Daily Meditations on the Bible / We stand with Israel
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”
So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you
— Luke 11: 9
I was looking for a verse to use as an affirmation for today’s post and I happened across this one. Jesus had just finished praying when one of his disciples asked him to teach them about prayer. Jesus teaches the disciples what we know as the “Lord’s Prayer” and then he tells them a story about persistence. He says, in essence, that we should ask God for what we need boldly. Jesus also tells us to be persistent. Then he gives this assurance:
“Ask and it will be given you…”
He doesn’t say we should hang around and wait to see what God is going to do. He says, “ask.” Then he adds:
Continue reading “Affirmation Monday – Doors”
For the Lord watches over the way of the righteous,
but the way of the wicked leads to destruction.
— Psalm 1: 6
This sounds like an Affirmation Monday verse, but it also happens to be a verse from Psalms. So today’s verse a twofer! 🙂
The two key points in this verse center around definitions. What does it mean to be “righteous” and what does it mean to be “wicked?”
Righteousness means “doing what is right.” That is all there is to it. Oh… I know … most dictionaries throw in a qualifier about doing what is “morally right,” but honestly who in the secular world is going to decide what is moral? Only God can do that.
Continue reading “Psalm Sunday – Coin Toss”
You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.
Who is James arguing with?
Have you ever listened to someone talking on the phone? You can hear one side of the conversation, but not the other. Listening to one side only leaves us guessing at what the person on the other end of the line is saying.
Reading James’ letter is a bit like that.
Continue reading “James 2: 19 – Phone Call for James”