of convincing argument can even chip.

There’s always hope.

1st Corinthians is a great study on working in cooperation with the Holy Spirit. I’m looking forward to the lessons ahead for us.