Walk in the Light

July 4, 2024

July 4th, 2024

Thursday – Letters

Reading – 1 John 5

Highlight Verse:

“Dear children, keep away from anything that might take God’s place in your hearts.”
‭‭1 John‬ ‭5‬:‭21‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Today I wear a T-shirt that says, “I stand at the flag and kneel at the cross.”

I am a patriotic person.

I love the United States of America.

I believe in the constitution, the freedoms it defends, and the inalienable rights of all US citizens.

And, in the language of the constitution, I believe that we are endowed by our Creator with those rights.

I respect our flag, our military, and our means of government.

But I worship only God!

In what ways have you learned to balance respect for our country and worship of God?
What other ways do you see this verse applying to our lives?
July 3, 2024

July 3rd, 2024

Wednesday – History

Reading – 2 Chronicles 10-12

Highlight Verse:

“But Rehoboam rejected the advice of the older men and instead asked the opinion of the young men who had grown up with him and were now his advisers.”
‭‭2 Chronicles‬ ‭10‬:‭8‬ ‭NLT‬‬

It is so tempting to say that Rehoboam blew it because he didn’t listen to the advice of older men.

It’s not that simple.

The fact is, not all older men are wise.

In this case, the men were advisors to Solomon, a man thought to be the wisest king ever. That’s some pretty high qualifications.

But, it’s also true that God had sent a prophecy that Rehoboam would lose the ten tribes.

Does that mean that God chose to force Rehoboam to choose poorly?

I won’t go so far as to say that is impossible. But I don’t believe that would be in line with God’s character.

But God did know what Rehoboam would choose.

For all his father’s wisdom, Rehoboam was not a wise King. He was unfaithful to God and the Kingdom of Israel suffered as a consequence.

Here’s the tough part – Was Jeroboam any better?

If not, the people of Israel had a very difficult choice – To follow the bad man or to follow the worse one.

The best answer to that is to follow God, not the imperfect human politicians.

What leader do you follow after?
What makes that person a good leader to follow?
July 2, 2024

July 2nd, 2024

Tuesday – Pentateuch

Reading – Numbers 19-20

Highlight Verse:

“Why did you make us leave Egypt and bring us here to this terrible place? This land has no grain, no figs, no grapes, no pomegranates, and no water to drink!””
‭‭Numbers‬ ‭20‬:‭5‬ ‭NLT‬‬

They could have gone to Moses and begged him to ask God for water.

Mind you, they were still receiving Manna from God every morning except the Sabbath so

they knew God could provide.

Yet they dwelt on the negative.

Instead of asking for provision, they whined, complained, and tried to assign blame.

How often do we do that?

I work for a big corporation that swallowed up the smaller family company that I used to work for.

It’s very easy to look back at the family atmosphere of the smaller company and whine about that all being gone now.

I know because I’ve done it.

It’s not as easy to look at the positive side of working for a big corporation.

While I miss many of the good things of the past,

I find it makes my job much easier if I look at the advantages

I now have in the corporation.

Yes, it may be harder to find the positives, but they are there.

Even Moses got caught up in the negativity and it cost him entry into the promised land.

Is negativity taking a toll in your life?
What are some of the positive aspects of your current situation?
July 1, 2024

July 1st, 2024

Monday – Gospels and Acts

Reading – Acts 3

Highlight Verse:

“Peter saw his opportunity and addressed the crowd. “People of Israel,” he said, “what is so surprising about this? And why stare at us as though we had made this man walk by our own power or godliness?”
‭‭Acts of the Apostles‬ ‭3‬:‭12‬ ‭NLT‬‬

It’s another banner day for the early church.

I’m certain that Peter and John had seen the lame man before as he was put there each day.

Perhaps this is the first time that he asked Peter and John for money. Perhaps this is the first time they listened to him.

I prefer to think that the Holy Spirit spoke to Peter and prompted him to heal the man.

As the commotion over the healing grew, that’s when Peter seized the opportunity and spoke to the crowd.

Because Peter listened to the Holy Spirit’s prompting and he seized the moment, His words hit home.

We find out in the next chapter that many who heard the message believed and that the church grew significantly.

All because Peter listened and acted, many were saved.

Have you heard that prompting from the Holy Spirit before?
Have you acted on it?
June 30, 2024

June 30th, 2024

Sunday – Poetry

Reading – Ecclesiastes 11-12

Highlight Verse:

“Farmers who wait for perfect weather never plant. If they watch every cloud, they never harvest.”
‭‭Ecclesiastes‬ ‭11‬:‭4‬ ‭NLT‬‬

My perfectionist heart cringes.

But I want it to be just right.

Maybe the weather will be better next week.

Fortunately, many years of experience usually overrules my perfectionist tendencies.

On one such experience, I managed to get a ticket to a Christian concert festival at a big farm in New Jersey. (I lived near Philadelphia at the time).

The only problem was the remnants of a hurricane were due to blow through the area that day.

The event went on, though not exactly as planned.

The main stage faced the rain-filled wind. It never opened.

But the worship tent was active all day and the alternative stage gave me new respect for the likes of MXPX and KJ52 who performed straight through downpours.

After KJ52 finished I met a few artists at their merch tables in a big tent. I spent the next couple of hours with a group of guys helping push cars out of the muddy fields.

When I finally arrived home, I was covered head to toe with mud.

It was one of the best days of that otherwise lousy year.

Sure, the biggest bands never got to play, and I ruined a brand-new T-shirt, but I got to meet a bunch of interesting people. I got to jam out in the rain to some awesome new-to-me rock and hip-hop. And I got some great stories to tell.

So, the next time the weather threatens to dampen your big event, prepare to dance in the rain!

Have you ever danced in the rain? Are you willing to try?
Can you share stories of when things didn’t go as planned but turned out better?
June 29, 2024

June 29th, 2024

Saturday – Open Topic

Reading – Psalm 23

Highlight Verse:

“The Lord is my shepherd; I have all that I need.”
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭23‬:‭1‬ ‭NLT‬‬

I want a new iPad.

I’d like a newer car.

I’d love to have a little more money in savings… okay, a lot more.

If only my body would work and feel like it did in my twenties – and I had the free time to do the things I used to be able to do.

But…

I have all that I need!

In fact, I have far more than I need.

I’m blessed with a loving family.

I live in a house with plenty of room and a roof that keeps off the rain and windows and doors that keep out the heat and cold.

This old body can still walk and run – just a little slower nowadays.

I have a Heavenly Father who loves me, a church that is alive, and an eternal home under construction in heaven.

I have rest when I need it and energy when I don’t.

And, in the middle of the whirlwind of my life, I have peace that passes all understanding.

Life is Good!
God is great!

What is the difference between want and need for you?
Has God filled all those needs for you?
June 28, 2024

June 28th, 2024

Friday – Prophets

Reading – Amos 3-4

Highlight verse:

“This is what the Lord says: “A shepherd who tries to rescue a sheep from a lion,’s mouth will recover only two legs or a piece of an ear. So it will be for the Israelites in Samaria lying on luxurious beds, and for the people of Damascus reclining on couches.”
‭‭Amos‬ ‭3‬:‭12‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Sometimes one needs to be shockingly graphic or blunt to get people’s attention.

This is one of those times.

The people of Israel, Samaria, and Damascus needed a serious wake-up call.

Amos, a shepherd by profession, was not afraid to grab people’s attention.

Maybe I could learn a thing or two from Amos.

I tend to dance around issues instead of dealing with them directly.

Amos got right to the point.

As a result, some followed.

What gets your attention in Scripture?
How does it affect you when you see such graphic imagery in the Bible?
June 27, 2024

June 27th, 2024

Thursday – Letters

Reading – 1 John 4

Highlight Verses:

“Dear friends, let us continue to love one another, for love comes from God. Anyone who loves is a child of God and knows God. But anyone who does not love does not know God, for God is love.”
‭‭1 John‬ ‭4‬:‭7‬-‭8‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Welcome to one of the first scriptures I memorized.

As a child and teen, I would sing a song that quoted these two verses exactly, albeit in an older version of the Bible.

I can still sing it today.

Think about the songs you can sing. Chances are there are many you know by heart.

Now think about the number of Bible verses you know by heart.

There’s a good chance you know more songs than Bible verses.

What if those verses were put to song?

There are many songs that directly quote scripture. Quite a few written with the purpose of helping people memorize Bible verses.

What are some songs you love that directly quote scripture?
If you don’t know any search for “Scripture Songs”. What did you find?
Feel free to share links to scripture songs.
June 26, 2024

June 26th, 2024

Wednesday – History

Reading – 2 Chronicles 7-9

Highlight Verse:

“Each year Solomon received about 25 tons of gold.”
‭‭2 Chronicles‬ ‭9‬:‭13‬ ‭NLT‬‬

That’s well over a billion dollars in gold every year. And that was just part of his income.

It’s probably safe to say that Solomon was wealthier than anyone living today.

More importantly, he was wiser.

But he was still human.

I have a hard time reading all these descriptions of his wealth and wisdom without thinking about his failures later in life.

As you read how amazing the guy was, don’t forget that he was an imperfect human.

You and I probably don’t come close to his wisdom. We certainly can’t match his wealth.

If this amazing guy could have major failures, so could we.

We would do well not to rest on the wisdom we believe that we have gained and stay on our guard against that which could make us fail.

We’ll read more about Solomon’s shortfalls before too long.

Have you ever found yourself falling into sin despite your apparent wisdom?
What can you do to stay on your guard against such failures?
June 25, 2024

June 25th, 2024

Tuesday – Pentateuch

Reading – Numbers 17-18

Highlight Verse:

“And the Lord said to Moses: “Place Aaron’s staff permanently before the Ark of the Covenant to serve as a warning to rebels. This should put an end to their complaints against me and prevent any further deaths.””
‭‭Numbers‬ ‭17‬:‭10‬ ‭NLT‬‬

It should have put an end to rebellion.

It didn’t.

But at least the people recognized that they were helpless before God.

They knew at this point they needed someone to mediate between themselves and God because of their sin.

That’s where the Levites and priests came into play.

Ultimately, that’s why we needed Jesus.

This period of history laid the groundwork for Jesus to make the sacrifice in our place and give us back direct access to God.

If nothing else, we should look at this era of Hebrew history and the magnitude of God’s saving grace and exude unceasing gratitude.

Were you aware of how deep the gulf was between us and God?
How can we even come close to expressing an adequate amount of gratitude for the grace God has given us?

It’s not that simple.

For all his father’s wisdom, Rehoboam was not a wise King. He was unfaithful to God and the Kingdom of Israel suffered as a consequence.

They could have gone to Moses and begged him to ask God for water.

they knew God could provide.

How often do we do that?

I find it makes my job much easier if I look at the advantages

It’s another banner day for the early church.

All because Peter listened and acted, many were saved.

My perfectionist heart cringes.

Fortunately, many years of experience usually overrules my perfectionist tendencies.

It was one of the best days of that otherwise lousy year.

So, the next time the weather threatens to dampen your big event, prepare to dance in the rain!

I have all that I need!

Life is Good!God is great!

Sometimes one needs to be shockingly graphic or blunt to get people’s attention.

Maybe I could learn a thing or two from Amos.

Welcome to one of the first scriptures I memorized.

I can still sing it today.

There’s a good chance you know more songs than Bible verses.

It’s probably safe to say that Solomon was wealthier than anyone living today.

I have a hard time reading all these descriptions of his wealth and wisdom without thinking about his failures later in life.

We would do well not to rest on the wisdom we believe that we have gained and stay on our guard against that which could make us fail.

But at least the people recognized that they were helpless before God.

If nothing else, we should look at this era of Hebrew history and the magnitude of God’s saving grace and exude unceasing gratitude.

Life is Good!
God is great!