Walk in the Light

August 19, 2024

August 19th, 2024

Monday – Gospels and Acts

Reading – Acts 10

Highlight Verse:

“But the voice spoke again: “Do not call something unclean if God has made it clean.””
‭‭Acts of the Apostles‬ ‭10‬:‭15‬ ‭NLT‬‬

I just noticed something about this. Peter received this message from God BEFORE Cornelius and his household had accepted God’s forgiveness.

While they were certainly ready to be saved, they were not.

Usually, we interpret this passage to mean that we should not discriminate against people of other races or cultures.

What about people in our own cultures with whom we don’t normally associate.

Personally, I had a fairly rough, poor upbringing so I was familiar with some pretty rough characters and got along with most of them.

Even so, I can find myself being judgmental when someone’s style looks more appropriate for a heavy metal concert than church.

How dare I?

They are just as loved as anyone else on the planet. Chances are, they are far more likely to accept God’s grace than the wealthy businessman in a three-piece suit.

Either way, we should treat all those whom God has chosen to put in our path with the same unlimited love of God.

How easy is it for you to love those whom your culture sees as unlovable?
Have you seen God’s grace and power at work in those people?
August 18, 2024

August 18th, 2024

Sunday – Poetry

Reading – Job 5-6

Highlight Verse:

““If I were you, I would go to God and present my case to him.”
‭‭Job‬ ‭5‬:‭8‬ ‭NLT‬‬

It’s easy to blindly take Job’s side in this book. He was the victim, and his friends were lousy comforters.

But Eliphaz wasn’t all wrong. Insensitive but not necessarily wrong.

That’s especially true in this verse.

Job had lost everything. He was drowning in his little pity party.

I’d say this was a pretty good time to have a good conversation with God.

The book of Job is full of “stinkin’ thinkin’” both by Job, his wife, and his friends.

Sprinkled throughout it are little gems like this verse.

Let’s see what we can find as we read through it.

But for today:

When your world is falling apart, is God the first person you talk to?
What’s that conversation like for you?
August 17, 2024

August 17th, 2024

Saturday – Open topic

Reading – Acts 15:36-41, 2 Timothy 4:11

Highlight Verse:
“Only Luke is with me. Bring Mark with you when you come, for he will be helpful to me in my ministry.”
‭‭2 Timothy‬ ‭4‬:‭11‬ ‭NLT‬‬

I asked my youngest daughter for a topic for today.

She suggested Snoopy.

Yes, that Snoopy – faithful companion to Charlie Brown.

Okay, usually faithful but sometimes off doing his own thing.

It kind of reminds me of Paul and Mark.

Early in Paul’s ministry, Mark was right beside him helping. Then he got distracted and went off to do his own thing.

Paul was upset. He couldn’t trust Mark.

But, in the end, Mark did prove himself faithful.

So much so that Paul specifically requested him to help out.

Do you have that friend who was close and faithful, until they got distracted by something or someone else? Can you be patient for them?
Are you that friend who got distracted away from your best friend(s)? Can you prove yourself faithful now?
August 16, 2024

August 16th, 2024

Friday – Prophets

Reading – Micah 2

Highlight Verse:

“Suppose a prophet full of lies would say to you, “I’ll preach to you the joys of wine and alcohol!” That’s just the kind of prophet you would like!”
‭‭Micah‬ ‭2‬:‭11‬ ‭NLT‬‬

I cannot say when you are in the right church listening to the right preacher for you.

But I can say when it’s the wrong one.

If your church entertains you but you don’t learn there, you might be going to the wrong church.

If the preaching never challenges you, you might be going to the wrong church.

If sin is taught as something that does no harm, you might be going to the wrong church.

If you are going there just to look at all the pretty ladies or handsome guys, well, okay, that’s on you not your church. But you get the point.

We all want to hear teaching that entertains us.

But if it doesn’t challenge us to grow in some aspect of our faith, there’s something seriously missing.

Does the teaching at your church challenge you?
Are you actively seeking to be challenged?
August 15, 2024

August 15th, 2024

Thursday – Letters

Reading – Revelation 3

Highlight Verse:

““Because you have obeyed my command to persevere, I will protect you from the great time of testing that will come upon the whole world to test those who belong to this world.”
‭‭Revelation‬ ‭3‬:‭10‬ ‭NLT‬‬

I must admit that part of me wants to be a prepper.

We already have a good amount of food and provisions for heat and refrigeration should there be a disaster.

If I had plenty of money, I would be tempted to prepare far more.

But I don’t worry about it.

This verse and others like it assure me that I will be protected in one way or another through any hard time.

Notice the verse does not say that we’ll be able to avoid the time of testing; just that God will protect us through it.

While there’s nothing wrong with being prepared for anything,

we should always trust God to see us through every time.

Are you currently in a time of testing?
Do you believe God will see you through it?
August 14, 2024

August 14th, 2024

Wednesday – History

Reading – 2 Chronicles 28-30

Highlight Verse:

“In the very first month of the first year of his reign, Hezekiah reopened the doors of the Temple of the Lord and repaired them.”
‭‭2 Chronicles‬ ‭29‬:‭3‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Hezekiah had a bad dad.

His dad did away with any vestige of worship to the Lord.

Not everyone takes after their parents.

Hezekiah’s faith in the Lord was so strong that he didn’t waste any time. As soon as he was able, he restored the Hebrew faith to Israel.

When I first came to faith as a teenager, there was a little rebellion involved.

My dad was an atheist and my mom was indifferent at that time.

So I jumped in with both feet.

It has been well worth it.

Are you a rebel Christian or are you following in the faith of your family?
Like Hezekiah, are you diving right in to restoring every bit of worship that you can?
August 13, 2024

August 13th, 2024

Tuesday – Pentateuch

Reading – Numbers 31-32

Highlight Verse;

“Then the Lord said to Moses, “On behalf of the people of Israel, take revenge on the Midianites for leading them into idolatry. After that, you will die and join your ancestors.””
‭‭Numbers‬ ‭31‬:‭1‬-‭2‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Fighting a war for revenge goes against the grain for someone who believes deeply in Jesus’ teachings.

But the revenge was not for the Israelites.

Some translations call it a War of the Lord’s vengeance.

Like the Allies fight against Adolph Hitler aimed to stop the evil he espoused, the war against the Midianites was intended to stop the evil they were perpetuating through the seduction of the men of Israel into worshipping Baal.

And it worked with amazing effectiveness.

The next time you stop and wonder about all the violence in the Old Testament, we would do well to remember that

God is good and wants the best for his children and their descendants.

The very fact that I am writing this shows that He was successful.

Does your faith in God extend to trusting Him in situations that you don’t understand?
Are you willing to obey Him even when His instructions don’t make sense to you?
August 12, 2024

August 12th, 2024

Monday – Gospels and Acts

Reading – Acts 9

Highlight Verse:

“And immediately he began preaching about Jesus in the synagogues, saying, “He is indeed the Son of God!””
‭‭Acts of the Apostles‬ ‭9‬:‭20‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Most of what Paul knew about Jesus was tainted with the perspective of the Pharisees.

But he encountered Jesus.

It changed his whole mindset.

Jesus became alive and real to Paul.

Paul couldn’t keep his mouth shut about it.

Usually, people who have just come to faith tend to stay pretty quiet.

Sure, they’ll share with their friends that their life has changed but they won’t go preaching in public since they don’t feel equipped to do that yet.

Paul jumped right in.

I’m sure he made mistakes at first. Verse 22 tells of his preaching becoming more and more powerful meaning it wasn’t as good at first.

But he had a story to tell, and he wasn’t afraid to tell it!

Do you have a story to tell about Jesus?
Is there anything stopping you from telling it?
August 11, 2024

August 11th, 2024

Sunday – Poetry

Reading – Job 3-4

Highlight Verse:

““Oh, why give light to those in misery, and life to those who are bitter?”
‭‭Job‬ ‭3‬:‭20‬ ‭NLT‬‬

The other day I was about to leave the garage at a local hospital when I saw a man on the ground in front of a wheel chair.

He had one leg.

His petite wife and young son were trying to help him get back in the chair but couldn’t. Another passerby and I helped and made sure he was okay.

After thanking us, he spent most of his time encouraging his distraught wife.

I liked his attitude.

He had recently lost a leg but he was focused on helping those around him.

I don’t like Job’s attitude.

Yes, I know that he just lost practically everything. His depression is certainly understandable. I likely would have had the same attitude.

But I have to wonder how different the conversation would have been if he had taken the attitude of the man with one leg and

focused on others first.

Have you suffered a significant loss?
What was your attitude through it? (No judgement here)
How did it change over time?
August 10, 2024

August 10th, 2024

Saturday – Open Topic

Reading – Acts 17:10-15

Highlight Verse:

“And the people of Berea were more open-minded than those in Thessalonica, and they listened eagerly to Paul’s message. They searched the Scriptures day after day to see if Paul and Silas were teaching the truth.”
‭‭Acts of the Apostles‬ ‭17‬:‭11‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Confession time.

All my life I’ve been addicted,

To learning.

Seriously, I’ve always been a curious soul.

Even today, I watch a lot of You-Tube and most of the videos I watch are some kind of documentary.

I’ve gone to college twice.

The first time I went because I needed to figure out my career path.

The second time was Bible college.

I did much better at Bible college, partly because I was older and more disciplined.

Mostly it was because I really wanted to learn more about the Bible and God.

I still do.

In fact, that’s the main reason I do these devotions, since it forces me to dig a little deeper into my daily Bible reading.

As we enter into another school year, ask yourself what you would really like to learn more about. And do it!

What is it that you would most like to learn more about?
What is your next step in starting that learning process?

What about people in our own cultures with whom we don’t normally associate.

How dare I?

Either way, we should treat all those whom God has chosen to put in our path with the same unlimited love of God.

But Eliphaz wasn’t all wrong. Insensitive but not necessarily wrong.

I’d say this was a pretty good time to have a good conversation with God.

She suggested Snoopy.

It kind of reminds me of Paul and Mark.

But, in the end, Mark did prove himself faithful.

But I can say when it’s the wrong one.

We all want to hear teaching that entertains us.

But if it doesn’t challenge us to grow in some aspect of our faith, there’s something seriously missing.

I must admit that part of me wants to be a prepper.

But I don’t worry about it.

we should always trust God to see us through every time.

Hezekiah had a bad dad.

Not everyone takes after their parents.

When I first came to faith as a teenager, there was a little rebellion involved.

Some translations call it a War of the Lord’s vengeance.

And it worked with amazing effectiveness.

God is good and wants the best for his children and their descendants.

Paul couldn’t keep his mouth shut about it.

But he had a story to tell, and he wasn’t afraid to tell it!

He had one leg.

I liked his attitude.

focused on others first.

All my life I’ve been addicted,

Mostly it was because I really wanted to learn more about the Bible and God.

As we enter into another school year, ask yourself what you would really like to learn more about. And do it!