“If I say, ‘Surely the darkness will hide me, and the light around me will be night’— even the darkness is not dark to you. The night shines like the day; darkness and light are alike to you. For it was you who created my inward parts; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. […]
“What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him […]
“But [Jesus] answered, ‘It is written, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.”’” Matthew 4:4 These words stopped me in my tracks today. Even with as much as I’ve heard and read them over the years. God pulled back the curtain to reveal something […]
“And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.” John 3:14-15 When the serpent was lifted up in the wilderness, it was for those who had sinned grievously against the Lord. They expressed deep, continued distrust […]
“You shall walk in all the way that the LORD your God has commanded you, that you may live” Deuteronomy 5:33a Our God desires life for us. Real, whole, full, abundant life. Some might say that living according to the commands of God, following the example of Jesus, and walking in the sacrificial and submissive […]
“And he said to them, ‘Take care and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” Luke 12:15 Life isn’t about stuff. This is an easy statement to make, and perhaps an easy concept to grasp and verbally agree to, but how often do […]
“You shall stand up before the gray head and honor the face of an old man, and you shall fear your God: I am the LORD.” Leviticus 19:32 Throughout Scripture, those of older generations are honored. Gray hair is “splendor,” “a crown of glory” (Proverbs 20:29; 16:31). For those who know Christ, it is a […]
“The LORD is my chosen portion and my cup; You hold my lot. The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance.” Psalm 16:5-6 If God holds my lot, that means He is in control of it. It rests, resides, in His hands. Those same hands that promise to […]
“And Job died, an old man, and full of days.” Job 42:17 I want to live recognizing the fullness of my days. However many there are before my Lord takes me home. Because there is life within them. Abundant life that is promised (John 10:10), and fullness of joy if I will abide in Christ […]
“Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts.” Hebrews 4:7b I feel a bit of a weight today as I begin to write on this warning. Because how often is this the temptation? The warning applies not only to the initial calling of God’s salvation, for us to choose Him and choose […]
In Pleasant Places 