Click here for today's Bible reading: Matthew 18-20; Proverbs 10:12-21.
Click here to see the complete one-year schedule.
27 January 2009
Click here for today's Bible reading: Genesis 47-50; Proverbs 8:32-36.
Today marks the end of the beginning—we finish reading Genesis, the book of "beginnings." In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. But Genesis is much more than an account of creation. Not only does it tell us about the origin of the universe, the earth, and of plants, animals, and humans, but also the origin of conflict, resolution, and new beginnings.
Click here to see the complete one-year schedule.
Today marks the end of the beginning—we finish reading Genesis, the book of "beginnings." In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. But Genesis is much more than an account of creation. Not only does it tell us about the origin of the universe, the earth, and of plants, animals, and humans, but also the origin of conflict, resolution, and new beginnings.
Click here to see the complete one-year schedule.
25 January 2009
Click here for today's Bible reading: Psalms 9-11.
I will praise you, O LORD, with all my heart;
I will tell of all your wonders....
Sing praises to the LORD, enthroned in Zion;
proclaim among the nations what he has done. —Psalm 9:1, 11
Today was the last Sunday of the mission's conference at our church. Our speaker was Todd Ahrend. He spoke on the biblical basis for missions, using all of Scripture rather than simply the text generally referred to as "the great commission."
Click here to see the complete one-year schedule.
I will praise you, O LORD, with all my heart;
I will tell of all your wonders....
Sing praises to the LORD, enthroned in Zion;
proclaim among the nations what he has done. —Psalm 9:1, 11
Today was the last Sunday of the mission's conference at our church. Our speaker was Todd Ahrend. He spoke on the biblical basis for missions, using all of Scripture rather than simply the text generally referred to as "the great commission."
Click here to see the complete one-year schedule.
21 January 2009
Click here for today's Bible reading: Genesis 36-39; Proverbs 6:20-35.
Wintley Phipps sang "Amazing Grace" at the national prayer service this morning. The video I've posted below is from an earlier performance. Before singing he explained the significance of the song. It's one of the most amazing videos I've watched and also one of the most moving:
And here's the clip from this morning's service at the National Cathedral:
Click here to see the complete one-year schedule.
Wintley Phipps sang "Amazing Grace" at the national prayer service this morning. The video I've posted below is from an earlier performance. Before singing he explained the significance of the song. It's one of the most amazing videos I've watched and also one of the most moving:
And here's the clip from this morning's service at the National Cathedral:
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Click here to see the complete one-year schedule.
20 January 2009
Click here for today's Bible reading: Genesis 33-35; Proverbs 6:12-19.
Inauguration Day. A day for reflection, celebration, and determination.
The beauty of the day drew me to a beautiful place—Meijer Garden—the perfect place to reflect on the significance of the day.
Click here to see the complete one-year schedule.
Inauguration Day. A day for reflection, celebration, and determination.
The beauty of the day drew me to a beautiful place—Meijer Garden—the perfect place to reflect on the significance of the day.
Click here to see the complete one-year schedule.
18 January 2009
Click here for today's Bible reading: Psalms 6-8.
Image credit: NASA/CXC/STScI/JPL-Caltech/UIUC/Univ. of Minn.
O LORD, our Lord,
how majestic is your name in all the earth!
You have set your glory
above the heavens....
When I consider your heavens,
the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars,
which you have set in place,
what is man that you are mindful of him,
the son of man that you care for him?...
O LORD, our Lord,
how majestic is your name in all the earth! —Psalm 8:1, 3-4, 9
Click here to see the complete one-year schedule.
Image credit: NASA/CXC/STScI/JPL-Caltech/UIUC/Univ. of Minn.
O LORD, our Lord,
how majestic is your name in all the earth!
You have set your glory
above the heavens....
When I consider your heavens,
the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars,
which you have set in place,
what is man that you are mindful of him,
the son of man that you care for him?...
O LORD, our Lord,
how majestic is your name in all the earth! —Psalm 8:1, 3-4, 9
Click here to see the complete one-year schedule.
16 January 2009 | To Judge or Not to Judge
Click here for today's Bible reading: Matthew 6-7; Proverbs 5:1-14.
“Judge not, that you be not judged.” —Matthew 7:1
What better way to tell people to mind their own business than to quote Jesus?! People who seldom read the Bible are quick to quote it when they want to silence someone whose opinion they don’t like. “Judge not, that you be not judged,” seems like the perfect response. Hardly a day goes by without someone quoting this verse in the news. In fact, today when I searched news.google.com I found someone who used it in reference to a story about the former pastor of my church!
However, Jesus was warning against a particular kind of judging, not judging in general. The kind of judging he said we're to avoid is found in the previous few paragraphs of his sermon (6:19-34). Unfortunately, we seldom read it in context due to the disruptive chapter break. The human tendency is to judge ourselves and others on the basis of what we have or don't have. Those who have a lot are judged favorably; those who have little are not. But what we have is not an accurate measure of our spiritual condition. Those who have much often become proud; those who have little often become anxious.
Read in context, the passage indicates that we are indeed to judge; we're just supposed to avoid faulty judgments. Furthermore, our judgments are to begin with self. Jesus said that we should first remove the plank from our own eye, and then we will see clearly to remove the speck from someone else's eye (7:5). This certainly requires judging! He then said, "Beware of false prophets" (v. 15). This too requires judging—we need to be able to discern truth from falsehood.
Jesus used the metaphor of fruit to give us the proper criteria for judging. "By their fruits you will know them" (v. 20). We are to judge people (including ourselves) by the quality of the fruit they produce.
God doesn't judge us by what we have or don't have because he's the one who decides whether we will have much or little. Instead, he judges what we produce with what he's given to us. This fruit cannot be judged by earthly values; it must be judged by heavenly values. We need to use whatever we have to produce fruit that God values: love, joy, and peace (Gal. 5:22). That's how God will judge us, and that's how we should judge as well. —Julie Ackerman Link
Adapted/expanded from the 9 January 2009 Our Daily Bread.
Click here to see the complete one-year schedule.
“Judge not, that you be not judged.” —Matthew 7:1
What better way to tell people to mind their own business than to quote Jesus?! People who seldom read the Bible are quick to quote it when they want to silence someone whose opinion they don’t like. “Judge not, that you be not judged,” seems like the perfect response. Hardly a day goes by without someone quoting this verse in the news. In fact, today when I searched news.google.com I found someone who used it in reference to a story about the former pastor of my church!
However, Jesus was warning against a particular kind of judging, not judging in general. The kind of judging he said we're to avoid is found in the previous few paragraphs of his sermon (6:19-34). Unfortunately, we seldom read it in context due to the disruptive chapter break. The human tendency is to judge ourselves and others on the basis of what we have or don't have. Those who have a lot are judged favorably; those who have little are not. But what we have is not an accurate measure of our spiritual condition. Those who have much often become proud; those who have little often become anxious.
Read in context, the passage indicates that we are indeed to judge; we're just supposed to avoid faulty judgments. Furthermore, our judgments are to begin with self. Jesus said that we should first remove the plank from our own eye, and then we will see clearly to remove the speck from someone else's eye (7:5). This certainly requires judging! He then said, "Beware of false prophets" (v. 15). This too requires judging—we need to be able to discern truth from falsehood.
Jesus used the metaphor of fruit to give us the proper criteria for judging. "By their fruits you will know them" (v. 20). We are to judge people (including ourselves) by the quality of the fruit they produce.
God doesn't judge us by what we have or don't have because he's the one who decides whether we will have much or little. Instead, he judges what we produce with what he's given to us. This fruit cannot be judged by earthly values; it must be judged by heavenly values. We need to use whatever we have to produce fruit that God values: love, joy, and peace (Gal. 5:22). That's how God will judge us, and that's how we should judge as well. —Julie Ackerman Link
Adapted/expanded from the 9 January 2009 Our Daily Bread.
Click here to see the complete one-year schedule.
9 January 2009
Click here for today's Bible reading: Matthew 1-2; Proverbs 2:12-22.
Jay and I heard Dr. Lamin Sanneh speak tonight at the Veritas Forum at Hope College. What an amazing, God-anointed man!
Click here to see the complete one-year schedule.
Jay and I heard Dr. Lamin Sanneh speak tonight at the Veritas Forum at Hope College. What an amazing, God-anointed man!
Click here to see the complete one-year schedule.
6 January 2009
Click here for today's Bible reading: Genesis 5-7; Proverbs 1:8-19
Today is the Christian holy day of Epiphany. Christmas has officially ended. The wise men have reached Jesus. Good news has come to Gentiles. God is making himself known to the the nations. Read about it here.
This Christmas season I've been captivated by the star as a symbol of God's work of revelation. It seems as if God's work of revelation these days is being done through his people.
Perhaps the star theme has caught my interest because one of the first songs my mother made sure I learned to play on the piano was "Star of the East."
The Star Of The East - Judy Garland
Star of the East, oh Bethlehem star,
Guiding us on to heaven afar
Sorrow and grief are lull'd by thy light
Thou hope of each mortal, in death's lonely night
Fearless and tranquil, we look up to Thee
Knowing thou beam'st through eternity
Help us to follow where Thou still dost guide
Pilgrims of earth so wide
Star of the East, thou hope of the soul
While round us here the dark billows roll
Lead us from sin to glory afar
Thou star of the East, thou sweet Bethl'em's star.
Star of the East, undimmed by each cloud,
What tho' the storms of grief gather loud
Faithful and pure thy rays beam to save
Still bright o'er the cradle, and bright o'er the grave
Smiles of a Saviour are mirror'd in thee
Glimpses of Heav'n in thy light we see
Guide us still onward to that blessed shore
After earth's toil is o'er
Oh star that leads to God above
Whose rays are Peace and Joy and Love
Watch o'er us still till life hath ceased
Beam on, bright star, sweet Bethlehem star.
Adoration of the Wise Men by Murillo
Click here to see the complete one-year schedule.
Today is the Christian holy day of Epiphany. Christmas has officially ended. The wise men have reached Jesus. Good news has come to Gentiles. God is making himself known to the the nations. Read about it here.
The word “epiphany” comes from the Greek epiphainen, a verb that means “to shine upon,” “to manifest,” or “to make known.” Thus, the feast of the Epiphany celebrates the many ways that Christ has made Himself known to the world, mainly the three events that manifested the mission and divinity of Christ: the visit of the Magi (Matthew 2:1-12), the baptism of Jesus (Mark 1:9-11), and the miracle at Cana (John 2:1-11). The visit of the Magi is emphasized on Epiphany Day, and Christ's baptism is celebrated the first Sunday that follows. —quoted from The Epiphany of our Lord, Catholic News AgencyWho can resist a God who works so hard at making himself known?! We've been reading the account of creation, and we've just finished celebrating the incarnation. Has any other deity gone to so much trouble to engage with lowly humans?
This Christmas season I've been captivated by the star as a symbol of God's work of revelation. It seems as if God's work of revelation these days is being done through his people.
Those who are wise will shine
like the brightness of the heavens,
and those who lead many to righteousness,
like the stars for ever and ever.
Daniel 12:3
like the brightness of the heavens,
and those who lead many to righteousness,
like the stars for ever and ever.
Daniel 12:3
Do everything without complaining or arguing,
so that you may become blameless and pure,
children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation,
in which you shine like stars in the universe.
Philippians 2:14-15
so that you may become blameless and pure,
children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation,
in which you shine like stars in the universe.
Philippians 2:14-15
Perhaps the star theme has caught my interest because one of the first songs my mother made sure I learned to play on the piano was "Star of the East."
The Star Of The East - Judy Garland
Star of the East, oh Bethlehem star,
Guiding us on to heaven afar
Sorrow and grief are lull'd by thy light
Thou hope of each mortal, in death's lonely night
Fearless and tranquil, we look up to Thee
Knowing thou beam'st through eternity
Help us to follow where Thou still dost guide
Pilgrims of earth so wide
Star of the East, thou hope of the soul
While round us here the dark billows roll
Lead us from sin to glory afar
Thou star of the East, thou sweet Bethl'em's star.
Star of the East, undimmed by each cloud,
What tho' the storms of grief gather loud
Faithful and pure thy rays beam to save
Still bright o'er the cradle, and bright o'er the grave
Smiles of a Saviour are mirror'd in thee
Glimpses of Heav'n in thy light we see
Guide us still onward to that blessed shore
After earth's toil is o'er
Oh star that leads to God above
Whose rays are Peace and Joy and Love
Watch o'er us still till life hath ceased
Beam on, bright star, sweet Bethlehem star.
Adoration of the Wise Men by Murillo
Click here to see the complete one-year schedule.
5 January 2009
Click here for today's Bible reading: Genesis 1-4; Proverbs 1:1-7
The widely accepted theological term for the disaster recorded in Genesis 2 is "fall," but that word is too weak to convey the magnitude of what happened. "Crash" would be better, though still inadequate. And what I'm about to compare it to is inadequate as well, and I hope I'm not trivializing one of the most important moments in history.
Today when I began reading Genesis once again, I noticed how close the story of creation and the fall are to one another, at least in the historical account. (I'm not claiming to know how close they were in actual history.) I thought about how God must have felt about making something so good, so beautiful, and with so much potential, only to have it ruined so soon by someone with no sense of beauty or goodness or love.
And then I remembered my car crash back in May. The little red car I had driven for more than 14 years finally said "no more," so Jay bought me a shiny new Vibe. I had driven it for only a few months when, in a moment of distraction, I rear-ended a UPS truck (not the little brown kind, a BIG UPS truck). Nothing but my car and my ego were damaged, thankfully, and I had only myself to blame, but, nonetheless, seeing my shiny new car all smashed did make me think about how God must have felt when his shiny new creatures crashed head-long into the abyss of sin when distracted by Satan's fascinating lie.
Click here to see the complete one-year schedule.
The widely accepted theological term for the disaster recorded in Genesis 2 is "fall," but that word is too weak to convey the magnitude of what happened. "Crash" would be better, though still inadequate. And what I'm about to compare it to is inadequate as well, and I hope I'm not trivializing one of the most important moments in history.
Today when I began reading Genesis once again, I noticed how close the story of creation and the fall are to one another, at least in the historical account. (I'm not claiming to know how close they were in actual history.) I thought about how God must have felt about making something so good, so beautiful, and with so much potential, only to have it ruined so soon by someone with no sense of beauty or goodness or love.
And then I remembered my car crash back in May. The little red car I had driven for more than 14 years finally said "no more," so Jay bought me a shiny new Vibe. I had driven it for only a few months when, in a moment of distraction, I rear-ended a UPS truck (not the little brown kind, a BIG UPS truck). Nothing but my car and my ego were damaged, thankfully, and I had only myself to blame, but, nonetheless, seeing my shiny new car all smashed did make me think about how God must have felt when his shiny new creatures crashed head-long into the abyss of sin when distracted by Satan's fascinating lie.
God, I'm not claiming to know, or even imagine, how you felt after that awful event, but I now realize that you certainly know how I feel when something important to me is broken. Thank you for reminding me that I'll never have a bad day that can compare with yours! Thank you, Lord, for your compassion.
Click here to see the complete one-year schedule.
3 January 2009 | Eating as Worship
Yesterday when I walked into my favorite Barnes and Noble bookstore here in Grand Rapids, the front table was filled with books on dieting. That's always a sure sign that the new year has begun. After several weeks of overeating all kinds of holiday foods, we turn our attention to not eating.
Since we've been focused on food for the past few months, now is a good time to think about what the Bible has to say about it. Here are just a few observations . . .
In the Old Testament, God seemed eager to tell Adam what to eat and what not to eat (Gen. 2:16-17). It was in fact the first commandment. (It would be many years before God called Moses to the top of Mount Sinai to issue what we call the Ten Commandments.) Later, God gave manna to the Israelites when they thought that he was going to leave them in the desert to die. Manna had a dual purpose: 1. to convince the people that he was God (Ex. 16:12); 2. to test them to find out if they believed him (Deut. 8:16). In the New Testament, the apostle Paul stated the proper attitude for everything we do, including eating: “Whether you eat or drink, . . . do all to the glory of God” (1 Cor. 10:31).
As these passages indicate, God uses food not only to bless but also to teach. This means that our misuse of food keeps us from knowing God in ways that he wants to be known. Obsessive eating or not eating indicates that we are focused on the gift rather than on the Giver, and this is a form of idolatry.
When we think of food as a friend that comforts us or an enemy that makes us fat, we miss the wonder of receiving with gratitude a splendid gift from God. When eating becomes a true act of worship, we will no longer worship food. — Julie Ackerman Link (adapted from today's Our Daily Bread)
The new Bible reading schedule begins tomorrow.
Since we've been focused on food for the past few months, now is a good time to think about what the Bible has to say about it. Here are just a few observations . . .
In the Old Testament, God seemed eager to tell Adam what to eat and what not to eat (Gen. 2:16-17). It was in fact the first commandment. (It would be many years before God called Moses to the top of Mount Sinai to issue what we call the Ten Commandments.) Later, God gave manna to the Israelites when they thought that he was going to leave them in the desert to die. Manna had a dual purpose: 1. to convince the people that he was God (Ex. 16:12); 2. to test them to find out if they believed him (Deut. 8:16). In the New Testament, the apostle Paul stated the proper attitude for everything we do, including eating: “Whether you eat or drink, . . . do all to the glory of God” (1 Cor. 10:31).
As these passages indicate, God uses food not only to bless but also to teach. This means that our misuse of food keeps us from knowing God in ways that he wants to be known. Obsessive eating or not eating indicates that we are focused on the gift rather than on the Giver, and this is a form of idolatry.
When we think of food as a friend that comforts us or an enemy that makes us fat, we miss the wonder of receiving with gratitude a splendid gift from God. When eating becomes a true act of worship, we will no longer worship food. — Julie Ackerman Link (adapted from today's Our Daily Bread)
When food becomes our god,
our appetite for the Bread of Life is diminished.
our appetite for the Bread of Life is diminished.
The new Bible reading schedule begins tomorrow.
2 January 2009 | Don't Waste Your Breath
If I were to scoop up a handful of dirt and blow into it, all I would get is a dirty face. When God did it, He got a living, breathing human being capable of thinking, feeling, dreaming, loving, reproducing, and living forever.
As one of these human beings, I speak of “catching” my breath, “holding” my breath, or “saving” my breath, but these are idioms of language. I cannot save my breath for use at a later time. If I don’t use the one I have now, I’ll lose it. I may even lose consciousness.
I tried playing the "hold your breath" game when I was a kid and wasn't getting what I wanted from my mom. I would stand in the front yard where she was sure to see me, take a deep breath (I didn't want to die too soon), and stop breathing. This got Mom's attention, but it didn't get me what I wanted. After I tried this a couple of times, Mom called Dr. Timmerman, and he told her not to worry. "As soon as she passes out, she'll start breathing again," he assured her. So much for my attempt to gain the upper hand with Mom.
Even though that strategy didn't work, it didn't keep me from finding other ways to misuse my breath. I've since used it to say wrong things, hurtful things, unkind things. I've used it to take me places I shouldn't go and do things I shouldn't do. But God, in his graciousness, has not yet taken my breath away from me. He keeps giving me new chances to use it for good.
I don't care for the phrase, “Life is not measured by the number of breaths you take, but by the moments that take your breath away.” When we place so much importance on "breath-taking" moments, we miss the wonder of simply breathing. As anyone with any kind of breathing disorder knows, breathing is a gift that none of us should take for granted.
When God breathed into Adam, he gave his clay figurine more than life; he gave a reason to live: Worship! As the psalmist said, “Let everything that has breath praise the Lord” (Ps. 150:6).
This means that we are wasting our breath whenever we use it for something that doesn’t honor the One in whom “we live and move and have our being” (Acts 17:28).
Although we cannot blow life into a handful of dirt, we can use every breath to do the work of God in the world. We can speak words of comfort, sing songs of praise, and run to help the sick and oppressed. When we use our breath to honor our Creator with our unique combination of talents, abilities, and opportunities, we will never be wasting it. — Julie Ackerman Link (adapted from today's Our Daily Bread)
As one of these human beings, I speak of “catching” my breath, “holding” my breath, or “saving” my breath, but these are idioms of language. I cannot save my breath for use at a later time. If I don’t use the one I have now, I’ll lose it. I may even lose consciousness.
I tried playing the "hold your breath" game when I was a kid and wasn't getting what I wanted from my mom. I would stand in the front yard where she was sure to see me, take a deep breath (I didn't want to die too soon), and stop breathing. This got Mom's attention, but it didn't get me what I wanted. After I tried this a couple of times, Mom called Dr. Timmerman, and he told her not to worry. "As soon as she passes out, she'll start breathing again," he assured her. So much for my attempt to gain the upper hand with Mom.
Even though that strategy didn't work, it didn't keep me from finding other ways to misuse my breath. I've since used it to say wrong things, hurtful things, unkind things. I've used it to take me places I shouldn't go and do things I shouldn't do. But God, in his graciousness, has not yet taken my breath away from me. He keeps giving me new chances to use it for good.
I don't care for the phrase, “Life is not measured by the number of breaths you take, but by the moments that take your breath away.” When we place so much importance on "breath-taking" moments, we miss the wonder of simply breathing. As anyone with any kind of breathing disorder knows, breathing is a gift that none of us should take for granted.
When God breathed into Adam, he gave his clay figurine more than life; he gave a reason to live: Worship! As the psalmist said, “Let everything that has breath praise the Lord” (Ps. 150:6).
This means that we are wasting our breath whenever we use it for something that doesn’t honor the One in whom “we live and move and have our being” (Acts 17:28).
Although we cannot blow life into a handful of dirt, we can use every breath to do the work of God in the world. We can speak words of comfort, sing songs of praise, and run to help the sick and oppressed. When we use our breath to honor our Creator with our unique combination of talents, abilities, and opportunities, we will never be wasting it. — Julie Ackerman Link (adapted from today's Our Daily Bread)
Breathe on me, Breath of God,
Fill me with life anew,
That I may love what Thou dost love,
And do what Thou wouldst do. —Hatch
The new Bible reading schedule begins on Sunday, 4 January.
Fill me with life anew,
That I may love what Thou dost love,
And do what Thou wouldst do. —Hatch
The new Bible reading schedule begins on Sunday, 4 January.
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