“Your Grace is Enough”

June 17, 2024

June 17, 2024

Read Judges 4, Song of Songs 1, 2 Corinthians 12

We have all faced things in our lives that are difficult. Each of us have our own suffering that face. Sometimes these are things like dealing with locking our keys in our car and other times it is dealing with the loss of a loved one.

Sometimes when we read through the Bible we can loose sight of the difficulties that many of the people named in the Bible faced. We tend to look at the great victories that described how God answered a prayer or worked a miracle in a situation. But if not equally so, there are plenty of examples in Scripture when people faced hard times and even gave their lives for their faith. Joseph, Job, Stehpen, the disciples, just to name a few. In 2 Corinthians 12 we find the Apostle Paul sharing his personal story about a “thorn” that he had to face. “To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. 8 Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me” vv. 7-8. Paul called this unknown thorn “a messenger of Satan,” that cannot be a good thing. No one know what it was exactly, but many have made an attempt to guess. Was it something physical like a sickness or maybe something to do with his eye sight since he was blinded on the road to Damascus? Others point to it being something on the mental or spiritual level. Was it the constant reminder of those Paul was directly or indirectly responsible for being persecuted or killed for their faith in Christ before his conversion? No matter what it was, we do know the answer that God gave to Paul.

“But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. 10 That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong” vv. 9-10. God’s grace would be sufficient in Paul’s life. We all need the grace of God in our lives. Grace is often defined by it’s own spelling, God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense.

What else do you see in these chapters? What words, phrases, or themes stand out to you?
Add your thoughts below.   

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Posted by John Weldon

“Remember”

June 16, 2024

June 16, 2024

Read Judges 3, Ecclesiastes 11-12, 2 Corinthians 11

Before the age of cell phones, I had all my friends phone numbers memorized. I could spit out 20-25 phone numbers without any problem. Today I would be lucky if I knew all three of my own children’s phone numbers. What are some important things that you remember from your youth?

Here in Ecclesiastes 11-12 we find an admonition to “Remember your creator in the days of your youth” Ecclesiastes 12:1. Solomon tell the younger generations to “Be happy, young man, while you are young, and let your heart give you joy in the days of your youth. Follow the ways of your heart and whatever your eyes see, but know that for all these things God will bring you to judgment” v. 9. We should pursue happiness and follow our heart in many areas, but to be cautious because our heart may lead us away from the Lord. We will face judgment as the end of verse 9 teaches.

“Remember your Creator in the days of your youth before the days of trouble come and the years approach when you will say, “I find no pleasure in them” v. 12:1. Many people excuse the behavior of the younger generations by saying things like “they are just sowing their wild oats” but Solomon tells us to dedicate our life to the Lord while we are still young. A few verses later He adds, “Remember him—before the silver cord is severed, or the golden bowl is broken; before the pitcher is shattered at the spring, or the wheel broken at the well, 7 and the dust returns to the ground it came from, and the spirit returns to God who gave it” vv. 6-7. Maybe we have not had an early life of remembering the Lord. Solomon says, it’s not too late. We must remember.

The conclusion to the book of Ecclesiastes is at the end of chapter 12. Solomon’s grand experiment came down to this. “Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. 14 For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil” vv. 13-14. To fear God, doesn’t mean to be afraid of him, although we might have a healthy fear in that manner. To fear God, means to respect and revere God and his commandments. They are for our good, even if we don’t think so or understand them.

What else do you see in these chapters? What words, phrases, or themes stand out to you?
Add your thoughts below.

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Posted by John Weldon

“Forgotten”

June 15, 2024

June 15, 2024

Read Judges 2, Ecclesiastes 10, 2 Corinthians 10

What’s something that you have forgotten before? Car keys, phone charger, sun screen, or a wallet or purse? Recently we were headed to my son’s graduation ceremony and after we were over half way there we realized we had forgotten the tickets that all the family needed to enter the building. We turned around and luckily we got to the arena just in time. The more important something is, the more we will go out of our way to retrieve what we have forgotten.

In Judges 2 the author tells us that Israel had forgotten something very important, God. “After that whole generation had been gathered to their fathers, another generation grew up, who knew neither the LORD nor what he had done for Israel. 11 Then the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the LORD and served the Baals. 12 They forsook the LORD, the God of their fathers, who had brought them out of Egypt. They followed and worshipped various gods of the peoples around them. They provoked the LORD to anger 13 because they forsook him and served Baal and the Ashtoreths” vv. 10-13.

These verses tell us the importance of passing on our faith to our children and family. If we do not teach and train our children, someone else will. More importantly, if we do not lead by example a life that walks with the Lord, the chances will go down that our children will too.

The whole theme for the book of Judges can be summarized here in chapter 2. “Whenever the LORD raised up a judge for them, he was with the judge and saved them out of the hands of their enemies as long as the judge lived; for the LORD had compassion on them as they groaned under those who oppressed and afflicted them. 19 But when the judge died, the people returned to ways even more corrupt than those of their fathers, following other gods and serving and worshipping them. They refused to give up their evil practices and stubborn ways” vv. 18-19. You will notice as you read through Judges that the further you go, the more wicked and weaker the judges become that rescue Israel. This is a very negative time for the nation of Israel. We must remember the Lord and all that He has done for us. We must also pass it on to our children so they will not face the consequences as well.

What else do you see in these chapters? What words, phrases, or themes stand out to you?
Add your thoughts below.

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Posted by John Weldon

“Choose”

June 13, 2024

June 13, 2024

Read Joshua 24, Ecclesiastes 8, 2 Corinthians 8

Free will is one of the best gifts that God gives us. Some will ask, “why can’t God create a world where we all love him and choose him?” The answer is simple, that is an illogical question. God can’t logically create a free will situation where we are all forced to choose him. Or even to always choose to do the right and good thing.. That would cease to be free will. The gift of free will is that it is our choice.

In Joshua 24 we see that Israel renews the covenant with God. Joshua challenges them, “Now fear the LORD and serve him with all faithfulness. Throw away the gods your forefathers worshipped beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the LORD. 15 But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD” vv. 14-15. What will you choose to do today?

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Posted by John Weldon

“Promises Good and Bad”

June 12, 2024

June 12, 2024

Read Joshua 23, Ecclesiastes 7, 2 Corinthians 6-7

Consider a time when someone made a promise to you? What was it? Did they keep it? Most of the time we think about good promises that we make to others or that someone might make to us. We might not even consider that a promise would be something bad. We could easily call that a threat.

In the last couple of chapters in Joshua there is a reminder of the promises that God gave toward Israel. Joshua calls all the elders and family leaders together as he prepares to die, and he reminds them of the promises that God made to them as a people. “Now I am about to go the way of all the earth. You know with all your heart and soul that not one of all the good promises the LORD your God gave you has failed. Every promise has been fulfilled; not one has failed” v. 14. It’s comforting to know that God keeps al his promises and that not one of them has failed to come to pass.

But when God makes a promise that He will deal with Israel if they violate the covenant that they made with him this changes our outlook. “But just as every good promise of the LORD your God has come true, so the LORD will bring on you all the evil he has threatened, until he has destroyed you from this good land he has given you. 16 If you violate the covenant of the LORD your God, which he commanded you, and go and serve other gods and bow down to them, the LORD’s anger will burn against you, and you will quickly perish from the good land he has given you” vv. 15-16. Just as assured that God keeps his good promises, we better understand that He will also keep the ones we wish He wouldn’t keep. What else do you see in these chapters? What words, phrases, or themes stand out to you?
Add your thoughts below.

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Posted by John Weldon

“Reconciliation”

June 11, 2024

June 11, 2024

Read Joshua 22, Ecclesiastes 6, 2 Corinthians 5

What comes to your mind when you hear the word “Reconciliation?” Do you think about balancing your checkbook? Do you think about the bills passed by the United States House in budget matters? Do you think about working something out with a friend or family member?

In 2 Corinthians 5 Paul tells us that first, we have been reconciled to God through Christ. “All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ” v. 18. In what way were we reconciled to God? In some sense several of the examples above are useful. Jesus balanced the ledger for us by paying the price for our sins on the cross. He also resolved the conflict between God and us enabling us to be in a right relationship with Him.

The second half of the verse Paul then explains our role as the ones who would help others be reconciled to God. “…and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: 19 that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation” vv. 18-19. We have a responsibility to help others find peace with God by being reconciled to God from our sins. Paul illustrates this through the idea of an ambassador. “We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God” v. 20.

The story is told of when Ronald Reagan became the President. He called all his ambassadors together for a time of instruction and greeting. He asked them to come to the podium one at a time and tell the audience which country they represented. One by one they came and announced the countries that they were going to travel to. After several people came to the microphone and shared President Reagan stopped them, He said, they had gotten it wrong. They all represented the United States, not the countries they were assigned to travel to. May we never forget as Christians who we represent, the Lord Jesus Christ. May we take our role as ambassadors serious and point as many people as possible to what Jesus stands for and help them understand the need for a walk with the Lord.

What else do you see in these chapters? What words, phrases, or themes do find as you read?
Add your thoughts below.

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Posted by John Weldon

“Let My Words Be Few”

June 10, 2024

June 10, 2024

Read Joshua 21, Ecclesiastes 5, 2 Corinthians 4

Are you a person of many words or a few words? For me, it depends on who I am around as to how much I open my mouth. If I’m around people that I do not know I tend to be more quiet. I am reserved but when I’m with friends or family I usually pretty chatty.

In Ecclesiastes 5 we find some advice from Solomon about our words when we are around God. “Do not be quick with your mouth, do not be hasty in your heart to utter anything before God. God is in heaven and you are on earth, so let your words be few” vv. 2-3.

Our mouth’s can get us into trouble when we speak uninformed or in ignorance. Sometimes we can embarrass ourselves when we speak about things we do not have any clue about. This is always the case when it comes to our understanding and the Lord’s understanding. Solomon’s advice, let our words be few. God is God and we are not. We must guard against allowing our pride, education, or experience make us feel as if we understand everything and then we start to question God and his motives in our lives. What else do you see in these chapters? What words, phrases, or themes stand out to you?
Add your thoughts below.

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Posted by John Weldon

A Time for Everything”

June 8, 2024

June 8, 2024

Read Joshua 19, Ecclesiastes 3, 2 Corinthians 2

“There is a time for everything,

and a season for every activity under heaven:

2 a time to be born and a time to die,

a time to plant and a time to uproot,

3 a time to kill and a time to heal,

a time to tear down and a time to build,

4 a time to weep and a time to laugh,

a time to mourn and a time to dance,

5 a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,

a time to embrace and a time to refrain,

6 a time to search and a time to give up,

a time to keep and a time to throw away,

7 a time to tear and a time to mend,

a time to be silent and a time to speak,

8 a time to love and a time to hate,

a time for war and a time for peace.

9 What does the worker gain from his toil? 10 I have seen the burden God has laid on men. 11 He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end. 12 I know that there is nothing better for men than to be happy and do good while they live. 13 That everyone may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all his toil—this is the gift of God. 14 I know that everything God does will endure for ever; nothing can be added to it and nothing taken from it. God does it so that men will revere him.” – Ecclesiastes 3:1-14

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Posted by John Weldon

“One Body, Many Parts”

June 2, 2024

June 2, 2024

Read Joshua 13, Proverbs 28, 1 Corinthians 12

I remember being fascinated with the human body growing up. In school we would learn about various different systems in the body. The circulatory system, the digestive tract, the endocrine system, the nervous system, and on and on. There were all the muscles in the body, all the bones we had to memorize and name, and all the organs that made up the body. The body is truly amazing. It gets even more amazing when we look at the body under a microscope. The individual cells and our DNA that is far more complex than most computer programs today.

In 1 Corinthians 12 Paul uses the body analogy to describe the church. “The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ. 13 For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink” vv. 12-13.

Paul distinguished between the parts of the body that are seen and the parts of the body that are unseen. “But God has combined the members of the body and has given greater honor to the parts that lacked it” v. 24

Finally, Paul says that no one part of the body is any more important to the whole than any other. Paul was not making a medical observation here, we know that we need our brains and hearts more than we need a little toe. But he was saying that the body needs to be whole so it is functioning at its best. “25 so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. 26 If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it” vv. 25-26.

Do you know your role in the body of Christ? More importantly do you submit to the head, which is Christ?
What else do you see in these chapters? What words, phrases, or themes stand out to you?
Add your thoughts below.

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Posted by John Weldon

“Words with Friends”

June 1, 2024

June 1, 2024

Read Joshua 12, Proverbs 27, 1 Corinthians 11

A Couple of years ago there was a app called Words with Friends. It had 15 minutes of fame. Here in Proverbs 27 we find many proverbs that concern friends and their words.

“Let another praise you, and not your own mouth; someone else, and not your own lips” v. 2. – Self flattery is not well received by many people today. We should keep our mouths closed and allow others to praise us.

“Wounds from a friend can be trusted, but an enemy multiplies kisses” v. 6. – In a culture that loves echo chambers today, we should learn to get out of them more often. If we only live for things, we want to hear from our friends we will never be challenged and learn to grow in ways that we might ignore our own blind spots.

“As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another” v. 17 – Sometimes in relationships there is one that is more spiritual mature than others, but that should not stop us from listening and learning from others whom we call friends. We can both benefit from a friend’s accountability and no one knows it all, even if one is more spiritually mature than the other.

What else do you see in these chapters? What stands out to you the most?
Add your thoughts below.

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Posted by John Weldon

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