“Strong and Courageous”

May 21, 2024

May 20, 2024

Read Joshua 1, Proverbs 16, Romans 16

What would you do if you had more courage? Would you go sky diving? Would you drive a race car? Would you take more chances in business ventures or in talking to more people with the gospel?

The opening chapter of the book of Joshua has the command for Joshua to be “strong and courageous” repeated four times in Joshua 1. “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go” v. 9. Why was God telling Joshua to be “strong and courageous?” The opening verses tell us why, “Moses my servant is dead” v. 2. Israel’s greatest leader had passed away and God had chosen Joshua to take his place. Can you imagine following someone so big and influential? You would probably need a little encouragement from the Lord as well.

Not only was God encouraging Joshua to be strong and courageous, but God also promises Joshua that “I will give you every place where you set your foot, as I promised Moses” v. 3. God keeps his promises and that is comforting to know. Is there anything that you believe God has called you to do and you need a reminder of God’s promises in your life? Do you need a challenge to be “strong and courageous” just as Joshua did?

What else do you see in these chapters? What words, phrases, or themes stand out to you as you read?
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Posted by John Weldon

“When Plans Fail”

May 20, 2024

May 20, 2024

Read Deuteronomy 34, Proverbs 15, Romans 15

When have you had a plan that fell through or did not come to pass? Maybe it was not something of your own doing or maybe it was a failure on your part. These plans can be devastating to us when they don’t work out. Proverbs 15:23 says “Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed.” Taking advice from others might not always be the easiest thing to do. Inviting others into decisions may slow down the pace of progress or bring other pauses to pass. But in large part the benefits far outweigh the negatives. We can have more minds and thoughts on something we are considering. Some might not prefer to work with a team, maybe they desire all the glory of the position or desire the credit. We should care more about reaching the desired goal over who gets the credit for it.

What could you use some wise counsel in today? What decisions can you ask others to join you in?
What else do you see in these chapters? What words, phrases, or themes stand out to you?
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Posted by John Weldon

“A Good Debt”

May 19, 2024

May 19, 2024

Read Deuteronomy 33, Proverbs 14, Romans 13

What’s the greatest debt you owe? A house note, a credit card debt, or maybe student loans? Debt is usually considered something to avoid and to rid ourselves of. We work to remove these debts from our lives. Here in Romans 13 we find one debt that Paul tells us to hold on to and keep.

“Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for he who loves his fellow-man has fulfilled the law” v. 8.

The debt to love one another should always be something we keep and continue to increase. How can you love others more deeply today or this week?

What else do you see in these chapters? What words, phrases, or themes stand out to you?
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Posted by John Weldon

“Strong and Weak”

May 18, 2024

May 18, 2024

Read Deuteronomy 32, Proverbs 13, Romans 14

Have you ever made a judgment of something or someone that you later took back? Maybe it was a decision that you judged for yourself about how to walk your faith out in a certain area of life. I have done this many times and had to admit when I was wrong or make an apology. Being a Christian does not mean living in a bubble exempt from the world. We must learn to live together as Christians even in our differences. The statement that is often repeated is “In the essentials we have unity, in the non-essentials we have liberty, and in everything have love.”

Romans 14 talks about what we should do when we have disagreements among believers with these non-essential items. First, we need to accept and understand that we will not always agree. We must do this without passing judgment on them. That is the Lord’s job. “Accept him whose faith is weak, without passing judgment on disputable matters” v. 1.

Second, be set in our own personal convictions. “One man considers one day more sacred than another; another man considers every day alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind” v. 5. This is much like taking the plank out of our own eye in the illustration that Jesus taught in Matthew 7.

Third, we are not to look down on other believers even if they have a different view than our own. “The man who eats everything must not look down on him who does not, and the man who does not eat everything must not condemn the man who does, for God has accepted him” v. 3. And again in verse 10, “You, then, why do you judge your brother? Or why do you look down on your brother? For we will all stand before God’s judgment seat.” God will do the judging and not us.

Fourth, we are to focus on the main things and set our priorities in them. “For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit, 18 because anyone who serves Christ in this way is pleasing to God and approved by men” vv. 17-18.

Finally, we should avoid becoming a stumbling block to others. “Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling-block or obstacle in your brother’s way” v. 13. If we know that some we believe is okay to do offends another person, we should avoid doing it before them or in a way that causes them to stumble.

What else do you see in these chapters? What words, phrases, or themes stand out to you?
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Posted by John Weldon

“Truth and Lies”

May 17, 2024

May 17, 2024

Read Deuteronomy 31, Proverbs 12, Romans 12

We used to play a game in student ministry called “Two Truths and a Lie.” Each student would write down three statements on an index card. Two would be true about themselves and one a lie. We collected the cards and try to figure out who the person is first and then we try to determine which statement is a lie. It was one of my favorite games. You could always wrap a biblical thought in after the game was over.

Proverbs 12 speaks many verses about both truth and lies. “Truthful lips endure for ever, but a lying tongue lasts only a moment” v. 19. Truth is never in danger of becoming not true. But a lie can easily forget the lie it told.  In verse 22 we read, “The LORD detests lying lips, but he delights in men who are truthful.”

Be a person of truth. Be honest, admit our mistakes, and be willing to speak the truth to friends and family.
What else do you see in these chapters? What words, phrases, or themes stand out to you?
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Posted by John Weldon

“Life or Death”

May 16, 2024

May 16, 2024

Read Deuteronomy 30, Proverbs 11, Romans 11

“Now what I am commanding you today is not too difficult for you or beyond your reach. 12 It is not up in heaven, so that you have to ask, “Who will ascend into heaven to get it and proclaim it to us so that we may obey it?” 13 Nor is it beyond the sea, so that you have to ask, “Who will cross the sea to get it and proclaim it to us so that we may obey it?” 14 No, the word is very near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart so that you may obey it.

15 See, I set before you today life and prosperity, death and destruction. 16 For I command you today to love the Lord your God, to walk in his ways, and to keep his commands, decrees and laws; then you will live and increase, and the Lord your God will bless you in the land you are entering to possess” vv. 11-16.

Obedience is not hard and at the same time it is very hard. What do I mean? Well, knowing what to do to obey is not the difficult part. Sure, there are some things that may take a bit of thought, but we can quickly discern what we need to do in most cases. This is characterized in the first few verses above. It is not far from us up in heaven, we don’t have to cross the sea to understand it.

But the hard part of obedience that we all struggle with is to submit our wills to the Lord and follow His plan and not our own. From the first sin in the garden in Genesis 3 to the last sin you may have committed, obedience is a struggle for all of us. But don’t lose hope and quit. Just because we may not be able to completely obey doesn’t mean we stop trying.

What else do you see in these three chapters? What words, verses, or themes stand out to you?
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Posted by John Weldon

“Secret Things”

May 15, 2024

May 15, 2024

Read Deuteronomy 29, Proverbs 10, Romans 10

“The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our children for ever, that we may follow all the words of this law.” – Deuteronomy 29:29.

This has always been a great verse to remind us that we do not have the same knowledge that God does. God’s knowledge is complete and ours is partial. We have a few of the puzzle pieces in our hands and God sees the entire box with every piece in the greatest detail. All the more for us to go to the Lord wisdom.

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Posted by John Weldon

“Blessing and Cursing”

May 14, 2024

May 14, 2024

Read Deuteronomy 28, Proverbs 9, Romans 9

Would you rather have a high five or a high five… to the face… with a chair? I know, I know, that is not really a tough decision unless you are a masochist of sorts. There is something going around the internet now where ladies are asking “Would you rather be lost in the woods with a bear or a mean abusive man?” I’m not sure what that is about but I think it’s saying something about men’s behavior here lately.

In Deuteronomy 28 we find the same type of question. Do we want blessings or cursings in our lives? “If you fully obey the Lord your God and carefully follow all his commands that I give you today, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations on earth. 2 All these blessings will come upon you and accompany you if you obey the Lord your God” vv. 1-2. Then it goes on to give examples of what those blessings might look like. It’s rather long!

But near halfway down the chapter, we find the other side of the coin. “However, if you do not obey the Lord your God and do not carefully follow all his commands and decrees, I am giving you today, all these curses will come upon you and overtake you” v. 15. Then you thought the list of blessings was long? The list of cursings is three times the length. The difference between the two is one simple word: obedience. God gives us the greatest gift of freewill to chose for ourselves what we want to do.

This seems like a no-brainer, but we need to be careful not to allow our pride to get in the away. The pull of the sinful nature is strong, and we must learn to mortify it daily so that the Spirit will win the battle of wills in our life. It is always easier on paper (in the Bible) but much more difficult to live out in the real world.

What else do you see in these chapters? What repeated words, verses, or paragraphs speak to you most?
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Posted by John Weldon

“Pick Up the Phone… It’s Wisdom Calling”

May 13, 2024

May 13, 2024

Read Deuteronomy 27, Proverbs 8, Romans 8

Think back to a time when you received an important phone call or received an unexpected phone call from someone important. Who was it? Was it setting up an important date with a perspective boyfriend/girlfriend? Was it a call to let you know that you had been accepted into a program or had won something? Did you talk to someone famous?

Proverbs 8 talks about one of the most important calls we can answer as Christians, and as people in general. “Does not wisdom call out? Does not understanding raise her voice?” v. 1. And then in verse 4, “To you, O men, I call out; I raise my voice to all mankind.” Wisdom calls out to everyone, but not everyone answers the call and receives her.

The rest of the chapter in Proverbs tells us the benefits of heeding wisdom’s call.

First, wisdom will never lead you down the wrong path. “Listen, for I have worthy things to say; I open my lips to speak what is right. 7 My mouth speaks what is true, for my lips detest wickedness. 8 All the words of my mouth are just; none of them is crooked or perverse. 9 To the discerning all of them are right; they are faultless to those who have knowledge” vv. 6-9. What are so things that you need wisdom for today?

Second, wisdom has rewards for those who listen to her call. “With me are riches and honor, enduring wealth and prosperity. 19 My fruit is better than fine gold; what I yield surpasses choice silver. 20 I walk in the way of righteousness, along the paths of justice, 21 bestowing wealth on those who love me and making their treasuries full” vv. 18-21.

What else do you see in these chapters? What words, phrases, or themes stand out to you?
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Posted by John Weldon

“The Struggle is Real”

May 12, 2024

May 12, 2024

Read Deuteronomy 26, Proverbs 7, Romans 7

The phrase, “the struggle is REAL!” is a statement you might hear someone say when they are having trouble doing something fairly easy or ordinary. Things like walking, or changing a lightbulb, or just trying to speak a sentence in English (or your native tongue). What have you struggled with recently? Opening a pickle jar or something else? The one thing we all struggle with is sin. It affects us all in various ways. Paul wrote about his struggle with sin in Romans 7.

“We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin. 15 I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. 16 And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. 17 As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. 18 I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. 19 For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. 20 Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it” vv. 14-20.

Paul was writing about the struggle he faced with his sinful nature and the life he lived through the Holy Spirit. When we decide to follow Christ we receive the Holy Spirit who helps us and convicts us of sin. Until we go to be with the Lord we will have the same battle that Paul did. We aim to mortify our fleshly sinful nature, but sometimes we will miss it.

Many people will often fault Christians for being hypocrites and not living up to the standard in the Bible. If this happens to you, the best thing is to own it. We all fail and miss the mark in some ways. Hopefully we can minimize the consequences and damage done to others, but sadly this is not always the case. When followers of Christ sin it doesn’t mean that Christianity is false, in fact, I would argue that it gives evidence that the Christian faith is an accurate description of how the real world is in truth and reality.

If you are struggling with sin, take heart remember even the Apostle Paul admitted his own struggle and he is one of the giants of the faith who wrote 13 books of the Bible and won many people to Christ through his mission trips.

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

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