Walk in the Light

June 18, 2026

June 18th, 2026

Thursday – Letters

Reading – 1 John 3

Highlight Verses:

“Dear children, let’s not merely say that we love each other; let us show the truth by our actions. Our actions will show that we belong to the truth, so we will be confident when we stand before God.”
‭‭1 John‬ ‭3‬:‭18‬-‭19‬ ‭NLT‬‬

You knew I would gravitate toward the action verses, didn’t you?

Doing good actions and avoiding bad actions not only prove our faith, but they put us in a better position to receive from God.

We will more easily receive instructions from God as they won’t be drowned out by the distractions of the world.

We are also more likely to receive physical blessings from God as they often flow out of doing the right thing.

Finally, we will receive eternal life and the blessings stored up by a life lived with eternity in mind.

So, while I am not legalistic, I wholeheartedly support righteous action.

How can you show the truth through your actions today?
What blessings have your positive actions allowed God to release to you in the past?
June 17, 2026

June 17th, 2026

Wednesday – History

Reading – 2 Chronicles 4-6

Highlight Verses:

“And the Levites who were musicians—Asaph, Heman, Jeduthun, and all their sons and brothers—were dressed in fine linen robes and stood at the east side of the altar playing cymbals, lyres, and harps. They were joined by 120 priests who were playing trumpets. The trumpeters and singers performed together in unison to praise and give thanks to the Lord. Accompanied by trumpets, cymbals, and other instruments, they raised their voices and praised the Lord with these words: “He is good! His faithful love endures forever!” At that moment a thick cloud filled the Temple of the Lord.”
‭‭2 Chronicles‬ ‭5‬:‭12‬-‭13‬ ‭NLT‬‬

I once worshipped with 35,000 men in a sports venue. If there had been a roof, we would have raised it.

I have been in other worship services where the presence of God was so strong, no eye remained dry and healings flowed with ease.

But I have never seen worship so powerful that the building had to be vacated because God’s presence was so physically overwhelming.

That must have been incredible!

How did it happen?

• The leaders were anointed by God for that purpose.
• Everyone participated.
• They performed together in unison.

Does that mean that the best worship is when the biggest bands get together at huge gatherings (that the audience probably paid an average of over a hundred dollars per person to attend)?

I’ve said it here before and it is still true. Some of the best worship I have witnessed was in a small country church with a couple dozen people, most the whom couldn’t carry a tune in a bucket.

But they sought to worship in faith and in unity.

While perfect pitch and massive productions have their place, let’s focus on worshipping God together in faith and in unity.

God will show up!

What was the most amazing worship in which you have participated?
What can you do you improve the worship experience for yourself and others?
June 16, 2026

June 16th, 2026

Tuesday – Pentateuch

Reading – Numbers 13-14

Highlight Verse:

“Then the Lord said, “I will pardon them as you have requested.”
‭‭Numbers‬ ‭14‬:‭20‬ ‭NLT‬‬

The people of Israel were ready to stone Moses and Aaron.

I don’t know about you, but I’d be pretty ticked if I were Moses.

I’d be very tempted to take God up on His offer to start again.

It’s a good thing I’m not Moses.

Not that Moses had that great of love for his rebellious people.

But he had that great of love for God.

He pleaded for the people for God’s sake.

And God listened.

God didn’t allow anyone from the current generation to enter the promised land except Caleb and Joshua.

Moses accepted that.

If that’s not a great example of effective prayer, I don’t know what is.

If you must “name it and claim it” follow Moses example:
• Pray with God’s glory in mind.
• Set aside any selfish motives.
• Respect God’s response.

What stood out to you in today’s reading?
How easy or tough is it for you to pray with no selfish motives?
June 15, 2026

June 15th, 2026

Monday – Gospels

Reading – Luke 24

Highlight Verse:

“The women were terrified and bowed with their faces to the ground. Then the men asked, “Why are you looking among the dead for someone who is alive?”
‭‭Luke‬ ‭24‬:‭5‬ ‭NLT‬‬

I have questions.

Why was it just the women who went to the tomb to take care of Jesus’ body?
What were their expectations?
Why did the angels sound so harsh (at least the way I read it) to the women?

I can only answer that final question with any degree of certainty.

Jesus had already said that he would come back to life. (Mark 8:31, etc.) The angels expected the women to believe that.

If they had taken Jesus at His word, they would not have prepared the spices for embalming.

Instead, they would have stayed at the tomb anticipating Jesus’ resurrection.

How many times do we follow our traditions when we should be taking Jesus’ at His word.

We observe rules out of fear instead of love.
We worry instead of trusting Jesus’ promises.
We judge instead of forgiving.

We trust a God who is risen and brings life.

Let’s not set Him aside in a little box labeled “only on Sundays.”

Have you ever found yourself trusting in tradition instead of Jesus?
How do you tell the difference between tradition and true faith?
June 14, 2026

June 14th, 2026

Sunday – Poetry

Reading – Ecclesiastes 5-6

Highlight Verse:

“And it is a good thing to receive wealth from God and the good health to enjoy it. To enjoy your work and accept your lot in life—this is indeed a gift from God.”
‭‭Ecclesiastes‬ ‭5‬:‭19‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Ahh, a good prosperity theology verse.

If you know me, you know that I cannot stand prosperity theology.

If you are not familiar with it, prosperity theology teaches that if you are a faithful believer, giving faithfully, and claiming God’s promises in faith, you will be blessed with wealth, health, and basically anything you want.

That is not what the Gospel is about.

Yes, God blesses faithful giving and hard work.

One of the things this verse tells me is that all blessings ultimately come from God.

We should welcome those blessings and enjoy them.

But those blessings should not be the motivation for our faithfulness.

Nor is our faithfulness always rewarded with physical blessings.

I have enjoyed my career despite looking forward to retirement. It has brought me many friendships and great satisfaction in knowing my work has made a difference in this world.

I also enjoy the work of writing, and I hope it may bring some financial blessings in retirement.

If I didn’t enjoy writing, you wouldn’t be reading this.

Right now, I am enjoying vacation and the chance to explore some of God’s beautiful creation with my family (don’t worry, we have someone taking care of the house and the dogs).

I consider this time to be a great blessing from God.

How has God blessed you through your work or career?
What future blessings do you look forward to?
June 13, 2026

June 13th, 2026

Saturday – Open Topic

Reading – Acts 8

Highlight Verse:

“But the believers who were scattered preached the Good News about Jesus wherever they went.”
‭‭Acts of the Apostles‬ ‭8‬:‭4‬ ‭NLT‬‬

I write this from a hotel room in Roseburg, Oregon.

Unlike the New Testament believers, I am not traveling because of persecution.

But like them, I do want to spread the Gospel wherever I go.

Granted, I’m not going around and preaching the Good News from every corner while I’m on vacation.

But I am trying to be kind, helpful, and patient with people as I go through my days.

Many of my T-shirts identify me as a believer. More often than not, I let that stand as the implied motivation for why I act as I do.

Sometimes, I use my apparel and actions as a springboard to talk about Jesus.

I’m no traveling evangelist, but I like take the good news of Jesus with me wherever I go.

As you travel during summer vacation season or as you go about your daily lives, be sure to bring the good news with you.

Share the Gospel through your deeds and words in every situation.

What creative ways have you shared the Gospel while on vacation?
How do you share the Gospel without being “preachy”?
June 12, 2026

June 12th, 2026

Friday – Prophets

Reading – Joel 3

Highlight Verse:

“The Lord’s voice will roar from Zion and thunder from Jerusalem, and the heavens and the earth will shake. But the Lord will be a refuge for his people, a strong fortress for the people of Israel.”
‭‭Joel‬ ‭3‬:‭16‬ ‭NLT‬‬

This chapter can be summed up in two words – God wins.

Joel challenges God’s enemies to prepare for war bringing all they have.

And then predicts how thoroughly they will be defeated.

Some say this predicted the Roman emperors’ mistreatment of Israel and Christianity.

And all those emperors were defeated in one way or another.

Others say it predicts the end times and Armageddon, in which case Revelations agrees with that prediction.

What does that mean for us?

We don’t have to cower when the enemies of God attack us.

He will defeat all of His enemies.

We just need to be allied with God.

Are you allied with God through faith in Jesus?
Do you have confidence that God will defeat all His enemies?
June 11, 2026

June 11th, 2026

Thursday – Letters

Reading – 1 John 2

Highlight Verse:

“Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you.”
‭‭1 John‬ ‭2‬:‭15‬ ‭NLT‬‬

This is one of the first verses in the Bible that I ever memorized (though I usually forget the exact reference).

When I memorized it, I was a young man still learning the ins and outs of my faith.

Memorizing that verse helped guide my thoughts and desires as I sought to follow Jesus more closely.

To be clear, this verse is aimed at directing our attentions away from a worldly or sinful lifestyle.

It does not mean to not love the people of this world but to not pursue worldly desires.

We should always try to bring the love of Jesus to the people of the world.

For me as a young Christian, that meant avoiding alcohol as I likely have a genetic bent toward addiction. Additionally, it caused me to exercise caution in my dating relationships that I may avoid sexual temptations.

At my age, it applies more to not putting so much effort into pursuing wealth and earthly goods that my relationships with God and with others suffer.

The world brings different temptations to each believer. If our faith and trust in God comes first, we should be able to defeat all those temptations.

How does the world try to undermine your faith?
What are you doing to defeat those temptations?
June 10, 2026

June 10th, 2026

Wednesday – History

Reading – 2 Chronicles 1-3

Highlight Verse:

“Then he set up the two pillars at the entrance of the Temple, one to the south of the entrance and the other to the north. He named the one on the south Jakin, and the one on the north Boaz.”
‭‭2 Chronicles‬ ‭3‬:‭17‬ ‭NLT‬‬

We tend to name things in our household.

My white minivan is named “Marshall” after a previous white family minivan named “Marshmallow.”

My youngest daughter has several plants with names like Mr. Darcy, Emma, etc.

Those names are just for fun.

Solomon was a man of purpose and detail. I am certain that he named the two columns for a reason.

“Jakin” means “He shall establish” and “Boaz” means “in strength.”

In essence, the names of the pillars were to remind worshippers that God is established in strength.

If we had columns at the front of our home, I might be inspired to name them to remind me of God’s purpose for our home.

Even if we don’t name stuff with a purpose, it is good to have reminders of God’s strength and purpose around to remind us.

For example, I have a sign at my desk that says, “Do not pray for easy lives, pray to be stronger men.”

And then there’s the little FunkoPop of Bob Wiley (character in the movie “What about Bob?”) to remind me not to take this life too seriously.

How do you remind yourself of important truths in your daily life?
Are there any grand monuments that remind you of some attribute of God?
June 9, 2026

June 9th, 2026

Tuesday – Pentateuch

Reading – Numbers 11-12

Highlight Verses:

““We remember the fish we used to eat for free in Egypt. And we had all the cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions, and garlic we wanted. But now our appetites are gone. All we ever see is this manna!””
‭‭Numbers‬ ‭11‬:‭5‬-‭6‬ ‭NLT‬‬

It’s so easy to have selective memory.

On hot days like today, I look fondly back at early spring, completely ignoring those late snowfalls.

Of course, when I’m shoveling snow and getting home from work in the dark, I long for those long summer evenings when I can do stuff in the yard and garage while it is still light out. Mosquitos and sweat kindly disappear from my recollections.

The people of Israel looked back at the variety of food they had in Egypt, conveniently forgetting about the long hours of hard labor that barely left them enough time to eat.

They kept looking back and missed out on the glorious prospects that lay ahead in the promised land.

We have a choice to live in the past, comparing everything to the best of yesteryear, or to live in the present, living in joyful gratitude for the blessings God provides.

Beyond that, we can look forward to the fulfillment of the promised blessings of the future!

Do you spend more time thinking about the past, the present, or the future?
What promises do you look forward to the most?

You knew I would gravitate toward the action verses, didn’t you?

We will more easily receive instructions from God as they won’t be drowned out by the distractions of the world.

So, while I am not legalistic, I wholeheartedly support righteous action.

How did it happen?

But they sought to worship in faith and in unity.

God will show up!

It’s a good thing I’m not Moses.

If that’s not a great example of effective prayer, I don’t know what is.

I have questions.

Jesus had already said that he would come back to life. (Mark 8:31, etc.) The angels expected the women to believe that.

Let’s not set Him aside in a little box labeled “only on Sundays.”

One of the things this verse tells me is that all blessings ultimately come from God.

But those blessings should not be the motivation for our faithfulness.

I consider this time to be a great blessing from God.

But like them, I do want to spread the Gospel wherever I go.

I’m no traveling evangelist, but I like take the good news of Jesus with me wherever I go.

Share the Gospel through your deeds and words in every situation.

This chapter can be summed up in two words – God wins.

We don’t have to cower when the enemies of God attack us.

He will defeat all of His enemies.

Memorizing that verse helped guide my thoughts and desires as I sought to follow Jesus more closely.

It does not mean to not love the people of this world but to not pursue worldly desires.

The world brings different temptations to each believer. If our faith and trust in God comes first, we should be able to defeat all those temptations.

Those names are just for fun.

In essence, the names of the pillars were to remind worshippers that God is established in strength.

Even if we don’t name stuff with a purpose, it is good to have reminders of God’s strength and purpose around to remind us.

It’s so easy to have selective memory.

They kept looking back and missed out on the glorious prospects that lay ahead in the promised land.

We have a choice to live in the past, comparing everything to the best of yesteryear, or to live in the present, living in joyful gratitude for the blessings God provides.