“Israelite Rage Room?”

April 28, 2024

April 28, 2024

Read Deuteronomy 12, Psalm 143, Acts 21

Did you know that they have places that you can go and let out your pent up rage? These rage rooms are designed to be a fun and strangely therapeutic way to release some frustration in your life. You go and put on the proper safety equipment and goggles and then you enter the room and smash until you are rage free… or until your wallet can’t afford the things you are breaking. That’s right you pay for your experience by the things you destroy.

We read in Deuteronomy 12 about the original order from the Lord for Israel to smash and destroy the idols and other objects of worship from the nations around them as they entered into Canaan. “These are the decrees and laws you must be careful to follow in the land that the LORD, the God of your fathers, has given you to possess—as long as you live in the land. 2 Destroy completely all the places on the high mountains and on the hills and under every spreading tree where the nations you are dispossessing worship their gods. 3 Break down their altars, smash their sacred stones and burn their Asherah poles in the fire; cut down the idols of their gods and wipe out their names from those places” vv. 1-3. That sounds like the ultimate thrill for a man, but this would be harder than Israel knew. The reason God wanted them to destroy these things was for their own protection and to keep them from wandering away from the Lord, tempted by the practices of the other religions.

God warned them to be fully obedient to his commands. “Be careful not to be ensnared by enquiring about their gods, saying, “How do these nations serve their gods? We will do the same.” 31 You must not worship the LORD your God in their way, because in worshipping their gods, they do all kinds of detestable things the LORD hates. They even burn their sons and daughters in the fire as sacrifices to their gods. 32 See that you do all I command you; do not add to it or take away from it” vv. 30-32.

What do you need to smash and destroy in your life that is keeping you from completely following the Lord?

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Posted by John Weldon

“God’s Word from A to T”

April 12, 2024

April 12, 2024

Read Numbers 32, Psalm 119:1-40, Acts 1-2

What acrostics do you know and remember that help you remember something important? Maybe it’s the order of operations in math, (Please My Dear Aunt Sally) or the word ACTS that teaches us the different parts of prayer (Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, and Supplication). Psalm 119 is the longest chapter in the Bible. It is 176 verses long. It is an anonymous psalm that is in the acrostic of the Hebrew alphabet (22 characters) from Aleph to Taw. Each letter has 8 verses and the entire psalm centers around the Word of God. You cannot tell it English, but in Hebrew each of the corresponding stanzas start with the Hebrew letter.

“Blessed are they whose ways are blameless, who walk according to the law of the Lord” v. 1. The unknown author uses many different words for the Scripture from precepts, decrees, statues, laws, and commands.  What are some of the reasons you are thankful for God Word in your life? What are some of the benefits it has brought to your life?

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

“Short and Sweet”

April 11, 2024

April 11, 2024

Read Numbers 31, Psalm 116-118

Sometimes we don’t need to say much to get our point across. My grandfather was a preacher and when my brother and I were younger occasionally we would go spend the weekend with them and go to church with them on a Sunday. I always liked going to their church for several reasons, but one of those was that my grandfather’s sermons were usually no longer that 12-15 minutes. He had a knack for saying what he wanted to say in a short and sweet way without belaboring the point.

Psalm 117 is the smallest psalm in the Bible. It consists of two verses. Twenty-nine words in English (26 in Hebrew). The short and simple message is a message to all the nations to praise the Lord for his great love. God’s love is faithful throughout all generations.

Here is the entire psalm.

Praise the Lord, all you nations;

extol him, all you peoples.

2 For great is his love towards us,

and the faithfulness of the Lord endures for ever.

Praise the Lord.

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

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Posted by John Weldon

“Journaling”

April 7, 2024

April 7, 2024

Read Numbers 27, Psalm 104-106

If you haven’t figured it out yet. I have been posting on social media and my blog my thoughts on the passages of Scripture that I read every day. This is a type of journaling I felt led to do at the beginning of the year when I started read through the Bible this year. Do you like to journal or record your thoughts down on paper or in some other format? I admit it’s not for everyone. There are benefits to journaling. You get to go back and review your thoughts over a period and see how you felt about a particular circumstance you were going through. Another benefit is to see how God worked through a time in your life or how He was actively involved in your life in the past.

This is the mentality of the author of Psalm 105 and 106. The psalmist goes back over the history of Israel and looks at the highlights of their journey. There are good and bad things mentioned. Times of disobedience and times when God’s providence prevailed. The psalm opens with these verses; “Give thanks to the LORD, call on his name; make known among the nations what he has done. 2 Sing to him, sing praise to him; tell of all his wonderful acts” vv. 1-2. It starts with Abraham and then with Jacob. Next, we see the journey to Egypt mentioned and some of the 10 plagues that God brought down on Egypt. “He sent darkness and made the land dark—   for had they not rebelled against his words? 29 He turned their waters into blood, causing their fish to die. 30 Their land teemed with frogs, which went up into the bedrooms of their rulers” vv. 28-30. In Psalm 106 we find more of the negative journaling that reminded Israel of their disobedience and sin. “But they soon forgot what he had done and did not wait for his counsel. 14 In the desert they gave in to their craving; in the wasteland they put God to the test” vv. 13-14. The golden calf was mentioned and also when the earth opened up and swallowed some rebellious Israelites for opposing Moses. “The earth opened up and swallowed Dathan; it buried the company of Abiram” v. 17.

Good or bad, what are some things that you could journal about and return to at a later date to help you remember and appreciate the things that God has brought you through or that you have experienced?
Add your thoughts below.

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Posted by John Weldon

“Not To You But For You”

April 6, 2024

April 6, 2024

Read Numbers 26, Psalm 101-103

When you read the Bible it is important to remember that the Bible is not written to you originally but it is for you to read today and for your benefit. There are a few exceptions to this statement in the Bible. For example, in John 17 Jesus prayed for the future believers who would believe in Him because of the disciples. In Psalm 102 we find another instance of this. Verse 18 reads “Let this be written for a future generation, that a people not yet created may praise the LORD” v. 18. We may read the psalm or other parts of the Bible and it will bring praise to the Lord as we have seen God’s promises come true and see how God acts and interacts with his creation. I want to urge you to read the Scripture and not to just read it as a historical account but allow it to bring forth praise to the Lord for who He is and what He has done.

What have you read today that will cause you to praise Him? Add your thoughts below.

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Posted by John Weldon

“Music”

April 5, 2024

April 5, 2024

Read Numbers 25, Psalm 98-100

What’s your favorite genre of music? Do you have a favorite singer or band? Do you prefer the older music of your early years or the newer music of today? Maybe you love it all! Music has been around since the early chapters of Genesis. Genesis 4:21 mentions that sons of Jubal were the ones who played string instruments and pipes. The psalms are an expression of the hearts of Israel. They were put to music and sung in their native Hebrew language. Psalm 95 instructs us, “Sing to the LORD a new song, for he has done marvelous things; his right hand and his holy arm have worked salvation for him” v. 1. There will always be new songs that come because God is doing new things. God is always working. Whether or not we see it or recognize it is another thing.

There are different types of music. Some are love songs, others are blues or dirges. Some songs are filled with fun and joy from life’s moments. The author of Psalm 95 is apparently filled with Joy when he says, “Let the sea resound, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it. 8 Let the rivers clap their hands, let the mountains sing together for joy;” vv. 7-8.

What is something you can “sing” about today? How would you express yourself through music today if you wrote a song? Would it be focused on joy or be more of a lament or a blues song? Maybe you would prefer to express yourself with a poem.

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

“Dwelling Place”

March 25, 2024

March 25, 2024

Read Numbers 14, Psalm 84, Mark 8

What are some of the most amazing places you have visited before? What do you love about them? Are you a beach or mountain person? We all have had places that we have gone to and wanted to go back and spend more time there. There is a difference between a visit and then dwelling. Often many people “visit” with the Lord. They pop in and out occasionally when it works with their schedules and desires. Very few will take time and “dwell” in the house of the Lord and in his presence. In Psalm 84 the author describes the “dwelling place” where the Lord is. The psalmist wants to go and be there with the Lord. “How lovely is your dwelling-place, O LORD Almighty! 2 My soul yearns, even faints, for the courts of the LORD; my heart and my flesh cry out for the living God” vv. 1-2. The thought that comes is the blessing of those who get to dwell in the house of the Lord. “O LORD Almighty, my King and my God. 4 Blessed are those who dwell in your house; they are ever praising you” vv. 3-4. The psalmist has discovered the real blessings are when we make our dwelling place with the Lord. The world may look like they are having fun but the long-lasting blessings come when we stay in the relationship with the Lord. He can truly say, “Better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere.” v. 10.

What are some of the blessings that you have experienced in your time spent with the Lord?
What else do you read and see in these three chapters? Add your thoughts below.

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Posted by John Weldon

“Worship”

March 22, 2024

March 22, 2024

Read Numbers 11, Psalm 81, Mark 5

Everybody worships something. Some worship various things in creation like trees, mountains, statues, or other carved items. Others worship ideas like science, a political agenda, or saving the planet, or protecting animals. Some may even worship another person, Taylor Swift, a football coach, or a famed actor or actress. Most people just simply worship themselves. They are the ruler of their own domain.

Psalm 81 is a psalm of praise to God. “Sing for joy to God our strength; shout aloud to the God of Jacob! 2 Begin the music, strike the tambourine, play the melodious harp and lyre” vv. 1-2. As a reminder worship is much more than playing or singing a song. Worship can include what we devote our time, thoughts, or focus our efforts upon. We should worship God and Him alone, this is the first commandment. We can worship God for who He is (His character and nature) and we can worship God for what good things He has done.

God warns the people of Israel, “Hear, O my people, and I will warn you— if you would but listen to me, O Israel! 9 You shall have no foreign god among you; you shall not bow down to an alien god. 10 I am the LORD your God, who brought you up out of Egypt. Open wide your mouth and I will fill it” vv. 8-10. We need to continually check ourselves and see if we are putting anything before the Lord in priority. Unknowingly we can allow things to creep in slowly into our lives and take a prominent hold in our life.

What else do you see in these chapters? What stands out to you? What words, phrases, themes or images speak to you most from the Scripture? Add your thoughts below.

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Posted by John Weldon

“Then I Understood”

March 14, 2024

March 14, 2024

Read Numbers 3, Psalm 73, Colossians 1

What is something that has perplexed you in the past or caused you to question something you thought was right? How did it turn out? Was it like you thought or not? Asaph, the author of Psalm 73 is perplexed by what he sees around him. Specifically, how the wicked and the godless and the arrogant seem to have the easy road. A feeling of envy had to start to settle in with him when he looked at the lives of those who did not worship the Lord. “But as for me, my feet had almost slipped; I had nearly lost my foothold. 3 For I envied the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked” vv. 2-3. We may be tempted to think along the same lines today.  We see the lives of the people around us who do not care about a walk with the Lord, and we might be envious of their lifestyles.  We see their freedom in how they live out their lives without the authority of God’s Word over them. The devil whispers in our ears, “you could have that kind of life too, if you just forget about God.” The psalmist captures their mindset, “This is what the wicked are like— always carefree, they increase in wealth” v. 12. Again, the temptation to throw it all away returns, “Surely in vain have I kept my heart pure; in vain have I washed my hands in innocence. 14 All day long I have been plagued; I have been punished every morning” vv. 13-14.

Then, in verses 16-17, Asaph has his “ah ha” moment. “When I tried to understand all this, it was oppressive to me 17 till I entered the sanctuary of God; then I understood their final destiny” vv. 16-17. It was only after Asaph had entered the temple and learned from the Lord about the ultimate fate of the wicked. Asaph realized like we all need to that nothing escapes God. People might seem to get away with things or be living “the life” but in end it all comes down to ruin. Asaph is thankful for the Lord’s guidance in his life. “Yet I am always with you; you hold me by my right hand. 24 You guide me with your counsel, and afterwards you will take me into glory” vv. 23-24. The temporary pleasures of the earth are nothing compared to the spender of Heaven and Asaph knows it is good to be near God. What else do you see in these chapters? What words, phrases, and themes stand out to you?
Add your thoughts below.

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Posted by John Weldon

“Protection”

March 4, 2024

March 4, 2024

Read Leviticus 20, Psalm 64, Ephesians 1

People spend a lot of money on things that will keep them safe. They buy guns or other personal protective products. I recently heard a interview with Dr. Jeff Myers from Summit Ministries who went to Israel for a solidarity mission after the October 6 Hamas attacks on Israel. He said every house near the border of Gaza had a safe room, the parents made it their kids’ room so they could go to them in a time of crisis. Other people find security or protection in other things like money or obtaining power. These are some of the ways that people choose to protect themselves. The best protection we can have is from God.

Psalm 64 is a psalm of David. It is a prayer for protection from his enemies. David asks God to “hide me from the conspiracy of the wicked, from that noisy crowd of evildoers” v. 2. David sees their motives, “They plot injustice and say, We have devised a perfect plan!” v. 6. But then the final verses of this psalm David reminded himself that the wicked will not get away with their plans. God will protect him. “But God will shoot them with arrows; suddenly they will be struck down” v. 7. David knows the wicked schemes will only come back on themselves. “He will turn their own tongues against them and bring them to ruin; all who see them will shake their heads in scorn” v. 8. We should take comfort in knowing that nothing can happen to us without God’s knowledge and permission. We might seem to be in trouble or to lose, but in the end God will have the victory and if we are his children, we will too.

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

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Posted by John Weldon

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