Daily Meditations on the Bible / We stand with Israel
But the Lord replied, “Is it right for you to be angry?”
Today we are going to change gears for a while and talk about a topic that affects everyone’s life at some point or another: Anger.
People tend to think anger is a bad thing but actually, anger itself is nothing more than an indicator like a gauge on the dashboard of your car. The problems that we have with anger are manifested in how people react to it.
So what causes anger?
Continue reading “Anger’s Cause — Jonah 4:4”
We all stumble in many ways. Anyone who is never at fault in what they say is perfect, able to keep their whole body in check.
How many of you (dear readers) are never at fault in what you say? I am taking James at his word when he writes “never.” So when we say, “… never at fault…” we mean someone who is not at fault and has never been at fault.
Hmmm… I’m not seeing a show of hands.
Let’s try the other side of the coin: How many of you have been at fault in what you say at least once in your lives?
Ahhh! Now I see everyone’s hand!
Continue reading “James 3: 2 – A Show of Hands”
Not many of you should become teachers, my fellow believers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly.
I don’t think of myself as a teacher, even when I am teaching. This verse is why. I don’t want to be “judged more strictly.” Yet to the extent that I do teach, I am sure James’ words will apply.
So let me tell you what I teach:
I teach that God is real and that Jesus is his Son.
I teach that the Bible is written by God and exists exactly the way He wants it to be.
Everything else comes from the Bible and God Himself.
Continue reading “James 3: 1 – Understanding”
Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.
— John 3: 14-15
I’ve written about this passage before in “Complications” but it deserves a second look as an affirmation verse.
Salvation isn’t complicated. The people who were saved from the venomous snakes in the wilderness were saved from death if they simply looked upon the bronze snake.
Continue reading “Affirmation Monday – Easy to Believe”
The Lord is in his holy temple;
the Lord is on his heavenly throne.
He observes everyone on earth;
his eyes examine them.
— Psalm 11: 4
I like this verse from Psalm 11 because it reminds us that God is watching. More than that, more than being just a casual observer of the human race, God examines us.
In Luke 12:7 Jesus tells us that God has numbered the “very hairs of your head.” (I realize that for some of us, that may not seem like much of a challenge.) Think about the detail that represents. Then think about the fact that God operates at the molecular level. Psalm 139:13 tells us that God knits us together in our mother’s womb.
What else does God see?
Continue reading “Psalm Sunday – Heart Exam”
As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.
I was just reading an interesting article about candle burn marks on the wood beams and walls of ancient buildings. The article goes into a long history of the candle and its association with funerals, church rites, and daily life. No one knows for certain what the burn marks were for but they may have been there to ward off evil spirits. As I read through the rather long text I was taken back in time to the fourteenth century and reminded about how much I take for granted in this day and age.
At night our house is full of light. Little glowing lights are found everywhere. From the nightlight in the bathroom to the alarm clock on the nightstand. Need to make your way to the kitchen at one in the morning? No problem! Even the thermostats have glowing lights on them. There are little light markers everywhere not to mention the glow given off by the streetlights outside.
Continue reading “James 2: 26 – Candlelight”
In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in a different direction?
There is a kind of shorthand that exists when it comes to the matter of the Bible. Certain people I hobnob with are prone to refer to Bible passages by their address only. Instead of reciting the passage they are thinking of they simply give the verse and chapter and assume that you will know what they are talking about. Usually, I am left to look up the verse on my own if I want to have a clue what is going on.
(Full disclosure: I occasionally do the same thing, but rarely. Mainly due to an abundance of ignorance about exact passage references. :- )
Continue reading “James 2: 25 – Shorthand”
And the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,” and he was called God’s friend. You see that a person is considered righteous by what they do and not by faith alone.
The scripture James refers to is found in Genesis 15: 6. God has just told Abraham that he will have a son who is his own flesh and blood. God tells Abraham to count the stars in the night sky if that is possible and he will have an idea how many offspring he will have. The text says that “Abraham believed God.” Does this mean he simply said, “Oh yeah, God. Sure. I believe you,” or did he accept it as a foundational truth that what God said would happen?
We don’t see the evidence of Abraham’s belief in what God told him until God asks Abraham to sacrifice his son. At that point, we know what it means when scripture says he “believed.”
Two things resulted from this belief.
Continue reading “James 2: 23-24 – God’s Friend”
My son, do not forget my teaching,
but keep my commands in your heart,
for they will prolong your life many years
and bring you peace and prosperity.
— Proverbs 3: 1-2
What do you want out of life? Do you know? Are you looking for things to do that will shorten your life? Do you like to suffer? Are you the kind of person who enjoys going hungry?
Of course not!
Nobody in their right mind (and I grant you that there are people who are not in their right mind!) wants to die young. So hopefully we can agree that it is desirable to prolong life and enjoy the time in peace and prosperity.
Continue reading “Wisdom Wednesday – The Prize”
You foolish person, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless? Was not our father Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did.
How do you tell if the light is on or off when the refrigerator door is shut? Answer: You can’t. It is not possible to prove a negative.
How do you prove that there is no green cheese on the moon? Answer? You can’t. Until you look under every single rock on the moon, you cannot prove that there is no cheese there.
Continue reading “James 2: 20-22 – Proving a Negative”