Walk in the Light

December 26, 2023

December 26th, 2023

Tuesday – Pentateuch

Reading – Exodus 33-34

Highlight Verse:

“So when Aaron and the people of Israel saw the radiance of Moses’ face, they were afraid to come near him.”
‭‭Exodus‬ ‭34‬:‭30‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Have you ever had a mountaintop experience?

You know. You go to a retreat or a camp or even on a gloriously beautiful hike and you come back on cloud nine.

I bet you never had one like Moses.

Encouraged and excited is one thing, but literally glowing…

Still, there are times when we are on a spiritual or emotional high.

Sometimes we can come back and seem obnoxious to others when we are like that.

The big question then is, how do we keep from driving others away?

I think Moses could lead us by example. He did two things.

First, he called the leaders back to him. To those over whom he had great influence, he told what had happened and what God wanted of them.

We can be more bold with the people we normally influence. When we have built up trust, we have more freedom to speak freely.

Second, he veiled his face so he wouldn’t scare people away before he had a chance to talk with them.

If we haven’t built up that trust, we need to use wisdom in what we say and do so we don’t drive people away before we have the chance to earn their trust. That, of course, will vary from situation to situation.

We may need to veil our enthusiasm to continue to build trust.

Have you had cases where you’ve driven people away because of your enthusiasm?
How do you determine when to speak out and when to hold your tongue?
Christmas Day, 2023

December 25th, 2023

Monday – Gospels

Reading – Matthew 27-28

Highlight Verse:

“At that moment the curtain in the sanctuary of the Temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. The earth shook, rocks split apart,”
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭27‬:‭51‬ ‭NLT‬‬

I’ll admit, I was a little surprised at how long today’s reading was. This being Christmas Day, I won’t tell anyone if you choose to read most of it tomorrow.

That said, today’s reading is the culmination of what we celebrate today.

The main purpose of the birth of the baby Jesus was this moment in history when the barrier between God and man tore wide open!

The curtain in the sanctuary was designed to keep all but the most holy high priest away from the presence of God represented by the ark of the covenant.

Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross made it possible for anyone who trusts in Jesus to come into God’s presence.

That was made possible by the humble birth of Jesus that we celebrate today.

I pray that you will enjoy your presents, the presence of your family, and especially the presence of God that this day brought you!

Again –

Merry Christmas!
Christmas Eve, 2023

December 24th, 2023
Sunday – Poetry

Reading – Proverbs 4

Highlight Verse:

“My child, listen to me and do as I say, and you will have a long, good life.”
‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭4‬:‭10‬ ‭NLT‬‬

This was written by Solomon, who learned much of his wisdom from his father, David.

Proverbs is his attempt at passing down that wisdom to future generations.

For the most part, my father was not wise. He made many mistakes out of poor judgement and weak morals.

But there is still some wisdom that he passed along to me.
- If a job is worth doing, it’s worth doing well.
- You get out of life what you put into it.
- When you see someone in need, stop what you’re doing and help.
- Don’t be afraid to admit your wrongs and try to change them.
Okay, the list is pretty short, but there was some and I will pass it and other wisdom I’ve gained along the way on to my children and those whom I influence.

Do/did you have a wise father? What kind of wisdom did you get from him?
Do/did you have an unwise father? Have you been able to glean any wisdom from him?

One other thing I learned from my dad was a love for Christmas. It’s a time from which I have mostly good childhood memories.

I pray that today and tomorrow be times where new good memories come for you and your families.

Merry Christmas!
December 23, 2023

December 23rd, 2023

Saturday – Open Topic

Reading – Luke 2:1-20

Highlight Verse:

“She gave birth to her firstborn son. She wrapped him snugly in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no lodging available for them.”
‭‭Luke‬ ‭2‬:‭7‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Raise your hand if you’re surprised I chose this verse for the last open topic before Christmas.

I don’t see any hands!

Okay that might have something to do with the fact that I am sitting at my desk in our basement before you have a chance to read this.

Did I mention before that our basement is always a bit chilly. And I forgot to grab my sweatshirt before heading downstairs.

That’s why I am wearing my “Snuggie.” You know, one of those blankets with sleeves.

Oh so comfy.

Which may have been how Jesus felt wrapped in swaddling clothes.

The NLT translates it “strips of cloth.” That’s actually highly accurate. Babies would have been wrapped in soft strips of cloth. They were meant to give a baby a comforting transition from the womb to the real world. Almost like being in a constant hug.

That’s what Christmas is like for me.

It’s the warm hug of family and home.

It’s the pleasure of fond memories.

It’s the relief of no work responsibilities.

And, of course, it’s the comfort in knowing that God loved us enough to share His son with us.

In the midst of this all-to-short Christmas weekend, I pray that you may be able to take time to rest in God’s comfort and spread that comfort and joy to those around you.

Merry Christmas Eve (Eve)
December 22, 2023

December 22nd, 2023

Friday – Prophets

Reading – Ezekiel 16-18

Highlight Verse:

“Do you think that I like to see wicked people die? says the Sovereign Lord. Of course not! I want them to turn from their wicked ways and live.”
‭‭Ezekiel‬ ‭18‬:‭23‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Just a little peek at God’s heart.

Even back in the Old Testament, the Creator’s heart went out to his creation.

He made a way through the Hebrew sacrifice system.

Even then, it was never enough,

So, He sent his son to take our punishment.

That’s what this season is all about. God loves us so much that He sent his one and only son to us.

God, the Son, was born into a humble family that we can relate to.

He was truly “God with Us.”

As we celebrate the season, let’s always remember to thank God for the greatest gift of all time.

Do your Christmas traditions revolve around around the gifts and the movies or the gift of salvation?
What things do you do to remind yourself of the real reason for the season?
December 21, 2023

December 21st, 2023

Thursday – Letters

Reading – 2 Timothy 1-2

Highlight Verse:

“This is why I remind you to fan into flames the spiritual gift God gave you when I laid my hands on you.”
‭‭2 Timothy‬ ‭1‬:‭6‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Paul gives us a good definition of a mentor in this simple verse –

One who fans into flames the spiritual gifts of another.

Or at least reminds them to fan those gifts into flame.

Either way, Paul helped Timothy identify the gifts God gave him. He encouraged Timothy to exercise those gifts. He gave Timothy specific instructions on how to put the gifts into practice. And he gave Timothy opportunities to practice those gifts.

That sounds like a pretty good mentor to me.

You might say, “I’m no Paul. I can’t do those things.”

To that I would say, every follower of Jesus should have a mentor and be a mentor.

We need to be open to the leading of one who has gone before us or beside us and we need to bring others along too.

There’s always someone who can encourage you in your walk with Jesus.

And there’s always someone whom you can encourage.

Have you had a mentor? How have they helped you?
Have you been a mentor? What was/is that experience like for you?
December 20, 2023

December 20th, 2023

Wednesday – History

Reading – 1 Kings 7

Highlight Verse:

”Solomon also built a palace for himself, and it took him thirteen years to complete the construction.“
‭‭1 Kings‬ ‭7‬:‭1‬ ‭NLT‬‬

About 14 years ago, I helped a family I knew move into a new rental home. Through some unforeseen circumstances, they lost the house they had owned but they found a larger, nicer house to rent at an affordable rate.

When I saw the house, I thought, “Wow, this is a really nice big house. I wish I could afford a house like this.”

I write this from the basement of a house my wife and I bought almost ten years ago. It’s the same house.

There is much more to that story that I don’t have room for here.

Most importantly, the sellers, who were that other family’s landlords, prayed for us and the house that it would be a place of ministry.

We and others have been greatly blessed here and and we pray that the ministry would continue. Every night as I climb the stairs to our bedroom, I thank God for letting us live here.

Solomon’s palace was far larger than this house, but I believe he also saw it as a place for ministry.

It included areas for celebration, justice, and ruling.

A home is more than a space for separating ourselves into family units.

It is a place of hospitality.

It is a place of family bonding and building.

It is a place of study.

It is a place of love shared within a family and shown outward to a community.

In short, it is a place of ministry.

How do you view your home?
Do you have stories of ministry that has happened in your home that you could share?
December 19, 2023

December 19th, 2023

Tuesday – Pentateuch

Reading – Exodus 32

Highlight Verse:

“Aaron saw how excited the people were, so he built an altar in front of the calf. Then he announced, “Tomorrow will be a festival to the Lord!””
‭‭Exodus‬ ‭32‬:‭5‬ ‭NLT‬‬

When God called Moses to lead His people out of Egypt and then brought in Aaron to be the mouthpiece of Moses, who couldn’t speak well, you might have wondered, “Why didn’t God just have Aaron lead the people out of Egypt?”

This verse makes the answer to that question quite clear.

Moses was committed to pleasing God.

Aaron was committed to pleasing people.

It makes sense that God was far more interested in using the person who was dedicated to Him, even if that person lacked all the talent needed for the job.

If you are truly interested in pleasing God, I wouldn’t worry about your talent (or lack thereof). If you are willing to serve, God will provide the talent, whether in yourself or someone else to help you.

Have you witnessed God use you or someone around you in a way that went beyond your/their talents? Share it!
Are you willing to step out in faith and follow God’s leading, even in areas that are not your strong suit?
December 18, 2023

December 18th, 2023

Monday – Gospels

Reading – Matthew 26

Highlight Verse:

“Then they sang a hymn and went out to the Mount of Olives.”
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭26‬:‭30‬ ‭NLT‬‬

In this very long chapter full of a very rich narrative, why would I pick this short, obscure verse.

Frankly, I picked it because it is obscure.

We’ve all heard or read about most of the other sections of this chapter.

Besides, have you ever stopped to think about why they sang, what they sang, and what they sounded like.

This little verse reminds us that Jesus and the disciples were brought up in relatively traditional Hebrew families. Adhering to Hebrew traditions would have come naturally to them.

One of those traditions would have been the singing of the second half of the Hallel Psalms (115-118) at the end of the Passover meal.

As to what they sounded like – I would have loved to be a fly on the wall for that.

No one knows.

But I’d bet it was a moving experience.

We know from Jesus’ teachings and life that he wasn’t into following meaningless traditions. From that we can assume that the singing of these Psalms was deep and meaningful for them, especially as Jesus knew what was about to happen.

What traditions do you follow?
How meaningful are they to you?
December 17, 2023

December 17th, 2023
Sunday – Poetry

Reading – Proverbs 3

Highlight Verse:

“Don’t be impressed with your own wisdom. Instead, fear the Lord and turn away from evil.”
‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭3‬:‭7‬ ‭NLT‬‬

I have taught many a child who is eager to answer each of my small group discussion questions, ready to show how much he/she knows.

I’ve been that kid/adult many times myself.

How many times do I need to remind myself to get back to basics?

Here’s the basics in regards to wisdom:
- My wisdom is foolishness compared to God’s.
- It is wiser to fear God than to know a lot about Him.
- All the knowledge in the world is useless if I don’t turn away from evil.
I’ll just keep it that simple – because it is.

Do you struggle with pride about how much of the Bible you know (like I do)?
How do you remind yourself to fear the Lord and turn away from evil?

Have you ever had a mountaintop experience?

I bet you never had one like Moses.

We may need to veil our enthusiasm to continue to build trust.

The main purpose of the birth of the baby Jesus was this moment in history when the barrier between God and man tore wide open!

That was made possible by the humble birth of Jesus that we celebrate today.

Merry Christmas!

This was written by Solomon, who learned much of his wisdom from his father, David.

Merry Christmas!

Which may have been how Jesus felt wrapped in swaddling clothes.

In the midst of this all-to-short Christmas weekend, I pray that you may be able to take time to rest in God’s comfort and spread that comfort and joy to those around you.

Just a little peek at God’s heart.

As we celebrate the season, let’s always remember to thank God for the greatest gift of all time.

One who fans into flames the spiritual gifts of another.

To that I would say, every follower of Jesus should have a mentor and be a mentor.

Most importantly, the sellers, who were that other family’s landlords, prayed for us and the house that it would be a place of ministry.

A home is more than a space for separating ourselves into family units.

Moses was committed to pleasing God.

Aaron was committed to pleasing people.

Frankly, I picked it because it is obscure.

But I’d bet it was a moving experience.

How many times do I need to remind myself to get back to basics?