James 1:16–18 Don’t be deceived, my dear brothers and sisters. Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created. Read the context Sit outside long enough, and you can follow where the shade is going. As the day moves, so do the shadows. You and I change and shift even more quickly. But God does...
1 day ago • 1 min read
Deut. 4:19–20 When you look up to the sky and see the sun, the moon and the stars—all the heavenly array—do not be enticed into bowing down to them and worshiping things the Lord your God has apportioned to all the nations under heaven. But as for you, the Lord took you and brought you out of the iron-smelting furnace, out of Egypt, to be the people of his inheritance, as you now are. Read the context Powerful things have always been tempting objects of worship. Long ago... nature... Today?...
3 days ago • 1 min read
Matt. 13:28–31 “The servants asked him, ‘Do you want us to go and pull them up?’ “‘No,’ he answered, ‘because while you are pulling the weeds, you may uproot the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest. At that time I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat and bring it into my barn.’” Read the context My lawn mowing schedule has recently been thrown off. The grass is long enough now that it's started to...
3 days ago • 1 min read
Romans 1:20 For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse. Read the context Driving somewhere new, you find yourself going 20 MPH over the limit. "I didn't know I had to slow down." ... You're still getting a ticket... God makes himself more obvious than a speed limit sign — nature screams out "God exists." There's no such thing as not...
4 days ago • 1 min read
Isaiah 44:6 “This is what the Lord says— Israel’s King and Redeemer, the Lord Almighty:I am the first and I am the last; apart from me there is no God. Read the context A forger needs you to trust the source. Don't dig deeper or follow the paper trail. An idol works the same way: your job, your image, your future plans. The idol looks trustworthy until life proves it worthless. God doesn't need your trust to be legitimate. He's the first and the last. He verified himself by redeeming you. You...
5 days ago • 1 min read
Psalm 19 The heavens declare the glory of God;the skies proclaim the work of his hands.Day after day they pour forth speech;night after night they reveal knowledge. The precepts of the Lord are right,giving joy to the heart.The commands of the Lord are radiant, — giving light to the eyes. Read the context How do you know God? There's the way everyone knows there is a god: Look out at nature! It's telling you there is a creator! But that message isn't enough. It isn't a message that saves....
6 days ago • 1 min read
Jer. 23:28–29 Let the prophet who has a dream recount the dream, but let the one who has my word speak it faithfully. For what has straw to do with grain?” declares the Lord. “Is not my word like fire,” declares the Lord, “and like a hammer that breaks a rock in pieces? Read the context The prophets in Jeremiah's were rounding off the sharp corners of God's Word. Why? Because the truth hurt — God's people had sinned! Scripture is powerful. There are times when what it says will hurt. Don't...
7 days ago • 1 min read
Hebrews 4:12–13 For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account. Read the context The doctor's scalpel is a strange tool — it hurts someone in order to heal. Sword... scalpel... you don't always like the way...
8 days ago • 1 min read
Psalm 119 How sweet are your words to my taste, — sweeter than honey to my mouth! I gain understanding from your precepts; — therefore I hate every wrong path. Read the context Psalm 119 is the longest chapter in the Bible. The whole song sings the praise of God's Word. Why? The Bible is more than just a book to tell you what to do, it's the story of God's love for you. Nothing tastes sweeter to the believer than knowing that the God of the universe loves you. Find your delight in the Word of...
10 days ago • 1 min read