Category: Uncategorized

2 minute read.

Daily Reading: 2 Samuel 12:1-31 ESV, John 16:1-33 ESV, Psalm 119:65-80 ESV, Proverbs 16:4-5 ESV

Daily Verse: “Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you.” (John 16:7 ESV)

SUMPHERO (4851): “Signifies transitively, lit., “to bring together,” (sun “with,” phero, “to bring”), intransitively, “to be an advantage, profitable, expedient,” it is used mostly impersonally,”[i]

Bring together.

Jesus knows that His time has come to leave.  Limitations exist in the physical realm, even for Jesus.  To reach the world, Christ sent the Holy Spirt in his place.  God’s Spirit has no boundaries, able to indwell in believers everywhere.

Utterly dependent on Jesus, the disciples can’t imagine life on earth without Him.  The boys don’t understand Jesus’ departure from the world doesn’t mean He’s leaving them.  Because Christ ascended, He brought them and us together with the Holy Spirit.

Advantage Jesus

Explaining to someone how the Holy Spirit works in my life seems challenging at times.  Anyone who places their faith in Jesus and begins to pursue Him will understand what I mean.  Nudges come from within precisely at the right time, way, and place.  When God prompts, you know without a doubt what to do; His message clear.

Without Jesus’ departure, we wouldn’t have the benefit of His spirit.  The advantage Christ gives us comes from our heavenly Father as we merge our soul with His.  Every day we pursue Jesus, our advantage grows stronger.

Letting the Holy Spirit lead you means getting out of your comfort zone. Christ’s teachings go against the world’s, His emphasis on the eternal instead of the temporary.  Where the world says to hate, Jesus calls us to love.  Instead of revenge, we must pray for our enemies.  If we see a need we can meet, God wants us to meet it.

God’s Spirit dwelling in you will help you love others well.  Following His promptings will continue to grow God’s kingdom.  Jesus’ departure from earth gave us our spiritual advantage, let the Holy Spirit guide your way.

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[i] Strong, J., & Strong, J. (2010). The New Strong’s expanded exhaustive concordance of the Bible. Greek Dictionary of the New Testament (p. 239) Thomas Nelson

2 minute read.

Daily Reading: 2 Samuel 9:1-11:27 ESV, John 15:1-27 ESV, Psalm 119:49-64 ESV, Proverbs 16:1-3 ESV

Daily Verse: “Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit.” (John 15:2 ESV)

KLEMA (2814): “A limb or shoot (as if broken off).  Denotes a tender, flexible branch, especially the shoot of a vine, a vine sprout.”[i]

Flexible branch.

Growing healthy fruit requires pruning, taking away the dead, the fruitful pruned becoming even more productive.  God, our gardener, tends to the soil of our hearts, planting seeds of love.  Jesus, blending truth and grace perfectly, exposes our sinful nature, replacing it with His affection.

Christ, the true vine, connects us to the gardener, God.  Sprouting from Jesus, our branches will multiply the more we follow Him.  As we grow, we’ll learn flexibility; we must so we can love others.  The more flexible we become, the more loving our actions.

Become bendable.

Growing branches bend and wave in storm winds, but they don’t break.  Attached to the true vine, God won’t let you go.  As the wind whips, and the rain pounds, Go holds you tight in His grasp, always with you.  And when you need pruning, God will do the clipping.

Talking to a friend about why people lie, I didn’t have the answer.  When I feel tempted to lie, God nudges me.  Maybe the person won’t know I lied, but God does.  From within, He prunes me, reminding me of the Holy Spirit’s presence in my life.

The same thing happens when I feel proud.  When I hit the golf ball on the sweet spot, sending it flying in the air, I immediately feel like a pro.  But then, on the very next hole, I dink it, barely hitting the ball,  instantly feeling humbled. 

How God prunes us, only He knows. In order to grow, we must accept the pruning. Bending, twisting, and flourishing, our branches grow. With Jesus’ help, we’ll produce good fruit.

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[i] Strong, J., & Strong, J. (2010). The New Strong’s expanded exhaustive concordance of the Bible. Greek Dictionary of the New Testament (p. 139) Thomas Nelson

2 minute read.

Daily Reading: 2 Samuel 7:1-8:18 ESV, John 14:15-31 ESV, Psalm 119:33-48 ESV, Proverbs 15:33 ESV

Daily Verse: “And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever” (John 14:16 ESV)

PARAKLETOS (3875): “Is the one summoned, called to one’s side, esp. called to one’s aid and is used of the Holy Spirit destined to take the place of Christ with the apostles (after Christ’s ascension to the Father), to truth, and give them divine strength needed to enable them to undergo trials and persecutions on behalf of the divine kingdom.”[i]

Divine strength.

God never meant for us to do life on our energy; He provides divine strength for us, which helps us thrive in a dark world.  Jesus set the example for us to follow and then sent help to accomplish the mission.   Grounded on the Rock, we can withstand the storms.

“If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” (John 14:15 ESV)

We demonstrate our affection for Jesus when we obey His commands.  Summarized, God wants us to love Him and others.  Without divine strength, we can’t build the divine kingdom.  Through love, God’s family grows

Accept help.

After my dad died, I watched my mom cope with the loss.  Sixteen, I didn’t grasp the full scope of what losing a spouse meant.  My teenage brain decided I didn’t want to depend on anybody; then, I couldn’t get hurt again.  But God created us for community; we need help to stay the course.

Admitting to Jesus we need Him allows us to accept the help He offers.  Following Jesus doesn’t make you weak; it makes you divinely strong.  When bad things happen in this life, which they will, God’s family surrounds you and helps you move forward, like my mom’s friends did for her.

 Jesus gives us our purpose in life, follow His commandments.  Our obedience to Him will become evident in our love for others. We must love the people God gives us when we have them; eventually, God wants them back.  Until then, we can honor Jesus by loving His flock well.

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[i] Strong, J., & Strong, J. (2010). The New Strong’s expanded exhaustive concordance of the Bible. Greek Dictionary of the New Testament (p. 190) Thomas Nelson

2 minute read.

Daily Reading: 2 Samuel 4:1-6:23 ESV, John 13:31-14:14 ESV, Psalm 119:17-32 ESV, Proverbs 15:31-32 ESV

Daily Verse: “Little children, yet a little while I am with you. You will seek me, and just as I said to the Jews, so now I also say to you, ‘Where I am going you cannot come.’” (John 13:33 ESV)

TEKNION (5040): “Only figuratively and always in the plural, is a term of kindly address by teachers to their disciples under circumstances requiring a tender appeal, e.g., of Christ to the Twelve just before His death, Jn 13:33; the apostle John used it in warning believers against spiritual dangers.”[i]

Kindly address

As gently as possible, Jesus tries to explain future events.  Christ, speaking to the disciples, loves them more than they know.  Even though they can’t follow Jesus now, they will rejoin Him one day.  In the meantime, Jesus gave them a mission:

“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” (John 13:34-35 ESV)

Currently, Jesus sits at the Father’s right hand, ruling with Him as one (Hebrew 1:3 ESV).  Like the disciples, we will one day reunite with the Savior, but until then, we have the same mission as the disciples: love one another as Christ loves us.

Continue the legacy.

Jesus left a legacy behind, which continues today.  Christ’s acts of mercy and kindness move forward through history, long after His death and resurrection.  When we meet Him again, physical death leads to our eternal life.  Our actions today impact the legacy we leave behind.

On the other side of a half-century, I realize I have less time left on earth than what lies before me.  Knowing the truth makes me ask myself a question.  What kind of legacy do I want to leave behind.  My answer remains the same; she loved the Lord.

For people to know I love God, I must love others.  My affection for others identifies me as a disciple of Christ.  Obedience to Jesus requires me to offer grace and mercy to all I meet, just as He did for me.  Continuing the legacy of Christ means dying to self.

Love others for Jesus today, even those hard to love.  Find ways to share God’s love with the world, continuing Christ’s legacy for the next generation.

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[i] Strong, J., & Strong, J. (2010). The New Strong’s expanded exhaustive concordance of the Bible. Greek Dictionary of the New Testament (p. 248) Thomas Nelson

2 minute read.

Daily Reading: 2 Samuel 2:12-3:39 ESV, John 13:1-30 ESV, Psalm 119:1-16 ESV, Proverbs 15:29-30 ESV

Daily Verse: “Peter said to him, “You shall never wash my feet.” Jesus answered him, “If I do not wash you, you have no share with me.” (John 13:8 ESV)

NIPTO (3538): “To cleanse (espec. The hands or the feet or the face).  This word is only used of washing part of the body.”[i]

Jesus cleanses.

Imagine getting up from the dinner table and washing the feet of those around you.  Most people don’t wear sandals and walk on dusty roads all day long; dirty feet the by-product.  Yet, Jesus did exactly that to set an example for His disciples, as well as for us.  Christ wants us to do as He did.

Cleansing washes away the sins of yesterday.  Each morning, when we connect with Jesus, we can begin again.  Letting Christ’s grace and mercy cleanse us from within allows us to do the same for others.  Receiving Jesus’ forgiveness helps us to forgive people.

Wash feet.

Thankfully, we don’t have to wash people’s feet most of the time.  But we must offer grace and mercy to those around us, finding ways to love them to the best of our ability.  Keeping Jesus’ commandment to care for others in the forefront of our minds helps us approach relationships differently.

When I meet a cantankerous soul who presses all my buttons, I remind myself of one fact, Jesus loves them.  Christ loves the grumpy person, and He died for them willingly.  Remembering God’s love for the world helps me love the unlovable.

Boundaries make relationships healthy.  Jesus never enabled anyone; He allowed people to live their lives the way they wanted, even if they didn’t follow Him.  Unhealthy people unwilling to take responsibility for their actions might require more distance.  Hardened hearts need God’s help to soften them.  We can’t change people; only God can.

Follow Jesus’ example and wash the feet of those around you by offering them grace and mercy.  You can’t control their actions, but you can control yours.  Imitating Christ will help you love others well.

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[i] Strong, J., & Strong, J. (2010). The New Strong’s expanded exhaustive concordance of the Bible. Greek Dictionary of the New Testament (p. 172) Thomas Nelson

2 minute read.

Daily Reading: 2 Samuel 1:1-2:11 ESV, John 12:20-50 ESV, Psalm 118:19-29 ESV, Proverbs 15:27-28 ESV

Daily Verse: “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.” (John 12:24 ESV)

APOTHNESKO (599): “As a verb, means lit., “to die off or out” and is used of the separation of the soul from the body, i.e., the natural “death” of human beings; of violent “death” whether or men or animals; with regard to the latter it is once translated “perished,” Mt. 8:32; of vegetation, Jude 12; of seeds, Jn 12:24.”[i]

Natural death.

Only with death can new life begin.  When a grain of wheat dies, it produces more in death than in life.  One grain of wheat makes over 320 seeds, but it must die first.  Jesus, speaking to the Greeks, uses the farming metaphor to explain what’s coming.  Jesus knew He had to die on the cross, His death multiplying the harvest of believers.

Tensions ran high as the day of crucifixion approached.  People became angrier and angrier the more Jesus did His own thing, which caused His popularity to decline.  People doubted Christ’s teaching; the religious leaders failed at trapping Jesus in any way.  Jesus knew the time had come for the final act, but the people still didn’t understand.

Death and resurrection.

When Jesus committed His soul into God’s hand moments before He died, people lost all hope.  Their Savior no longer lived, His ministry over.  The incubation period of the dead seed would soon multiply. Jesus, now dead, emerges three days later in His glorified body, an invitation to eternal life for all.

Those whose faith wavered before Jesus’ death no longer doubted.  With over 500 witnesses to His resurrected body, Jesus’ followers still multiply to this day, His seed-bearing much fruit.  Without death, we cannot have life.

One day, we will join Jesus in eternity, our address moving to a heavenly zip code.  We can pursue Christ vigorously, experiencing Godly adventures we can’t imagine.  Dying to self leads to full life in Christ.

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[i] Strong, J., & Strong, J. (2010). The New Strong’s expanded exhaustive concordance of the Bible. Greek Dictionary of the New Testament (p. 35) Thomas Nelson

2 minute read.

Daily Reading: 1 Samuel 29:1-31:13 ESV, John 11:55-12:19 ESV, Psalm 118:1-18 ESV, Proverbs 15:24-26 ESV

Daily Verse: “They were looking for Jesus and saying to one another as they stood in the temple, “What do you think? That he will not come to the feast at all?” (John 11:56 ESV)

HIERON (2411): “The neuter of the adjective hieros, “sacred,” is used as a noun denoting “a sacred place, a temple.”  The Temple mentioned in the Gospels, and Acts was begun by Herod in 20 B.C. and destroyed by the Romans in A.D. 70.”[i]

Scared place.

To participate in the feast at God’s temple, people had to undergo a ceremonial cleansing, which took seven days. Waiting at the Holy Temple, the Jews couldn’t imagine Jesus wouldn’t show up. Because of the increasing hostility from the Jewish people, Jesus withdrew from Jerusalem.  Six days before Passover, Jesus goes to Bethany to visit Lazarus instead of heading to the Temple for His ceremonial cleansing. 

“Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you?” (1 Corinthians 3:16 ESV)

Since Jesus’ death and resurrection, the location of the Temple changed.  When we place our faith in Jesus, His Spirit takes up residence inside of us, making our bodies God’s temple.  As divine creations, adopted into God’s family through faith, you see God’s sacred place in the reflection when you look in the mirror.

Living temples.

Christ-followers live with God’s Spirit inside of them.  Everywhere we go, Jesus goes with us.  No longer do we have to endure ceremonial cleansings to enter the temple.  But we must keep a soft heart to Jesus’ voice, especially when we don’t have answers to all our questions.

The Jews didn’t understand Jesus, and they became mad at Him.  Their anger kept Jesus away from the temple.   Our anger and frustration can separate us from God.  Christ doesn’t leave us, but we metaphorically leave Him, angry because Jesus doesn’t do what we want.

Submission to Christ means accepting His will for our lives.  Jesus’s plan often differs from ours.  As living temples, the sacrifice of our desires to align our hearts with God shines His light to the world. 

Honor God’s temple today, knowing His Spirit resides in you.  Let God’s light shine brightly in your life as you embrace His grace and mercy.

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[i] Strong, J., & Strong, J. (2010). The New Strong’s expanded exhaustive concordance of the Bible. Greek Dictionary of the New Testament (p. 120) Thomas Nelson

2 minute read.

Daily Reading: 1 Samuel 26:1-28:25 ESV,  John 11:1-54 ESV, Psalm 117:1-2 ESV, Proverbs 15:22-23 ESV

Daily Verse: “Jesus answered, “Are there not twelve hours in the day? If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world.” (John 11:9 ESV)

METOIKESIA (3350): “A change of abode by force.”[i]

Forced change.

Travelers during Jesus’ day didn’t have the convenience of streetlights.  Night-time journeys meant not seeing the stumbling blocks in the road.   However, daytime walks meant well-lit paths, making it easy to avoid the potholes.

“Your word is a lamp to my feet
    and a light to my path.” (Psalm 119: 105 ESV)

Following Jesus lights your path.  Applying His teachings to your life will help you avoid the potholes and keep you from stumbling.  But if we take our eyes off the Savior, we become susceptible to falling.

Stumbling means a forced change of abode.  When I missed the last step of the stairs in my house, looking at my phone instead of my path, I caused myself pain.  Not paying attention, walking in darkness, I missed the danger ahead.  Now, weeks later, I still have pain in my knee from lack of awareness.

Stay focused.

When we focus our eyes on Jesus, He lights the way for us, but the moment we look away, our path becomes dark.  In an instant, you can find yourself on the floor, wondering what happened. 

Sometimes, the most significant hurts come from the smallest stumbles.  Stubbing your toe causes an extraordinary amount of pain.  Jesus doesn’t want us to stumble; He wants us to focus on Him.

Keeping the Son in your eyes does require intentionality.  You must decide to follow Jesus, then pursue Him vigorously.  Reading God’s Word daily, developing a relationship with the Creator through prayer, applying Jesus’ teachings to your life all ways we keep our paths lighted.

If you feel surrounded by darkness, invite Jesus into the room.  Ask Him to light your path and give you direction.  Often, God only gives us enough light for the next step, knowing that’s all we need for today.

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[i] Strong, J., & Strong, J. (2010). The New Strong’s expanded exhaustive concordance of the Bible. Greek Dictionary of the New Testament (p. 363) Thomas Nelson

2 minute read.

Daily Reading: 1 Samuel 24:1-25:44 ESV, John 10:22-42 ESV, Psalm 116:1-19 ESV, Proverbs 15:20-21 ESV

Daily Verse: “So the Jews gathered around him and said to him, “How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly.” (John 10:24 ESV)

AIRO (142) + PSUCHE (5590): “Airo; a prim. Verb; to lift; by impl.  To take up or away; fig. to raise (the voice), keep in suspense.  As applied to the mind, to suspend, to keep in suspense.[i] Psuche refers to breath, the breath of life, that vital force which animates the body and shows itself in breathing.  The (human) soul in so far as it is constituted that by the right use of the aids offered it by God it can attain its highest end and secure eternal blessedness, the soul regarded as a moral being designed for everlasting life.  The soul as an essence which differs from the body and is not dissolved  by death.”[ii]

Take away breath.

Think of the last time you experienced suspense.  Watching “The Thing About Pam”[i] on Hulu held my breath as the murder story unfolded.  Suspenseful moments take away our breath.  When I attempt to hit a golf ball, I feel the same thing; the suspense of whether I will hit it stops me from breathing.

In the Jews’ case, they wanted to know the identification of Jesus.  From Jesus’ ministry, their question remains pivotal to the tale.  The disciples made their decision, but the Jews hadn’t. Even watching Jesus’ miracles performed from front row seats, they still didn’t believe in His divinity.

Greater than all.

As Jesus addresses the Jews, He confronts their unbelief.

‘but you do not believe because you are not among my sheep.” (John 10:26 ESV)

One part of faith you cannot change; you must believe in the unknown.  God doesn’t give us all the answers to life.  Instead, Jesus asks us to trust Him. 

Every day, “Why God?” questions happen.  Why, God, did the tragedy occur? Why, God, did they get a discouraging diagnosis?  Why, God, didn’t you heal my child?  Only God knows the answers; our heavenly Father reveals them to us in His time.

Volunteering with children helps me remember to have childlike faith. As I listened to sweet Juliet, a third-grader, recite the Lord’s prayer over the class, my heart filled with hope.  Children believe without questioning God’s goodness; they don’t doubt His existence, trusting Jesus completely.  We should do the same.

Breath freely, knowing Jesus holds you in His hands.  God’s Son existed on earth and lives in heaven, watching over us, praying for us, protecting us until the day He calls us home. 

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[i] Strong, J., & Strong, J. (2010). The New Strong’s expanded exhaustive concordance of the Bible. Greek Dictionary of the New Testament (p. 7) Thomas Nelson

[ii] Strong, J., & Strong, J. (2010). The New Strong’s expanded exhaustive concordance of the Bible. Greek Dictionary of the New Testament (p. 275) Thomas Nelson

^[i] https://www.imdb.com/title/tt13984270/

2 minute read.

Daily Reading: 1 Samuel 22:1-23:29 ESV, John 10:1-21 ESV, Psalm 115:1-18 ESV, Proverbs 15:18-19 ESV

Daily Verse: “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door but climbs in by another way, that man is a thief and a robber.” (John 10:1 ESV)

LESTES (3027): “A lestes is a robber; a brigand, one who plunders openly and by violence; whereas the kleptes (2812); a thief, denotes one who steals by stealth.”[i]

Plunders openly.

Sheep pens held several families’ flocks together.  As members of God’s family, adopted through Christ, our brothers and sisters come from all nations and tribes.  Heaven’s sheep pen will have many faces of all colors; praise God.

If someone tries to enter the gate in any other way, they will fail.  Religious leaders during Jesus’ time worshipped the law instead of God.  Some still do the same today.  But Jesus wants us to follow Him, loving God and others as He did.  As God’s sheep, we know His voice; any other voice we must ignore.

Voice recognition.

As a dog mom, when I call their name, my two tiny beasts recognize my voice.  In the same way, sheep recognize the voice of their shepherd.  Leading His flock, Jesus doesn’t drive from behind; He goes first, expecting us to follow.

Religious leaders’ intent on the law drives the flock from behind­–whispering in our ear manipulative words, trying to get us off track with their judgments.  Unfortunately, people like the Pharisees don’t realize their faults.  Or they choose to cover them up by pointing fingers at other people’s misdemeanors.  And we all have failings, every one of us.

But Jesus takes on our sins, giving us a clean slate.  When we stand before God on judgment day, Jesus stands with us, making us perfect in God’s eye.  No better shepherd exists than the one who shepherds us.

Don’t let zealous religious leaders focused on puffing up themselves impact your walk with Jesus.  Recognize the voice of the shepherd as you follow Him closely.  The closer you follow, the better you will know the Shepherd’s voice.

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[i] Strong, J., & Strong, J. (2010). The New Strong’s expanded exhaustive concordance of the Bible. Greek Dictionary of the New Testament (p. 151) Thomas Nelson