Walk in the Light

February 9, 2024

February 9th, 2024

Friday – Prophets

Reading – Ezekiel 37-39

Highlight Verse:

“So I spoke the message as he commanded me, and breath came into their bodies. They all came to life and stood up on their feet—a great army.”
‭‭Ezekiel‬ ‭37‬:‭10‬ ‭NLT‬‬

I know I usually lean toward the more obscure verses, but I couldn’t resist this. This is my favorite part of Ezekiel.

As part of a student ministry leadership meeting, we were asked what our best memory of serving students was.

For me, the best times by far have been when getting to the end of a teaching time and having students respond by putting their faith in Jesus.

I believe that is a modern-day equivalent of Ezekiel’s life-giving words.

Seeing new life come into the life of a student is no less wonderful than the valley of dry bones coming back to life.

It is not my words but the work of the Holy Spirit touching lives.

I count it a privilege to be able to speak to students but that is certainly not the only way God uses to speak life into people.

The Holy Spirit can use something as simple as a t-shirt or bumper sticker to start someone down the right path.

Acts of kindness, living out God’s love to people, go a long way toward drawing people to God.

And consistent friendship is priceless in the Holy Spirit’s book.

When have you seen God speak life through you?
Are there ways that you would like God to use you to bring life to people?
February 5, 2024

February 8th, 2024

I don’t know how this got missed here.

All the posts here are also on Facebook in the group “Walk in the Light Bible Study.” I copied this from there when I just notice tonight that it was missing here.

Monday – Gospels

Reading – Luke 6

Highlight Verse:

“What sorrow awaits you who are praised by the crowds, for their ancestors also praised false prophets.”
‭‭Luke‬ ‭6‬:‭26‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Taken in context, this almost seems like a contradictory statement.

Jesus gave the beatitudes at the height of his popularity. The crowds loved Him!

So was He talking about Himself?

Ummm, no.

But to most of us, popularity is addicting.

You know what I mean. Maybe you had that social media post that got more likes than you thought was possible. Or you did something at work or school that got everyone saying what a great job you did.

Pretty soon, you’re checking for the number of likes on your next post. Or you feel disappointed when you do something else you thought was great but no one notices.

Jesus knew who He was when the crowds loved Him and when they shouted “Crucify Him”.

He is the Son of God – fully God and fully man.

We do well to remember who we are when we get praised or dissed.

We are children of God. Perfect in His eyes by the grace and mercy of God.

So don’t rely on that euphoria that comes from people’s praise or crash into depression when that praise turned to discouragement.

Instead, rely on God for your strength and identity.

Have you found yourself addicted to people pleasing?
How have you escaped the rollercoaster of praise and discouragement?
February 8, 2024

February 8th, 2024

Thursday – Letters

Reading – Hebrews 5

Highlight Verse:

“And no one can become a high priest simply because he wants such an honor. He must be called by God for this work, just as Aaron was.”
‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭5‬:‭4‬ ‭NLT‬‬

There were only 2 high priests who were not descended from Aaron – Melchizedek and Jesus.

All the high priests were chosen, either by birth or by divine intervention.

Now the job has been permanently assigned to Jesus, who pleads for us before God the father.

What is your calling?

I remember applying to Bible College. On the application, I had to explain why I thought that I was called to ministry.

In other words, I had to toot my own horn.

Was I right?

I may not have gotten the degree I was aiming for, but I’ve never regretted the time I spent learning about God and about ministry.

While I might not have been called to full-time ministry, I believe I was called to ministry.

Honestly, I believe that every believer is called to ministry. That calling can be for ministry in many different areas. But we each have a calling on our life.

What are you called by God to do and be?
How do you know it?
February 7, 2024

February 7th, 2024

Wednesday – History

Reading – 2 Kings 1-2

Highlight Verse:

“Elisha left Jericho and went up to Bethel. As he was walking along the road, a group of boys from the town began mocking and making fun of him. “Go away, baldy!” they chanted. “Go away, baldy!”
‭‭2 Kings‬ ‭2‬:‭23‬ ‭NLT‬‬

How rude!

But was the mockery worth cursing them so that they were mauled by bears?

I always thought this was a bit harsh until I saw that 42 of the “youths” (A term which can mean anything from teen to twenty something) were mauled by the bears.

Forty two!

That was a heck of a crowd that was threatening Elisha. He had to be concerned for his life.

Add to that, as one of the commentaries (blueletterBible.org) on this verse mentions, this was the city where the people worshiped a golden calf, and they had no happy thoughts for a prophet who made it clear that idol worship was strictly forbidden.

So, while the bear mauling may sound harsh, God put a high priority on protecting his prophet.

Now that we are the royal priesthood (1 Peter 2:9), I believe God places a high priority on protecting us.

What would you do in Elisha’s place?
Do you think that the right thing happened?
February 6, 2024

February 6th, 2024

Tuesday – Pentateuch

Reading – Leviticus 5-6

Highlight Verse:

“Through this process, the priest will purify you before the Lord, making you right with him, and you will be forgiven for any of these sins you have committed.”
‭‭Leviticus‬ ‭6‬:‭7‬ ‭NLT‬‬

I cannot claim to have a good understanding of the sacrifice system.

But I know that the priests were busy.

Very busy.

If there’s one thing that’s true about us humans is that we mess up.

A lot.

I’m sure that there were many who came to the tabernacle to give sacrifices everyday. Most likely, everyone should have.

Of course, Jesus put an end to the sacrifice system by making the sacrifice to end all sacrifices. He gave himself that we might live.

While we no longer have to worry about bringing a sacrifice for every sin, there’s one part of this chapter that applies just the same today.

The moment you realize that you have sinned, confess.

Don’t put it off. Take immediate care of it.

The forgiveness is immediate.

There’s no reason to live with it for one second longer.

I should point out that I believe that, once you have trusted Jesus and accepted His grace and mercy, His sacrifice covers the guilt of all your sins, past, present, and future.

Confession not only reinforces that trust but helps us deal with the guilty feelings.

When those feelings stack up, trust wavers. When we deal with them right away, faith grows.

When you realize that you have sinned, do you confess to God immediately?
Do you believe that Jesus can take away all your sins?
February 4, 2024

February 4th, 2024

Sunday – Poetry

Reading – Proverbs 10

Highlight Verse:

“People who accept discipline are on the pathway to life, but those who ignore correction will go astray.”
‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭10‬:‭17‬ ‭NLT‬‬

I thought I was qualified. I had worked in maintenance at the camp the summer before. I was going into my junior year of college, and I should’ve been ready to be a summer camp counselor.

But I was turned down for the job.

I had to find out why.

I showed up at the camp director’s doorstep and came right out and asked two questions. Why was I passed up? And what could I do to get the job next year?

He kindly and wisely showed me where I was lacking and gave me advice on how to improve.

I took the advice gratefully and set about making changes. In the meantime I took whatever job was available at the conference center.

In the middle of the first week of summer, I was called into the office of my new job. I thought I did something wrong.

It turned out that one of the counselors had realized that he wasn’t up to the task, and I was the first person the director thought of to take his place.

It was an amazing summer.

That’s the condensed version of when I learned to take correction with grace. I haven’t always done that well with discipline. But, when I have, it has been of great benefit to my life.

Have you done well with discipline or has been a source of difficulty to you?
Can you share your stories of life changing discipline?
February 3, 2024

February 3rd, 2024

Saturday – Open Topic

Reading – 2 Peter 3:8-18

Highlight Verse:

”But you must not forget this one thing, dear friends: A day is like a thousand years to the Lord, and a thousand years is like a day.“
‭‭2 Peter‬ ‭3‬:‭8‬ ‭NLT‬‬

I’m writing this on Groundhog Day. Three guesses as to what movie we watched as a family tonight…

Yup, you got it – Groundhog Day.

Which is kind of ironic, watching a movie about someone for whom one day is lasting many days on a day when I read about a day being like a thousand years. (No, I did NOT pick the reading because of the movie).

In the movie, Phil doesn’t move on to the next day until he makes Groundhog Day perfect.

In reality, God doesn’t expect us to be perfect. Instead, He provides the perfection through the sacrifice of Jesus.

So what’s delaying God’s return?

He’s waiting for everyone to have a chance to accept His sacrifice.

He’s been waiting for generations.

He may choose to wait for many more generations.

Or He may return tonight.

He alone sees the big picture and knows the right timing.

While we cannot fathom what that looks like, we would do well to work toward the same goal as God – that all may know Him.

What does that goal look like in your life?
What can you do to hasten the day of God’s return?
February 2, 2024

February 2nd, 2024

Friday – Prophets

Reading – Ezekiel 34-36

Highlight Verse:

”I will be like a shepherd looking for his scattered flock. I will find my sheep and rescue them from all the places where they were scattered on that dark and cloudy day.“
‭‭Ezekiel‬ ‭34‬:‭12‬ ‭NLT‬‬

When I was a junior in high school, I had a job as a hand on a small farm. In the winter, one of my jobs was to feed the sheep.

I loaded a couple of bales of hay on an old pickup truck and hauled it to a hillside in the frozen pasture.

The moment the sheep heard that old International pickup come up the hill, they came running.

I told that story a few weeks ago to our middle schoolers when I taught a lesson about Jesus as the Good Shepherd.

I didn’t realize that this concept was foretold in Ezekiel.

One of the things we learned about was that sheep recognize the sound of the shepherd’s voice and trust him since they knew that he protected them and led them to food and water.

Just like the sheep reacted to the sound of the truck, they know a good thing when they hear it.

Likewise, we can trust the voice of Jesus because we know he loves us and provides for us.

He is always faithful, even when we’re not.

We can trust His voice as we hear it in the words of the Bible.

When you hear or read the word of God, do you trust it completely?
Did you know that he will always lead you to what is good for you – never bad?
February 1, 2024

February 1st, 2024

Thursday – Letters

Reading – Hebrews 4

Highlight Verse:

“We know it is ready because of the place in the Scriptures where it mentions the seventh day: “On the seventh day God rested from all his work.”
‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭4‬:‭4‬ ‭NLT‬‬

What struck me in this verse is the fact that the writer of Hebrews apparently knew Scripture quite well but did not see importance in quoting chapter and verse or even book.

The answer to part of that is obvious to any Bible scholar. The Bible wasn’t divided into chapters until the 13th century. Verses didn’t arrive until the mid 16th century.

But the writer doesn’t even worry about book names.

I know the Bible pretty well.

But the number of verses that I can quote with their exact location is rather small.

Knowing the limitations of my memory, I have chosen to concentrate on remembering concepts and life lessons rather than exact verses with their references.

Some of you may be very good at memorization.

That’s awesome. I’ll even admit that I’m a bit jealous of that ability.

I would only suggest that you should understand the lessons from the Scripture that you read and get them into your heart.

That way, when trials and temptations come along (and they will), the way to get through them will be obvious.

If you are good at memorization, do you have a method that you could share with the rest of us to improve our memorization skills?
What are some verses that you have remembered and how has knowing them helped you?
January 31, 2024

January 31st, 2024

Wednesday – History

Reading – 1 Kings 21-22

Highlight Verse:

“An Aramean soldier, however, randomly shot an arrow at the Israelite troops and hit the king of Israel between the joints of his armor. “Turn the horses and get me out of here!” Ahab groaned to the driver of his chariot. “I’m badly wounded!””
‭‭1 Kings‬ ‭22‬:‭34‬ ‭NLT‬‬

This story happened after God had spared Ahab because he had repented. By this time, Jehoshaphat, the good king of Judah, had made peace with him.

Jehoshaphat was so intent on keeping that peace that he went along with Ahab’s plans to survive despite what the prophet Micaiah had predicted. (Read the whole chapter for more details).

God faithfully protected Jehoshaphat despite his foolish obedience to Ahab.

The prophecy against Ahab, however, was fulfilled despite their best efforts to protect him.

There are many nuances to this whole story.

To me, the bottom line is two fold.

First, God may change His plans for someone who is truly repentant.

He did this when Ahab repented.

Second, no amount of selfish scheming, no matter how clever, can stop God’s plans from being fulfilled.

Even though his clever plans fooled the enemy, God brought the arrow that broke Ahabs plans.

Have you ever tried to outsmart God? How’d that work for you?
Have you seen God pour out his grace and change the circumstances around you when you truly repented? Please share with us.

For me, the best times by far have been when getting to the end of a teaching time and having students respond by putting their faith in Jesus.

I count it a privilege to be able to speak to students but that is certainly not the only way God uses to speak life into people.

Taken in context, this almost seems like a contradictory statement.

We are children of God. Perfect in His eyes by the grace and mercy of God.

I remember applying to Bible College. On the application, I had to explain why I thought that I was called to ministry.

Honestly, I believe that every believer is called to ministry. That calling can be for ministry in many different areas. But we each have a calling on our life.

I always thought this was a bit harsh until I saw that 42 of the “youths” (A term which can mean anything from teen to twenty something) were mauled by the bears.

Now that we are the royal priesthood (1 Peter 2:9), I believe God places a high priority on protecting us.

If there’s one thing that’s true about us humans is that we mess up.

The moment you realize that you have sinned, confess.

When those feelings stack up, trust wavers. When we deal with them right away, faith grows.

I had to find out why.

I took the advice gratefully and set about making changes. In the meantime I took whatever job was available at the conference center.

It was an amazing summer.

I’m writing this on Groundhog Day. Three guesses as to what movie we watched as a family tonight…

He’s waiting for everyone to have a chance to accept His sacrifice.

While we cannot fathom what that looks like, we would do well to work toward the same goal as God – that all may know Him.

I didn’t realize that this concept was foretold in Ezekiel.

We can trust His voice as we hear it in the words of the Bible.

What struck me in this verse is the fact that the writer of Hebrews apparently knew Scripture quite well but did not see importance in quoting chapter and verse or even book.

Knowing the limitations of my memory, I have chosen to concentrate on remembering concepts and life lessons rather than exact verses with their references.

God faithfully protected Jehoshaphat despite his foolish obedience to Ahab.

The prophecy against Ahab, however, was fulfilled despite their best efforts to protect him.

First, God may change His plans for someone who is truly repentant.

Second, no amount of selfish scheming, no matter how clever, can stop God’s plans from being fulfilled.