Walk in the Light

October 14, 2023

October 13th, 2023

Saturday – Open Topic

Reading – John 13:1-17

Highlight Verse:

“Jesus answered, “Those who have had a bath need only to wash their feet; their whole body is clean. And you are clean, though not every one of you.””
‭‭John‬ ‭13‬:‭10‬ ‭NIV‬‬

When I brainstormed to come up with a topic today, for some reason, the verse “Cleanliness is next to godliness,” popped into my head.

Mind you, that’s a verse from Poor Richard’s Almanac by Benjamin Franklin, not the Bible.

So I tried to think about when Jesus spoke of cleanliness.

There were a few times, but this one stood out.

In well-to-do families, a servant would have performed the foot washing in those days. Foot washing was a necessary part of life as people wore sandals and there was almost no pavement so feet would get very dirty in a day’s walking.

I am sure that Jesus’ main point in washing the disciples’ feet was to show them a good example of servant leadership. You’ve probably heard that sermon many times.

Good lesson, but I was intrigued by a simple fact. Apparently, the disciples kept clean. Jesus assumed that Peter had already had a recent bath, stating that only his feet were dirty.

If Jesus’ disciples stayed clean, I’d say that it’s a good idea for us too.

So maybe Ben wasn’t that far off with his saying.

What do you think?
How important is servant leadership to you?
How important is physical cleanliness to you?
Why?
October 13, 2023

October 13th, 2023

Friday – Prophets

Reading – Lamentations 1

Highlight Verse:

“How deserted lies the city, once so full of people! How like a widow is she, who once was great among the nations! She who was queen among the provinces has now become a slave.”
‭‭Lamentations‬ ‭1‬:‭1‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Lamentations is exactly what its name implies.

It contains 5 poetic laments over the fall of Jerusalem.

It could have been considered to be among the books of poetry except for two things.

1 – It was positioned among the books of the Prophets.

2 – It was most likely written by the prophet Jeremiah.

This chapter is the first of three acrostic poems. That is to say, each of their 22 verses begin with a letter from the Hebrew alphabet.

This verse sets the scene. The author expresses deep sorrow over the fall of Jerusalem.

I believe that the tone of this chapter and book, for that matter, reflect how deeply God loves his people.

Do you have any idea how deeply God Loves and cares for His people?
What does it tell you about God that He feels so deeply?
October 12, 2023

October 12th, 2023

Thursday – Letters

Reading – Colossians 3-4

Highlight Verse:

“Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others.”
‭‭Colossians‬ ‭3‬:‭13‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Of all the commands in this chapter, this might be the hardest.

It is so easy to judge others. Even our closest family members will do things that annoy us. Anyone who drives in downtown traffic will find a myriad of reasons to be offended.

And we must forgive each one!

Paul’s not just talking about family members or fellow Christians; He says ANYONE who offends you.

The sooner we realize that almost everyone will do something offensive to us at some point, the sooner we can forgive each one.

Likewise, when we realize how much we offend others, we are more likely to forgive those who offend us.

Are you able to look past the offenses you experience to forgive the offenders?
Can you see your own need for the same forgiveness from others and from God?
October 11, 2023

October 11th, 2023

Wednesday – History

Reading – 2 Samuel 11-12

Highlight Verse:

“Why, then, have you despised the word of the Lord and done this horrible deed? For you have murdered Uriah the Hittite with the sword of the Ammonites and stolen his wife.”
‭‭2 Samuel‬ ‭12‬:‭9‬ ‭NLT‬‬

These are a couple of my least favorite chapters in the Bible. My hero David screws up royally.

Why?

That’s what this verse asks.

If we can find the answers, perhaps we can avoid his error.

I think the first why is laziness. David delegated the job of going to war to his commanders. Instead, he lounged at home, even taking a relaxing midday bath. That let his guard down and opened him to fall to the second why.

The second why is lust. He lusted after the forbidden fruit of Uriah’s beautiful wife. Despite his many wives and concubines, he wanted what was forbidden to him and used his power to get it.

The third why is pride. Pride kept him from confessing and repenting in the first place. Pride led him to try to cover it by having Uriah come home. Pride drove him to setting up Uriah to die when there seemed no other way.

It’s interesting to note that pride did him no good at all since, thousands of years later, everyone knows what he did. It didn’t stay hidden long.

Of course, we know that David repented when he was confronted. He was forgiven but he had to endure the consequences of his three “whys”.

While the story of forgiveness and restoration in David is a beautiful one,

I believe we would do well to avoid the whole situation by remaining diligent in following God’s lead.

Which of the “whys” do you struggle with the most? Laziness, lust, pride, all three?
How can we avoid those pitfalls?
October 10, 2023

October 10th, 2023

Tuesday – Pentateuch

Reading – Exodus 16

Highlight Verse:

““If only the Lord had killed us back in Egypt,” they moaned. “There we sat around pots filled with meat and ate all the bread we wanted. But now you have brought us into this wilderness to starve us all to death.””
‭‭Exodus‬ ‭16‬:‭3‬ ‭NLT‬‬

It’s funny how attitude can twist your memories.

Were they well-fad back in Egypt?

It’s highly doubtful.

They were slaves.

But the human mind has a tendency to look for the bad in a situation. That blinds one’s view of the good.

There were many unanswered questions at that point which blocked the view of the extraordinary situation.

The bottom line is – they were free now!

If that’s not a cause for celebration, I don’t know what is.

Have you ever missed a celebration because you couldn’t take your eyes off a bad situation?
What can you do to focus on the good of a situation?
October 9, 2023

October 9th, 2023

Monday – Gospels

Reading – Matthew 13

Highlight Verse:

“Jesus always used stories and illustrations like these when speaking to the crowds. In fact, he never spoke to them without using such parables.”
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭13‬:‭34‬ ‭NLT‬‬

I’ll admit that I have a bias that draws me to this verse.

I write novels.

My writing is inspired by the fact that Jesus illustrated many of His points with fiction. I write with the hope of inspiring the reader, especially young readers.

As a writer of fiction, I have often met Christians who only read non-fiction. They seem to take the position that reading fiction is a waste of time.

I couldn’t disagree more strongly.

That’s not to say that I haven’t read books that were a waste of time. But there are many works of fiction that have inspired me on many different levels.

This Present Darkness inspired me to be more diligent in spiritual warfare.

The Harbinger Series inspired me to accept the help of those who may be very different from me.

The Visitation inspires me to never reach the point of giving up hope.

There are many more with many positive messages woven between the lines.

With each positive book I read, I am inspired and encouraged.

Are there works of fiction that have inspired you?
Do you have stories with which you would like to inspire others?
Please share!
October 8, 2023

October 8th, 2023

Sunday – Poetry

Reading – Psalms 120-124

Highlight Verse:

“I was glad when they said to me, “Let us go to the house of the Lord.””
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭122‬:‭1‬ ‭NLT‬‬

This series of Psalms consists of songs that people sang while they were on the way to worship the Lord at the Temple in Jerusalem.

In other words, they would worship on their way to worship!

That made me wonder, “How would it affect us if we worshipped on the way to church?”

I remember a car ride years ago. We had an hour ride ahead of us and we were already bickering at each other. One of us suggested that we just stay quiet and listen to worship music.

By the end of the hour, we were stuck in a bad traffic jam, but we were singing to the music and in much better frame of mind.

Music can have a calming effect. Worship music and help us connect with God. If we want a deeper relationship with God, it makes sense to do anything you can to better connect with Him.

So, if you’re reading this before church, try worshipping on the way to worship.

Let us know how it turns out.
October 7, 2023

October 7th, 2023

Saturday – Open Topic

Reading – 1 Timothy 4

Highlight Verse:

“Don’t let anyone think less of you because you are young. Be an example to all believers in what you say, in the way you live, in your love, your faith, and your purity.”
‭‭1 Timothy‬ ‭4‬:‭12‬ ‭NLT‬‬

In our student ministry, we are teaching our middle and high school students how to be leaders.

This verse is on the wall in the room where we meet.

We don’t know for sure how old Timothy was when this was written. He was at least in his twenties.

But Paul started working with him when he was much younger, probably in his teens.

Other leaders in the Bible started quite young.

David was in his teens when he slayed Goliath. Some of the Psalms are thought to come from that era of his life as well.

Mary was certainly a teenager when she became the mother of Jesus.

Samuel first heard from God as a very young apprentice.

Joseph’s legacy of integrity began as a youth.

I could go on and on.

The bottom line is, youth should be encouraged to lead from where they are that they may grow to even greater levels of ministry later.

Sure, they may make more mistakes when they’re young, but they can work through them honestly and reach far more people than their older counterparts (like me).

I started teaching and leading when I was 16. Yes, I made many mistakes.

I also had many victories during that time up until now.

I wouldn’t trade those experiences for the world.

If you are young, are you doing what you can to reach out with the love of God to those around you?
If you are old like me, are you encouraging those younger than you to reach out while continuing to reach out yourself?
October 6, 2023

October 6th, 2023

Friday – Prophets

Reading – Jeremiah 51-52

Highlight Verse:

“The whole human race is foolish and has no knowledge! The craftsmen are disgraced by the idols they make, for their carefully shaped works are a fraud. These idols have no breath or power.”
‭‭Jeremiah‬ ‭51‬:‭17‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Where I went to college, there was a student newspaper called “The Jeremiad.” They claimed that name because the said they only reported bad news.

While the vast majority of Jeremiah was bad news, it does have its bright spots.

Today we leave the book with a decidedly not so bright spot.

But then again, when we take to heart the foolishness of humanity, we can recognize our need for God’s intervention.

My ancestors were violent tribes in Central America, Spanish conquistadors, Viking raiders and Gaelic pagans. Even my own father and grandfather were abusive atheists.

While there were good qualities in them as well, I can fully understand that the human race is foolish.

After all, I’m part of that human race and I know that apart from the grace and mercy of Jesus, I could be every bit as foolish.

But God!

As we go into the weekend, lets celebrate the fact that God loved us so much that He sent his Son to make it possible for us to experience that grace and mercy that allow us fellowship with God.

Even back in Jeremiah’s day, God was setting the wheels in motion to make that happen.

History turned around at the cross and we now have life in Jesus.

Can you relate to the idea of the foolishness of mankind?
Do you know the One who crushed that foolishness and evil at the cross?
Have you accepted His new life of Grace and Mercy?
October 5, 2023

October 5th, 2023

Thursday – Letters

Reading – Colossians 1-2

Highlight Verse:

“We are writing to God’s holy people in the city of Colosse, who are faithful brothers and sisters in Christ. May God our Father give you grace and peace.”
‭‭Colossians‬ ‭1‬:‭2‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Letter writing is a nearly lost art.

I am as guilty as anyone for writing quick texts and emails instead of long, well thought out letters.

Paul was a master letter writer. For this letter, he teamed up with his apprentice Timothy to write a letter of encouragement and instruction to the believers in Colosse.

The practice of the day was to take Paul’s letters, copy them and share them around to all the groups of believers in the area. That way, God’s words to Colosse helped as many people as possible.

Do you have any words of encouragement and instruction?
Have you considered writing your ideas down and sharing them with others?

Like this letter, yours could be encouragement for those who need it. All you need to do now is write.

So I tried to think about when Jesus spoke of cleanliness.

If Jesus’ disciples stayed clean, I’d say that it’s a good idea for us too.

Lamentations is exactly what its name implies.

I believe that the tone of this chapter and book, for that matter, reflect how deeply God loves his people.

Of all the commands in this chapter, this might be the hardest.

Likewise, when we realize how much we offend others, we are more likely to forgive those who offend us.

Why?

I believe we would do well to avoid the whole situation by remaining diligent in following God’s lead.

It’s funny how attitude can twist your memories.

If that’s not a cause for celebration, I don’t know what is.

I’ll admit that I have a bias that draws me to this verse.

With each positive book I read, I am inspired and encouraged.

In other words, they would worship on their way to worship!

So, if you’re reading this before church, try worshipping on the way to worship.

In our student ministry, we are teaching our middle and high school students how to be leaders.

The bottom line is, youth should be encouraged to lead from where they are that they may grow to even greater levels of ministry later.

Today we leave the book with a decidedly not so bright spot.

But God!

Letter writing is a nearly lost art.

Like this letter, yours could be encouragement for those who need it. All you need to do now is write.