Walk in the Light

December 23, 2024

December 23rd, 2024

Monday – Gospels and Acts

Reading – Acts 28

Highlight Verses:

“For the next two years, Paul lived in Rome at his own expense. He welcomed all who visited him, boldly proclaiming the Kingdom of God and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ. And no one tried to stop him.”
‭‭Acts of the Apostles‬ ‭28‬:‭30‬-‭31‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Acts seems to come to a very abrupt end here. We don’t get to find out what happened in Caesar’s court. It doesn’t let us know about the end of his life not many years later.

Why?

The most obvious answer is that Luke wrote this book in Rome and finished it before Paul had a chance to appear before Nero.

We know from history that Paul was first acquitted and later arrested and executed for preaching the Gospel.

The other answer to why there is no conclusive ending to Acts is, in a sense,

Acts is a book that never ends.

Paul’s ministry continues today in every local church and missionary group.

You and I are Paul to the world today.

Let’s continue boldly proclaiming the Word of God to today’s generations.

What do you imagine it was like for Paul to live, work, and preach in Rome?
How can you continue his work?
December 22, 2024

December 22nd, 2024

Sunday – Poetry

Reading – Job 39-40

Highlight Verse:

““Brace yourself like a man, because I have some questions for you, and you must answer them.”
‭‭Job‬ ‭40‬:‭7‬ ‭NLT‬‬

At the beginning of the Book of Job, God was bragging on Job and how awesome he was.

Now God is in Job’s face, putting him in his place.

What happened?

Job complained. Not just a little but continuously throughout the book.

So,

God reminded Job who he was when compared to God.

And Job listened.

Stay tuned for the conclusion next week.

Have you ever complained so much that you forgot who God was?
Has God ever had to humble you?
December 21, 2024

December 21st, 2024

Saturday – Open Topic

Reading – Luke 2:1-7

Highlight Verse:

“And because Joseph was a descendant of King David, he had to go to Bethlehem in Judea, David’s ancient home. He traveled there from the village of Nazareth in Galilee.”
‭‭Luke‬ ‭2‬:‭4‬ ‭NLT‬‬

You think you have a lot of people coming over for Christmas Dinner?

Bethlehem was hosting all of the clan of David.

They stuffed people everywhere – guest bedrooms, the inn down the street, sofas and dining room floors (or whatever the equivalent was back then).

And where did Mary and Joseph rank among the relatives?

“Let ‘em sleep in the barn,” was the likely phrase heard there.

But they made what they had work.

As your family gets together this week, I pray that all the family members may feel welcomed and will love each other as they should.

And if you are one of those who either has no family or has been rejected by their family, know that when you turn to God,

He’ll be right there to comfort you, and he is a God who places orphans into families (Psalm 68:6).

Do your holiday plans include extended family this year?
How do you plan to make them feel loved?
December 20, 2024

December 19th, 2024

Friday – Prophets

Reading – Malachi 1-2

Highlight Verse:

“You have wearied the Lord with your words. “How have we wearied him?” you ask. You have wearied him by saying that all who do evil are good in the Lord’s sight, and he is pleased with them. You have wearied him by asking, “Where is the God of justice?””
‭‭Malachi‬ ‭2‬:‭17‬ ‭NLT‬‬

It is never my intention to get political here.

I do what I can to focus on what the Bible says, not what political leaders say.

But I will not water down the Gospel to remain politically sensitive.

I will not call sin or wrongdoing okay in the name of tolerance.

But I will make it clear that we have all done wrong.

If we claim that it is okay to do wrong, we say we don’t need Jesus or His sacrifice.

We do.

I do.

You do.

Because we have all done what is wrong.

We don’t have the power to overcome our wrongdoing before God.

But Jesus does.

And He did.

We look to Him for the power to overcome sin.

And for the times we fail, we accept His forgiveness and grace.

Which are you more likely to lean toward, calling what is wrong okay in the name of tolerance or judging others for everything they’ve done wrong?
Have you found that sweet spot where you strive to do good and accept God’s grace and forgiveness?
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?

Why?

Acts is a book that never ends.

You and I are Paul to the world today.

What happened?

God reminded Job who he was when compared to God.

And Job listened.

Bethlehem was hosting all of the clan of David.

And where did Mary and Joseph rank among the relatives?

He’ll be right there to comfort you, and he is a God who places orphans into families (Psalm 68:6).

I will not call sin or wrongdoing okay in the name of tolerance.

If we claim that it is okay to do wrong, we say we don’t need Jesus or His sacrifice.

But Jesus does.

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.