Walk in the Light

July 29, 2023

July 29th, 2023

Saturday – Open Topic

Reading – John 2:1-12

Highlight Verses:

“The next day there was a wedding celebration in the village of Cana in Galilee. Jesus’ mother was there, and Jesus and his disciples were also invited to the celebration.”
‭‭John‬ ‭2‬:‭1‬-‭2‬ ‭NLT‬‬

The Bible has very few weddings.

The few that are there are not described in any detail.

In the Solano/Burbach household, we’ve had plenty of discussion about weddings. There’s been the ongoing debate about whether or not we can afford to go to my niece’s wedding in the fall (We’ll be there Jessica, I’ll RSVP soon). Then there’s our middle daughter’s wedding coming up next spring.

Many people invest large sums of money in their weddings but not that much into their marriages.

The Bible seems to be the opposite. There are far more passages about love and marriage than about weddings.

Trust me, divorce costs far more (both financially and emotionally) than repairing a troubled marriage.

I know (first hand) that sometimes divorce is unavoidable and healing can happen.

I also know that God’s ideal, therefore what is best for us, is one marriage partnership for life.

If we put the hard work into making that happen, we will be far better off.

How are you investing in your marriage?
If you are not married but plan on one day getting married, what are you doing now to prepare yourself for being a better spouse?
July 28, 2023

July 28th, 2023

Friday – Prophets

Reading – Jeremiah 22-24

Highlight Verse:

“But stop using this phrase, ‘prophecy from the Lord.’ For people are using it to give authority to their own ideas, turning upside down the words of our God, the living God, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.”
‭‭Jeremiah‬ ‭23‬:‭36‬ ‭NLT‬‬

During this time in history, most of the prophets in Israel were giving messages that were politically expedient. They would tell the people that everything was going to turn out okay because this is what those in power wanted them to say.

Sound familiar?

I’m not going to turn this into a political statement. Misleading teaching happens all across the political and denominational spectrums. People convince themselves that what they preach and teach is the truth.

That’s one of the reasons that you follow this reading plan. The more you know the Word of God, the more you can tell the good “prophets” from the bad.

God will not use a modern day “prophet” to contradict His Word.

Bottom line: If a teaching or prophecy agrees with the Word of God, that teaching is sound.
If it disagrees, It ain’t right.

If you’re not sure, keep reading the Bible until you figure it out.

And if you ever find me saying something here that disagrees with the Bible (which I pray I would never write anything like that) speak out against it. Some of the bad teachings out there are simply good people misunderstanding the Word of God. I’m human and can mess up too.

Do you tend to agree with any teaching that feels good without checking it in the Bible? (Not a good idea).
Do you, instead, question any teaching or “word from God” by comparing it to what the Word of God says in the Bible? (Now we’re talking truth).
July 27, 2023

July 27th, 2023

Thursday – Letters

Reading – 2 Corinthians 9-10

Highlight Verse:

“The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.”
‭‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭10‬:‭4‬ ‭NIV‬‬

I switched to the NIV for this verse because I love the word they use to describe our spiritual weapons – “demolish.”

It’s not just tear down, defeat, get victory over – It’s “demolish.” Complete decisive destruction.

Those of you who know me personally know that I am not generally a timid person. I don’t tremble in fear whenever something difficult heads my way.

I’m that way because I have seen over and over again the power of the Holy Spirit at work in my life and the lives of those around me.

I don’t fear demons, or ghosts, and the devil himself because I have complete confidence in the power of my God. I may experience trials, but

I know who’s in that fiery furnace with me and I will come out unscathed.

Do you have confidence when faced with spiritual trials or attacks?
Do you know the spiritual power that is available to you as a Holy Spirit filled believer?
July 26, 2023

July 26th, 2023

Wednesday – History

Reading – 1 Samuel 19-20

Highlight Verses:

“But one day when Saul was sitting at home, with spear in hand, the tormenting spirit from the Lord suddenly came upon him again. As David played his harp, Saul hurled his spear at David. But David dodged out of the way, and leaving the spear stuck in the wall, he fled and escaped into the night.”
‭‭1 Samuel‬ ‭19‬:‭9‬-‭10‬ ‭NLT‬‬

I love how honest the Bible is.

In this case we see Saul in full blown mental illness.

I won’t try to diagnose Saul nor excuse his actions. He was obviously jealous to a disturbing level.

David, on the other hand, stayed level-headed and got himself out of that bad situation. He maintained respect for Saul despite his obvious problems.

It’s so easy to lash back when we’re hurt. The injustice and feeling of persecution puts us on the defensive.

What would happen to us if we were able to stay in control and just remove ourselves from terrible situations?

In David’s case, he outlasted the persecution with integrity

which resulted in him becoming one of the greatest kings of all time.

How do you react when persecuted?
What would happen if you removed yourself from the line of fire while maintaining respect for your persecutor as a person?

If you are a mental health professional, please tell me if I am way off with this line of thought.
July 25, 2023

July 25th, 2023

Tuesday – Pentateuch

Reading – Genesis 48

Highlight Verse:

“One day not long after this, word came to Joseph, “Your father is failing rapidly.” So Joseph went to visit his father, and he took with him his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim.”
‭‭Genesis‬ ‭48‬:‭1‬ ‭NLT‬‬

When I was in my 20’s, I got a call that my Grandma Clarey was going downhill fast and if I wanted to see her again I needed to go. My then fiancé and I took to the road in my 8-year-old VW Rabbit that was in bad need of a clutch. The clutch was slipping even as we went up the gentle hills in Santa Cruz. It couldn’t possibly make it to Fresno.

We prayed.

It made it over the two passes without a problem – and back!

The next day it wouldn’t even work on level ground.

I believe that God saw it as important that I be able to say goodbye to my closest grandmother – So much so that he held the clutch together for that trip.

Joseph gives us a good example of what to do in that kind of situation.

Go spend time with your loved ones while you can. Bring the kids so they can get to know them.

In the case of Manasseh and Ephraim, they received a literal blessing as well.

Do you have a parent or close relative who may not be around for too many more years?
Have you made it a priority to spend more time with them?
July 24, 2023

July 24th, 2023

Monday – Gospels

Reading – Mark 15-16

Highlight Verse:

“Then at three o’clock Jesus called out with a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” which means “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?””
‭‭Mark‬ ‭15‬:‭34‬ ‭NLT‬‬

I almost highlighted the verse where the crowd shouted “Crucify Him” because I imagined the sting of hearing the crowd that had welcomed Him as royalty now wanting Him dead.

Then I realized that, on the cross, as the weight of all the world’s sin brought him temporary separation from God the Father,

His anguish must have been unequalled. In that moment,

He experienced the pain of separation that we all deserve.

There could have been no greater pain.

But it was followed by the joy of resurrection.

Jesus defeated death and came back to life. In this sacrifice and resurrection, we are offered a way out of sin and into life and joy.

Can you grasp the depth of Jesus’ pain on the cross as He felt the full separation from God pfor the first time?
Does the depth of His pain compel you to accept the sacrifice so that His pain would not be wasted?
July 23, 2023

July 23rd, 2023

Sunday – Poetry

Reading – Psalms 89-91

Highlight Verse:

“For he will rescue you from every trap and protect you from deadly disease.”
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭91‬:‭3‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Please excuse me if you’ve heard this old story before but it immediately popped into my head when I read this verse.

An older gentleman was determined to stay in his home even though torrential rains were bringing flooding to his neighborhood. He prayed fervently,

“Lord please save me from this flood.”

Despite his prayers, the water still rose. Soon it was entering the ground floor of his home. A neighbor came by in a row boat and offered him a ride out. “Nope, I believe the Lord will save me!”

They left and he climbed the stairs and fell to his knees. “Lord, I’ve always been your faithful servant, please save me from these floodwaters.”

By the time he finished praying, another boat came up to the second floor window and offered him a ride. “No thanks, the Lord is going to save me!”

They shook their heads at him and sailed off.

Not long after, he was forced to climb up to the top of the roof. He started praying again. Just then, a helicopter swooped down and offered him a ride to safety.

He waved it off yelling, “The Lord is gonna save me!”

Pretty soon the waters took him away. He drowned and went to heaven. As soon as he saw Jesus he chased him down and asked, “Why didn’t you save me from the flood?”

Jesus replied, “I sent two boats and a helicopter, what more did you want?”

I know that’s a silly story but it reminds us that sometimes God’s help comes in ways that we don’t want to accept. I’ve seen people rescued from bad situations through arrest, bankruptcy, and even divorce. Sometimes the rescue is as simple as accepting help or advice from someone you don’t want to deal with.

None of those situations is good on the surface.

But sometimes we have to go through some tough times to get back on the right track.

In some of those situations, I’ve seen finances, marriages, and even lives restored.

Have you rejected God’s help in the past because it wasn’t what you wanted?
Has your life been restored by taking the tough rescue?
Are you faced with deciding whether to accept that tough road now?
July 22, 2023

July 22nd, 2023

Saturday – Open Topic

Reading – Luke 10:29-37

Highlight Verse:

“The man wanted to justify his actions, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?””
‭‭Luke‬ ‭10‬:‭29‬ ‭NLT‬‬

My dad moved our family from Chicago to California to avoid racism. As diverse as California is, back in the sixties, he still encountered quite a bit of racism. When people found out that he, a Mexican, had married a very white woman, he encountered another level of prejudice.

At first he handled this by insulating us kids from the culture he grew up with. He refused to speak Spanish. The only Mexican friends he spent any time with were those he competed with in handball at the YMCA.

Eventually, he embraced his culture again when he went to work as controller for a tortilla and Mexican food company and got remarried to a Mexican woman.

I was glad for the diversity in upbringing. There were some awkward moments when I didn’t understand the language or the culture among his friends and step family. Nor did I understand those few times of prejudice that I saw when racist people figured out that I was half-Mexican.

Having been raised in two races and cultures, I don’t understand racism, but I know it still exists.

Through the story of the Good Samaritan, we see that Jesus himself came out against racism.

Do you ever have to encounter racism the way my dad did?
How do you handle it?
July 21, 2023

July 21st, 2023

Friday – Prophets

Reading – Jeremiah 19-21

Highlight Verse:

“But if I say I’ll never mention the Lord or speak in his name, his word burns in my heart like a fire. It’s like a fire in my bones! I am worn out trying to hold it in! I can’t do it!”
‭‭Jeremiah‬ ‭20‬:‭9‬ ‭NLT‬‬

The one thing I remember from my first writer’s conference experience (when I worked at Mount Hermon in the ‘80s I ran the sound for the conferences) was Tim Hansel talking about his

blazing urge to write.

He could not keep his ideas inside his head. And he had some very insightful ideas (check out You Gotta Keep Dancing.)

I write fiction.

But the stories I write illustrate the truths that I can’t keep bottled in my head.

One big difference between Jeremiah and me is the more he told the truth about God, the more he was ridiculed and punished. The more I write, the larger my audience.

That leads me to ask myself,

“Do I have the same passion for expressing the truth of God that Jeremiah had?

“If my speaking out meant punishment, torture, and jail time, would I still do it?”

I believe I would. But one never knows until faced with the situation.

Do you have a “blazing urge” to write or speak out the truths of God?
Would you continue to do so in the face of persecution?
July 20, 2023

July 20th, 2023

Thursday – Letters

Reading – 2 Corinthians 7-8

Highlight Verse:

“We are careful to be honorable before the Lord, but we also want everyone else to see that we are honorable.”
‭‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭8‬:‭21‬ ‭NLT‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

The context here is the handling of donations to help the believers in Jerusalem. Paul and those with him had taken the utmost care not only to handle that money with integrity but to be transparent so all could see they were handling it with integrity.

That integrity should carry over into all aspects of life.

We live in a society that values privacy above almost everything – except maybe convenience.

I have friends who can’t believe I have smart speakers in our home. They’re concerned that they are spying on us and could target us for what we say in our home.

To that I tell them, if they’re listening in to our home, they’re gonna get terribly bored.

When you don’t have anything to hide, you don’t worry about privacy beyond practical modesty and decency.

If you want to find out if you’re living a life of integrity, simply ask yourself, “If someone was listening in on everything I say, would I be embarrassed?”

If so, it might be time to bring some of the junk out into the open so you can deal with it.

To that end, I highly recommend Celebrate Recovery to get over life’s hurts, habits, and hangups.

Are there areas in your life that need to be brought out into the open so that you can act with greater integrity in them?
Do those around you see you as a person of integrity?

The Bible has very few weddings.

Many people invest large sums of money in their weddings but not that much into their marriages.

Sound familiar?

If you’re not sure, keep reading the Bible until you figure it out.

It’s not just tear down, defeat, get victory over – It’s “demolish.” Complete decisive destruction.

I know who’s in that fiery furnace with me and I will come out unscathed.

I love how honest the Bible is.

In David’s case, he outlasted the persecution with integrity

Joseph gives us a good example of what to do in that kind of situation.

Go spend time with your loved ones while you can. Bring the kids so they can get to know them.

He experienced the pain of separation that we all deserve.

But it was followed by the joy of resurrection.

“Lord please save me from this flood.”

Jesus replied, “I sent two boats and a helicopter, what more did you want?”

But sometimes we have to go through some tough times to get back on the right track.

Having been raised in two races and cultures, I don’t understand racism, but I know it still exists.

Through the story of the Good Samaritan, we see that Jesus himself came out against racism.

blazing urge to write.

“If my speaking out meant punishment, torture, and jail time, would I still do it?”

That integrity should carry over into all aspects of life.

If so, it might be time to bring some of the junk out into the open so you can deal with it.