The biblical writers were very honest! What God says through them is refreshing, helpful, hopeful, truthful… and sometimes challenging. Psalm 119 is the longest chapter in the Bible. Technically, it’s anonymous. Verse 71 says: “It was good for me to be afflicted so that I might learn your decrees.” Can you repeat that again? Did … Continue reading Prayer, meditation, affliction
Getting heaven into you
“And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you” (Romans 8:11). There are days when we need a reminder that in Christ you are not … Continue reading Getting heaven into you
It’s not physical armour, but it is actual armour
As you grow in your discipleship, and as you start to know more and more about the Bible, certain scriptural ideas will become increasingly prominent in your mind. For example, you will most likely be able to quote the greatest commandment or the golden rule. You will be familiar with the “fruit of the Spirit.” … Continue reading It’s not physical armour, but it is actual armour
A good life than a long
Generations ago, Lewis Bayly wrote a devotional book. It was a how-to manual for living faithfully in the modern world, beginning at home. A lot has changed in society since Bayly’s book was first published in 1611. But many of his insights endure, like this one: “wish rather a good life than a long.”* His … Continue reading A good life than a long
God is under no illusions
“‘Come, follow me,’ Jesus said, ‘and I will make you fishers of men.’ At once they left their nets and followed him” (Mark 1:17-18). Jesus’ first followers had different professions. Some were fishermen. Matthew was a tax collector. Jesus himself was called a carpenter, having apprenticed under Joseph. Clearly, these were working-class people. But there’s … Continue reading God is under no illusions
When you don’t get a thank you note
As a part of our daily discipleship, I think it's helpful for us to continually think about how theory meets reality. If an idea is theologically important, I start to wonder about the influence it is supposed to have on my life as I walk out of the church and into the wider world. Speaking … Continue reading When you don’t get a thank you note
Vanity Fair is in the air
Vanity Fair is a scene in John Bunyan’s famous book The Pilgrim’s Progress. It depicts a carnival-type atmosphere where morality is scorned, naysayers are suspicious, justice is denied, and vanity and pride are the rule of the day. There are many good things about the times in which we live. I appreciate our freedoms (including … Continue reading Vanity Fair is in the air
Body. Team. Army.
As Christians we often talk about being the hands and feet of Christ. This is based on passages like 1 Corinthians 12:27 where Paul says this: “Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ.” He also says that Christ is the … Continue reading Body. Team. Army.
Make me receptive soil
In the parable of the sower, Jesus describes a sower who sows some seed—which, he says, is a metaphor for the word of God. Ideally, the seed lands on receptive soil. Luke 8:15 spells it out: “the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain … Continue reading Make me receptive soil
When God is steering the ship
In the previous devotional I shared some words about the Parable of the Sower in Luke 8. A sower sows some seed—which, Jesus indicates, is a metaphor for the word of God. Ideally, the seed lands on receptive soil. But there are a few situations which don’t work out. One is where the seed “fell … Continue reading When God is steering the ship
